Sudden Strange Visual Bug

[M.H.Corbett]

Greetings, Salutations,

Ive come looking for some help, because I’ve gotten SH4 on my pc perfectly before, but after I installed the u-boat add on and booted it up, it doesn’t run right. The game starts fine, and i can access the menus, start a campaign, and the cutscenes run, but trying to enter normal gameplay or the museum results in the game’s UI appearing over a black screen, I’ve reinstalled the game and messed sith my monitor settings but im at an impact, any insight on this?

[KaleunMarco]

Greetings, Salutations,

Ive come looking for some help, because I’ve gotten SH4 on my pc perfectly before, but after I installed the u-boat add on and booted it up, it doesn’t run right. The game starts fine, and i can access the menus, start a campaign, and the cutscenes run, but trying to enter normal gameplay or the museum results in the game’s UI appearing over a black screen, I’ve reinstalled the game and messed sith my monitor settings but im at an impact, any insight on this?

welcome.
into which folder did you install SH4?
if you used the default, which is Windows\Programs, you need to de-install and then reinstall into a non-windows-controlled folder. try something off of your c-drive like c:\Ubisoft\SilentHunter4


also, look into Large Address Aware (LAA). a copy should be in the MODS forum.

good luck!

:Kaleun_Salute:

[propbeanie]

Besides making certain you are not installing into a Windows-controlled drive location as KaleunMarco says - which makes future modding next to impossible - you also want to set your SH4.exe "Properties" to properly work with your video card and display. Depending upon your set-up, it could possibly involve several of the settings being changed:

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


Another thing that could be a problem, is when you were installing the disk version of the game, that you neglected to install the DirectX v9.0c and Codecs from the disk. If you failed to do that, anything 3D in the game will fail. Try downloading it from Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/en-IE/download/details.aspx?id=8109) if that's what your issue is. :salute:

[Aktungbby]

M.H.Corbett!:Kaleun_Salute:

[M.H.Corbett]

Hello Folks,

Thank you for the advice and warm welcome, and Im writing the first part of this response in advance of looking into this (I’m a little tech illiterate). And heads up, i installed this through steam (sorry) so that might affect it:

1. I’ve uninstalled the Games (4, U boat add on, and SH3 since it had the same problem)

2. Basic install, the game goes to windows c:/programfilesx86/steam/steamapps/common/(game title)

[1Patriotofmany]

Try deleting the SH4 file in "my documents" just for giggles

[M.H.Corbett]

I also went and deleted the files, to male sure, still getting the no visuals glitch

[M.H.Corbett]

Ok addendum, can this be fixed if I got the game through steam?

[1Patriotofmany]

Ok addendum, can this be fixed if I got the game through steam? I got both off steam and they work fine. You want to avoid putting the game in the default location. Put them in steamlibrary or on another harddrive.

[propbeanie]

Hello Folks,

Thank you for the advice and warm welcome, and Im writing the first part of this response in advance of looking into this (I’m a little tech illiterate). And heads up, i installed this through steam (sorry) so that might affect it:

1. I’ve uninstalled the Games (4, U boat add on, and SH3 since it had the same problem)

2. Basic install, the game goes to windows c:/programfilesx86/steam/steamapps/common/(game title)

welcome.
into which folder did you install SH4?
if you used the default, which is Windows\Programs, you need to de-install and then reinstall into a non-windows-controlled folder. try something off of your c-drive like c:\Ubisoft\SilentHunter4


also, look into Large Address Aware (LAA). a copy should be in the MODS forum.

good luck!

:Kaleun_Salute:
As KaleunMarco mentioned, you do not want to be in a "Program Files" folder, which is where your Steam install is, with the "Library" folder beneath it (the "common" folder). If all you have in Steam games is the Silent Hunter series, then an un-install and re-install to a different location would work. Or, if you have a 2nd viable drive, you can create another Steam Library folder on it, and install the Silent Hunter games there. Once outside of the Program Files folder structure, mods can then be applied and Windows will not interfere with you. Refer to Moving a Steam Installation and Games (https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4BD4-4528-6B2E-8327) for information on some of that.

If you are using the disk version of the game, its install routine defaults to putting you in "C:\Program Files (x86) \Ubisoft \Silent Hunter", and the same issue applies. During the install, there is a dialog screen that asks where you want to install the game, and editing it to read as KaleunMarco suggests works fine. In other words, all you do is delete the "Program Files" portion of the path. The disk version though also asks what part of the 'package' you want to install. Do not use the Adobe Acrobat nor the GameShadow, but you do need the DirectX v9.0c and Codecs:
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=1070&pictureid=12949
disk install

However:
Besides making certain you are not installing into a Windows-controlled drive location as KaleunMarco says - which makes future modding next to impossible - you also want to set your SH4.exe "Properties" to properly work with your video card and display. Depending upon your set-up, it could possibly involve several of the settings being changed:

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

Another thing that could be a problem, is when you were installing the disk version of the game, that you neglected to install the DirectX v9.0c and Codecs from the disk. If you failed to do that, anything 3D in the game will fail. Try downloading it from Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/en-IE/download/details.aspx?id=8109) if that's what your issue is. :salute:
In the stock game on a 'modern' computer and OS, you usually have to tell windows to keep its hands off of the display also, else the game bombs when entering into the 3D world. Steam usually installs the DirectX files for you, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. You might have to use various settings though for the SH4 and SH3 "Properties" to get the display to function correctly. The image in my post is an example on my Windows 10 computer. Windows 11 dialogs are very similar. :salute:

[M.H.Corbett]

Right….

I tried several times to install it to a different folder (i don’t have an extra hard drive to use) until I came up with an Idea.

I made a separate folder for it uner the c:
Then I installed the game as normal: then ripped it from the steam folder and put it in this new folder! AND I FIXED IT. Game works normally, and still does with the expansion pack, and so does III.

Thank you folks.

[1Patriotofmany]

Perfect! Glad to hear you got it fixed!

[M.H.Corbett]

Thank You, and thanks for the help folks.