Windows 8.1

[Leandros]

Originally Posted by eon2k

Slient Hunter 4 on Win 8.1 I don't have problems at all. runs smooth.

I'm sure we are all happy for you........ I have also my problems sorted out now after some good help from the Community here.

Regds

Fred

[merc4ulfate]

I never understood the need for LAA. I have used SH on 32 and 63 bit OS and never had an issue.

[pdiddy]

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

I never understood the need for LAA. I have used SH on 32 and 63 bit OS and never had an issue.

I can vouch for LAA. On a new machine with 8gb of RAM, I almost never had CTD issues, but did have lag issues until using LAA. Smooth as silk now.

So depending on your system, maybe not essential, but could be helpful.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

I never understood the need for LAA. I have used SH on 32 and 63 bit OS and never had an issue.

It's not so much which 32 or 64 bit OS you're using, but how much RAM memory your computer has AND, the amount of memory the game has access to. Not all memory your computer has is used by the game. The stock SH4 game is limited to using less than 2 gig's of memory, no matter how much memory your computer may have. This is ok as long as you don't use too many mods that don't pay attention to how much memory it takes to display things.

For instance, when mods don't pay attention to their created image memory size, the game becomes bogged down....using too much memory of the less than 2 gigs allowed by the game. How does the mods new images do that? By either making the mod image larger than the original (instead of having a stock 64x64 pixel size image, it's made into a 512x512 pixel size image) or, there are MipMaps added to the image when there's no need to have them added. These are just two ways a modded game will increase the need for more memory usage over a stock game. TMO, RFB, are notorious for adding memory hogging images to the stock game causing additional memory shortages.

Put a large convoy of ships, plane fly overs, explosions, into the mix and the game can literally come to a stop.

LAA forces the stock game to use more than the 2 gig's maximum memory, set as the "standard amount" in 2003 (the game engine for SH4 is the same as SHIII). The difference in which 32 or 64 bit OS systems used is in the amount of extra memory the game will have added once LAA is added. A 32 bit OS gains 1 additional gig of ram memory for the game. A 64 bit OS will use a total of 4 gigs of ram memory for the game. Either way, it's an improvement over the stock game usage of available ram......no matter how much ram memory your computer may have. Don't fool yourself in thinking that having a cutting edge 12 gigs of ram is going to keep the game running smoother than a computer having 3 gigs of ram. It won't. The limitation is in how much the game has access to, not the total amount of ram memory in your computer.

[Lt commander lare]

Hello I cant get sh4 to work on my machine upgraded my windows 7 computer to windows 8.1 and now sh4 wont work at all and it worked fine on this pc before the install and I have a labtop and sh4 works fine on that tried compatibility mode everything the game wont start and even installed it on c drive not in programs/86 and still wont start can anyone help get me back on patrol thanks.


Lt Cmdr Lare

[Lt commander lare]

And when I click the exe tab nothing happens at all totally frustrated.

Lt Cmdr Lare

[Lt commander lare]

Hi working fine now had display settings wrong didn't know it all good works fine on windows 8.1.


Lt Cmdr Lare

[lasse9u]

I bought Silent Hunter 3 from Steam, it was not so expensive, did not work on my OS, Windows 8.1 computer. makes the SH-4 it?
Do they work on DVD? Both SH-3 and SH-4th?
Would be very grateful for answers.

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by lasse9u

I bought Silent Hunter 3 from Steam, it was not so expensive, did not work on my OS, Windows 8.1 computer. makes the SH-4 it?
Do they work on DVD? Both SH-3 and SH-4th?
Would be very grateful for answers.

I can't speak for SH3, but SH4 should very well under 8.1. Listing your computer specs might help give us a better idea.

[lasse9u]

Originally Posted by cdrsubron7

I can't speak for SH3, but SH4 should very well under 8.1. Listing your computer specs might help give us a better idea.

Thank You. I bought today a begangnad 'physically' DVD copies {cheap] SH 4th it works in Windows 8.1. will try to find similar SH-3.
Buy and download from Steam of these older games are not preferable.
To look for some good modds to the game here. SubSim seems to be the best, for it.
I thank you for your prompt reply.

[Sailor Steve]

I have a newer copy of SH3 (purchased in 2010) and it works fine with Win 8.1.

[kenny11715]

Originally Posted by Lt commander lare

Hi working fine now had display settings wrong didn't know it all good works fine on windows 8.1.


Lt Cmdr Lare

Hi, just wondering what you changed with display settings (old; new). Was it simply a matter of changing the screen size/aspect ratio, or was it a more complex change? Were they SH4 Options Menu display settings, or settings in the Windows Control Panel?

For me, SH4 runs great in Windows 8.0, but after it auto-updated to Windows 8.1, SH4 crashes early and often in any 3D screen (that is, pretty much any screen except crew management or navigation), especially when fire is involved. I noticed in Device Manager that several of the display mode files had been rewritten during the 8.1 upgrade. No combination of anything yet on this thread resolved it (compatibility, read only, install location, etc), but my problem was fixed very nicely by reinstalling Windows 8.0. FWIW, the following link gives a solution for preventing the 8.0 to 8.1 automatic upgrade:

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-stop-automatic-forced-upgrade-from-windows-8-to-windows-8-1/

just in case this may be helpful to others.

Maybe what you changed with your display would help my issue. As for the long run, I may opt to create a sandboxed Windows 7 virtual machine using VMware, that way I can get my workshop PC back up to the present without having older games break on some future auto update. It looks like SH4 runs a bit more reliably on Win7.

Thanks everybody for the many helpful thoughts.