Serious problems
 

I thought I would post about this because after thinking about it I can't fathom it out.

Before I got my new PC I was running SHIV 1.2 and had loads of mods installed and it was pretty good. Got 1.3 and NOTHING works. I install stuff thats brand new and that other 1.3 users are using with no problems but nothing works. I use JSGME and have installed everything how I would in SHIII and how I did before I got my new rig but still nothing. Has anyone else had similar problems?

mods I was using...

USS Whale skin
Smaller rocks and plants mod
die slowly stage 14
better scopes

Been there...

New PC: Please 'splain Lucy
Have you updated all the usual suspects aka: drivers. Directx 9c?

Does Vanilla SH4 (unpatched, off CD) run?

Have you tried a fullback-up of SH4 copy to another folder

Are troubles with a save game or any scenario: new career, training, etc?

plan A:
Remove all mods
Reinstall v1.3 patch
Try a new campaign

Plan b:
then uninstall SH4 ( delete folder )
reinstall
run a training session/start a career, then exit

Install patch v1.3
run a training session/start a career, then exit
No try 1 mod ( seabed rocks is a good gentle one)

What do you mean with "nothing works"?

You can't start the game any more? When does it crash?

My Advice: Go with SQK7744's plan B !!

This happened to me with the first install of 1.3 over 1.2 with mods.
I uninstalled and reinstalled from disk and then installed 1.3 over 1.0
It works fine now....

JIM

we want to demolish as little as possible regarding uninstalls.

try the vanilla install, it's a toss up of doing 1.3 right away or step patches; .1,.2 etc

you need to run the app and create all the config files so you are starting from a clean base before adding mods to the mix.

keep us posted

Well I used a fresh install and patched directly to 1.3 from a DL online not using the update launcher thing. Will try plan b, but its completely bizzare because all the folders are set up right with the "data... ... ..." structure and I can enable them in JSGME but they dont show in game.

It's not that bizar
 

When you run SH4 for the first time, a new folder gets created under My Documents\SH4. It holds duplicates/copies of various .UPC, .CFG and .INI files there that are used by the saved games.

So, when you do not uninstall all your mods before you upgrade to patch 1.3, patch 1.3 will actually overwrite a lot of the files with new, stock game versions. That means that linkage between the mod files get destroyed and you get internal contradictions. As soon as that happens you'll get CTD's (Crash To Desktop).

So, when patching, always uninstall all your mods (and that only works when you used JSGME the right way, from the start, on a stock version of the game) and then patch. If you leave any mod files behind you'll look at a crash.

What may also help, is to delete the My Documents\SH4 folder. If there are any files in there that are not in sync with the files in the main installation folder, then that deletion will resolve any discrepancies. The downside is of course that you lose your saved games.