SH4 Gold with U-Boat - Where to Find and How Etc.

Hazelwood · 04-06-19, 05:11 PM

Ahoy Mates!

I've been away for too long so maybe this offering isn't all that relevant but
if it helps just one person avoid the day or so of misery I have just endured it will be worth it.

I'm using Win 10 and wanted to start playing SH4 again but wanted the "Gold" edition with U-Boat. Had a lot of trouble locating SH4 "Gold Edition" with the U-Boat addition (which, I believe, also includes the v1.5 patch). Amazon did not have stock and Ubisoft was no help either. I eventually discovered the following site which passed my safety checks and appears legit:

https://www.big4shared.com/

1 - You'll need a prime account which is less than $6 for 7 days. The actual downloads are free. Great value even for just one package

2 - Find and download the SH4 Gold with U-Boat (it's clearly pictured) "iso" file.

3 - Extract iso contents to a folder. There are free extractors on the Web or pay for one (which really is unnecessary).

4 - Uninstall any previous SH4 and reboot.

5 - Install SH4 Gold with the "setup.exe" in the extracted folder. Use a different target folder from the default. I pre-allocate $$$SILENT-HUNTER.

SH4 probably will not launch correctly or, if it initially does, it will hang trying to set graphics options and/or it will refuse doing game SAVE's plus other problems - the voice of experience, I assure you. All very mysterious and blood pressure raising. Cursing doesn't help so ...

6 - Review your anti-virus settings and exempt "SH4.exe" from folder access blocking on drive "C". SH4 puts config data and SAVEs in "Users\youname\Documents\SH4\Data". My anti-virus doesn't like this. Once blocked, SH4 won't be able to do SAVEs and a few other things it has to do. You might want to check folder shares as well for \Users and liberalize what you find there.

7 - Right click the SH4 shortcut icon on your desktop and choose "Properties". Under "Compatibility" choose "Change High DPI Settings". On the panel that appears check the box at the bottom to "Override High DPI Scaling Behaviour". For Win 10 you don't need any other compatibility settings. The simulation will now run just fine (but still cross your fingers).

You should now be in business. I have played just a bit and yes, the U-Boat addition is there. Looks like a complete package. All very nice. My suffering is becoming a distant memory.

That's it. Good luck. Apologies for cluttering the forum with this if it's all "old hat".

Best wishes,
Cpt. J. Hazelwood (and yes, we on the "Krokodyle" always remember to close the hatch).

propbeanie · 04-06-19, 06:53 PM

You probably should not start folder names with $ in Windows. You may have made yourself an accidental "System" folder, which are actually protected stronger than the "Program Files (x86) folder. You've heard of Fort Knox? Well, this is Fort Redman, and "You shall NOT passssss!"... Since you have multiple $$, then it might not do that, but several of the hidden System folders in Windows begin with $... You'll know if it does it as soon as you go to do a mod, and it doesn't activate correctly.

Hazelwood · 04-07-19, 08:47 AM

Thanks for that tip. I've never had a problem with multiple "$". The idea is to force the folder to the top of the queue where it's easy to spot. Permissions and shares can be a pain in Windows. It's my computer. I paid for and built it. I am the only user. It would be nice if they provided an optional "Open" mode where absolutely everything was accessible without having to specify that. Oh well.

Best wishes,
JH

04-06-19, 05:11 PM	#1
Hazelwood Bosun Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Calgary, Alberta / Canada Posts: 66 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	SH4 Gold with U-Boat - Where to Find and How Etc. Ahoy Mates! I've been away for too long so maybe this offering isn't all that relevant but if it helps just one person avoid the day or so of misery I have just endured it will be worth it. I'm using Win 10 and wanted to start playing SH4 again but wanted the "Gold" edition with U-Boat. Had a lot of trouble locating SH4 "Gold Edition" with the U-Boat addition (which, I believe, also includes the v1.5 patch). Amazon did not have stock and Ubisoft was no help either. I eventually discovered the following site which passed my safety checks and appears legit: https://www.big4shared.com/ 1 - You'll need a prime account which is less than $6 for 7 days. The actual downloads are free. Great value even for just one package 2 - Find and download the SH4 Gold with U-Boat (it's clearly pictured) "iso" file. 3 - Extract iso contents to a folder. There are free extractors on the Web or pay for one (which really is unnecessary). 4 - Uninstall any previous SH4 and reboot. 5 - Install SH4 Gold with the "setup.exe" in the extracted folder. Use a different target folder from the default. I pre-allocate $$$SILENT-HUNTER. SH4 probably will not launch correctly or, if it initially does, it will hang trying to set graphics options and/or it will refuse doing game SAVE's plus other problems - the voice of experience, I assure you. All very mysterious and blood pressure raising. Cursing doesn't help so ... 6 - Review your anti-virus settings and exempt "SH4.exe" from folder access blocking on drive "C". SH4 puts config data and SAVEs in "Users\youname\Documents\SH4\Data". My anti-virus doesn't like this. Once blocked, SH4 won't be able to do SAVEs and a few other things it has to do. You might want to check folder shares as well for \Users and liberalize what you find there. 7 - Right click the SH4 shortcut icon on your desktop and choose "Properties". Under "Compatibility" choose "Change High DPI Settings". On the panel that appears check the box at the bottom to "Override High DPI Scaling Behaviour". For Win 10 you don't need any other compatibility settings. The simulation will now run just fine (but still cross your fingers). You should now be in business. I have played just a bit and yes, the U-Boat addition is there. Looks like a complete package. All very nice. My suffering is becoming a distant memory. That's it. Good luck. Apologies for cluttering the forum with this if it's all "old hat". Best wishes, Cpt. J. Hazelwood (and yes, we on the "Krokodyle" always remember to close the hatch). Last edited by Hazelwood; 04-07-19 at 02:56 PM.

04-06-19, 06:53 PM	#2
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,747 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	You probably should not start folder names with $ in Windows. You may have made yourself an accidental "System" folder, which are actually protected stronger than the "Program Files (x86) folder. You've heard of Fort Knox? Well, this is Fort Redman, and "You shall NOT passssss!"... Since you have multiple $$, then it might not do that, but several of the hidden System folders in Windows begin with $... You'll know if it does it as soon as you go to do a mod, and it doesn't activate correctly. __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

04-07-19, 08:47 AM	#3
Hazelwood Bosun Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Calgary, Alberta / Canada Posts: 66 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Thanks for that tip. I've never had a problem with multiple "$". The idea is to force the folder to the top of the queue where it's easy to spot. Permissions and shares can be a pain in Windows. It's my computer. I paid for and built it. I am the only user. It would be nice if they provided an optional "Open" mode where absolutely everything was accessible without having to specify that. Oh well. Best wishes, JH