Trouble installing SH3 and SH4

[IRISH4Life]

To This Amazing Group:

Years ago I had been playing SH3, upgraded to SH4 and modded the game to no end, I loved it played it regularly and was in my own little world. Till my graphics card crapped out. Well I set things aside, finished with the last of my 4 kids and watched each go off to college.

NOW I AM BACK.... Maybe?

I updated the computer, reinstalled windows 7 and it runs nicely, installed SH3, it automatically installed Gameshadow (Which the system will not connect to as it says it cannot find the server). SH3 keeps telling me to the install was good but to finish the install I need to shut the computer down and restart. Now if I was stupid, I would just keep shutting down the system and hoping one day the installation might complete. But I am not and after 5 different restarts I realized I SH3 may be pranking me. LOL! I tried to install the updates for SH3 1.1 1.2 and 1.3, all failing then I tried the cumulative install of 1.4b. Still no success as after each patch attempt it tells me there is a dll missing. Not sure how, as it was just installed unless the dll changes when you register the game, which it will not let me get to and gameshadow is failing.

I then tried to install SH4 1.4 and 1.5 both still unsuccessful, and both saying through UBISOFT that my activation key was wrong. ITS NOT. But there was also a consideration that the servers are all off, not working, or I am really dumber that I used to be when I had all this installed and operating beautifully as I sailed past Japanese Islands in search of ships though perfectly blue waters. Anyway can someone point me towards a thread that tells me the order on install, what to do to stop gameshadow, if I even need game shadow.

I installed SH5 and it works nicely but I find it clunky and not as user friendly as SH4, not to mention I love the PACIFIC theater 7,000 times more.

Please help, at least point me in the correct direction, I have search 100 different ways to find install procedure for SH3 during current days.

Thanks AGAIN!
Mike

[Aktungbby]

IRISH4Life! AFTER AN EIGHT YEAR SILENT RUN!

[Sailor Steve]

What is the year on the SH3 box? If it's 2006 or later, try installing it without any updates. It may already be fully patched to 1.4, in which case trying to install any patches will result in an error message.

SH4 is the same. If it says 'U-boat Missions' on the box it's already fully patched and ready to go.

[IRISH4Life]

I found my original thread for installing SHIV written by AVGWarhawk but that was also while all the Gameshadow servers were up and running. I am still stuck with installing SH3 I have installed it at least 3 times but I still end up with the same result. The system telling me to shutdown to complete my installation.

I have SH3 in the box, but SHIV was a download directly from UBIsoft. They sent me 1.4 and 1.5.

Thanks for responding.

Mike

[IRISH4Life]

When I originally installed the games and versions I had to do all the patches myself or it wouldn't work.

I am at a loss because of Gameshadow as it did alot of the patching automatically, but it does not seem to be working correctly on their end.

Mike

[IRISH4Life]

I am hoping someone could direct me to the thread for SH3 install for Windows 7 eliminating gameshadow if its not actually working and has been shut down?
I have this computer set up strictly to play SH3-4-or 5.
Mike

[IRISH4Life]

When I install SHIII This is what I get after. On this install I opted to cancel the game shadow install, but that didnt change anything. It still will not run and when you try to start the game again you get the same box.



Mike

[Catfish]

Do not use game shadow.
And the DRM models and steam are ruining the PC game genre. Screw them!

[Commander Wallace]

Hello Mike. You never mentioned if you have a retail version of SH3 and 4 or the Steam version. Although I don't have any experience with Steam versions, our members here have reported issues with Steam. Try this.

1) completely delete SH3 and 4 from your system and I mean completely.

2) Install the game in a specific folder and DO NOT install in the default pathway. You may also elect to run the game as an administrator.

3 ) Install a fresh version of your games and determine if they have been patched, If the games are not patched, install patch version 1.4 into SH3.

4 ) I'm not sure if you are installing a super mod like GWX but if so, don't close the game but rather install all of those files in the same specific folder as well while the game is still open.

5) You can then close out the game. Agree to install game shadow and another screen will come up and at that point, decline not to install game shadow as Catfish has said and close out the game.

* Subsim founder Neal Stevens made available modifications to allow the simulations to be played without the DVD in the computer as well. The modifications should be in the archives. Sailor Steve and Catfish both had good advice as well.

Once the games are up and running, you can install any additional mods through the JSGME mod enabler interface.


I hope this help you mike. Let us know how this works and good luck.

[IRISH4Life]

I am having a difficult time in that it keeps wanting to install Gameshadow I have to cancel it to stop it. Not sure if that hurts the load? As it does not give me options to choose anything but codecs, Main game, and adobe. My SH3 is Retail purchased in 2005 so I need to install patches, but the SH4 is downloaded and I have both 1.4 and 1.5. I also tried to create my own folder in the Program files but Windows 7 would not allow me to create a folder and SH3 wouldnt Recognize the folder created by me (again in the program files section) It wants to install the game to C:/program files/UBISoft/Silent Hunter 3?

I tried C:/program files/Silent Hunter but it refused to work with me. I will try again.

Mike

[HW3]

Mike, because of the file protection Windows built into Win7 and newer operating systems, you need to not install in either C:/Program Files or C:/Program Files x86. What I have done in the past is make an empty folder on drive C and label it Ubisoft. I then directed the installer to that folder. The Windows file protection messes up any patching or modding of the games.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by IRISH4Life

I am having a difficult time in that it keeps wanting to install Gameshadow

I tried C:/program files/Silent Hunter but it refused to work with me. I will try again.

Mike

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

5) You can then close out the game. Agree to install game shadow and another screen will come up and at that point, decline not to install game shadow as Catfish has said and close out the game.

Again, choose to install game shadow and when it moves to the apply window for game shadow, select cancel / finish without installing game shadow.

If the folders are not being recognized, choose an existing folder like pictures for example and install the game files there. Just make sure you move your pictures or whatever is in them to another folder you make like pictures 2 for example. You can follow what HW3 said as well as it's good advice.

[THEBERBSTER]

A Warm Welcome Back To The Subsim Community > IRISH4Life
Subsim <> Make A Donation <> See The Benefits <> Support The Community
SH3-4-5 Tutorials And Other Information Links In My Signature Below

[aanker]

Welcome to Subsim Mike.

You can uninstall GameShadow from the SH4 install through Add Remove Programs in Windows 7 before it tries to update drivers etc. Be sure to install DirectX 9 from the SH4 install procedure.

Regarding your digital downloads from Ubisoft, You wrote:

I then tried to install SH4 1.4 and 1.5 both still unsuccessful, and both saying through UBISOFT that my activation key was wrong. ITS NOT. But there was also a consideration that the servers are all off, not working, or ...

I bought my digital download of SH4 in 2007 and the 1.5 U-Boat add-on in 2008 from a link on the Ubisoft site through Direct2Drive. My computer died so I got a new computer and reinstalled SH4 in 2008 but got the same message as you got. I emailed Ubisoft Help and they 'flipped a switch' at Ubisoft to re-activate my Activation code and SH4 activated. I thought they would give me a different key, that's why I said they flipped a switch. It was the same key.

Ubisoft Help was very helpful at the time. Then I downloaded and installed the 1.5 U-Boat add-on that had just been released which installed like normal.

Since then Direct2Drive went out of business. A year or more ago I looked on the Ubisoft site and a digital download of SH4 was available for download so I think you might be able to email Ubisoft help to get your codes re-activated.

I did buy SH4 Gold, U-Boat missions when Direct2Drive went out of business in case I needed it for another new computer someday but haven't needed to use it, and you might need to do the same if Ubisoft Help isn't helpful in flipping the re-activation code switch.

I'm not a Steam enthusiast and recommend the SH4 Gold, U-Boat missions DVD. Then you have the complete install.

Back in 2007 nvdrifter wrote:

Originally Posted by nvdrifter
Digital downloads are great for people living in countries that cannot buy the game at a store or get it delivered. And the limited download and activation thing isn't a problem. I have downloaded a few digital versions myself and can reinstall them on my computer as many times as I like. All you have to do is:

a) burn the install .exe onto a disk

b) install game

c) activate (register) the game online to be able to play it

d) run regedit and find the game directory plus the security activation code directory for that game (if the game required online activation)

e) right click on each of those directories and export them, then burn the registries to the same backup disk

f) each time you need to reinstall, just click on the registry files you saved and no online activation is necessary.

It's that simple. If you ever need to reinstall the game on your computer, you can do it unlimited times. You don't have to download it and activate it each time. And it's legal since you already purchased the game and only keep it on your computer.

I would personally rather buy the physical game with the manual, reference card, disk, etc. But this is also an option for those who can't.

This might be an option too, I never tried it. Good luck.

[IRISH4Life]

For the moment I will focus on SHIII.

I uninstalled SHIII, Cleaned the registry, and all files associated with SHIII or IV, I then created a file,

C://Ubisoft2/SilentHunterIII

This is where I installed the game.

The game installed fine, I cancelled GameShadow as suggested, and it SHIII finished perfectly (As it always has). It offered to allow me to, 1 register, 2 wait 7 days to register, or 3 Never register. I attempted all three. (this was after it approved the system that I was running as I met all the criteria for smooth operation). There was an error every time at UBISofts end.

I then attempted to update the game prior to running it using SHIII updates 1.4b with NO Success, 1.1 with no success, 1.2 with no success, and 1.3 with no success each time saying that there was a missing DLL.

Without adding SHIII I cannot add SHIV.

I have tried installing now at least 15 times and its always the same outcome, Unable to register, Unable to enter Key code, Unable to start game, unable to install updates, unable to play.

This game it the stock out of the box game from 1 year before patches started being available.

SHIV is the online download and I still have that on a jump drive and DVD ready to install. It just will not work because SHIII Wont install, allow me to enter the key, and wont allow me to, update, or start the game.

Just a little frustrated.

MY SH5 is updated, modded, and plays great but SHIV is where I want to be as SH5 is like driving on a flat tire. CLUNKY. I used to have a mod that allowed me to operate SH5 like SHIV. I like the Pacific Theater, and the crystal blue ocean and beaches, The Cold Atlantic is miserable. LOL.

Please help.

I am sorry I have been busy with alot and have not had time to play.

MIke