A difficult technical problem...

[Alfamemnon]

Hi folks

One day I noticed my Silent Hunter 4 with Uboat Missions had stopped working. I went through all possible technical issues and solutions to them that I could find on these message boards as well as used all my computer expertise. Things I have attempted:

1) Deleting sh4 saves folder
2) Deleting JSGME and all mods
3) Uninstalling and then deleting all registry entries pointing out to sh4 and any suspicious registry entries pointing to “silent” (and probably being connected to sh4) and then installing it again.
4) Downloading the very latest drivers for my 8800 series Geforce video card
5) Trying to find out what dll files does the Uboat missions need (without success)
6) Installing the game to a different folder path than before
7) Changing the link in Properties box from Silent Hunter 4 Wolves of the Pacific\gu.exe to Silent Hunter 4 Wolves of the Pacific\sh4.exe

The load screen comes normally and the load indicator stars going forward like it should…then it suddenly stops and hard drive stops loading too (right before this happens, the load indicator leaps forward like it had loaded A WHOLE LOT all of a sudden). Same occurs with mods.

It seems these problems emerged after I had tried a few mods, installed some other games and downloaded the spring 2009 drivers for my video card (I thought those drivers were faulty so I tried to correct everything by downloading the end of August 2009 drivers from Nvidia).

I don’t think my copy has steam. SH4 has so far run even though I have a habit to tell my firewall to jealously disallow games from snitching me out to third parties in internet. With Steam that would probably be a big no no.

Nothing has worked so far. I would be grateful if you guys could help me out.

Alfamemnon

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD!:sunny:

Have you tried dumping the entire game and reloading it? Drastic, but it may be what's needed.

Also, load any mods using JSGME. Makes it much easier to remove them, plus if it overwrites any other mods it will tell you first.

[donut]

Remove SH4, From Add & remove in Control Panel

Remove UBI in Program Files & remove SH4 in MY Documents.

Reinstall SH4, Patch to version 1.5, Defrag.

Try to run Missions on stock install.

Registry links will be restablished, you should be OK there, don"t mess with.

Report back ! Or PM.

[Alfamemnon]

Remove SH4, From Add & remove in Control Panel

Remove UBI in Program Files & remove SH4 in MY Documents.

Reinstall SH4, Patch to version 1.5, Defrag.

Try to run Missions on stock install.

Registry links will be restablished, you should be OK there, don"t mess with.

Report back ! Or PM.

Is defragging really necessary? I first skipped that one because I thought defragging, as well as the preparations for it, are going to take a very long time. However it seems like I have little choice because the results of me proceeding without defragging are right here:

I did as you instructed except defragging: I installed the Sh4 and upgraded it to 1.4 as that is the highest version I have without overwriting it with Uboat Missions. It loaded properly to the very end of load indicator and the loading screen disappeared. It seemed like Sh4 1.4 was going to load all decently and clear. However it stopped to that black screen so I was unable to run missions on this version either (first I thought there was something wrong with my Uboat Missions). I will start over and do the defragging at a better time. Probably tomorrow or something.

Strangely enough, the ripped Dopeman 1.1 version (that I earlier obtained just in case though I already had a "proper" game) works great.

[donut]

I am assuming, you are installing from disc., Direct to drive downloads had this problem.
I always defrag. because moving files, & windows installer will sometimes splinter files. makes processor find files easier.
You can run ckdisk, for bad sectors on your drive. Again assuming you are running XP.32 bit all SP 1 2 3
Now you know, U boot missions, is 1.5 version. Add on.
Direct X9 is also required.

[Alfamemnon]

I am assuming, you are installing from disc., Direct to drive downloads had this problem.
I always defrag. because moving files, & windows installer will sometimes splinter files. makes processor find files easier.
You can run ckdisk, for bad sectors on your drive. Again assuming you are running XP.32 bit all SP 1 2 3
Now you know, U boot missions, is 1.5 version. Add on.
Direct X9 is also required.

I am installing from images that are on my hard disk (the other of them contains Sh4, the other contains UM). I was thinking about burning them to DVD's. This is really strange as nothing like this ever happened to me.

Currently, I am running a ckdsk. My hard disk is almost totally full. By reducing 10 gigabytes, I was able to get the empty space required for defragging to 2% when the minimal empty space to defrag is 15% Will continue working on to get it to 15%.

Also, you are correct. I am running a XP 32 bit and my current SP is 3.

[donut]

I think your hard drive is to full, & SH4 is best w/2 gigs of RAM. Should you burn clean install directories to disc, you should recover some space, after deleating same.
This could be a Direct X install glitch, also.

If I want a clean install, it always comes from UBI game disc.

see link: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=1164164&postcount=3

Ruahrc (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/member.php?u=249038) Following the lead re: the DirectX thing, I did find a Directx folder in the SH4 directory, and ran the setup file located within.

Launched SH4, worked!

[Rockin Robbins]

I am installing from images that are on my hard disk .......
Alaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrm!!!!! Kill the images because they are corrupt and install from the DVD. Or you can just continue reproducing different variations of the the same failure.:D

I KNEW there was a piece of the puzzle missing in there...

[edjcox]

Make sure you go to Microsoft.com and download the latest version of Direct X

Also use Nvidia's auto update tool to get the right Driver updates for your card.

:timeout:

[Alfamemnon]

Thank you everyone for your help so far. When I install the game from image without any updates (v 1.0), it launches normally but the graphics are so messed up that I can only quit. Then, in a different installment, dopemans v 1.1 I can run it normally and graphics are ok. However when I update the image installation to 1.4, the load indicator goes to the very end and load screen disappears but neither graphics nor menu appears (the screen remains black). When I update to 1.5 (Uboat Missions), the load indicator freezes though the load screen remains. I obtained another image of Uboat Missions and it has the same problem.

Earlier, the Uboat Missions that were installed from the image some people think is faulty booted perfectly so I don't believe the images are corrupt. After I tried Godfather II and after I had problems with computer cutting off power (the grills between processor and its fan was totally covered with dust which I cleaned), this problem emerged. Strangest of all, it seems like the higher the patch version, the more likely the error is to occur. In 1.1 it still works so fine, in 1.4 the error shows up. I have a feeling I may have installed something inappropriate in dirextX or some other service like that when I tried Godfather 2. However I will also defrag if nothing else helps.

[donut]

If you think images are good, will they allow version patch ?

DirectX9 reinstall.

Video card drivers rollback, & reseat card in slot. ReSet FPS to 75 for card.

Defrag, Needs 15% free space, & do in safe mode.

(the grills between processor and its fan was totally covered with dust which I cleaned),did you loosen cooling fins ?

[Barkhorn1x]

I can suggest a very handy defrag program that is far superior to the crap Windows program that XP uses.

Defraggler

- it only identifies/defrags the fragmented files - and it is comparatively quick.

http://www.defraggler.com/

[seaniam81]

Thank you everyone for your help so far. When I install the game from image without any updates (v 1.0), it launches normally but the graphics are so messed up that I can only quit. Then, in a different installment, dopemans v 1.1 I can run it normally and graphics are ok. However when I update the image installation to 1.4, the load indicator goes to the very end and load screen disappears but neither graphics nor menu appears (the screen remains black). When I update to 1.5 (Uboat Missions), the load indicator freezes though the load screen remains. I obtained another image of Uboat Missions and it has the same problem.

Earlier, the Uboat Missions that were installed from the image some people think is faulty booted perfectly so I don't believe the images are corrupt. After I tried Godfather II and after I had problems with computer cutting off power (the grills between processor and its fan was totally covered with dust which I cleaned), this problem emerged. Strangest of all, it seems like the higher the patch version, the more likely the error is to occur. In 1.1 it still works so fine, in 1.4 the error shows up. I have a feeling I may have installed something inappropriate in dirextX or some other service like that when I tried Godfather 2. However I will also defrag if nothing else helps.

OK, delete the images. Dont use them, they seem corrupt. Install right off the DVD's

[Alfamemnon]

Hello.

For a long time I have now searched for the scource of the problem. I tried those images by burning them on DVD's and then installing them from DVD to other computer and it worked perfectly so the images are not corrupt.

I have carefully erased all malwares too, still does not work.

The only ideas I have left in my mind is:

1) defragging (I still havent got that far)

2) erasing of DirectX with a special software (however I still am not sure if I dare to do this) and reinstalling it in case this is all about something going wrong when it was possibly updated while trying another software.

Any other ideas what could be wrong?