How to Fix Starcraft's Bad Colors or Color Problem

This is an instructable for fixing the bad graphic colors in Starcraft if your running Windows Vista or Windows 7.

There are 3 ways to do this, screen resolution window, run in Compatibility Mode, and a .bat file.

Step 1: Screen Resolution Window

First, open the screen resolution window by right clicking on your desktop and going to screen resolution.

Now just run starcraft and it might work. If it doesn't try the next solution.

Step 2: Compatibility Mode Part 1

Right Click on your Starcraft or Starcraft Brood Wars application or shortcut and click on properties. You should see something like the picture.

Now click on the Compatibility tab.

Step 3: Compatibility Mode Part 2

Now click on all the checkmarks and run the program. There will be something to ask if you want to continue, just press "ok".

If this doesn't work you might want to uncheck the first box. You might want to try many different combinations.

If this doesn't work, try the last solution.

Step 4: .BAT Solution

First, open notepad from your accesories.

Now copy this code into it:

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
C:\"Program Files"\Starcraft\Starcraft.exe

explorer.exe

exit

And save it as Starcraft.bat (all four lines). Make sure not to put starcraft.bat.txt. Now double click on the .bat file.

Step 5: Conclusion

I hope this helped. If none of the solution worked, sorry! Thanks

Comments

[SattaN]

compatibility mode:
"you might want to uncheck the first box. You might want to try many different combinations."
/there is a combination. i did it before this way.
how stoned were you while making this 'how to-maybe.. who knows' instructizionzes ?

[cavalol]

Thank you very much! Kerrigan finally looks normal on the load screen, and all menus are looking back to the original!

I made two small changes to your batch file:

1: I used %~dp0% which is the batch file's current filepath, used to find starcraft.exe easier.

2: By running 'start explorer.exe' instead of 'explorer.exe', you don't have to close the command prompt windows after exiting the game.

Simplified Step 4: .BAT Solution

1. Create new text file (right click > new > text document). Name it whatever.txt.

2. Rename it to "RunStarcraft.bat". MAKE SURE you are changing the filetype to .bat (if you don't see the .txt while renaming, you need to Show File Extensions Windows).

3. Right click it > Edit. Copy and paste the following four lines into it:

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe

%~dp0%\Starcraft.exe

start explorer.exe

exit

Place "RunStarcraft.bat" wherever your Starcraft.exe file is (in the game's folder), and run it. Problem solved, for me on Win7x64.

[RobertD127]

OMG I have always wanted to play and I thought Id google how to play SC1 again since after xp it never worked right. The compatabilty mode has never worked for me. The batch file killing explorer works like a freakin miracle. Super stoked ty!

[ДавидД]

Works like a charm! Thank you, its so good to play old starcraft like I remember it :)

[MariusN1]

windows 10 soved this problem after upgrade from windows 7, in the past i used
"

graneri

" method but after upgrade, it works perfectly!

[graneri]

To make this a little easier for those unfamiliar with Task Manager, you can add two more lines to your batch file to automate the process of restarting explorer.exe

===================================
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
C:\"Program Files"\Starcraft\Starcraft.exe
explorer.exe
exit
===================================

Using this in your .bat will close explorer, run StarCraft, and when you close your game, it will restart explorer and bring back your desktop.

This has been tested on Windows 7 x64 Pro SP1

[WilliamS31]

For anyone having trouble getting this to do anything besides close your explorer, just remember that you may have to edit the filepath of the StarCraft.exe file to fit your installation location. For example, I had to put in:

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe

D:\"Program Files"\StarCraft\StarCraft.exe

explorer.exe

exit

[RobertR50]

i dont understand how do do this at all

[RobertR50]

i dont understand how do do this at all

[tcroix]

I am usually not one to gush but all day I have tried all these reg fixes and stupid bat files, none of them worked, until I tried yours.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Delax]

Thx man this helped me alot!

[RobertR50]

[starmat]

thx alot, it's worked, my starcraft's graphic is fixed

[mmd87]

The last one with the .bat file works for me on my laptop, but not on my tower. But thanks a lot!

[areeand]

Thank you very much..

it's worked

[itsmypie]

Paste this into a ".cmd" file, this is the only thing that actually worked for me...

======================================================
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Starcraft\StarCraft.exe"
start explorer.exe
======================================================

-Or, manually shut down and restart your explorer.exe

[mbreukel]

is this for bad colors ingame? i had a similar thing with Age of Empires 2 which looked really creepy on W7. i fixed it with a small program called PalletteStealerSuspender(http://www.age-of-empires.net/gameforum/Blah.pl?v-print/m-1273316507/) just open the program and fill the location for the .exe, and play without any distorted colors

[mrluck]

Thank you for this amazing fix. I have windows 7 64 bit and i ran into an error stating it can't find starcraft.exe. If you have this problem paste this into the .bat file.

======================================
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
C:\"Program Files (x86)"\Starcraft\Starcraft.exe
explorer.exe
exit
======================================

Thank you once again, I hope this helps somebody.

[jhamby1]

ACTUALLY, Thanks mrluck, I realized I hadn't added the x86 to it. It seems to be working now. YES!

[jhamby1]

none of these work. I love starcraft, but f**k Blizzard for trying to force me into purchasing SC2 by not adding any fixes or patches. This is bull...