Slow after installing TAR.

Video_card driver?

Please open your debug.err file in notepad, and copy/paste the contents into a post here. This will give us some technical information that can help troubleshoot your problem. The location you'll find the debug.err in varies depending on your game version:

Dread Lords, all versions:
C:\Program Files\Stardock\Totalgaming\GalCiv2

Dark Avatar 1.5-1.6 (non-Vista):
C:\Program Files\Stardock\Totalgaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar

Dark Avatar 1.6+(Windows Vista), 1.7+(non-Vista):
My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar

Twilight of the Arnor:
My Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor

Be sure to copy the debug immediately after the error occurs; if you start the game again, the debug will be erased and recreated for the new session.

Debug Message:  Version v1.96 Twilight of the Arnor last updated on: Tue Jun 24 17:37:47 2008
Debug Message:  Could not query reg key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE\Stardock\ComponentManager\Drengin.net value named Serial No
Debug Message:  Checking DX Version.
Debug Message:  *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 8/22/2008, 22:15:15
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
Machine Name: BT-LAPTOP
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000) (6000.vista_gdr.071023-1545)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Vostro   1000
BIOS: BIOS Version 2.6.1
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53 (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
Physical Memory: 1918MB RAM
Page File: 1068MB used, 2986MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows

Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: ATI Radeon Xpress Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: ATI Radeon Xpress Series (0x5975)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5975&SUBSYS_022A1028&REV_00
Display Memory: 128 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: atiumdag.dll,atiumdva.dat,atitmmxx.dll
Driver Version: 7.14.0010.0597
Driver Date: 7/3/2008 22:21:30
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes
 

Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Speakers / Headphones (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_8384&DEV_7690&SUBSYS_102801F5&REV_1022
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: stwrt.sys
Provider: SigmaTel
Driver Version: 6.10.5407.0000
Driver Date: 3/6/2007 12:38:52
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 1
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
 

Debug Message:  *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message:  Entering WinMain
Debug Message:  ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message:  Going Fullscreen
Debug Message:  Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message:  Using hardware vertex processing
Debug Message:  Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_5_SAMPLES
Debug Message:  Attempting to create D3DDevice at resolution 1024 x 768, Windowed: 0, Multisample: 5
Debug Message:  Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message:  Running fullscreen.
Debug Message:  HAL (hw vp): ATI Radeon Xpress Series
Debug Message:  D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message:  Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message:  Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message:  *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message:  A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message:  RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message:  Now Fullscreen
Debug Message:  Shell initialization complete
Debug Message:  GalCiv2 is activated.
Debug Message:  ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message:  Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\./Data/ShipTemplates/\*.shipcfg
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\shiptemplates\*.shipcfg
Debug Message:  Could not open reg key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE\Stardock\ObjectDesktop\DesktopX
Debug Message:  Initializing sound card.
Debug Message:  initailizing bink
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar\Movies\techs\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask Movies\techs\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask Gfx\Tutorials\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\Gfx\Movies\*.bik
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\sfx\*.wav
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\Music\*.mp3
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\Event Music\*.mp3
Debug Message:  Create setup screens.
Debug Message:  Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message:  Clear influence.
Debug Message:  Clear up laws.
Debug Message:  Clear first time events.
Debug Message:  Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message:  Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message:  Set mouse.
Debug Message:  Set update timer.
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask ./Data/*.xml
Debug Message:  Clear data definitions.
Debug Message:  Killing ship styles:
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\shiptemplates\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2./Data/English/\ShipStyles\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\ShipStyles\*.xml
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar./Data/\FleetFormations\*.fleet
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask ./Data/\FleetFormations\*.fleet
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar\Gfx\Planets\C0*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask Gfx\Planets\C0*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/1SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/2SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/3SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask gfx/Terrain/4SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/1SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/1SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/1SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/1SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/2SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/2SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/2SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/2SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/3SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/3SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/3SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/3SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/4SideN*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/4SideE*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/4SideS*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\DarkAvatar/gfx/Terrain/4SideW*.png
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\GalCiv2\./Data/ShipTemplates/\*.shipcfg
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask C:\Users\Brian Theusch\Documents\My Games\GC2TwilightArnor\shiptemplates\*.shipcfg
Debug Message:  Reading Star Names
Debug Message:  Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message:  No files found matching mask ./Data/English/Tutorials/*.xml
Debug Message:  TitleWnd: Quit Button.
Debug Message:  Posting WM_CLOSE message.
Debug Message:  WM_CLOSE message received.
Debug Message:  GameUninitialize start
Debug Message:  Killing Galaxy
Debug Message:  Killing threads.
Debug Message:  Kiling civs.
Debug Message:  Killing ships.
Debug Message:  Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message:  Killing misc objects.
Debug Message:  Killing stars.
Debug Message:  Killing anomalies.
Debug Message:  Killing asteroid fields.
Debug Message:  Killing asteroid field mining bases.
Debug Message:  Killing space resources.
Debug Message:  Killing ascension crystals.
Debug Message:  Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message:  killing scenario.
Debug Message:  Clearing Turn Event Log
Debug Message:  Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message:  Clear influence.
Debug Message:  Clear up laws.
Debug Message:  Clear first time events.
Debug Message:  Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message:  Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message:  Clear data definitions.
Debug Message:  Killing ship styles:
Debug Message:  Killing Galaxy: Completed
Debug Message:  Shutting down sound system.
Debug Message:  Clearing sound and music handles.
Debug Message:  GameUninitialize end
Debug Message:  Device not cleared. 1 counts left.
Debug Message:  D3D not cleared. 1 counts left.
Debug Message:  Destroying Window.
Debug Message:  Main Shell terminating normally

Try turning anti-aliasing down to 0 and disabling the enhanced ship rendering option.

There has to be lotsa swapping on that portable also - i guess. More so if 'fullscreen' option is either on or off with a 1024x768 interface.

His machine has 2GB of system memory--128 is more than enough for the video, though the GPU lacks muscle.

Don't have the exact tech specs handy for the Radeon Xpress card... but i suppose it's a 32 width which could somehow clug the 'system' AMD64 rate - although that's very rare if not entirely irrelevant to that particular lagging situation. I'd be curious what frame-rate this gear can achieve in such conditions or if the actual ATI driver settings are "adapted" to a true multi-sampling of *5*.

Most mid-range or budget AMD laptops with Radeon Xpress currently use an 1150 or 1250 chipset, which is pretty mediocre even by laptop standards (upper-range models use Radeon HD 2xxx).

That would explain it, i guess.