Hi VDR
Win 7
OK so I'll disable Uplay and roll with TWoS that way. Just seems odd that everyone else can run with Uplay enabled. Ho hum.
Just for sake of thoroughness (and my sanity

) can you confirm that the attached image shows the patcher with Uplay "enabled?" (i.e. patch disabled.)
If so, that's the state in which the game doesn't work, so I will enable that patch, thus disabling Uplay, using the patcher.
Thanks guys!