winSPMBT and WinSPWW2 and VISTA

[DRG]

FYI

To date we have not had a single report I am aware of that either game will
NOT run under Vista in Windowed mode. We have had some reports of "sluggish"
response in full screen mode in Vista and also reports that the problem had
been corrected with driver upgrades or procedural changes.

We supply both games in both Windowed and full screen mode to ensure that
one OR the other ( or if we're lucky....both ) modes will run the game in
all the various Windows operating systems. But we do not guarantee the game will
work in both modes under all the various different Windows operating systems and
hardware combinations. In most cases the game will but both modes are provided
to ensure one or the other WILL run the game

If anyone has tried to run the game under Vista in Windowed mode without success
I would like to hear about it please and I would also like to hear from people
sucessfully running the games in full screen mode and Windowed mode in Vista


Thanks


Don

[tombell]

I have Vista Ultimate, and I'm getting full page color distortion on loading up. In both ww2 and MBT.

[DRG]

Full screen mode or windowed mode?

Don

[eurico]

Got Winspww2 to work both full screen and in windowed mode on my laptop. Somewhat sluggish in full screen, but running ok in windowed mode. OS is Vista Home Premium.

[tombell]

DRG, They load in full screen mode.

[DRG]

OK, I've had a similar report from one of our playtesters.

Did you upgrade to Vista or buy a new machine with it installed?

Don

[Crusher_Bob]

Have been running full screen mode winspww2 just fine on Vista. Had trouble with running folding@home at the same time, as the winspww2 kept getting minimized. Shutting down f@h solves this problem. Also, when something steals focus (for example, avg runs update) from winspww2, I get color distortion, but task switching to the desktop then back to the game solves this problem.

[DRG]

Interesting... so you're not noticing any slowdown with FS mode?

Was this an upgrade to Vista or a new machine?

Don

[tombell]

I was a new machine

[DRG]

tombell said:
I was a new machine



OK lets try to add another piece to this puzzle.

You are getting colour distortion on full screen. What video card is in this machine?

Don

[tombell]

nvidia 8800 gtx

[DRG]

OK, just curious but have you checked to see if there are any driver updates issued since Vista was released for that video card?

Don

[Crusher_Bob]

New Vista machine for me. Have 8800gts and am using pretty recent driver revision.

There may be some slowdown when opfire is being displayed, but it might just be that I've turned up the message delay up. It's certainly not enough slow down for me to bother to look at the message speed settings, in any event.

[DRG]

OK...

Tombell has a new machine with Vista and so does Crusher_Bob

Toms machine is using a nvidia 8800 GTX and Bobs is using a nvidia 8800 GTS.

Toms getting the screwed up colours on full screen and Bob isn't. The other person I know of who is getting the screwed up colours is using a NVidia GeForce Go 7600 .

Tom, have you checked for the latest drives for your card?

Don

[tombell]

All drivers are the latest. I dont get screwed up colors in windowed.

[DRG]

Nobody gets screwed up colour in windowed mode. Right now I'm trying to narrow down why it happens in full screen mode.

Don

[tombell]

ROGER!

[Crusher_Bob]

Hmm, maybe related to new Vista interface? I have the interface turned to 'windows classic', so I don't have any of the Vista bells and whistles.

[tombell]

Me too. doesn't help

[tombell]

I cant run SPWAW either. I get start screen then black screen

[tombell]

Any luck yet DRG?

[DRG]

Nope, without info from Vista users it's pretty hard to get an handle on it as I have said neither Andy nor I have a Vista Machine and even if we did get one there is no telling what problems we may or may not encounter

However......

I have been told that there is a way to set up programs in Vista to..." set affinity to "Windows XP mode"" for older games and to "Set affinity to "Single core processor"" if you have a dual-core processor.

Here's what I found on on Dual-Core and Multiprocessor Systems and I assume the process is much the same for setting up "Windows XP mode"




Monitoring and optimising applications on dual-core, quad-core, and multiple-processor systems

Windows XP and Windows Vista set running processes to run on all of the available processors by default. In Windows XP and Windows Vista, which both support dual-core, quad-core, and multiple-processor systems, you can set which of the processors runs a particular program or application. This is known as setting the processor affinity. However, note well that you should not use any third-party utility to set the processor affinity for operating system files, because doing so could cause system instability, system crashes, and data or system loss.

Here is how you set the processor affinity for Windows Explorer:

Press the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination to bring up the Windows Task Manager. Open the Processes tab with the mouse pointer. Windows Explorer is explorer.exe. Right-click on explorer.exe under Processes, and choose Set Affinity. This brings up the Processor Affinity window, which has boxes for 32 processors (CPU0 to CPU31). In a dual-core system, which uses two processors, the two processors are called CPU0 and CPU1. They are both enabled by default, which is the best setting for Windows Explorer, but, because explorer.exe is a Windows program, not a system file, you could choose to have just one of the processors running it by removing one of the enabling check marks to disable that processor from running it. You can assign a processor to run any of the processes (programs and applications) listed under Processes.

Monitoring and Optimizing Apps on Dual-Core and Multiprocessor Systems -

http://www.awprofessional.com/articles/article.asp?p=465310&seqNum=2&rl=1







Maybe this will help....maybe not. I assume you are using the DL version of the game ? The alternative is to buy the CD and use the game in Windowed mode at the higher resolution settings

Don

[tombell]

This didn't work.
I did manage to increase the screen size in the game data file to 1600, and that made the difference. It now works well there.

[Panzerpionier]

how can one do that ?

or alternately how can i change my windows size ?

[DRG]

Here's a post from a thread on the MBT forum that may be of interest to anyone with the full screen problem with Vista

Don






Re: Screen Resolution Issue [Re: DRG]
#575412 - 01/12/08 04:23 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply



OK, I think I found how to fix this problem in VISTA. Using VISTA "Display Setting," 'change the "Colors" drop down from "high (32 bit)" to "Medium (16 bit)." I have not had a problem since.

When completing the game and you really need the 'high,' go back and change, accordingly.

Hope this helps.
Totenkopf





Don

[ephrom]

Same graphics problem with AMD 3870. 16 bit color solves the problem. No other problems.

[DRG]

ephrom said:
Same graphics problem with AMD 3870. 16 bit color solves the problem. No other problems.




Does that apply to both windowed and fullscreen mode ?

Don

[ephrom]

Full screen and windowed both good with 16 bit. Windowed was ok with 32 bit, but the intro would often hang. Running ultimate sp1.

[DRG]

OK, interesting. We have had other reports of the intro hanging up the game once SP1 was patched to Vista as well. I'm glad this fix works for you. Hopefully as we get more reports like this we can narrow the problem down

Don

[Crusher_Bob]

Have a new (Vista related?) bug. When playing in full screen mode, viewing the map seems to hang the game.

Was preparing for a battle, clicked on 'human deployment', map screen comes up, game stops responding.

Tried both DirectX and GDI graphics mode, same outcome. Have not tried the various compatability modes yet. Still works fine in windowed mode.

[DRG]

Does that happen every time you try playing in full screen mode?

Are you playing the DL or CD version ?

Why I ask is to see if more people report this if perhaps it might be related to the screen resolution used.

Don

[Crusher_Bob]

Download version 800x600.

Tried to run in compatability mode to see if that solved the problem, it seem to. Then double checked running without compatability mode and still couldn't re-create the lock-up. Though full screen mode is much slower than windowed mode. May be related to other processes hogging cpu time, will try tonight while running itunes, folding@home, etc.

As an added bonus, I don't have any freezes running the intro in full screen mode. Just get a flicker to desktop (screen goes black, can see taskbar). Then a flicker back to the game, which just displays a black screen for several seconds, then the game menu comes up.

If I can't re-create the freezes, I guess it'll just have to be put down to a problem with Vista, and not WinSPWW2.

[Crusher_Bob]

Never mind, have been unable to replicate the freezes in full screen mode.

[DRG]

Perhaps another program was running at the time that wasn't in later tests ?

Don

[jeffd150]

i get lockup in full screen mode for SPWII in Vista Home Premium- how do i make it open in windowed mode?

[Mobhack]

jeffd150 said:
i get lockup in full screen mode for SPWII in Vista Home Premium- how do i make it open in windowed mode?




This is described in the Game Guide - Game Options, "Help" tab, press the "Read the game manual" button, then go to the "Running WinSPWW2" section - Game Options Tab 1 (main) section, paragraph on the game mode button, and also read the "Tuning Your Machine" section of the GG.

Also - try turning the "show introduction" to no - as vista seems to have messed up DirectShow in the new service pack, at least for some drivers. Also - if this is actually your real complaint (the intro splash screen hangs and you cannot get to the GameOptions launcher program) - then simply navigate to the \game data folder and edit camogame.ini with a text editor,

;Skip (0) or Show (1) the introductory splash movie
ShowIntro=1

and set ShowIntro to 0


Also - since DirectShow is used for sound, if your vista drivers have problems with Directshow/Directplay after the installation of SP1, then try turning sound (both sound buttons) to off in the game preferences (and also set the mouse interface click off in GameOptions).

Remember that Vista is not an officially supported operating system, though most owners of it seem to be able to run the game.

Cheers
Andy

[Helm]

I found if I run it with XP,256 colours and 640 res ticked in the shortcut,then reset the desk top res to normal after the warning box about 640 res pops up it will run.

It's a pain in the arse I know but hey at least it does run in vista just a faff to get it going.

Oh it's the DL version btw

[flump]

hi well just got new lap top HP Pavilion HDX9300. WINDOWS VISTA servise pack one, both spww2 and spmbt just freez at tile screen, would love some type of help in getting it to work ?.
yours john

[Mobhack]

hi well just got new lap top HP Pavilion HDX9300. WINDOWS VISTA servise pack one, both spww2 and spmbt just freez at tile screen, would love some type of help in getting it to work ?.
yours john

Try reading my reply 2 messages before yours in the thread, paragraph beginning

Also - try turning the "show introduction"...


Cheers
Andy

[francoisD]

confirm that game runs ok in windowed mode, but not in full screen mode.

in game screen always freezes half a second every 5 or 6 seconds...

tried many things with vista, no improvements noted.

enough to disturb me when playing...

the graphic card is the ati radeon 3850 with latest drivers and vista home premium release

[Charles22]

I have a ATI Radeon 4850 with a Vista home premium. I tried full screen 1600X1280, and this ocurred: lpDD->SetDisplayMode() failed, code 80004001

and also:
Directdraw could not be intialized error code 80004001.

The next thing I tried was full screen but at the next lower setting, and it worked. The windows mode works as well, but it doesn't seem preferable. One problem I have, in any case, is that while I can read the bottom line of data, though it being very small, the same sized data on the top (the log) is VERY difficult to make out, unlike on my old XP system and it's monitor. The top line has a poor choice of colors, that being red and white, where the red is smearing somewhat into the white letters. There may be something I can do on my end (hopefully not as bad as a new monitor) though. I have a HDTV 720p generic monitor btw.

One other thing that concerns me, because I cannot see why my setup isn't handling the top resolution, and that is that as far as I know 1600X1280 isn't a valid monitor resolution, which is what the game provides. I would think it should be 1600X1200 instead. Perhaps it's actually the correct resolution and it's just mis-typed?

[Dick131]

The problem I am having with Vista is that I am unable to start a PBEM game. I can select my orbat and save it to a game name in a PBEM location.

However, when I go to the PBEM folder, the saved SpEml files are not there.

I assume they are saved somewhere, as the game name stays in the PBEM screen.

[DRG]

So what do you find when you got to the PBEM Games folder ? The CMT is what shows the name on the screen. If you can see that in the game then it's in the PBEM Games folder .

Don

[Mobhack]

The problem I am having with Vista is that I am unable to start a PBEM game. I can select my orbat and save it to a game name in a PBEM location.

However, when I go to the PBEM folder, the saved SpEml files are not there.

I assume they are saved somewhere, as the game name stays in the PBEM screen.

Because Vista - depending on how you set it up, it seems - will store user files in some rather strange places.

Why - I have no idea. Vista is not a supported operating system for our games, I do not have it and have no plans whatsoever to get it. You'll have to read your Windows help documentation.

Try a search of the entire hard disk on speml*.* to see if you can find where the O/S squirreled them away.

Cheers
Andy

[noxiousnic]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.
Why ? Then, the OS won't be managing your "temp" and user files, and they'll be where you expect them to be :)
As for your problem : look in users/your_user_name/appdata. You'll see 3 folders, local, locallow and roaming. You should find your saved games in one of those 3 (I don't have your problem on vista64 'cause I installed outside the program files :))
Also, no performance problems here in fullscreen or windowed mode, with dl version up to date, not the latest ATI drivers, but close enough.

[DRG]

OK this is very interesting

Has anyone else using Vista ended up installing outside of the Program Files folder ??

Has anyone installed it there and NOT had a problem ??

As we gather more info we may be able to offer suggestions to Vista users that head off a number of problems and installing the game into folders outside of Program files might be a very important one.


Don

[Charles22]

I installed on a new Vista home Premium 64 SP1 about 2-3 weeks ago. No problems at all with directories etc.

BUT, the "first" game I installed, disn't go so well. It was Sins of a Solar Empire. I thought nothing of the install and ddin't notice anything out of the ordinary that you would expect out of that same game installed on my XP machine, so I didn't suspect anything.

The installation put a shortcut on the desktop as you would expect. I played it that first day and switched off the computer. That next day it wasn't there anymore. I did a search on the harddrive looking for 'sins' and even went as far as to check ALL exe's and nothing.

I did find it though. Where? Behind the windows start button on the bottom left. From there, on the right, they had a section called games, and it was there, alongside about 19 other games programs like solitaire. For some reason a typical windows search didn't find a thing in that weird folder that seems only reachable through the start button.

Another funny thing, is that it has other folders there, which do show up on windows searches, but not the games one. It's not that bad, as it saves a bit of desktop clutter, but it being outside the reach of searches isn't too assuring.

Do remember, however, that winSPWW2, my 2nd and only other game install to date is on the desktop like normal. No funky vanishing act.I have installed some non-game software and they're as normal too.

[DRG]

Gentlemen

What I would like to do is summarize a lot of the information we've accumulated about how both games react with Vista and put them into one post anyone with a problem can read and hopefully solve their problem. Then I can add that to the Game guide and maybe put a short version right into the information window of the patch installers.

The info from noxiousnic Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32. seems to answer a lot of questions as to why it sometimes works and why it sometimes doesn't for players first loading it into Vista

What I'd like ( as I'm real busy with OOB work for MBT ATM ) is anyone who's had problems with Vista that they have solved post a list of Vista do's and don't and then we can add to it from other peoples experiences until we have something that's easy to read and hopefully allows anyone who's running Vista to figure out how to get the games to run using a simple checklist. We know some have no trouble at all with the games and Vista and we know that the last service pack introduced new issues and I'd like to get them all in one place if possible.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who could not get the game to run no matter what they tried

Thanks

Don

[Imp]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.

This indeed solves problems with files going walkies, Vista is crazy in that it does a lot of stuff it thinks you would like so tracking whats going on is tricky.

Disable the intro

Right click on your WinSPMBT Icon and go to the Compatability tab & select Disable desktop composition.
This seems to help with colour problems & it only applies to the program, not a global change.

Also more people are probably running on widescreen monitors could this be causing full screen mode problems.

Another thing you can run programs in a seperate screen this might help people with colour probs.
Rather than alt tabing out of switch screens as think this causes it to check the colour pallete & it might store it in the page file.
Not sure mainly use it on XP

[deansprague]

I have owned WINSPWW2 almost 2 years and have enjoyed it. After buying a new computer (w/vista)in February, I've been unable to get it to run, any ideas or steps I should do to get it to run on this high priced piece of hardware, thanks in advanced...

[Mobhack]

I have owned WINSPWW2 almost 2 years and have enjoyed it. After buying a new computer (w/vista)in February, I've been unable to get it to run, any ideas or steps I should do to get it to run on this high priced piece of hardware, thanks in advanced...

The only "support" for this non-supported O/S is what is printed in this thread from other Vista users. Read through all the messages (and check the similar one that is probably in MBT forum) and see what posts make sense to you as a Vista operator.

Cheers
Andy

[deansprague]

I just checked around in the MBT forum and disabled the intro and that seems to have done the trick, for now, time will only tell. Now if I can find my copy of WinSPMBT that was lost in my move 8/08, Thanks.

[DRG]

The post by IMP just before your first post covers most of the steps needed to run with Vista

Don

[Dreadnought]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.

This indeed solves problems with files going walkies, Vista is crazy in that it does a lot of stuff it thinks you would like so tracking whats going on is tricky.

Disable the intro

Right click on your WinSPMBT Icon and go to the Compatability tab & select Disable desktop composition.
This seems to help with colour problems & it only applies to the program, not a global change.

Also more people are probably running on widescreen monitors could this be causing full screen mode problems.

Another thing you can run programs in a seperate screen this might help people with colour probs.
Rather than alt tabing out of switch screens as think this causes it to check the colour pallete & it might store it in the page file.
Not sure mainly use it on XP

How do I disable the Intro movie? Thats where both SP MBT and SP WW2 crash for me

[Imp]

How do I disable the Intro movie? Thats where both SP MBT and SP WW2 crash for me

On the slash screen where it says show into movie select no, its the first choice I think

[Mobhack]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.

This indeed solves problems with files going walkies, Vista is crazy in that it does a lot of stuff it thinks you would like so tracking whats going on is tricky.

Disable the intro

Right click on your WinSPMBT Icon and go to the Compatability tab & select Disable desktop composition.
This seems to help with colour problems & it only applies to the program, not a global change.

Also more people are probably running on widescreen monitors could this be causing full screen mode problems.

Another thing you can run programs in a seperate screen this might help people with colour probs.
Rather than alt tabing out of switch screens as think this causes it to check the colour pallete & it might store it in the page file.
Not sure mainly use it on XP

How do I disable the Intro movie? Thats where both SP MBT and SP WW2 crash for me

See post number 36 in this thread.

Andy