SH4 - U-Boat Missions - Intel i7 Skylake 6700K -BIOS issue - SecuROM issues

[Front Runner]

I finally got my Silent Hunter 4 U-Boat Missions to work on my i7 Skylake rig. This is a BIOS problem, not a Windows 10 problem.

I recently decided to install SH4 on my recently constructed rig as I missed playing. I have all the original DVDs and downloads and keys.

I installed the SH4 original game and encountered a SecuROM 8016 error. Bad news. I then installed the 1.4 update patch. It worked! Great, now I'm making progress. I then installed the U-Boat missions add on and, whoops, I encountered the SecuROM 8016 error yet again.

I tried several times, using different parameters and each time I got the same result. So, in researching the problem, I discovered a solution. Apparently, the i7 Skylake 6700K (as well as some other Intel processors,) have a known problem with SecurRom which result in this particular error. The execution of the SH4.exe file hangs when it checks for the serial number key for activation resulting in the SecuROM 8016 error.

I discovered that I was using an old BIOS (v2.00) and that there was several BIOS releases that I was not aware of. The newest BIOS for my particular Motherboard (ASROCK Z170 OC Formula) is V7.40.

This morning I followed the Motherboard manufacturer's recommendations to update my BIOS and successfully updated the BIOS with no complications.

I then reinstalled Silent Hunter 4 U-Boat Missions and it now woks perfectly.

I know there is another Sticky Thread (Ensign Dunsel) here that addresses Windows 10 issues but this is not an OS issue but a hardware BIOS issue that prevents Silent Hunter 4 from launching. I also saw Rodger Dodger's request for Technical Assistance. I believe that a BIOS update will fix his problem as well.

I am a happy Captain once again!

[Front Runner]

Every so often when I open the SH4 program in order to play, I get a message saying that SH4 will not run on my computer and I need to upgrade to Windows .....(versions obsolete).
I think it has something to do with the Intel LAN drivers. First time I saw it was just after I had updated my Intel LAN drivers. Somehow, the SH4 executable loses contact with the internet or something. There was a message during the Intel LAN driver install that warned that some of the features were not compatible with Windows 10 Creator version. Maybe this is somehow glitching the start up of SH4.

A simple computer restart usually solves the problem.

I panicked the first time I saw it. What now!? I said.....

I thought I had it fixed by reinstalling the latest Intel LAN driver package as it worked fine again after the reinstall.

Then I saw it again on some random occasion.

I couldn't copy the error message so I am paraphrasing what was in it.

Any one else ever see this behavior?

[propbeanie]

Myself, no. I quit using my Win10 just before they released it, and had changed all sorts of stuff in the OS. However, are you running the game "as Administrator"? Are you using the Windows "Compatibility" stuff? How about "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings"? All of that is accessible from right-clicking on the SH4.exe file and choosing "Properties" at the bottom of the context-sensitive menu. Click on the "Compatibility" tab, and experiment.

Also, are you using the SH4.exe to start the game, or is your shortcut (if you're using one) pointing at "gu.exe", which is the "Game Updater", and hasn't been an operational part of the Ubisoft web site for quite a while. It might well give you an error like what you're experiencing...

[Captain Dave]

I get the SecuRom - update to Win 95,98,etc. once in a great while. A reboot fixes it. I haven't tried to find what causes the message. I'm running Win10 with SH4 in it's own folder under: Local DisK(C)/USER/Dave/Games/Ubisoft.

[propbeanie]

Is the User folder good to use in Win10 for an executable install like Silent Hunter 4? I avoid folders that the Windows OS creates as a matter of course, such as Program Files (x86), but I don't know about the User folder... ??

[Captain Dave]

Other than the SecuRom thingy once in a great while, I haven't had any problems with SH4 or other programs.