FOTRS Crashes to Desktop

[Dogsbd]

Installed SH4 and the Uboat Missions "patch" via Steam. So I am running from:

H:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific\sh4.exe

Applied FOTRS 1.8 via these instructions:

- Download the mod file "100_FalloftheRisingSun_Ultimate_v1.8.7z" to an easily remembered location on your computer.
Your SH4 install should be "clean", either from a new install, or from a known-clean archive.
It should NOT be installed in a Windows "Program Files" folder.

- The easiest way to do the activation is to create a MODS folder inside of your game folder.
For our example, we'll use the "D" drive, "Games" folder, and "SH4FotRSU" as the path structure.
Such that we have "D:\Games \SH4FotRSU" as our game folder.
Create a folder named "MODS" inside of that. MODS is the default name that JSGME uses for its folder.

- Put the "100_FalloftheRisingSun_Ultimate_v1.8.7z" mod file in that folder.
Use 7Zip on it to "extract it here", and you should have the mod folder structure built properly in that MODS folder.

- Find the JSGME.exe file in the "D:\Games \SH4FotRSU \MODS \100_FalloftheRisingSun_Ultimate_v1.8 \Extras" folder, and copy it to the SH4FotRSU folder above.
Then run the JSGME.exe file.
It will pop-up a dialog with the "MODS" folder named.
Confirm that.

- Run JSGME again (if necessary), and you should have 100_FalloftheRisingSun_Ultimate_v1.8 listed in the left-hand window.
Click on that once to highlight it, and the click on the right pointing arrowhead ( > ), which will activate the mod.
Give it time though - it will take a while.
Go get some tea.


- It would be best to use the MultiSH4 found in the game folder, and use that to create a unique 3-character "name" for your newly modded Game Save folder. Not an necessity though.


- You must Run the the "Large Address Aware.exe" file found in the game folder after mod activation, or use the 4Gig Patch found in the Extras folder of the mod. This implies that you need a 64-bit OS and at least 4 gig of RAM (see computer specs elsewhere here).


- After all that, you can now run the SH4.exe, and you should have FotRSU up and running. This is an over-simplified version of what is found in the various pdf files in the Support folder of the game.


Game starts fine with or without mod activated, but if I try to start a training mission with mod activated it loads for a few seconds and then crashes directly to desktop.

I am at a loss.

[propbeanie]

It sounds like you've have properly executed the instructions... however, there is the problem of your computer versus the graphics card versus the OS veruss the game versus the display. Refer to the "Silent Hunter 4 & Windows 10" thread stickied to the top of the page. Similar applies to even Windows Vista, all the way through Windows 11, and it has gotten stranger with the larger 4k and larger displays. Windows tries to "help" in its feeble way to do your desktop the way it thinks it should, but since SH4 is an old WinXP DirectXv9 game, the newer OSes do it incorrectly. You will have to intervene, and most likely perform some experiments on your own to find the right combination of settings, but in Post #204 (https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2755870#post2755870) of that Win10 thread is an example with an image of:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/album.php?albumid=1070&pictureid=12763

That is a Win10 grab, and the Win11 screen is very similar, but the windows would have rounded corners. Windows 7 and earlier have similar windows, but are missing some of the High DPI options. You get to that "Properties" window by right-clicking on the SH4.exe file in your game folder, and then choosing "Properties" at the bottom of the context menu. The smaller top window is from clicking on the "Change high DPI settings" button on the middle window. The lower window is the Game folder on my hard drive.

You are almost certainly going to have to tick the "Disable fullscreen optimizations" button, and dependent upon the security settings on your computer, you might have to tick the "Run the program as an administrator". You might also have to use the top section of "Run the program in compatibility mode for:" and then choose anything from Windows XP SP2 through Windows 7, dependent again upon your computer. You most likely will have to use the "Change high DPI settings" button, and then set the bottom tick mark and set the drop-down to "Application". In some circumstances, you might have to use the "Program DPI" section at the top, if you have a higher resolution screen and run the game at a lower resolution to increase the screen elements. If you do have to do that (as an example, a 4K display, but running the game at 1920x1080), you would tick the "Use this setting to fix scaling problems...", and then set that drop-down box to "I open this program". Hopefully, it will be fine with just a couple of boxes ticked. Do one box at a time and then test your game start. If it fails, add another, etc. etc. etc. If that still does not help, check that LAA or the 4Gig Patch properly set the SH4.exe file. Realistically though, you should be able to start most of the SingleMissions, since those are generally not too full of game traffic. :salute:

[Dogsbd]

Thank you propbeanie! Will give that a try.

I should have noted I am running Windows 10.

[fitzcarraldo]

Thank you propbeanie! Will give that a try.

I should have noted I am running Windows 10.

When use the LAA (or 4 Gb patch), disable the read protection of SH4.exe. 4Gb patch creates a backup of your SH4.exe, so you know the file is modified. Check if your SH4.exe is really patched.

Put SH4.exe with W7 compatibility. Run UAC and add SH4.exe to the exceptions. Same with your AV and firewall. And check the security tab in properties of SH4.exe.

I have the old DVD version of Uboat missions, so my version is 1.5. Check if your Steam version of SH4.exe is 1.5. FOTRSU only works with SH4 1.5 version.

Good luck!

Fitzcarraldo :Kaleun_Salute:

[Dogsbd]

Over the past ~week I have tried all the above suggestions, tried letting the Windows 10 built in compatibility troubleshooter find the right combination (multiple combos/times) to allow SH4 FOTRS to run but so far without any success. This really sucks.

[propbeanie]

As fitzcarraldo mentioned, is the 4Gig Patch or LAA properly activated on your SH4.exe file? Also, if you have changed certain things in the game, you will have to clear the Save folder, which is "C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4" and then allow the game to re-create that when running the game the next time. You might also have to try various combinations of the Properties settings for Compatibility listed above.

[Dogsbd]

As fitzcarraldo mentioned, is the 4Gig Patch or LAA properly activated on your SH4.exe file? Also, if you have changed certain things in the game, you will have to clear the Save folder, which is "C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4" and then allow the game to re-create that when running the game the next time. You might also have to try various combinations of the Properties settings for Compatibility listed above.


I used the 4Gig patch... (pause.. let me do this ONE MORE TIME)

Goes to execute the 4gig patch yet again. It works, or seems to. Looks at the SH4.exe file... it's date still reads 11/11/23... runs 4Gig again... same result.... runs 4Gig again... pays real close attention this time... :wah:


:oops: :oops: :oops:


I have the 4Gig exe in my "H:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific" folder. I had made a copy of the unmodded "Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific folder" and put it at "H:\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific" for back up purposes. Now even though the 4Gig.exe is in the SH4 folder under Steam that I am modding and running SH4 from when I executed the 4Gig.exe it was ACTING ON THE SH4.exe IN THE BACKUP FOLDER. :har:


Thanks everyone! :oops:

[propbeanie]

eee-yup... lol - strange behavior from the old 32-bit apps, eh? You do have to change the path, and then, look at the message that 4Gig Patch gives you. The LAA included in FotRSU has a nasty habit of NOT displaying a failure message after it runs, so you have to open it again, and look to see. :salute: