I seem to have trouble keeping a hold of some of my files every now and then when I'm modding. One of the major files that I have trouble with is losing my dialog.tlk or it messing up. So, I've made it possible for people to download the file, because I am sure that I am not the only one that has this problem. Granted, you can always reinstall the game, but some people have an incredibly slow computer for their modding, such as me, and don't want to spend hours reinstalling the game. So I've uploaded the file to ftp for those people.

Baldur's Gate 2-Throne of Bhaal dialog.tlk

An easier way is just to copy dialog.tlk, chitin.key, and the ovveride folder to a backup folder when you first installt he game and patches. Then just delete these files in the main BG2 folder and replace them with the copies of the originals for a fresh install. (make sure you DELETE them first and then place the copies in the folder) Michel gave us this method at Forgottenwars and on rpgtalk.com.

While that could work, not everyone might do that, and even if they do do that, they may accidentally delete it. I've meant do things like that, but I've deleted them on accident. I don't have it set to send things to the recycle bin either, so once it's gone, it's gone. And DLTCEP makes a backup dialog.tlk, but if you screw it up once, and then it makes a backup, and then you screw it up again, then that's no good either. So, you can either follow Michel's method, or you can just download the file. Whatever gets the job done, eh?

And hard drive crash happens!
You make the good choice, Awake.

For future reference, the Baldurdash Game Text Updates are just zipped dialog.tlk files.

1) If you delete the original, *and* mess the backup up, *and* delete that, then you pretty much deserve to lose the file.
2) You can use weidu to generate a new, technically correct dialog.tlk file - it wont have the real text in, but, if your a modder it doesnt really matter

good point.

How do you create a new dialog.tlk file with weidu? This is interesting news. And it is somewhat important to have the original text in it. When you click on certain buttons it's nice to know what you are clicking on. For example you won't know if you are clicking on the New Game button or the Options button.

Anyways, I saved myself by doing this just two days ago. I had somehow messed up my .tlk file and I don't know where the backup went. For some reason it wasn't there like it should have been, so I simply copied it from my USB drive and pasted it into my bg2 folder.

WeiDU --make-tlk will apparently create a new dialog.tlk file (though you need a .tra file, but, being a modder, you should have plenty of those laying around).
And if you dont know the locaiton of the New Game and Options buttons then.. well.. play some more then.

I've thought of a slight problem that could arise from not having the original dialog.tlk if you are a modder. Such as when you are modding the pre-existing game, and not doing a TC. Unless of course you have every strref memorized.

That would only really be relevant if you required the existing strings. Spells, items, areas, stores, bams, vvc's and 2da would not require the original strings.
NPC's would.

well I did not understand why this post was here but now I wish there was a bg1 dialog.tlk so I could get it

BG1/TotSC Dialog.tlk as requested:

thanks bud!