To Vista or not to Vista
 

Hi everybody,

Just a quick question, my laptop died beyond repair a few weeks ago now and i was thinking about getting a new one with vista rather than XP. I have herd of a few problems with vista and SH3 ,and was wondering if they were isolated events or common occouriences. Not wanting to blow all my money on a new system just to find out that SH3 wont work properly on it, i thought i would ask in here as there seems to be a large amouth of know how.

Any advice would be great

The mileage really seems to vary. I've had no luck installing SH3 on Vista. Some say they have had no difficulties with it at all. The consensus seems to be to try and buy a bargain bin Starforce-free disk patched to the latest version and to install it in a folder outside of the Program Files in Vista.

I run vista and never had any trouble:D

If you do go Vista, get no less than the Home Premium Version. Torplexed is right about installing outside the other MS files. That is simple, create a root file for it. Name it whatever you want. When you load SH3 and it asks you what folder to load it to, load to the newly created root folder. If you don't you will receive errors loading mods into JSGME MODS folder if using the MS program section of your root drive in Vista. Other than that, SH3 should work just fine with Vista.

What is your story Torplexed on not loading in Vista for you?

It installs okay. You even see the into movie and get the music. But it goes black on the loading screen. Someone counseled removing the intro movie, but that didn't change things. There was another recommendation to remove ffdshow...but still no effect. This is using an Encore Starforce free disk patched to 1.4

I have read lots of threads about Vista and I finally got sick and tired of hearing how crap it is .
And then how BtS-mods.com is supplying a download that don’t work .:nope:


So I removed SH3 and the Ubisoft folder off my computer.
Then I downloaded the one file download for GWX3.0 From BtS-mods.com Which I did not use before as I downloaded GWX3.0 the minute it was released. And then burnt it to disk using Nero.:up:


I then re-loaded SH3 and added the disk downloaded GWX3.0. and then all the mods I use in the game. I then run up the game using one of the save games from a previous save and guess what it worked with no problems at all.:yeah:
i always let SH3 install where it wants


So something wrong with Vista and BtS downloads I don’t think so. Though if you have one of the first SH3 disks that is not already updated with the 1.4 update this might have something to do with the problems.
I use Windows Vista Home Premium with Service pack 1 + SH3 with GWX3.0
I hope this helps :hmmm:

I'm on Vista and 've not had any issues. Vista is a real nanny-OS though and doesn;t let you mess around with the Program Files folder, which can cause issues with modding in many games.
If you get Vista just make a point of installing all of your games to a different directory (I use C:/Games/) and it should be okay. That's my experience anyway.

Since SH3 and SH4 are so close in file structure I suspect you are having the same issue I did. I did a clean install of SH4 on the Vista OS and got exactly what you did. I see the intro and then upon the actual loading screen, nothing but black yet I hear the music play etc. SH4 does not like when you are using Vista in starting the game with your video card already tweaked. In other words, I had to reset my video card to all the default values as if it was straight out of the box brand spank'in new. Then start your game (as I did) and the loading screen can be seen after the movie intro. After you have done this, go back and reset your card to the tweaks you like. It should work no problem after this. Do not look for new drivers and all that good stuff. It did not help me at all. I just loaded the current driver and left my card at the defaults. The game loaded and all was good.

As a note, I have a Nvidia card and use the standard Nvida program for card adjustments. I have read that the ATI card is much the same issue with SH3/4 and using Vista as the OS. Some have gone to 3rd party card programs for tweaking to get 3/4 to work but I know you can use the standard program for tweaks provided by the manufacture of your card. I'm the proof in the pudding on that.

Yes, Vista really is just a nanny OS. I could not agree more. But, once you understand what MS is attempting to do (keep you from hurting yourself by removing sharp objects:88) ) using the OS is fairly simple. Just make root folders and do not load programs into the X86 or MS progam files unless you specifically have to. Originally I loaded into the X86 program files and extracting mod files to my MODS folder produced errors. Vista was saying no no, bad do not do this. So, I made a root folder and named it Games2. All my games go here now. Mods load not problem and all my games are in one spot. It really is not a scary OS when you thinking in the same lines as MS is/was when they created the thing.

I've installed SH3 and SH4 on one of my laptops running Vista Ultimate 64 bit and have had no problems. I installed it under a C:\Games folder to prevent any errors. I wish other programs were this easy to fix with Vista 64 bit....:damn: Photoshop 5.0 won't even install (says invalid OS on the installer program). A simple copy and paste of the folder from a working 32 bit computer and some registry editing got it working though. Can't say that for most programs and Vista 64.
Microsoft's own Visual Studio 2007 won't even install under Vista 64. From Microsoft's website they said they will not support anything earlier than Visual Studio 2008 with Vista. Forced me into buying Visual Studio 2009...bad bad Microsoft...that's not how you treat developers!!

Hmmm. I've being using one of those third party programs. nHancer in this case. Should I uninstall it prior to attempting to install SH3?

No, do not go through all that trouble first. Install your game. Reset your card to default values and start the game. I hate to see you dump your 3rd party program and create all this work for nothing. As I said, others have went to 3rd party programs to make this work. I found it is not necessary but all the same, these people did get the game to run and load using these programs. So, I see no reason at this point to drop your current program. Just set your card to default values using your current program for your card. Make a note on current tweaks so you can reset the card after SH3 loads. Reading what you have stated is happening is certainly what I experienced and others have experienced. The game is loading you just can not see it but you can hear it by the music and your hard drive is grinding away loading files. So, if you can not see it, what is causing the issue? Your vid card. My answer to my same exact problem as you have is resetting the card to defaults, loading the game and seeing it now then went back and reset my card tweaks.

PS: I see you use Nhancer. Nice program and all but the program offered by Nvida is just fine for any tweak you will ever need. I use it without issue. It is up to you what program you want to use but my experience with this problem was resolved using the OEM program.

Forgot....make your own root file to load the game to. Then you will not have errors and Vista asking for permission etc. I did this with SH4 and I can go into the file without issue and make changes no problem. I created a root file C:/ Games2

Just completed your advice to the letter AVG.

You have my deepest Atlantic gratitude. Thanks to you I have SH3 and U-Boats again for the first time in eight months. It's merrily running like the motor in your sig. :cool: Cheers mate!:yeah:

Now I gotta find the latest GWX.:sunny:

Excellent and tell all your friends! It is nuts, the fix was and is so simple yet we all sit here attempting the most in downloads and tweaking like mad. :88) Far be it from me to keep you or anyone else enjoying SH3 with all the goodies. Glad it worked out! Enjoy!:03:

It runs quick like a bunny on my new computer. Even the staid Navigation tutorial seems like fun when you've been away for so long. :DL I held off on playing SH3 for a while due to a desire not to have Starforce on a new computer. Picked up the Encore disk last month and although it doesn't have Starforce I wasn't having any luck with it until now.

I'll spread the word if I run into anymore Nvidia and Vista users.

I'm glad it is working for you and can discover it all over again with the new GWX mod out. Quite a few say it runs like a champ with the new faster systems out there. I enjoyed SH4 on my old system but the new system runs it like a champ. Not one hiccup. Push all sliders to max and click every option available. It is just nice not to have to tweak this and that to get a game running well. Shoving off!:salute:

Ive been on Vista for some time now, and encountered zero problems...

UNTIL... (Had to be one...)

Until I installed Alcohol 120% to burn some data-backup CDs...

Starforce went ape****, and now I cannot get SH3 to install and function. Might have to format, to get it working agin. :damn:

Bottom line, if you have the post-starforce version of SH3, go for it. Vista is great. If you have an early copy, like I do, make sure you dont install ANY form of virtual drive.

Been running SH3 & GWX on Vista Ultimate for a year with very few problems. It's faster then Win XP.:up:

Hi Monty I was cautious too when weighing whether to switch to Vista from XP. I finally made the switch to Vista x64(Home premium) and now has never regretted that move even one bit.

I have to remind you though that I'm not using Vista on laptop. I'm using my Vista on a desktop PC with relatively new hardware and an 8 Gb of RAM(Since I was using x64 why the heck not though actual memory usage never exceed 4Gb).

If your laptop comes with 4Gb of memory and a realtively large HDD capacity I well recommend you to switch to Vista x64(64 bit version). Don't get the x86(32 bit version).

I had had some pain at the start switching to 64 bit OS that was solved by downloading an updated Motherboard BIOS. Just that and my Vista flew.

Vista is power hungry. Feed it what it needs and it runs very well. :up: