grumps - but it WILL run SH2!
 

Hello folks, hope you all had a pleasant Christmas.
Came to see if anyone has got SH3 ( or 4) to work on x64 Windows 7 yet - it can only be a matter of time... :DL

I am not too bothered mind as I have them both on the old XP machine still, but would prefer to shift them over asap. Interestingly, I installed SH2 on the W7 machine, and at first I thought it wasn't going to work, because, again, all I got was sound and a black screen - but when I pressed Esc, it all sprang into life! Whey-hey!

I am sure I tried that with the later versions and got no result, but I am minded to put them back on and try again...

Best wishes for New Year all :)

Not sure what the problem is as both SH3 and SH4 work on my 64 bit Win 7 machine.

Do you get any error messages?

Windows7 is Vista without most of the problems. Install it outside of the program files and you are good to go.
Runs fine on my 64 bit.

oh! no I do not get any error messages Tarrasque; it installs without complaint, I put the 1.4b patch on ( that right?) and then I have to do nocd (sorry mods) as it will not run otherwise, then I upgrade to GWX 3.00, activate the two mods I want ( Das Boot and visibility), and all works fine through the intro - then, nothing, just a black screen. Last time I installed I think I got sound as well, but this time just a black screen. I can't access Task Manager either, which means I have to shut the machine off by pressing the button, and that gives me an error message in event viewer, but no error messages in there in respect of the game.

So now I am puzzled as to what the problem is... do you have any problem with the security? I don't get given the screen to put the Game PID in when installing - it seems not to recognise the OS - Do you have the disk that requires the key to be entered? Also, may I ask what graphics card you have?

I have also tried running the game without GWX - same result :(

What you say makes me think that the problem is with the key, and so, if I got the later version of SH3 that did not need the key to be entered, all would be well......

Irish, indeed I have a non-C logical drive for the games, but that has not stopped the difficulties, sad to say. However, if you have it going OK, there is hope for me too, I just have to keep trying :)

I have the non starforce variant so can't help you there.

My graphics card is a NVidia 8800 GT running on the 195.62 drivers.

Have you tried SH3 without mods? Perhaps there's some bug in one of your mod installations?

works for me on 7 as well, but i cant patch it to 1.4, gives the error message "version unknown" or something of the sort and gives me a link to some notepad document in my program files. oh well, i guess i should be satisfied playing stock sh3

I'm starting to wonder what pitfalls I might run into when I purchase my new x64 Windows 7 rig next month :hmmm:

Tarrasque, you HAVE helped, because you have told me that you DO have the non-starforce version - which confirms my suspicion that the problem I am having is because I have the old disk that requires a key input. Even though I have disabled that requirement, something is not working. I shall have to get a non-starforce disk to see if that makes a difference.

Yes, Tarrasque have tried running the game with nothing added but the patch ( which goes on without complaint for me Kimmers), but it made no difference.

Thanks for your help chaps, I feel a bit more hopeful that I can crack it now :)

Just more W-7 threads. :ping:

Jimbuna, it does seem that many more games work with W7 than do not, and when they do not, it is likely the problem lies with the security software or Live rather than the game itself. Suprisingly a lot of older games run on it as well.

This site carries a list of 'works', 'don't work' and 'needs tweaking', being constantly updated as people report their experiences.

http://www.sevenforums.com/gaming/

Bother, I put a non-starforce version disc on ( which, as Kimmers said does not allow you to patch it) and started the game up, but, just like before, I get nothing but a black screen after the intro - with sound but no video. That means it is not due to starforce.... back to square one. Bum :down:

Some suggestions that you may/may not have tried:

1) Run as Administrator (Right click, Run as Admin)

2) Install DirectX 9 from microsoft.com (apparently Win 7 left out a few bits!)

3) Adjust your resolution in main.cfg (Documents/SH3)

4) Copy across from an Install on previous version of windows (Apparently the installation on Win 7 is messed up! N.B. My install of Win 7 was on a machine that had previously been Vista 32 bit so this one is the situation I'm in albeit inadvertently)

Hope these help.

thanks Tarrasque, a couple of things there I have not yet tried.. :) What should I set the resolution to?

Aren't all non starforce discs already patched? If so check the splash screen and it will have at the lower right hand corner v1.4

ah - I didn't know that Irish - makes sense, thank you. :up:

However, I have done everything I can think of, uninstalling and reinstalling both disks, changing configs, resolutions, making compatible, etc, etc as other folks have suggested, and still no joy. I did get a message out of event viewer the last time though - faulting module kernel.dll. Fed up I am :(

Perform a registry cleanup and you should be good to go.

http://www.5starsupport.com/info/kernel32.htm

I use regvac...there is a free trial version here:

http://www.regvac.com/regvac.htm

I have heard about something like this before I think the solution is to delete the start up movies for some reason the game will run after they are removed.
its worth a try ????. :hmmm:

Jimbuna, thanks for the advice, but this is not the system kernel32.dll. This one comes with SH3.

Seawolf... ahh... I wonder how I do that. The cfg folder for main in docs has got a NO next to run movie, but perhaps that refers to something else. I shall look into it - thanks :)

ah, found the folder in Data, tried disabling the intro movie - made no diff. thanks anyway :(

At fear of stating the obvious and making an ass of myself on my first post, have you tried changing the "compatability mode" on the sh3.exe?

I bought SH3 off Steam the other day and it refused to run - I'm using Win7x64 Ultimate. I sorted it by navigating to /silent hunter 3/sh3.exe, right-click on it, click on the compatability tab and changing the compatability mode to Windows XP (Service Pack 3), then Apply.

If you've already tried this, then I apologise.

If starforce is the issue, have you tried an uninstall and running a starforce removal utility, then reinstalling with the DRM-free disc?

Thanks for posting that little bit of obvious advice there. I just got a new computer and therefor got windos 7 and was having a hell of a time geting my steam copy of the game working when you came along and posted that. Turns out that is all it needed to get around the "Can't start 3d engen" error it kept feeding me. Now steam is telling me that the game is unavailible but I am at leastone step closer to geting it to work.

Welcome abord