i have EXACTLY the same issue. ive re downloaded twice. WHAT THE FUCK?

I also have this problem ... have tried monkeying with compatibility settings to no avail.

I found a workaround...

1. Right click the game title in the Beamdog game client
2. Select "Open Game Location."
3. Open the "0076" folder.
4. Select the "Baldur" application file.

Game should launch. But yeah, not really happy about having to work that out for myself, esp. after waiting essentially 8 hours to download a 2 gb game.

I've looked at all solutions, tried everything since yesterday, and you shouldn't have to go through some obscure ritual to access the game, just a poor design really, still can't get it to work through all the different methods that have been posted around the net.
I should probably just ask for a refund and play the orginal.
Really disappointing.

I'm having this same issue. Can anyone from Beamdog speak up? This is ridiculous.

the work around doesnt work...

also, according to windows, the game file is only 1.83 gb. Am i missing some files?

@Karrick - No, I don't think you're missing anything. I was just rounding up out of laziness. My downloaded files also clock in at 1.83gb.

If it helps, I'm running Bootcamp on a late 2011 MacBook Pro

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Intel Core i7 2.5GHz
ATI Radeon HD 6770M - 1gb
Hitachi 750gb hard disk - 32M cache, 7200rpm
8gb (2 x 4gb) DDR3 - 1333MHz

Mine won't run either tried all the work arounds

The idea of having to do 'work arounds' is ludicrous to me. Having to manipulate files, move directories around and rename this folder and work under this mode and all that other confusing techno babble just irritates me to no end. It is not the customers responsibility to fix a broken product.
If you bought a new car from a dealership but it would not even start on the dealers lot, would you raise the hood and start working on it there??

I paid for what was marketed as a finished product. That's what it says on Beamdogs homepage.

Just give me money back already so I can get on with my life.

@tsmith very well said completely agree.

New patch out today - was having this very problem - it now works.

Even with the patch, it's still not launching for me; through the launcher, through a desktop shortcut, using the direct .exe file etc. Nothing at all.

bought it today and haven't been able to get it to launch at all. I've made so on my Alienware M14X R1 it runs with the Nvidia graphics instead of the integrated i've tried mutiple installs in various directories and everything else I've seen on a couple different forums and nothing at all makes it work past bringing up the launcher i click play and it shuts down shows a spinning blue cursor like it's waiting or loading and then nothing. I bring up task manager and it shows Baldur.exe and bgee.exe running but nothing beyond that. I only plunked down the $19.99 because my hard copy of the game appears to have degraded ie the media itself is physically degrading (cheap discs I'd imagine) so I can't install my purchased retail copy either. This just blows and if there is no patch forthcoming I will be seeking a refund.

the patch is out. Good. It doesnt work for me. BAD.

Baldurs gate now longer crashes, but the start box goes from blue to grey then nothing else happens.

ARE YOU FOR REAL?!

Thanks Nalthalos - that worked like a charm!

@Splaat - Glad it worked for you. Cheers!