SH5 Multiple Installs

[Potoroo]

I never bought SH5 so I can only describe the process behind making MultiSH3 and MultiSH4 (which was easy because SH3/4 used the same game file structure).

Lets start by being careful with our terms. There was never any problem having multiple installations of SH3 or SH4 as long as you used the game installer once and only once. That was your vanilla installation. You could then Copy and Paste the vanilla installation using Windows Explorer or My Computer as many times as you wished.

You would end up with a file structure something like this:

\Ubisoft\Silent Hunter 4 Wolves of the Pacific (vanilla)
\Ubisoft\SH4 Mod Set 1
\Ubisoft\SH4 Mod Set 2
\Ubisoft\SH4 Development

etc.

That was the easy bit. The problem was that all the different installations were hard-coded to use the same folders (My Documents\SH3 and My Documents\SH4 respectively) for personalised data like campaigns so the last version you ran would always overwrite whatever data was there previously. There was no way to change the save data folders from within the game.

Enter MultiSH3/4. Since the save folder name - \SH3 or \SH4 - was hard-coded in a file called Filemanager.dll it was easy for my utility to patch it with whatever alternative 1-3 character folder name you wanted. Using the example installations from above, you would end up with something like this:

My Documents\SH4 (vanilla)
My Documents\MS1 (for Mod Set 1)
My Documents\MS2 (for Mod Set 2)
My Documents\Dev (for development)

for your respective save data folders. Voila! each game installation had its own distinct save data folder. Problem solved.

Can this be done for SH5? If it follows the SH3/SH4 pattern and has "My Documents\SH5" hard-coded then it should be possible. In that case, if somebody sends me a copy of Filemanager.dll I'll have a look at it.

[GT182]

PM your email address to me Potoroo and I'll send it off to you.

This filemanager dll is from a Copy of installed SH5 patched to v1.2. Nothing else and never played.

Thanks for your time to give it a look see.

[Potoroo]

Originally Posted by GT182

PM your email address to me Potoroo and I'll send it off to you.

It's the same one you used yesterday.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Potoroo

There was never any problem having multiple installations of SH3 or SH4 as long as you used the game installer once and only once. That was your vanilla installation. You could then Copy and Paste the vanilla installation using Windows Explorer or My Computer as many times as you wished.

You would end up with a file structure something like this:

\Ubisoft\Silent Hunter 4 Wolves of the Pacific (vanilla)
\Ubisoft\SH4 Mod Set 1
\Ubisoft\SH4 Mod Set 2
\Ubisoft\SH4 Development

etc.

Just thought I'd add a little info in case anyone else happens along with the thought of trying out this idea.

I think it's safe to say I'm what you'd call an obsessive mod tester, and as a result, I've developed more corrupt installations than I care to deal with. With this in mind, I finally decided to wise up and save myself a lot of time and trouble by implementing the idea quoted above.

In a nutshell, you run the SH5 installer once and then you never touch the 'stock' installation ever again, except to copy the entire contents into a newly created 'SH5 Mod 1' folder.

Once you have an exact duplicate in the 'Mod 1' folder, you then proceed to enable your mods (via JSGME), and also create a desktop shortcut to access the sh5.exe found inside the new 'Mod 1' directory.

Last but not least, you need to edit several paths in the registry so that Uplay will launch the modded version rather than the stock installation.

In my case, I'm running Windows 7 (64 bit) so the relevant keys are as follows:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\GameUX\Games\{CA929F60-9E7B-4EB7-87B9-3A0DA5FBD5CF}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{AC61C594-5F86-4BE9-ABAF-763C6A8E23}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Ubisoft\
Silent Hunter 5\{GameUpdate02}


Before you make any changes, please be sure to backup your registry first, (or at least export the affected keys), so you can undo any changes in the event something should go awry.

Once you access the listed keys, (via regedit), you simply need to update the paths so they point to the new 'Mod 1' folder.

Once this is done, you can test and play to your heart's desire, without ever having to go through the ordeal of a fresh install. If and when things get corrupt, (Only enable in port you say? Bah humbug! ), you simply copy the stock installation folder into a 'SH 5 Mod 2' folder and repeat the above steps to get back out to sea lickety-split.

It's a far cry from multi SH5, but until we get one, it will save multiple fresh installs on an ongoing basis.

[Targor Avelany]

not necessary.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show....php?p=1958111

[Potoroo]

GT182 sent me a clean copy of Filemanager.dll from SH5 1.2 and I can confirm SH5 uses the same save file structure as SH3/4. That means in principle there is no particular obstacle to developing MultiSH5.


However, I repeat that I do not have SH5 and therefore cannot test. I sent GT182 a manually modified Filemanager.dll for testing but I never heard anything back.


If someone (preferably experienced with MultiSH3/4) wants to test this I will send it to them. I need confirmation that this works before going any further.

[GT182]

I still have the files but haven't had a chance to try them out. Too much going on right now to even get time to play my campaign. Hopefully I can get it set up and give it a try before the Holidays.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by Targor Avelany

not necessary.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show....php?p=1958111

Looks like a nice little app, thanks for the link!