I was having troubles with this and so were other people so i'm posting about how to do it.

1st step - Downloads

Alcohol 120% (google)
Diablo 2 by Redlion (google to find, then use limewire or utorrents) will take 5-6 hours.
Diablo 2 LOD (google then limewire or utorrents)
D2 loader (get the new version from this site.)
D2 Lod patch (blizz website)
Limewire (if you don't have it)
utorrents (optional)

note: redlion comes with the diablo II patch. you will also need the LOD patch during installation. Also, redlion has simple instructions added, use them. (delete game.exe file from d2 directory once installed and add redlion's game.exe in it's place.)

2nd step - Alcohol 120% use

there is a guide in this forum to show how to use this. but since we're using premade iso files this will not be neccessary. this program is very easy to use, if you have problems then find the nearest hammer and smash your head in.

install alcohol -
set your virtual drives to 1 (there's a button on the left, easy to find)

once your downloads are complete then open alcohol and go to-
file - open - then open all of your d2 iso files (they will list themselves in the main body of the screen.)
right click on the install file and select mount (this is the same as putting the cd in)

(use the cdkey from this link)
YouTube - Diablo 2 Working not my CD KEY!
SINGLE PLAYER ONLY - if you want to play online find your own cd key

once installed then use the patch that comes with the redlion download

3rd step - install LOD

file - open - Expansion.iso (whatever your file name is)
mount the file - install using lod cd key from the previous site listed.
SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM: i think this is the problem lots of people are having!!

4th step - Patch LOD
use the patch from blizzard's site. simple

5th step - D2loader
hit windows key + e twice to open two windows explorers.

go to your virtual drive with lod mounted.

copy the mpq files to your diablo 2 directory.

make a copy of the d2loader.exe file and put it in your d2 directory.

note: do not paste the file on top of another file in your directory. you will see a black line dividing two files when the past adds it to the new folder w/o erasing any files.


play d2 - single player only

NOTES:

1. to change disks during d2(non lod) installation simply mount the new(play) disk in alcohol and press allow when vista prompts for setup.exe

2. when you are installing LOD and and it gets halfway through then says to insert playdisc vista will ask permisssion to run the setup again. HIT CANCEL! you're already in setup, do not start it over again.

3. the redlion download is virus safe as far as i'm concerned. i downloaded it and i have no problems at all. the expansion iso is not included in the redlion download, you will need to find another file. i don't remember the exact file i used so just use your brain and find one that looks good. there are some files that have all 3 included, you could try that and it will probably work but i'm just showing what i used.

4. finally, limewire will work fine. the only thing you should need utorrents for is if you screw up and delete game.exe from redlion because you didn't make a copy the first time you tried the install. (like i did) utorrents lets you select individual files from the huge 2gig download and only pick game.exe

enjoy

(all files should be set to run as admin automatically. a little shield icon is shown over the d2loader icon to prove it. if not then set it that way by right clicking and properties.)

So what your saying is that you had trouble installin D2 LoD on Vista...?

Mine worked fine

yea, i had no problems whatsoever. But sometimes D2 crashes when you use the Aero theme, so I switched the theme to Window's classic and D2 worked fine.

And the video, it doesn't even show how to use alcohol120%.

And I don't it helps when you say "google" or "find it from this (dunno what) site"
What? I nvr heard of this because i nvr had to change the game.exe to use d2loader.

what? what mpqs? I dunno what the mpqs are.
AHAHAHAHAHAH. Sounds funny. Can you tell me where to buy some? Meh, might have to google it.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
OMG! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

wow, fagland.

**** this forum. you guys are nothin but dickheads.