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Old 04-27-18, 04:35 PM   #1
cbrown1790
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Default How to make multiple installs of DW

Hello,

I'm trying to make multiple installs of DW. One vanilla, and one with RA.

What I did was just just copy the whole vanilla folder, rename it to DW-RA and then install the RA files. So what I have now is two folders DW (vanilla) and DW RA. This is all using Steam, btw.

After I did this, I started the app from the RA folder, but the vanilla version ran instead...

I'm pretty sure that I followed the instructions.. clean install, ver 1.04 etc...

I was searching the forums, some people use JSGME to mod DW to RA, but I could not figure out how to do that, and there was the mentioning of having to mess with the registry files - but I did not fully understand that method either and it seems I usually get into trouble when I've previously messed with the registry.

Can someone help me with the multiple installation of DW, please?

Thank you
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Old 04-28-18, 12:51 PM   #2
Pisces
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The game needs some registry keys with proper folder locations to work. These must be added to the registry hive before you play the other gamefolder. Where to find them has been mentioned somewhere in the forum years ago. I don't remember it. And the path in 64-bit Windows is different from a 32-bit Windows installation iirc.
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Old 04-28-18, 01:14 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pisces View Post
The game needs some registry keys with proper folder locations to work. These must be added to the registry hive before you play the other gamefolder. Where to find them has been mentioned somewhere in the forum years ago. I don't remember it. And the path in 64-bit Windows is different from a 32-bit Windows installation iirc.


Thanks, Pisces. I’ve been searching through years of posts about the registry option. Just copying the whole file and renaming it doesn’t work.

Maybe I’ll see if yt has a video about doing it. Yt has about everything nowadays.

Thanks


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Old 04-28-18, 05:07 PM   #4
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Ok, let's see if this helps you handle editing the registry part:

I don't know what Windows version you are using. So there may be some differences in the way you should be doing this. Just say when you loose track.

1: Open start menu and start typing "regedit"
2: Rightclick in the application that is shown "Regedit", and run as administrator.
3: Provide administrator password if User Account Control asks you for it.
4: In the tree-structure on the left unfold:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\S onalysts Combat Simulations\Dangerous Waters
(I presume you have a 64-bit install of windows. If it's 32-bit then ignore the "WOW6432Node" level)


5: Right-click on the "Dangerous Waters" key (looks like a folder), choose menu option Export
6: Store the registry key in the folder of the DW version you initially installed. Give the file a descriptive name of the install. That is the original install. Not of the derivative DW install.
7: Close Registry Editor.
8a: Locate the original DW folder with Explorer. Make a copy/paste of it for the 2nd DW game you want to mod or whatever. Rename the folder to represent the DW version.
8b: In the copied DW install rename that copy of the registry file with an appropriate name for the intended DW derivative. (Keep the .reg part at the end intact)
9: In the new DW folder edit the exported registry file with Notepad. Do not double click on the file, but right click instead. Use Edit. Or "Open With" and choose Notepad in the wizard that follows.
10: After Notepad has opened with the file. Only in the various lines with "Install Dir" or "InstallPath" edit the folder paths to the new DW install. Keep the double backslashes intact.
11: Save the file.

Whenever you want to change to another install to play the game: Double click on the registry file in the folder of DW that you want to play first. You may get asked for administrator permission. After this you can modify the derivative DW folder to your heart's content.

To play the game in the original DW folder just execute it's own registry file to reset your system's registry back the way it was.

Last edited by Pisces; 04-28-18 at 05:23 PM.
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Old 04-28-18, 05:32 PM   #5
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I don't think JSMGE is very useful with the way DW needs to be modded. JSGME replaces files in the folder-structure as it enables a mod. When a mod is installed over original DW some files need to be executed in order to change the various models, textures and all. It is hard to tell which files are changed afterwards. So it is also hard to create a folder structure and pick and place all the changed files for that mod in the right order. Personally I find it easier to make a copy of the original DW root folder and execute the mod files in the newer one. A bit less efficient harddisk space wise. But quicker done.
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Old 04-29-18, 05:51 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pisces View Post
Ok, let's see if this helps you handle editing the registry part:

I don't know what Windows version you are using. So there may be some differences in the way you should be doing this. Just say when you loose track.

1: Open start menu and start typing "regedit"
2: Rightclick in the application that is shown "Regedit", and run as administrator.
3: Provide administrator password if User Account Control asks you for it.
4: In the tree-structure on the left unfold:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\S onalysts Combat Simulations\Dangerous Waters
(I presume you have a 64-bit install of windows. If it's 32-bit then ignore the "WOW6432Node" level)


5: Right-click on the "Dangerous Waters" key (looks like a folder), choose menu option Export
6: Store the registry key in the folder of the DW version you initially installed. Give the file a descriptive name of the install. That is the original install. Not of the derivative DW install.
7: Close Registry Editor.
8a: Locate the original DW folder with Explorer. Make a copy/paste of it for the 2nd DW game you want to mod or whatever. Rename the folder to represent the DW version.
8b: In the copied DW install rename that copy of the registry file with an appropriate name for the intended DW derivative. (Keep the .reg part at the end intact)
9: In the new DW folder edit the exported registry file with Notepad. Do not double click on the file, but right click instead. Use Edit. Or "Open With" and choose Notepad in the wizard that follows.
10: After Notepad has opened with the file. Only in the various lines with "Install Dir" or "InstallPath" edit the folder paths to the new DW install. Keep the double backslashes intact.
11: Save the file.

Whenever you want to change to another install to play the game: Double click on the registry file in the folder of DW that you want to play first. You may get asked for administrator permission. After this you can modify the derivative DW folder to your heart's content.

To play the game in the original DW folder just execute it's own registry file to reset your system's registry back the way it was.

I was following your steps, but I don't have a Sonalysts Combat Simulations\Dangerous Waters folder located in the WOW6432NODE. It must be hidden somewhere within the steam installation.

I did find how to install different versions using the JGSME method on YT (FTSchazly). That seems to work fine for me .

Really appreciate your time and help.
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Old 04-29-18, 10:36 AM   #7
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Ok, Steam might indeed throw a curveball in that process. I don't have a Steam DW install so I can't test other solutions.
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Old 04-30-18, 12:16 AM   #8
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As a Steam user, multiple WORKING installation copies is really not possible, BUT, there is a work around this somewhat. Steam only allows you to run the game from the original installation location. (That's part of the Steam DRM), SO...

1.) Do a vanilla Steam installation.
2.) Copy (not Move) that vanilla Steam Dangerous Waters Folder to a different saved location. (It won't be able to run from that location).
3.) Add whatever mods you might want to the current Steam Dangerous Waters installation.
4.) Save that modded Steam Folder again in a different location. (Again, it won't be able to run from that location).
5.) If you have a third/fourth different mod installation, delete the current modded Steam Dangerous Waters folder and then copy your vanilla copy that you saved in Step 2 back to the Steam folder location and modify it to whatever you want, etc. Save that modded Steam Dangerous Waters folder elsewhere once again. (and Again, it won't be able to run from that other location.)
6.) Done correctly you can have multiple copies of different versions stored elsewhere (be sure to save the vanilla copy first, so that you don't have to download it over and over again to make different modifications.

In summary, whatever particular installation (vanilla or modded you've save elsewhere) just has to replace the current Steam Dangerous Waters folder.

Regards (Hope this Helps)
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Old 05-06-18, 12:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pisces View Post
Ok, Steam might indeed throw a curveball in that process. I don't have a Steam DW install so I can't test other solutions.
I didn't post a reply until now for the same reason.

I'm running DW from the Amazon/Strategy First/direct download option.
I haven't had any problems running several RA installs (one at a time, of course). I'm also running Win10, 64 bit, BTW.

I start out with a clean install of DW which winds up inside the Strat First folder.
From there, I added the Win8 Win10 conversion DLL file.
I don't run the game from this location aside from making sure it worked. This is my secure "root" install.

To install a new version of RA, I just copy the whole DW folder out of the Strat First main folder to my desktop, unzip the RA install "package" and place it inside the DW folder on the desktop. Then I run the RA install and wait for it to completely install.
Once the install is complete, I'll rename the DW folder to something like "DWRA1.XX" and drop it directly into my C drive. I have something like 6 different versions of RA, but I also run a 1 TB main drive and space isn't an issue.

The Strat First version of DW comes with an additional program called LaunchDW.exe and all I need to do is click that to link the new install to my start icon shortcut (just click the start/run button in LaunchDW). From then on, the newer version of RA will launch when I click the task bar shortcut. I can also launch an older version by running LaunchDW from an older install.

This way isn't the most efficient but it works great if you're lazy.

One other note, this is NOT the Steam install. The one downside is that I doubt you'll be able to play it online via Steam.

I'd also warn anyone who's playing around with their registry to do so with a great deal of caution. Reg edits can effect your entire OS.

Last edited by ET2SN; 05-06-18 at 01:22 PM.
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Old 05-07-18, 10:15 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ET2SN View Post
I didn't post a reply until now for the same reason.

I'm running DW from the Amazon/Strategy First/direct download option.
I haven't had any problems running several RA installs (one at a time, of course). I'm also running Win10, 64 bit, BTW.

I start out with a clean install of DW which winds up inside the Strat First folder.
From there, I added the Win8 Win10 conversion DLL file.
I don't run the game from this location aside from making sure it worked. This is my secure "root" install.

To install a new version of RA, I just copy the whole DW folder out of the Strat First main folder to my desktop, unzip the RA install "package" and place it inside the DW folder on the desktop. Then I run the RA install and wait for it to completely install.
Once the install is complete, I'll rename the DW folder to something like "DWRA1.XX" and drop it directly into my C drive. I have something like 6 different versions of RA, but I also run a 1 TB main drive and space isn't an issue.

The Strat First version of DW comes with an additional program called LaunchDW.exe and all I need to do is click that to link the new install to my start icon shortcut (just click the start/run button in LaunchDW). From then on, the newer version of RA will launch when I click the task bar shortcut. I can also launch an older version by running LaunchDW from an older install.

This way isn't the most efficient but it works great if you're lazy.

One other note, this is NOT the Steam install. The one downside is that I doubt you'll be able to play it online via Steam.

I'd also warn anyone who's playing around with their registry to do so with a great deal of caution. Reg edits can effect your entire OS.


Thanks for the information.

I really don’t like to mess around with the registry files as I had some nightmare experiences afterwards.

I tried your method initially, just copying a vanilla version-renaming-and installing a mod. Doesn’t work with the steam version.

But, on the YouTube FTSchazly has a video using JGSME and the RA mod with the steam version. It works fine with me and satisfied with the results.

So I’ll just go with that method.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my call for assistance!


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