MultiSH4

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by JREX53

So people can get version 1.5 of MultiSH4 with the link from the 1st post of this thread.

Yes, just checked out the read me


RDP

[capt_frank]

In like Flynn!

Thanks!

[DeepIron]

Zango-bango! Works like a charm! Thx P!

[Potoroo]

Originally Posted by JREX53

I just downloaded and unzipped the file from the 1st post of this thread and it is version 1.5. I also downloaded the file that is below your signature and that one went to version 1.2.

Aaiiee! I should have spotted that ages ago. Fixed now.

[Doolittle81]

I followed the readme for MultiSH4, ran it from the copied over version of SH4. Then I applied the Addon(1.5) on top of my orginal SH4 (1.4). Now I can't get SH4 to play at all...from eitehr copy/version!!

Form another thread where I've been trying to get it resolved:

.....I tried to install the 1.5 Addon. It wouldn't run. Now I can't get any SH4 to run. I cleared the registry...I uninstalled my SH4 (1.4), re-installed the basic SH4 from the original disk and even it won't run....let alone getting a 1.4 or 1.5 patched version to run.

Coincidentally, along the way before the uninstalling of SH4, I had copied over all the SH4 1.4 files to another location/drive as recommended by the Readme for "MultiSH4". I think that application may be the culprit because I ran that "MultiSH4" application just one time, as instructed, to have it set up the new Save Folder, and it caused an immediate 'lockup' Black Screen. and after that , as I said, Nothing works!!!!

Right now, I have NO SH4. !

I've spent the entire afternoon trying to get this fixed.

I've completely uninstalled and reinstalled the basic SH4 from the DVD at least four times.

When I try to start SH4, I get the logo movie and then the Intro movie, then a quick flash of a glitch of some sort and then a Black screen. I can hear the music that plays when you are watching the Main Menu Screen, but I see nothing but black. I have to do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete to bring up Task Manager in order to shut down SH4.

Again, this is occurring even with a simple unModded fresh install of the basic SH4 1.0.

This is a horrible mess! I believe it is due to the "MultiSH4" application...which caused the first Glitch today.... I've deleted that application, I thought....but it's been a total mess since then...with or without any Addon or patch. I can't even get the game to Play straight from the original DVD.

I downloaded the latest Nvidia drivers, 169.28 even though my 169.25 drivers had been working just fine since installing them months ago. All other Games/Sims on my puter are running just fine.

Any help out there? For starters, I need to get rid of any vestiges of this MultiSH4 application. Ohh, P.S. I've also used Windows "Restore " option to restore my Computer to a time before I started messsing with MultiSH4 and the 1.5 Addon. Didn't help.

[skwasjer]

Sounds like a codec issue to me (and not MultiSH4). Recently installed a codec pack? If yes, uninstall it and try again...

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

I followed the readme for MultiSH4, ran it from the copied over version of SH4. Then I applied the Addon(1.5) on top of my orginal SH4 (1.4). Now I can't get SH4 to play at all...from eitehr copy/version!!
This is a horrible mess! I believe it is due to the "MultiSH4" application...which caused the first Glitch today.... I've deleted that application, I thought....but it's been a total mess since then...with or without any Addon or patch. I can't even get the game to Play straight from the original DVD.

I downloaded the latest Nvidia drivers, 169.28 even though my 169.25 drivers had been working just fine since installing them months ago. All other Games/Sims on my puter are running just fine.

Any help out there? For starters, I need to get rid of any vestiges of this MultiSH4 application. Ohh, P.S. I've also used Windows "Restore " option to restore my Computer to a time before I started messsing with MultiSH4 and the 1.5 Addon. Didn't help.[/quote]

So you've done a complete uninstall? I would roll back the Nvidia driver to the one you know works and go with a fresh SH4 install. Patch it to 1.4 and see what you get. If nothing else has changed you should be playing the game. If it doesn't work then you have a codec problem unrelated to MultiSH4.

MultiSH4 does only one thing: it patches SH4 so it uses a different user directory than the default <whatever>\Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific. That way you have a different user configuration for each install. You should probably copy all your configuration data from the original directory to the new ones so SH4 has some configuration to find when you start it from one of the new directories.

But I feel your pain. I HATE it when computers get all persnickedy over little stuff. Best of luck bird-dogging the problem down and please let us know what you found when you fix it.

[Potoroo]

OK, there's some scary stuff going on here but I think MultiSH4 is least likely to to blame for the simple reason it does so little.

MultiSH4 patches a file called FileManager.dll. If a problem can be traced back to FileManager.dll then it's fair enough to ask what if any part MultiSH4 had to play. If the problem does not involve FileManager.dll then MultiSH4 is automatically excluded from consideration.

The only thing MultiSH4 does to FileManager.dll is to find and if necessary change the three characters that constitute the hard-coded SH4 save game folder name within My Documents. If you're using an unpatched version of FileManager.dll then those characters will be "SH4", as in "My Documents\SH4". If you've patched it to something like "UBM" then you can check that very simply by running MultiSH4 again and just reading what it reports as the current save file name.

I have copies of every version of FileManager.dll and on my system MultiSH4 works with all of them. If anyone thinks MultiSH4 is causing them a problem then try this test:

1. Create a temporary folder.
2. Copy MultiSH4 1.5 and FileManager.dll into that folder.
3. Run MultiSH4.

If MultiSH4 successfully patches FileManager.dll in that environment then it's easy to see that the problem must lie elsewhere.

[Potoroo]

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

For starters, I need to get rid of any vestiges of this MultiSH4 application.

Find and delete any copies of MultiSH4.exe in your SH4 game folders. Restore FileManager.dll either from your backup copies or from the .cab file on the installation disk. Later versions of WinZip can open .cab files, I'm not sure about 7zip.

That's it.

[1480]

I'm getting an error saying it cannot patch while sh4 is running, yet I'm not running anything? Any tips kind sir?

[Wilcke]

Working flawlessly here.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by skwasjer

Sounds like a codec issue to me (and not MultiSH4). Recently installed a codec pack? If yes, uninstall it and try again...

Have not installed any new codecs...not for many, many many months...

[Doolittle81]

Okay...an Update:

After many attempts at cleaning registry, uninstalling SH4, reinstalling from DVD, I finally got a Working Install of the basic SH4 1.0 Why it took so many tries is beyond me! Computers aren't supposed to act that way....I swear I followed the exact same steps each and every time! A fine Sunday totally wasted!

I then downloaded and installed patch 1.4 It installed with no problems and SH4 vs 1.4 runs okay.

Tomorrow AM I will install the 1.5 Add-On...with fingers crossed. If all goes to hell in a handbasket again, I'll definitely know it is the 1.5 Addon which is at fault. If the Addon works, I'll load all my MANY Mods and Single Missions from my backup folders and be back in Operation...UBoat or Fleet Boat.

IF 1.5 Addon works, I will not risk using the "MultiSh4" application, at this time...even though it would logically not seem to have been the cause of my problem.

Friggin' Computers...like women: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

[Potoroo]

Originally Posted by 1480

I'm getting an error saying it cannot patch while sh4 is running, yet I'm not running anything? Any tips kind sir?

I've only ever had one other person have that problem. I've never been able to replicate it.

For the sake of the exercise open something trivial, like Notepad, then try MultiSH4. Let me know either way.

I suspect something subtle is going on with the way Windows enumerates top-level windows, which is how I find out whether SH4 is running or not. I have an idea of what's going on but it's a mongrel to track down.

[1480]

Originally Posted by Potoroo

I've only ever had one other person have that problem. I've never been able to replicate it.

For the sake of the exercise open something trivial, like Notepad, then try MultiSH4. Let me know either way.

I suspect something subtle is going on with the way Windows enumerates top-level windows, which is how I find out whether SH4 is running or not. I have an idea of what's going on but it's a mongrel to track down.

I got it to run, the only problem I've encountered now is I made the seperate (copied) file and patched to the missions 1.5 and now I can't run the old game , I'm at my wits end....