grumps - but it WILL run SH2!

[She-Wolf]

Hello folks, hope you all had a pleasant Christmas.
Came to see if anyone has got SH3 ( or 4) to work on x64 Windows 7 yet - it can only be a matter of time... :DL

I am not too bothered mind as I have them both on the old XP machine still, but would prefer to shift them over asap. Interestingly, I installed SH2 on the W7 machine, and at first I thought it wasn't going to work, because, again, all I got was sound and a black screen - but when I pressed Esc, it all sprang into life! Whey-hey!

I am sure I tried that with the later versions and got no result, but I am minded to put them back on and try again...

Best wishes for New Year all :)

[Tarrasque]

Not sure what the problem is as both SH3 and SH4 work on my 64 bit Win 7 machine.

Do you get any error messages?

[irish1958]

Windows7 is Vista without most of the problems. Install it outside of the program files and you are good to go.
Runs fine on my 64 bit.

[She-Wolf]

oh! no I do not get any error messages Tarrasque; it installs without complaint, I put the 1.4b patch on ( that right?) and then I have to do nocd (sorry mods) as it will not run otherwise, then I upgrade to GWX 3.00, activate the two mods I want ( Das Boot and visibility), and all works fine through the intro - then, nothing, just a black screen. Last time I installed I think I got sound as well, but this time just a black screen. I can't access Task Manager either, which means I have to shut the machine off by pressing the button, and that gives me an error message in event viewer, but no error messages in there in respect of the game.

So now I am puzzled as to what the problem is... do you have any problem with the security? I don't get given the screen to put the Game PID in when installing - it seems not to recognise the OS - Do you have the disk that requires the key to be entered? Also, may I ask what graphics card you have?

I have also tried running the game without GWX - same result :(

What you say makes me think that the problem is with the key, and so, if I got the later version of SH3 that did not need the key to be entered, all would be well......

Irish, indeed I have a non-C logical drive for the games, but that has not stopped the difficulties, sad to say. However, if you have it going OK, there is hope for me too, I just have to keep trying :)

[Tarrasque]

I have the non starforce variant so can't help you there.

My graphics card is a NVidia 8800 GT running on the 195.62 drivers.

Have you tried SH3 without mods? Perhaps there's some bug in one of your mod installations?

[Kimmers]

works for me on 7 as well, but i cant patch it to 1.4, gives the error message "version unknown" or something of the sort and gives me a link to some notepad document in my program files. oh well, i guess i should be satisfied playing stock sh3

[Jimbuna]

I'm starting to wonder what pitfalls I might run into when I purchase my new x64 Windows 7 rig next month :hmmm:

[She-Wolf]

Tarrasque, you HAVE helped, because you have told me that you DO have the non-starforce version - which confirms my suspicion that the problem I am having is because I have the old disk that requires a key input. Even though I have disabled that requirement, something is not working. I shall have to get a non-starforce disk to see if that makes a difference.

Yes, Tarrasque have tried running the game with nothing added but the patch ( which goes on without complaint for me Kimmers), but it made no difference.

Thanks for your help chaps, I feel a bit more hopeful that I can crack it now :)

[danurve]

I'm starting to wonder what pitfalls I might run into when I purchase my new x64 Windows 7 rig next month :hmmm:

Just more W-7 threads. :ping:

[She-Wolf]

I'm starting to wonder what pitfalls I might run into when I purchase my new x64 Windows 7 rig next month :hmmm:

Jimbuna, it does seem that many more games work with W7 than do not, and when they do not, it is likely the problem lies with the security software or Live rather than the game itself. Suprisingly a lot of older games run on it as well.

This site carries a list of 'works', 'don't work' and 'needs tweaking', being constantly updated as people report their experiences.

http://www.sevenforums.com/gaming/

[She-Wolf]

Bother, I put a non-starforce version disc on ( which, as Kimmers said does not allow you to patch it) and started the game up, but, just like before, I get nothing but a black screen after the intro - with sound but no video. That means it is not due to starforce.... back to square one. Bum :down:

[Tarrasque]

Some suggestions that you may/may not have tried:

1) Run as Administrator (Right click, Run as Admin)

2) Install DirectX 9 from microsoft.com (apparently Win 7 left out a few bits!)

3) Adjust your resolution in main.cfg (Documents/SH3)

4) Copy across from an Install on previous version of windows (Apparently the installation on Win 7 is messed up! N.B. My install of Win 7 was on a machine that had previously been Vista 32 bit so this one is the situation I'm in albeit inadvertently)

Hope these help.

[She-Wolf]

thanks Tarrasque, a couple of things there I have not yet tried.. :) What should I set the resolution to?

[irish1958]

thanks Tarrasque, a couple of things there I have not yet tried.. :) What should I set the resolution to?
Aren't all non starforce discs already patched? If so check the splash screen and it will have at the lower right hand corner v1.4

[She-Wolf]

ah - I didn't know that Irish - makes sense, thank you. :up:

However, I have done everything I can think of, uninstalling and reinstalling both disks, changing configs, resolutions, making compatible, etc, etc as other folks have suggested, and still no joy. I did get a message out of event viewer the last time though - faulting module kernel.dll. Fed up I am :(

[Jimbuna]

ah - I didn't know that Irish - makes sense, thank you. :up:

However, I have done everything I can think of, uninstalling and reinstalling both disks, changing configs, resolutions, making compatible, etc, etc as other folks have suggested, and still no joy. I did get a message out of event viewer the last time though - faulting module kernel.dll. Fed up I am :(

Perform a registry cleanup and you should be good to go.

http://www.5starsupport.com/info/kernel32.htm

I use regvac...there is a free trial version here:

http://www.regvac.com/regvac.htm

[SeaWolf U-57]

I have heard about something like this before I think the solution is to delete the start up movies for some reason the game will run after they are removed.
its worth a try ????. :hmmm:

[She-Wolf]

Jimbuna, thanks for the advice, but this is not the system kernel32.dll. This one comes with SH3.

Seawolf... ahh... I wonder how I do that. The cfg folder for main in docs has got a NO next to run movie, but perhaps that refers to something else. I shall look into it - thanks :)

ah, found the folder in Data, tried disabling the intro movie - made no diff. thanks anyway :(

[Panser]

At fear of stating the obvious and making an ass of myself on my first post, have you tried changing the "compatability mode" on the sh3.exe?

I bought SH3 off Steam the other day and it refused to run - I'm using Win7x64 Ultimate. I sorted it by navigating to /silent hunter 3/sh3.exe, right-click on it, click on the compatability tab and changing the compatability mode to Windows XP (Service Pack 3), then Apply.

If you've already tried this, then I apologise.

If starforce is the issue, have you tried an uninstall and running a starforce removal utility, then reinstalling with the DRM-free disc?

[Dissaray]

Thanks for posting that little bit of obvious advice there. I just got a new computer and therefor got windos 7 and was having a hell of a time geting my steam copy of the game working when you came along and posted that. Turns out that is all it needed to get around the "Can't start 3d engen" error it kept feeding me. Now steam is telling me that the game is unavailible but I am at leastone step closer to geting it to work.

Welcome abord

[Panser]

. Now steam is telling me that the game is unavailible but I am at leastone step closer to geting it to work.


Make sure you apply the compatability mode to the actual sh3.exe in the steam/steamapps/common/silent hunter 3 folder, and NOT to the shortcut steam places on your desktop (as this shortcut actually directs to steam.exe).

And thanks - I'm new to subsim but not to SH3 :)

[She-Wolf]

Panser - see you dun someone some good with your advice. :)
For me, yes, have done the compatibility thing,and replaced the Starforce files ( which we are not supposed to mention I think) and mine is not a Steam version, so no solution there for me. I am going to uninstall and clean registry of leftovers today and then re-install, because I think that it did not install GWX 3.00 properly last time, though it all seemed to go on. Not giving up yet.

[Panser]

Well that's me flummoxed then, but at least it got me to sign up instead of lurking :D

As for Starforce, a few years back they released a perfectly legitimate tool for completely removing their software after allegations that it could damage optical drives, so there shouldn't be any issues there :)

[Kimmers]

Well that's me flummoxed then, but at least it got me to sign up instead of lurking
:salute:
but yeah, new windows are a pain, good thing sh5 is made to work on them sysyems

[She-Wolf]

Yes, I have seen that tool - I thought it must be to clean up leftover files after an uninstall, as you can get for Norton's AV for instance, so you can reinstall without errors. I did not see that they would give us a tool to remove the protection at the install. Interesting.. :)

[irish1958]

I couldn't get SH3 to reinstall until I got rid of the Ubisoft/SH3 key in the InstallShield folder on my C drive. And I couldn't get the game to start until I removed the movies from the movie folder in SH3/data.
I also uninstalled SH3 via the disc, and then used the revo uninstaller and removed a few hundred more files and registry keys.
I pitched my original SH3 disc, purchased a new, starforce free, patched to 1.4b disc to install on my machine with Windows7 and installed it outside of program folders in C:\Games.
So far, so good!:arrgh!:

[Dissaray]

I applied it to the game exacutable in the file at the end of the path but no dice, still saying the game is unavailibile. Could it have any thing to do with where the game files are located? Right now they are in the steam directory which is in the program files (x86) directory. I thought I saw some one mention that this could lead to a problem but I am not sure about much on this new operating system.

[Panser]

I applied it to the game exacutable in the file at the end of the path but no dice, still saying the game is unavailibile. Could it have any thing to do with where the game files are located? Right now they are in the steam directory which is in the program files (x86) directory. I thought I saw some one mention that this could lead to a problem but I am not sure about much on this new operating system.

Have you checked the steam support page on that issue? the "game is currently unavailable" thing does crop up from time to time. As for the install location, that won't be a problem because that's where Steam put it.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4595-WEXN-6831

Again if you haven't already tried these, I'd skip straight to #2 and delete or rename the "clientregistry.blob". Although it doesn't explain what this file is, as far as I understand it's the registry of installed games generated the first time you start steam. Deleting or renaming this file causes Steam to generate a new one the next time it is restarted, potentially resolving errors associated with starting games.

[Dissaray]

I'll give them a try, thaknks.

[She-Wolf]

Well, I have given up, at least until something else occurs to me.
At present I think I have tried everything everyone else has, and more besides.
I don't think it is especially a x64 problem as I have come across threads where the same black screen and music after the intro has occurred on 32 bit Vista. I also have the same problem running SH4 on W7, so if I get to solve it for SH3 that will probably be good for SH4 as well ( I shall be right miffed if it happens with SH5 though).

kernel.dll seems to figure in Event Viewer but I don't know what I can do about that. What bugs me is that for some of us the solution seems to be simple and straightforward, even though one persons solution does not work for another. I have tried them all, taken care and precautions in installing and uninstalling, tried protected and unprotected discs, tweaked configurations for video, sound, resolution, applied permissions, upgraded Dirext X, used fixes - etc etc - all to no end. So, not given up, but pausing until a new thought might occur to me. meanwhile I shall just get on with the game in XP tee hee :DL

[IanC]

Ahh good old XP, still the best for gaming. :yep:

[Dissaray]

I am working thru that list that you posted, nocking item after item off trying to get this to work and not having much sucsess. The only one that I can't get to work is the "read only" fix. Every time I set the steam folder to non read only folder it goes thru the steps and finishes with out an error mesage or any thing. Then I close the properties screen for that folder and re-open it the damn thing is read only again. Any ideas on how to fix this?

Now when ever I try to start the game the steam window that says the game is starting comes up then goes away and nothing hapens. Then it comes back and goes away again. And then it dose it again. Seems windows 7 can handle anything but this simple game eh?

[THE_MASK]

I vaguely recall once that i had to update windows media player for sh3 to run . Click on help and see if it updates or go to tools/options/file types and select all and see if that fixes it .

[irish1958]

Windows7 is supposed to contain media player 11

[Dissaray]

Well I some how fixed the off and on start thing but now I have a can't initilize 3D engen error even in compatability mode and without the compatability mode that same on again off again problem crops up. I discoverd I am runing windows 7 x64 if that means anything to any one that might be able to help.

[She-Wolf]

Ahh good old XP, still the best for gaming. :yep:

yes, Ian. I built the gaming machine and put Win 7 64 bit on it so I can get past the memory limits of 32 bit, but couldn't face losing the XPS Dell with dear ol' XP on it, so run them both together via a KVM switch - works a treat :yeah:

[Dissaray]

I think I have a fix, while it dose work it is kind of bothersome. I was just randomly clicking on butons in the compatability tab for the sh3.exe. When I tried the "run in 640x480" buton and ran the game under windows xp service pack 3 compatability the game up and launched with out a problem. It skiped the movies beacouse I removed them from the file in another fix I was trying. I didn't try to load a game or anything beacouse the resolution was bad and I wanted to see if there was a better awnser.

Sure enuf there was a better solution. I discoverd that the game will run for me when my desktop reasolution was set no higher than 1024x786. Oddly enuf I noticed that this is just lower than the defult seting of the game, 1024x800. I am no computer wizz and I have no idea the implacations of my findings or what some clever person may be able to make of them but I do know that a desktop resolution higher than 1024x786 will keep the game runing for me.

[She-Wolf]

Dissaray - you are right! I modified my video settings to the same, and straight away the game started. I haven't yet tried playing it, so do not know what it will be like to play ( I am on a widescreen monitor as well), and the next problem for me is that it is running in vanilla, not in GWX, which appeared to install but is not loading. However, I am absolutely delighted to have got this present result, so thank you for twiddling and fiddling your buttons. Brilliant:up::yeah::D

ps just been in and it plays just fine whey-hey, maybe I won't bother to upgrade it to GWX3 as I have that running on the other computer - so now I can enjoy SH3 in TWO flavours!! Made my day you have; a happy me for the start of 2010. Wow! xx

[Dissaray]

Glad I could help. It is still damn odd that this simple thing was all that was standing in the way of the game working.

[She-Wolf]

that's computers for you isn't it; everything has to be just so. Anyway, magic. I am already 1 kill down on my first patrol :salute:

[Dissaray]

GWX gave me a little truble but after a restart of the computer things seemed to have got them selves back in order. You might be able to get the mod to work for you with a little persistance.