Filemanager.dll cannot be patched

[Boo McFly]

FileManager.dll cannot be patched while silent hunter is running

Trying to make a copy of a steam version of SH4 in order to try diff mods. Managed (with my minimal computer knowledge) to do it with SH3 - LSH 5.1 / 2015 and GWX but admittedly I had the hard copy for that. Game cost me $4 so even if I can only play vanilla thats fine. Main Steam files are on the C drive, but the common (game) files I have/use an external HD (E drive). Made a copy of SH4 but moved it to my C drive to see if that would help. I get a steam application load error. Any help would be appreciated...and yes, I realize the first solution would be to get the hard copy of the game lol.

[Aktungbby]

Boo McFly!

[propbeanie]

You have run afoul of the Steam "licensing" for the game, Boo McFly. Everything you do has to be done through Steam. You also do NOT want to be in an MS "protected" folder with the game, such as "C:\Program Files (x86)", which is what Steam defaults to. For reference on that: Moving a Steam Installation and Games. That really should read "Moving a Steam Installation and/or Games", but I digress...

The first big major bit of news to break to you, is that if you have the Steam version of "Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific", you are piloting a Brewster Buffalo against a bevy of Mitsubishi A6M Zero... you don't stand a chance. You are dealing with v1.3 of the game, and there are very few mods available for that version of the game anymore. strike 1. You also cannot use the Ubisoft v1.4 Patch to update your Steam game... strike 2. And the next pitch is ~on the WAY~... that leaves you with purchasing the Steam version of "Silent Hunter 4: Uboat Missions Addon"... sorry 'bout that - but wonder of wonders, it just so happens to be "On Sale" right now for 66% off at $3.39 US on the US store... - do I need a fourth copy?...

In the meantime, you can copy the Steam game, just like you did. I have made a 7zip of the interior of my Silent Hunter folders, such that it is just the Data, Support, etc. folders, and NOT the folder named by the install program. That way, I make myself a new folder somewhere else, such a "Games \ Steam \ SH4FotRSU" or whatever I want, and then copy my zip file into that, extract it, and instant "install". All that is now left to do is go into the Steam app on your computer, log-in and add the game to your Steam Start menu.

When you start the Steam app, it goes through its "Update" routine, then gives you the log-in screen, and if successful with the log-in (it just took me three tries to remember my password ), then close the "Chat" krapp and the advertisements. You should have your "Library" menu open. At the bottom of that screen is an "[+] Add Game". Click on that dude. Then click on the sub-menu for "Add a non-Steam game..." You should get a new little pop-up window. From that, it's usually easiest to just click the "Browse" button and drill to where you just put that copy of the game. Now, on my big computer, my Library is on the F:\ drive, so I've actually got all of my copies of SH3 in that folder, so that I have "F:\Games \Steam \SteamApps \common \Silent Hunter 3", and my copy then for Living Silent Hunter 2015 went into a folder I made named LSH2015, and my GWX version went into a "GWX" folder, both under "common". Your choice though. So I've got "Silent Hunter III", "LSH2015" and "GWX" (and an "NYGM") all under "Steam \SteamApps \common, with no issues (qualified with a "yet")...

Once you have your "target" SH4.exe file selected in the dialog, you'll be back at that "Add a game" dialog. Click on the "Add Selected Games" button, which will take you back to the Library view (unless something "Windows" or "Steam" gets in the way - like an update - sheesh!). That shortcut may or may not need to be renamed, depending upon whether or not it picks-up the name of the folder you just got the SH4.exe from. If its a Steam game, it will usually name the shortcut the same thing as what their "default" value is for the game. If it is a non-Steam game you are adding, it will usually pick the folder name for you. Anyway, after you rename the shortcut, if desired, you can click on it and "Run" it like you would any other Steam game from the Library folder. You still cannot run the game though from the folder's copy of SH4.exe, because the Licensing will fail. Do it from the Library, or create a shortcut for it on the desktop. Right-click on the file in the Library listing, and choose "Create Desktop Shortcut..." from there. Either way, you will have to log-in to Steam when prompted, in order to run the game, because it goes through the license checks, even when you add a non-Steam game...

God speed, and let us know how you do! Also, as the venerable, almost ancient Aktungbby says, "Welcom to SubSim!"

[Boo McFly]

Thank you for the reply...

I installed the 'main' Steam files to my C drive; C:/Gaming Files/Steam main Screen. Not the (x86) just cause of past experience with Silent Hunter 3 stuff. The actual games I have saved on an external hard drive; my E drive E:/Gaming Files/Steam games.

I did get the U boat expansion...so technically I have 2 copies, the original (ver 1.3 I assume) which is the US career/etc and then a 2nd copy of the game which is the original plus the additional U boat missions (ver 1.4 I assume)

So if I read your 3rd paragraph correctly, instead of just 'copying' the full game file, you took everything from inside that file and made a zip file of it (have to re-read my notes from SH3 on how to do that lol). Could I copy and paste those files into another directory? (say SH4Mod) or would that move the licensing stuff with it? Not quite clear on how you accomplished that

The other issue I can't seem to resolve, is that the new copy (since I can't get multiSH4 to work) still shares the same save file location, if I drop a different MOD into the game, will it play the changes?

So as I type I have the original SH4, which I ignore as it is ver 1.3, I have the U boat add-on version of SH4 which I am playing with a few minor mods (gold watch/sub skin/plankton) and I have a 3rd copy called SH4 Mod1 which I want to use for a large mod (not sure which one yet). Does it matter if the 2 versions share a save file location? Just to confirm, both copies are in the Steam common folder, and I have added (and tested) the Steam shortcut to play the game on both...if I am thinking this through correctly I just need to sort out the save file issue and I have 2 copies to play

Thank you again for your help!

[propbeanie]

You folder structure looks fine, though I'm not sure about using removable drives... but first thing for you, is to make certain that you have the correct folder that has Silent Hunter 4 version 1.5 in it, which is the Uboat Missions copy. There are a couple of ways to figure it out. One way is to look in the game's "Data" folder, and if you see a folder named "UPCDataGE", that is the correct v1.5 - that folder is not in the v1.3 game. Another way is to right-click on the SH4.exe file in the game folder, choose "Properties" from that menu, then click on the "Details" tab header, and right in the middle of that page should be "Product version: 1,5,0,0".

OK, after I do the initial install (for you, you have to run the game once to get the Steam license updated), I go to the inside of the game folder, which in this case, for my example, is SH4 Pristine (10 bonus points if you know the utility I used to get this install). I then press <Ctrl><A> for a "Select All" short cut, which gets me this:


(pretend you don't see all the files associated with JSGME, LAA & MultiSH4)


I then right-click in the blue area of selected files, which on my computer brings up a context menu with a 7zip choice on it for "Add to archive". Else you can start your favorite archive program from the Start menu. Here is the dialog from 7zip:




I press the "OK" button, and it adds the folder contents to a zip file, using the folder name, which you could change if you wanted. When it's finished, you should have an archive file:




Copy that archive file and paste into any of the game folders you have in your "Games" folder. Here's a picture of my folder, which includes more than Silent Hunter games:




The "Validator" folder is a utility from TDW that I use for modding, the "Terrain" folder is a GWX utility for modding terrain height, and the "SH4CorruptionManagmentSystem" is the utility from Rockin Robbins that I now use for most of this type of work, but I will still usually change my folder names to suit me. I am not sure if it would function as intended with a Steam install. We'll have to try to find that out...

Notice that I have 3 FotRSU folders right now. One previous, one current, and one for modding. Anyway, after I have the folders created that I want, I copy my "SH4 Pristine.7z" file into them, and extract the archive. It is much faster moving the archive than it is copying it, or copying the game files, but do it however you like. After I've got the game in other folders...




I then bring in a JSGME, MultiSH4 & Large Address Aware. Right-click on your SH4.exe file, and select "Properties" from the context menu. You want to make certain that it is not write protected on the "General" tab. If there is a checkmark in the tick box, un-tick it and press "OK". You have to do this in each folder with a copy of the game that you've created. I usually run MultiSH4 next to create a new Save folder for the game copy. All of the copies that you make should have the MultiSH4 run on them, to get yourself a new Save folder. My "My Documents" looks like this:

CMN
F80
F81
FOTRSU
GFO
GWX
NYG
LSH
OPM
SH3
SH4
SH5
TMO
V14
V15

Yes, there are other things besides SH4 in there... I do have a Steam folder also, with several SH3 installs modded. My SH5 folder is actually a TWoS install... But I digress - and yes, I need a bigger hard drive

I then run LAA, because the MultiSH4 will sometimes fail after you've altered the SH4.exe with MultiSH4. It also will fail if the file is write-protected. After that, run JSGME and bring your mods in.With a Steam version, I would leave the original Steam install where it is. You can run that to play Stock.

One big difference between my disk-based SH4 install and my Steam SH3 and SH5 installs, is that if I goof anything up bad enough with the Steam install(s), I usually have to delete the copies, uninstall the Steam game - which actually only deactivates its license, then delete the install folder on my hard drive, and re-download the game again. That has only happened to me once in several years of SH3 play (tapping on wood for "luck")...

[Boo McFly]

Thank you very much for your time and effort, I really appreciate it.



Weird situation, last night for some reason Steam appears to be DL'ing the game again...the original install was on my C drive then I moved it to the E drive..and suddenly a download started...beats the sh*t out of me.



You mention that

"after I do the initial install (for you, you have to run the game once to get the Steam license updated)"
So should I be running the game before creating the zip file? Or am I better off creating the zip file BEFORE I run the game...figure if Steam creates a new copy on my C drive I should follow your steps to confirm its the right copy and work from there, after all it would be a clean copy.


I don't get the 10 bonus points....at least I don't think I do...not very tech savy so I don't know which utility you used...but once you tell me I'm betting I'll say 'ohhhhh thats what a utility is'

[Boo McFly]

okay so I am still stuck. I used the clean file Steam DL'd - started the game to create the save file - and created my zip file 'clean install' from that.

issue 1 - how do I get rid of the, or can I get rid of the licensing so I can have a copy outside of steam?
issue 2 - multisilent hunter still doesn't work.


question 1 - all the versions (original, mod1 and mod2) that I have right now play fine. they are all in the steam folder obviously. I guess what happened is I changed the Steam created 'silent hunter wolves of the pacific' name to 'silent hunter 4 - wolves of the pacific' so steam went to update (I guess) didn't find the game, so created a new copy for me. So 3 versions, all in steam, all work fine, but they do all save to the same file location.


my question is...do I care? if I mod the version of steam, but it saves to the same location wouldn't I just need to adjust my save names? ie 'uncut patrol 1-1' or 'mod1 patrol 2-3' as long as I know which mod the save file is for, wouldn't everything work okay? or am I missing something?
thanks for your help!

[propbeanie]

Changing the original Steam name of the folder would get you another downloaded copy... never thought of that... ~lightbulb~!

But no, you do not want to be saving several version of the game all to the same Save file. It will cross-contaminate the installs. You'll end up with a mess, and then CTDs. If you run the MultiSH4 file, and the dll can't be written, you should first make sure that the files are not write-protected. At a minimum, the SH4.exe and the filemanager.dll, so that changes can be made to them. Also, sometimes it won't take because the SH4.exe has been altered by LAA, so do that after the MultiSH4.

You do not want to defeat the Steam licensing. That's why you put the games on the Steam menu, then they'll run fine, one copy or ten...

[Boo McFly]

Got me a headache....BUT....between the tutorials...RR's how to on large address aware....the reboot from Steam that gave me a clean copy to start over/work with...a pristine copy to further mod off...and propbeanie with an infinite amount of patience...I have the Steam (Vanilla) copy...I have theberbsters all in one mod on a second copy...with its own save location...and I am going to take a break from tinkering and just play for a bit (make sure everything is working properly) before creating a third copy and deciding which mod to put in. Thank you very much for your help!!!

[propbeanie]

Yer welcome! THEBERBSTER's mix is a fantastic way to get used to modding and the workings of JSGME. Have fun!

[FireDragon76]

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a second install of SH4 to run through steam, even added as a non-steam game. I get a Steam application load error, probably due to the copy protection/activation.

[FireDragon76]

Originally Posted by FireDragon76

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a second install of SH4 to run through steam, even added as a non-steam game. I get a Steam application load error, probably due to the copy protection/activation.

I got it to work. The other installs of the game have to be in the Steam library folder.