Tip: Still having Window 7 issue? Possible fix here!!!

[Nitro Cruiser]

Hi all, I'm relatively new to the forum (but I've looked in from time to time, even long prior to joining) and have played SP since SSI first came out with them in DOS.

Anyway... like so many here, I've been frustrated with running winSPMBT and winSPWW2 on my Windows 7 laptop. They ran fine (in full screen mode, before I upgraded from Vista (sometimes the color palate would scramble, and I'd just hit the window key to go back to desktop and then click the tab at the bottom of the screen to go back, a minor inconvenience).

With Windows 7, I tried everything to run in full screen...compatability settings, everything including recommendations I saw here. Windowed mode was not an option because the box is so tiny. Setting my laptop resolution to 800 X 600 did not solve the issue (Win 7 doesn't muck like it either). After months of trying various things, I came across the same problem for another title (and publisher) someone there recommend this small program. I downloaded it and forgot about it for awhile, until today.

The program is D3DWindower here's the link: http://www.filefront.com/13838785/D3DWindower-English/

It's a small program and it is Japanese, but don't worry, all the important parts are in English. The read me files will look like gobbly gook so no need to extract them (all four files are in a Rar file only two are needed).

OK here's what to do: You'll need to put the two files (D3DWindower-English.exe and D3Dhook.dll) into the SAME directory as the games executable. NOTE Windows 7 would not let me extract them directly to the games file, I had to save to the desktop and paste, with admin permissions, into the appropriate game folder

Open the file (i.e. Program Files/Shrapnel) where the game is installed and Click the program D3DWindower-English.exe. A small unassuming box will open. Click the "+" icon, the game folder should open, find and click on the game executable (in this case winSPMBT.exe). It will now appear in the field below, but your not finished yet.

Highlight the game executable and a few more of the menu icons will now be available. Select the "Settings" icon (Second from the end). under the "Common" tab fill in the screen resolution you want (I used my laptops native resolution of 1280 X 800) MIND THE PROPER BOXES FOR HEIGHT AND WIDTH!(they show Height first) Click OK. I made NO additional changes to any other settings.

With the game executable still highlighted click the "Run program" icon (fifth from the right). You should be on your way.

Note: although this is a Windower utility, I get no window, it plays in full screen, this may be because I set the resolution to my laptops native resolution...but I like it! No task bar shows. The colors are crisp and beautiful, no distortion, and I have not experienced any lag (my laptop is a single core Seperon, 4 Gb RAM, intergrated ATI HD 3200 graphics, 32bit OS Win7, so you can see it is far from a rocket ship). Feel free to experiment with the programs other settings as you see fit.

For your protection always backup your applications and use caution when adding and removing files. I make no promise that this solution will work for everyone due to many PC types and configurations out there. These files don't modify any of the game files. If you tried everything as I have, it couldn't hurt. I'll just ask that if this fix works for you or not, please post your results. If enough people have success, maybe the Mods will sticky the post so all of our fellow SP'ers can try it. Good luck! And thanks to the Cammo Workshop guys for all the hard work. You rock!

[Nitro Cruiser]

Oh one other note> I am running AVAST 5 with no ill effects from its graphical icon. No need to disable you AV. Also the fix is quick to implement (my long winded tutorial took much longer) <1 minute to download, about 3 mins to copy files and configure. Done.

BTW Did I mention how beautiful it looks running in my native laptop's resolution (the game itself is probably still 800 X 600 but it looks better than when it ran full screen in Vista)!!!! I'm back baby!

[Nitro Cruiser]

UPDATE: Some additional info guys if you are still having the issue with the colorful, fuzzy palette after performing the steps in the OP. Try this:

Using Windows 7. After you have D3DWindower set up, but prior to launching the game executable. Right click on any open area on your desktop and open "Screen Resolution" box. DO NOT change and settings and DO NOT minimize the box, just let it up on the screen. Go ahead and launch the game executable in D3DWindower. Close the "Screen Resolution" dialog box after your finished playing the game.

Not sure why this works, but it does for some. You may even want to try this without D3DWindower, it may work for you (it didn't on my test rig)besides I like how D3DWindower makes it fill my screen.

Thanks for the sticky DRG! Anything to keep you guys focused on the big picture, while we users can sweat the small stuff and try to help each other out. Still looking for feedback positive or negative on this solution from those experiencing Win7 issues. Thanks.

[EJ]

Nitro,

I tried your idea with the aforementioned program. Unfortunately it does not work with my laptop. It's an L555D Toshiba running Win 7 32 bit OS. The game will ONLY work for me in windowed mode. I can get it full screen on my old 05' xp laptop.

[Nitro Cruiser]

EJ, sorry it didn't work for you. I have had great success with this. I thought I would never be able to play full screen again and be regulated to a tiny window. As a reminder to anyone that attemps this fix:

The D3DWindower executable and the game executable MUST be physically in the same game folder or it will not function correctly. I cannot stress this enough.

Also before playing you may have to open the resolution properties window. That's all you do, don't minimize it to the taskbar, leave it open, on screen in the background, don't change any setting on it.

One other thing, if you have any settings changed in the Windows compatibly mode, remove them.

Windows 7 makes use of the screen edge on the desktop to minimize and maximize windows as well as to tile them. These features could be part of the problem for SP as it didn't seem to be an issue in Vista.

[Yogas1980]

Works for me:

1) i didnt have to use D3DWINDOWER. Trick with resolution properties did the job. No further tweaks required.

Thanks. What a trick. Life tastes great, again.