Multiple SH3 Installs with GWX

[Raptor]

OK, I'm ready to add GWX, and maybe SH3 Commander, but I want to keep a copy of vanilla SH3 installed as well.

My system:
CPU = AMD PhenomII 4x 970 black 3.5 GHz
RAM = 8 GB DDR3 PC3-10600
Video - Sapphire (ATI) Radeon 5770 (1 GB)
O/S = Windows7 - runs SH3 with no problems



1. How do I do that? Can I just copy my current SH3 install to a new folder, then uninstall the original, just-copied SH3 using the SH3 CD, delete the My Docs/SH3 folder, clean the registry, and then make a new clean install to use with GWX?

2. How/where do vanilla SH3 and GWX SH3 keep their respective saved games and careers separate as I know that in addition to removing my current copy of SH3 so as to make a fresh install, I also have to also delete the existing SH3 folder from My Documents.

3. After making a clean install of SH3 1.4b, should I run it once or just immediately run GWX.exe ?

[frau kaleun]

You need MultiSH3:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=1869

This handy little app allows you to tell each installation of the game to create a differently named folder in My Documents, so your saves/careers/etc. from each version of the game will not get all mixed in together.

To install GWX you need a fresh, unmodded installation of the game. Assuming you have already played your stock installation, you need to uninstall it using the Uninstall feature that comes with it (from the disk if you have one). Then do a registry clean to remove any residual stuff that didn't get removed automatically. Delete (or move to a backup location) the SH3 folder in My Documents.

Then reinstall the game and copy the contents of the game folder to another folder on your hard drive, which you can name "GWX" or whatever you like. Install GWX into the new folder you just copied all the game files into.

Put MultiSH3 in each game folder and run it once from each, then you can tell that installation of the game what to name the folder it will create in My Documents to store your player files.

I'm pretty sure instructions on how to create multiple installations come with MultiSH3 as well when you download and unzip it. :yep:

I think if you back up your SH3 folder that's in My Documents now, you can put all the files back in the new stock version folder once it's been recreated and that way you'll still have any careers/saves/etc. that you had before the uninstall. But you'll need to re-enable any mods that you had running on the stock game when you were running those careers before, otherwise you'll have problems trying to reload your past saves. I've never tried recreating careers and saves from a backup after a reinstall so someone else may have better pointers on doing that.

As for Commander, if you're going to want to play multiple versions of the game, I would recommend a different installation of Commander for each playable game installation.

I think when I did multiple installs, I didn't run the stock game first, I just copied it and installed GWX over the copied version. I'm pretty sure that as soon as you run it the first time, it will create a My Documents folder - and I didn't want that to happen until I'd gotten MultiSH3 in there to set up the differently named My Docs folder for each one. If MultiSH3 is already in a game folder I think GWX will detect it and refuse to install because the folder has been "modded." So I just wait until after all the copying and installing is done to start with that part of the process.

Oh, and once you install Commander, you will have to run each version of the game at least once - just letting it load to the main menu and then exiting should be enough - before you can use Commander to work with it. Commander needs to locate the My Docs folder associated with the game folder in order to work its magic, and that won't be created until you've loaded the game the first time.

[Jimbuna]

Is this working with the W7 OS?

[frau kaleun]

Is this working with the W7 OS?

Are you asking me? If so, yes, it's working. I've got three 'playable' game installations ATM, one stock and two GWX. I don't really play the stock one but I use it to test or double-check things occasionally since it's a shorter loading time. I have loaded and played tutorials/missions/careers in both GWX installations. I use a separate installation of Commander for each game installation.

However none of my gaming stuff is anywhere near a Program Files folder, I have it all on a separate hard drive. I don't know if that makes a difference.

[Raptor]

Got Sh3 installed ok.

Copied it to a new directory (GWX) and installed GWX ok.

Extracted MultiSH3.zip and directed it to the GWX directory, but I keep getting an error message from MultiSH3

"filemanager.dll not found"

I have verified that filemanager.dll does exist in the GWX root directory

Now what?:damn:

[frau kaleun]

Got Sh3 installed ok.

Copied it to a new directory (GWX) and installed GWX ok.

Extracted MultiSH3.zip and directed it to the GWX directory, but I keep getting an error message from MultiSH3

"filemanager.dll not found"

I have verified that filemanager.dll does exist in the GWX root directory

Now what?:damn:

The only thing that needs to go in the game directory is the file MultiSH3.exe, which is included in the zipped file you downloaded.

Extract that zipped file to some other location on your hard drive. It should contain the .exe file mentioned above plus a readme file of some sort.

Copy the MultiSH3.exe file into your game folder, in the root directory, per the instructions included. You cannot run it from the extraction location, you must run it from within the game folder it will be used on. Then doubleclick it. All you should get is a popup box asking for a three-letter designation for the new folder to be created in My Docs when you launch the game from that folder, there's nothing else to it.

[Raptor]

Copy the MultiSH3.exe file into your game folder, in the root directory, per the instructions included. You cannot run it from the extraction location, you must run it from within the game folder it will be used on.

AHA! :yeah:

That was the missing piece of information. Now I've got a new MyDocs/GWX folder.

Thank you.


Now to see how the game runs..........then I'll enable the variuos mods that came with GWX using JSGME.

[frau kaleun]

AHA! :yeah:

That was the missing piece of information. Now I've got a new MyDocs/GWX folder.

Thank you.

No problem, glad it's working.


Now to see how the game runs..........then I'll enable the variuos mods that came with GWX using JSGME.

Read about them in the manual first, they are all optional, some of them you may not need at all and some of them are only to be used under certain specified circumstances. :yep:

[Jimbuna]

Are you asking me? If so, yes, it's working. I've got three 'playable' game installations ATM, one stock and two GWX. I don't really play the stock one but I use it to test or double-check things occasionally since it's a shorter loading time. I have loaded and played tutorials/missions/careers in both GWX installations. I use a separate installation of Commander for each game installation.

However none of my gaming stuff is anywhere near a Program Files folder, I have it all on a separate hard drive. I don't know if that makes a difference.

So what is the filepath/location for your saved files?

My system never gave me the option to choose :hmmm:

[frau kaleun]

So what is the filepath/location for your saved files?

My system never gave me the option to choose :hmmm:

Do you install off a disk? I downloaded the game from Ubi so I'm not installing or reinstalling off the disk. I have a copy on disk but it's never even been in the drive. I don't know if that makes a difference, the setup.exe still wants to install to the default location but I just point it elsewhere.

I will take a screenshot when I get home of the file structure on my GAMES drive.

[Jimbuna]

Yeah, I install off a disc and get the same message as Raptor when trying to use MultiSH3.

My savegames and careers automatically go to:

Local Disc C\Users\HomeUser\MyDocs\SH3

The root file is located in:

C\ProgramFiles(x86)

I'm wondering if that is insufficient permission for the mod (it should be) and I should create a separate area in D drive :hmmm:

[frau kaleun]

My saves and career files all go to the folders I've designated (with MultiSH3) in My Documents... the one on the C (boot) drive because I actually have two Docs folders. The folder where I keep all of the documents *I* create is on an external drive. The My Documents folder that Win7 created is just for the stuff Win7 and other programs want to stow there. But that's where all the SH3 stuff goes.

Never had a problem installing the game where I wanted or in creating multiple versions along with their matching folders in My Docs. Didn't notice Win7 being any different in that respect... but then I don't think I had the game installed in Program Files in XP either. :hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

I've only stock and GWX3.0 installed atm....I may install one or two additionals into D drive and see if that makes any difference.