sh4 gold edition & windows 7--a 'lil help please?

[green_abobo]

ahoy. trying to run SH4 gold (DVD) on windows 7.

it installed ok, i made sure i did not install it to the default folder (program files).

when i try to run it,the title sceen/ubi screens run,but as soon as it goes to the load screen,the video blacks out. the audio is there,and it shows it running in task manager,but once it tries to switch to VGA mode (flat panel lcd monitor),it's just a black screen. edit=the load screen appears for a split second,then goes black.

i am fairly certain it boils down to a display issue on the monitor. if i alt/tab to different programs while SH4 is running,i can see the title screen for a split second again,then it disappears.

here's some spec on this particular rig:(sorry for the length.please bear w/ me)

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_rtm.090713-1255)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Compaq-Presario
System Model: AU884AA-ABA CQ5205Y
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1300, ~2.3GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 1918MB RAM
Page File: 1907MB used, 1929MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_03D0&SUBSYS_2A6C103C&REV_A2
Display Memory: 825 MB
Dedicated Memory: 121 MB
Shared Memory: 703 MB
Current Mode: 1440 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: 905W
Monitor Id: SVA1992
Native Mode: 1440 x 900(p) (59.887Hz)
Output Type: HD15
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvd3dum
Driver File Version: 8.17.0011.9621 (English)
Driver Version: 8.17.11.9621
DDI Version: 9Ex
Driver Model: WDDM 1.0
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 1/11/2010 23:03:33, 11862120 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4090-11CF-1956-670A1CC2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x10DE
Device ID: 0x03D0
SubSys ID: 0x2A6C103C
Revision ID: 0x00A2
Driver Strong Name: oem19.inf:NVIDIA_SetB_Devices.NTamd64.6.0:Section0 01:8.17.11.9621:pci\ven_10de&dev_03d0
Rank Of Driver: 00F62001
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

this isnt my main pc. just seeing how the game will run on a 64 bit system w/ direct X 11.

thanks in advance for any insight.

[Harry708]

Maybe this will help, Ed Howard of the Wolfs of the Pacific campaign got it to run on Windows 7
http://www.subsowespac.org/silent-hunter-4-windows-7.shtml

www.subsowespac.org (http://www.subsowespac.org)

[Ships-R-Us]

If I am wrong I hope someone steps in so I don't mess this fellow up. I was told when installing the game that you must install directx9 which is on the menu also, even though you have directx11 on your machine as the SH4 engine runs on directx9........I wish you success.....

[Arclight]

Simply updating the game fixed it for me. That or a reboot, but it shouldn't require much effort or technical know-how. :hmmm:

[Armistead]

As stated, the game needs DX 9 to work properly, so install it from the disc, you can run multi installs of DX.

[green_abobo]

that makes sense.but could you expound a bit more on this?

do you mean it only runs direct x 9 w/ SH4(after you install it from the dvd),and when you quit the application, the pc will still be direct x 11,i dont want to overwrite the direct x 11 files that came installed with the computer.

what if i installed SH4 to a seperate hard drive? i have a usb backup/storage device that could do the trick.

like i mentioned earlier,it's not my pc to experiment with,so i am a bit concerned.

edit=i followed the suggestion pertaining to re-installiing SH4 w/ DX 9. still having the same problem. irritating because,like i mentioned, if i alt+tab in/out of the application,it shows up on screen for a second,then it goes to black screen again. the audio is working.theoretically the game should be running normal correct?

thanks again.

[Arclight]

2 things to note:

Installing DX9 will not break DX10/11. They share most of their files, so installing DX9 will not overwrite newer files, just add 1 or 2 that are missing.

Update your graphics driver if you haven't already.

*I'm starting to doubt a 6150 is even capable of running this game. Gonna be a slideshow if it does.

[green_abobo]

beginning to wonder that myself. it wants to run,it just isn't.

[Smartcom5]

2 things to note:

Installing DX9 will not break DX10/11. They share most of their files, so installing DX9 will not overwrite newer files, just add 1 or 2 that are missing.

Update your graphics driver if you haven't already.

*I'm starting to doubt a 6150 is even capable of running this game. Gonna be a slideshow if it does.

Sure, but it's almost safer just not to install the DirectX version the game is shipped with - if it's [I]deselectable (most setups don't give that ability to the user but rather install it by default).

This case can [and does often] result in those scenarios that the newer versions [especially under 7] will be replaced with the older one from the setup. ;)

So, if it's possible, disable the DirectX-Setup and just start the game and wait for the prompt that mentioned the missed DirectX files - they consists usually of the extensions
D3Dx9_24.dll → *_42.dll
[18, _24 → _42]
XAudio2_0.dll → XAudio2_5.dll
[6, _0 → _5]
Xinput1_1.dll → Xinput1_3.dll
[3, 1_1 → 1_3]

Then, just google it - the particular extension can be freely downloaded.
Beside that, every single extension [of the above named] is separately available - through Microsoft itself, in order that noone has to reinstall DirectX completely - and overwrite [probably] newer versions! :know:

Don't get me wrong, but i can't hear it anymore - the last final DirectX 9 version [9.0c] is about nearly two years - aside from the .27-minor update last year [august if i remember correctly …] that is already implemented into the actual DirectX 10/10.1 & 11.

I advise anybody to go this way to prevent the sheer mass of corrupted installations that are caused by the countless crappy game-install setups. ;)


In this sense

Smartcom

[Capt. Hood]

I've just installed SH4G onto windows 7 with Directx9 From the dvd as suggested and it has worked ok for me, I don't seem to have any problems with other programes in Windows 7 as yet.

[Pisces]

Back in the DirectX 7/8 days I was told (by a game programming book) that later versions of DirectX were downwards compatible with older ones. They simply contained the code of the older version seperate from the newer code. If an old game/application needed the old code it would never have to deal with the new one. Just refference the functions of the old one. So I would think that DirectX 10 or 11 even has DirectX 3.0 in it. Did that downwards compatibility rule change as of late (past years)?

[Arclight]

Not that I know of, but I did have an issue running a DX9 game after installing that first Win7 beta release. Letting the DX9 (web) updater run solved it, DX10 games remained perfectly functional afterwards.

Maybe just a problem with the beta release, missing file or something. :hmmm: