Windows 7?

[troopie]

Glad to see you had a win hienz!

I had to go through the same process a couple of years ago to get it to run on an old lappy with win7 someone gave me.

I read your post in the 'comments' forum and was about to start sifting through my old posts to see what I did to fix it, when I thought I'd better see if you reposted here first! That just saved me a heap of effort

Hope you enjoy your old stomping ground; SH3 is definately worth the trouble!

[Rhino1978]

Originally Posted by hienz1

* UPDATE ** UPDATE ** UPDATE ** UPDATE ** UPDATE *

I GOT IT TO WORK in Win 7. FINALLY !!!
Here's how:

1. Do NOT install the game (yet). If you have installed it, UN-INSTALL the game completely.

2. Download the following files to a TEMP folder or your desktop, so it'll be easier to find them, AND for other reasons later on, such as - C:\TEMP\Downloads\SH3\

A. 1.4b patch - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...do=file&id=158
B. No DVD patch - rld-sh14.rar - (scroll down to where it says "Silent Hunter 3 v1.4b [ENGLISH] No-DVD/Fixed EXE", click on the floppy disc icon.)
C. SH3_XPSP2_Res_Fix_for_1.4b - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1092
D. 4GB_Patch_Reloaded - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=2888

3. Unpack, unzip, extract these files ONLY TO a TEMP file, such as - C:\TEMP\Games\SH3, so that you will ONLY need to do a Copy-Paste of the required files just in case there's an install issue.

4. Install SH3. DO NOT install to the default directory C:\programs(x86)\Ubisoft\SilentHunteriii.
For some odd reason, the game crashes if it is installed there. Windoze UAC is a useless "feature" that just treats the user like an idiot leper. Instead, install the game at the ROOT of your hard drive, such as - C:\SH3

5. DO NOT install the game's update system.
Do NOT install the directx version that came with the disk.
Do NOT attempt playing the game.
Don't argue with me. Shut-up & do what you're told.
** If, by chance you have an older version of the game that includes Starforce, you will need to download the following file (to a TEMP directory) - http://onlinesecurity-on.com/downloads/sfcdrvrem.zip -
and install it to remove the insulting BS the game came with.

6. Install the 1.4b patch (exe). Make sure you install the correct patch - for US DVD's use the US DVD patch. Do NOT use the european patch for the US DVD. The same for the EU DVD, use the EU patch.

7. Install the "No DVD Patch" by doing a Copy-Paste from the temp folder to the game folder C:\SH3\. This will replace the following 5 files: sh3.exe, MissionEngine.dll, SimData.dll, StateMachine.dll, Utils.dll

8. Install the "SH3_XPSP2_Res_Fix_for_1.4b" by doing a Copy-Paste from the temp folder to the game folder C:\SH3\. This will add the following 5 files: d3d9.cfg, d3d9.dll, SHIII.sdb, SP2 Rez fix.bat, SP2 Rez fix uninstall.bat

9. Install the "4GB_Patch_Reloaded" (exe).

10. Go to the game directory C:\SH3\ (or whatever you called it). Execute the batch file "SP2 Rez fix.bat".

11. Start the game. If it starts and works fully, congrats. don't bother with the next steps.
----------

12. If it refuses to start and/or crashes, then you may need to do a bit of hacking to the "Main.cfg" file such as located here - C:\SH3\data\Cfg\ - Open the file by right-clicking on the file, select "Edit", and it will open in Notepad. In there you need to find the following:

Make sure it has "Resolution=1024 x 768" in there. Save file as "Main.cfg", NOT as a text file. If by chance your 'puter won't let you save it (no worries - just don't close it yet), right-click on the file (using windows explorer), choose "Properties", goto the "Security" tab, and then click the "Edit" button, a pop-up window will open called "Permissions for Main", click on "users" in the security tab, then under "Permissions for Users" click on the check box "Full Control". Click OK, then OK again, THEN save the "Main.cfg" file. Welcome to windoze (what can I say).

13. Next you will need to do a bit more hacking by going to the main game directory, such as C:\SH3\, and right-click on the file "d3d9.cfg" choose edit, and then look for the following:

Make sure it has resX=1024, resY=768 . Then save the file as "d3d9.cfg" not as a text file. If it won't let you save it, remember what you did to that other file (in step 12)? Do that.

13. Then start the game AGAIN. It should work. If by chance it STILL doesn't work, then I'm a moron.

-30-

You sir, are AMAZING!!!!!!!!......Many thanks been pulling my hair out for weeks trying to sort this out.....Im off to hunt big fat cargo ships now...thanks again

[Blacklight]

I've followed everything in this list precisely and it still will not run on my Windows 7 desktop. Strangely enough, I had it running perfectly on my Windows 7 Laptop with no fuss.
Now, when I run it on my desktop, it plays the two opening movie things, and then, when those are over, a window pops up saying that the program has encountered a problem and will be shut down. It doesn't give me any more information.

I've updated Windows and my graphics card drivers are fully up to date. This is a fresh and fully updated install of Windows 7 and Silent Hunter III is the first game that I'm installing on it. It worked perfectly (without even having to go through the above process) on my Windows 7 laptop. I don't understand the problem here.

*Edit*
Okay. Problem solved. My computer doesn't like either the "4GB Patch Reloaded" or the "Resolution fix" one. One of those two breaks the game on me.

[desertstriker]

sounds like a 32 bit OS as the problem you described happened to me once. just something you might want to look into even though you solved the problem.
another issue might be firewall/AV software.

[CTU_Clay]

Originally Posted by desertstriker

sounds like a 32 bit OS as the problem you described happened to me once. just something you might want to look into even though you solved the problem.
another issue might be firewall/AV software.

YUP! Sorry for me I am on a Vista 32 bit operating system. So enjoying the great mods avail for 3.0 GWX is out of my reach. But playing GWX 3.0 without mods still keeps this old guy alert.

[Sosik]

I followed everytning that hienz1 wrote all the way to the hacking and it works. You have to take your time and follow his steps thoroughly.

[pierro]

I can confirm this is working. Follow his steps carefully and u should be fine.

Thx.

I used steam before, but i downloaded the reloaded version.

One question though: I've got a screen resolution of 1680*1050, can i put these resolutions in the main.cfg and the d3d9.cfg files?

thx

[gadflyjs]

Love this game and just put it back to my pc. Tried all the resolution fixes and still couldn't make it work on 1920x1200. running win7, nvidia 8600GTS. Could run on window of 1027x768, when switch to full screen it crashed. Any idea?

[pierro]

Still lookin

[Meadowfield]

Hello!

I'm having some trouble. I've been reading about subs, and I'm dying to play my old SH3 with the Grey Wolves mod.

I have Windows 7 and an old DVD version of SH3.

When I try to run SH3, I always get this message:

"Protection System: Error: This application can be launched with a release version of Miscrosoft [sic] Windows 95 OSR2.1/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP/ Server 2003 only."

I have uninstalled and reinstalled at least 4 times now, trying different things to no avail.

I understand the old version has a protection system called "Starforce." However, whenever I run the Starforce removal tool, I get a message saying that no drivers were found.

I tried Heinz1's 13 step process to the letter, twice, and I get the same message about the version of windows.

Any ideas? I know I could just spend $10 on Steam, but, I bought this game already, and I'm a poor man.

(Question: It shouldn't matter that the game isn't in Program Files (x86), when I'm on a 64-bit system, should it?)

[Jimbuna]

I'd advise using a different drive (D for example) if you have one.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Welcome aboard, Meadowfield

I'd recommend uninstalling what you've already done, clear out any SH3 reference in My Documents folder, and run a registry cleaner (until recently I'd used Piriform's Defraggler, but now I prefer Puran Defrag - both free and easy to use). Now run the StarFarce removal tool (link in Neals thread (below).

Have a read and follow Neal's thread - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=160118

Important parts are to grab those files via Google, don't install in the default Program Files, or Program Files (x86), and don't run the game until you've transferred those files.

Do report back.

[Aktungbby]

Welcome aboard Meadowfield

[HW3]

Welcome Aboard Meadowfield!

[Jimbuna]

Apparently I overlooked that part....welcome Kaleun