SHIII-still no luck! Went from Vista to Win 7

[Ferrante]

I could not get SH III to work under Vista no matter what I did. I have upgraded to Win 7 (prep-planed; not just to try and run this game) and thought based on other's comments that it might work. Nope. I see get a message which says that the installed Starforce protection driver is blocked due to incompatability and will be disabled. I am beginning to think this game will never work for me and since this is my introduction to subsims, I would not want to start with anything harder. Posters in the past have suggested that this game is a good one to begin with. Anyone have any more suggestions?

[Herr-Berbunch]

Have you followed this thread to remove Starforce?

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=160118

[Gerald]

What are your computer system spec.? As you say yourself that the set may not support W7

[Ferrante]

Computer Profile SummaryComputer Name: Mark-PC (in WORKGROUP)Profile Date: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:28:19 AMAdvisor Version: 8.1pWindows Logon: Mark Plan for your next computer refresh... (http://www.belarc.com/ctadvisor.html?B-top)
click for Belarc's System Management products (http://www.belarc.com/ctadvisor.html?B-top)Operating System System ModelWindows 7 Home Premium (build 7600)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States) HP Pavilion 061 RJ181AA-ABA a1600n 0nx1114RE101NODM300
System Serial Number:
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b2.00 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core
256 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Not hyper-threaded Board: ASUSTek Computer INC. NODUSM3 1.05
Serial Number:
Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.07 08/02/2006
Drives Memory Modules c,d200.05 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
42.55 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

HP DVD Writer 740e USB Device [Optical drive]
TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H652M ATA Device [Optical drive]

Generic- Compact Flash USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 1
Generic- MS/MS-Pro USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 4
Generic- SD/MMC USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 3
Generic- SM/xD-Picture USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 2
WDC WD20 00JS-60NCB1 SCSI Disk Device (200.05 GB) -- drive 0, SMART (http://www.belarc.com/smart.html) Status: Healthy 3520 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'A0' has 1024 MB
Slot 'A1' has 1024 MB
Slot 'A2' has 1024 MB
Slot 'A3' has 1024 MB Local Drive Volumes c: (NTFS on drive 0)200.05 GB42.55 GB free Network Drives None discovered

[Herr-Berbunch]

Looking good on the specs front.

Whatever you've installed for SH3 then uninstall, remember to delete any SH3 entries in My Docs, and run a registry cleaner (I recommed CCleaner from Piriform - it's free and good!) to tidy up any messy entries.

Start your reinstallation of SH3 but NOT in Program Files folder of any sort (create your own is recommended - name it something like Gaming, or UbiGames...), don't install game shadow, don't click finish.

Appy patches (and I think the SF removal is here to), now finish. Reboot, and install mods (don't forget supermods must be installed over a fresh install) and play away...

...or so the theory goes :hmmm:

It is all stickied here somewhere! If I've got any steps wrong (as it's all from memory) I'm sure someone will say so.

Let us know how you get on :up:

[Ferrante]

I created a folder on my desktop for the installation and did as was suggested in your post. I copied the patch files into that folder and then tried the game. Wow! It did start and went throught the introductory video and then when the game was loading and neared 100% of the process. it stopped. It says windows was looking for a solution, which it did not find. I know this might be stupid, but once I patched everything and all of that, was I supposed to put the DVD back in before attempting to play the newly patched game? If not, what could be the problem?

[Ferrante]

Any other suggestions as to why this still isn't working even though I did everything that was suggested? The game will start and when it loads, it quits. I have no clue as to what is going on...

[Paulie76]

I'll confess to being a little bit stumped with your issue. I had the same problem, but installing to a non-program folder fixed it for me. You have done the same thing, but are still having the same issue.

I'm going to assume here that when you installed, instead of double clicking on the install icon, you right clicked and "ran as administrator", so I don't think that would be the issue. That was what caused the issue for me, since without that administrator priviledge it wouldn't give me access to install EVERYTHING, hence the crashes.

I'm also going to assume, since it's been suggested elsewhere, that you have opened up the shortcut properties and under the compatibility tab chosen windows XP and set it up to run as administrator for all users.

The only other possibility I can think of, and it's related to the first issue of administrator priviledges, is that I have a little .bat file installed on my system called "Grant Admin full control". Before I even try installing anything, I right click on the installer, run the .bat file and it changes the ownership of the file to allow full access, then choose "run as administrator".

It has saved my butt from a heap of trouble getting older programs to work around the ownership issues in Windows 7, but it should not be the issue here since it's being installed outside of the program folders (where theoretically Windows 7 doesn't care about ownership).

Simply put, Windows 7 will protect itself from anything being installed in it's core folders with ownership rights, etc.... As long as what you're installing doesn't go in them, it doesn't care.

You could try the bat file. Do a google search for "Grant Admin full control". Right click on the installer and run the bat file on the installer, and then right click again on the installer and select "run as administrator", then install into a non-program files folder.

Like I said, it's a long shot, but other than that I'm stumped.

[Gerald]

I have followed this thread, what has happened since last time, except that you do not get it to work, I use myself W7-64 bit but that does not run as adm.or as usual, you can be a bit more specific in your details

[Paulie76]

Ignore everything I just wrote. Sorry. I should have read your second last post a little more closely.

Don't uninstall and reinstall just yet. If it's loading up and crashing at near the 100% mark than it's doing it for probably the same reason mine was, because you're using a screen resolution greater than the sim generally likes. I'm going to guess it's widescreen as well?

There are a few widescreen fixes available. The one that worked for me was b25WideCamera. I believe it's available on the site.

I think what you're facing now isn't an install issue, it's a display resolution issue.

[Pisces]

Yup, sounds like a resolution issue now. For starters, force the resolution of your desktop to 1024x768 and try again. If your videocard settings can support it try to make it scale up to native resolution but maintain aspect ratio. That should get the best of both worlds, despite a slightly blurry quality.

[Gerald]

@Pisces, when you play what do you use for video card? Are you use a resolution fix...

[Akela]

When I first installed SH3 I was unable to use my monitor at it's native resolution of 1920x1200. It wasn't because SH3 won't support that resolution, it's that the monitor/card would force the refresh rate (mhz) down below 60 at that resolution. From what I can tell I believe that SH3 will run at any resolution provided the refresh rate is above 60mhz. I was able to follow another thread on this site which walked me through tricking my nVidia card into reporting a refresh rate of 61mhz to Windows and SH3 was then able to run at 1920x1200.

Obviously another solution would be purchasing a monitor that will support a higher refesh rate at higher resolution. Guess what else will be higher. $$$$

Akela

[Ferrante]

I tried everything everyone suggested and nothing worked. My normal resolution is set at 1440x900. I went to 1024x768 and nothing. I tried every setting above that until I reached the 1440 again and nothing. I even repeated it changing the refresh rate to above 60 and again, nothing.
Maybe in my earlier post I did not explain this clear enough: when I click onto the SHII icon, the opening videos and all of that runs without problem. I then click the mouse and the games starts to load and does reach 100%, sits there for a second and then the screen changes as if it is going to run and that is when the error window opens saying the game has quit and windows is seaching for a solution, which of course, it never finds.
I saw this in another thread: You can still buy the SH3 Gold edition with all the proper patches and Starforce free for $9.99 from the Subsim Store here. (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017HIH6O?tag=cyberknight&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B0017HIH6O&adid=14SG3SFQQC5V6Y6GCWY7&)It also includes a free copy of Silent Hunter II, the first of the U-boat Silent Hunters.
Might this be the way to go, or would I still have problems with Win7? Would one of the newer SH games be better, keeping in mind that I am a newbie at this and I would like something easy enough to learn and still be fun. Needless to say, I am becomming very frustrated. Also, know I sincerly appreciate everyone's effort(s) in trying to help me.

[Ferrante]

I sure hate to give up on this as I really want to play this game. No more ideas? I know I am stumped; I am sure others are as well...

[Madox58]

You have a PM.
Don't give up yet Mate.
:03:

[Herr-Berbunch]

We really want to get you sinking ships soon!

I was under the impression that if it was the res problem it threw up a 3d-engine error.

Have you added any mods at all, not including patches? And are you patched to 1.4b (although I believe it only says 1.3 - even though it is 1.4 really)?

[Paulie76]

One other grasp I can throw into the mix in regards to the resolution problem. Due to my own stupidity (read: trying to mess with things that have no business being messed with), for a short time my SH3 started crashing right at the same place yours does.

After a thorough check and replace of everything I had messed with (I was trying to get free-cam as default in the control room rather than having to press ctl+f2 every time I entered...the results were crash-happy, btw) I happened to check my main.cfg and noticed that it somehow had reverted back to the default resolution... changed it back to match my 1680x1050 and voila...I was back in action.

Could be the same thing for you.

[Corsair]

Have you installed the 4Gb patch ? I run on my laptop with W7 64 bits and have no crash since I installed it... (My real gaming rig with LSH3 super mod is still running on XP Pro and not ready to change)

[Ferrante]

Before I get into what happened, I want to thank each and every one of you who tried to help this newbie! Words cannot express how much I apprecaite your help. I had become so frustrated and I imagine some of you were as well.

Going back to a thread on how to run SHIII without a disk (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=160118), I did every step as instructed and I notcied the misakes I had made in earlier attempts. Once every step was completed and I rebooted the computer and the game actually started, I got so excited that I X'd out of it and restarted the game to make sure it was going to work. It does. I will start at the Naval Academy as I am a newbie to this and hopefully soon I will be sinking ships!

I have one last question: Since I did not install to the default folder (as instructed in the thread above), I created a folder on my desktop. To avoid an accidental deletion in the future, can I just cut the folder and paste it on the C drive, but not in the programs folder? Also, I am not sure waht mods are at this point. Can someone explain this to me?

Again, thanks everyone for your help. Please know it was apprecaited!

[frau kaleun]

"Modding" the game refers to adding to or changing the game files to modify... well, anything that can be added to or changed to enhance your own gaming experience. More ships to hunt, better or different graphics, music for your boat's gramaphone, new or different sound effects... you name it, if somebody has found a way to add or change something, there's probably a mod that does it or somebody out there working on one.

There are "supermods" like GWX, LSH, and NYGM that make massive additions and changes to the game. Then there is a huge variety of smaller mods that add to or change smaller, more limited aspects of the game, many of which can be used with or without one of the supermods in place and some of which are made specifically for use with one of the supermods.

The SH3 Mods Workshop Forum is devoted entirely to modding the game. But modding is very subjective, something that really floats one person's boat will sometimes get an unenthusiastic "meh" from somebody else.

Most people would advise that you play the stock game for a while to see what you like or don't like about it, then take a look at one or more of the supermods to see what it adds and changes. Or just ask here if there's a smaller mod that can give you more of what you like, or do away with something you don't like, or add something that's missing that you'd really like to have.

You can also go to the Downloads section here and go in the SH3 section and scroll through what's available in each category... most of them will have a short description of what they do. If you have any questions you can ask in the forums and get some feedback on them from the people who've tried them.

One thing you will definitely want when/if you start adding mods to your game is JSGME - the JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler. It's a small program that makes installing and uninstalling mods hassle free; it does all the dirty work for you, and then undoes it just as efficiently if you have a problem or find you don't like the mod after you've tried it. GWX comes with JSGME as part of the package, the other supermods may include it as well - but you don't need to install a supermod to use it. You'll find a sticky about it at the top of the Mods Workshop forum, as well as stickied threads about the various supermods and some of the other more popular ones.

Another thing that most people will suggest is to give SH3 Commander a try, it's a standalone program that will give you all kinds of game and career options and write them into the game for you every time you use Commander to load SH3. It's also a great way to manage your careers and crew if you decide to play in career mode after you get the hang of things at the Naval Academy.

I'm not totally sure about moving the game folder, but I think you can - just make sure that any shortcuts to the game that are on your desktop or in your Start menu are edited to point to the new location after you move it, otherwise they'll be looking for an .exe file that was in a folder on your desktop that isn't there any more.

[Paulie76]

That's great news! Sometimes it can be an uphill battle getting things to work properly, but the satisfaction is better the more difficult it is. Just think how sweet it will feel when you sink your first ship after all of this trouble getting it going?!

Glad to have you aboard. Wonderful that everything worked out.

Cheers

Paulie

[Ferrante]

Well, I am beginning my Naval Academy and this should be fun. Also, while in bed, I am studying the manual that came with the game to familirize with its contents. I cannot wait until I sink my first ship. I know this is going to be fun...