How about we start off with the following info...
1. Your computer specs... always a good place to start with... yes...
Computer maker, Win Opsys version, processor, RAM specs... no need for the wifi/net specs.. since is not much out there now left, to attempt to do multi player with SH...
2. Version of SH4 you have & source of it...
3. Where, exactly... that you have SH4 installed...
The 1 area you do NOT want to have SH4 (or any game that you intend to mod, for that FACT... is in either of Window's "Program" folders... EVER.
Win's UAC... does NOT like any tampering of folders/files, under it's iron claw grip to be well... tampered with... & attempting to mod SH4... is to it... tampering.
side note, are you trying to mod SH4 or run it plain jane stock... would also be helpful info to know.
If attempting to mod this copy (or multi copies... is a good idea to have the following:
JSGME: This allows you to be able to add in or dump mods, while leaving the base SH4 part, unchanged.
Adding in mod folders/files & injecting them directly into the base SH4 install folder itself... will lead to having to dump/delete the entire install.
before activating any mods, the process that propbeanie, is needed to be done, on at least.. the 1st 2 steps, at base minimum... some need to do the rest, some don't. It'd independent on the computer... & NOT sure if there is a guide that says ok, this computer needs to go through all those steps & these, only the 1st 2... *shrug* Maybe someone with more knowledge, on that process, can chime in here... & confirm, clarify or put that puppy to bed...
Next, MultiSH4... a must have (if you intend to or are running more than 1 instance of SH4) as this nifty tool... (which is what this is, as is JSGME & the next item up..
) that allows you to setup separate game save folders for SH4, most assuredly necessary if you are going to run more than 1 copy of SH4.
Ok, last.. but certainly NOT least...
doing either of the following 2 steps...
patching the SH4.exe with a 4GB RAM patch... following precisely the directions for doing so...
or...
Large Address Aware tagging the SH4.exe, which.. by My opinion.. is simple to do. So simple, a cave man could easily do it... :
Simple 3 steps... point LAA (as some refer to this program by...) to where your game/sim's .exe is located... step 1. Check mark the box, in step 2., to lock it in... then finally click accept/save &... Done.
This tool, can be downloaded & installed in any folder.. but I recommend dropping it into your fresh created Games folder, for ease of locating it.. since this tool works for games/sims... which just makes sense to drop it there.
Hopefully, I didn't lose you there in all of this.. info & that it's found helpful...
M. M.