Fallout Tactics – How to Play on Windows 10/11 [Fixed]

How to play Fallout Tactics in 2024 on Windows 11 – Going over issues & fixes.

Fatal Error Fix: Windows 10/11 Guide

Error! C:\dev\phoenix\display\directx7\dd7_display.cpp(715): **fatal error**:
Could not create primary and back surfaces

I will now guide you through the steps to repair the error listed above.

Quick Fix:

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout Tactics\
2. Right click BOS.exe > Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)
3. Right click “BOS.exe – Shortcut” on Desktop > Properties > Shortcut
4. In the target box add -g to the end ( Example: Tactics\BOS.exe” -g )
5. Apply > Ok.
6. Open “BOS.exe – Shortcut”

If the game opened; skip to Step 3, if not; continue from Step 1a.

Step 1A:

• Press the green play button on Fallout Tactics within Steam.
• If you get the menu shown in the <~left image; continue to Step 1b.
• If you get the menu shown in the right~> image; continue to Step 2.

Step 1B:

• Right click on “Fallout Tactics” in your Steam library and click Properties.
• Navigate to the General tab on the left of the screen.
• Within the General tab look for a section labeled “Launch Options”
• Under “Launch Options” choose from the drop down menu “Ask when starting game”
• Close out of the Propeties window and return to Step 1a

Step 2:

• Tick the circle labeled “Play Windowed (Workaround for Windows 8)”
• DON’T press “Always use this option” (If you do; return to Step 1b )
• Press play.
• Press play again on the game launcher window.
• It may now ask you to install DirectPlay; click “Install this feature”
• The game should now launch in a small window.

Step 3:

• While you are at the main menu press OPTIONS.
• Go to the Display tab (1)
• Click DEFAULT (2)
• Click DONE (3)
• It will bring you back to the main menu, now press Exit.
• If you made a desktop shortcut with the Quick Fix above you may now delete the shortcut.

Step 4:

• Press Play on Fallout Tactics within your Steam library again.
• Check “Play Fallout Tactics” circle.
• Check “Always use this option” box.
• Press Play.
• Press Play again on the game launcher window.
• The game should now launch in fullscreen 800×600 without any errors.

Note: The “Fatal Error” may occur later on with tweaks made to the game, you can always redo these steps and find another way to go about your tweak.

Resolution Fix

I will now guide you to setting the display to your desired resolution.

Step 1:

• Before continuing make sure you followed the “High Resolution Patch” guide within this page.
• Press “Play” on the steam library and navigate to the main menu.
• Press Options > Display > Display Mode > (Your desired resolution)
• Press Done > Exit
• Your resolution should now be set, if you encounter any issue repeat the steps within the Fatal Error Fix guide within this page.

Note: I encountered the “Fatal Error” mentioned previously in this guide when setting the resolution to “1920 x 1080 x 16” as opposed to setting it to “1920 x 1080 x 32” your experience may differ; please let me know.