Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation

If you have either of these Operating Systems or their successor when it arrives you will need to follow the following instructions when installing the game.

If you have Windows XP or earlier, you can ignore this post in its entirety.

Step 1) Install the game to a directory (folder) outside of the default /program files/ hierarchies.

This is mandatory. See FAQ 1 below for the why of it, if required.

The simplest way to do this would be to edit the default installation location line the installer uses by removing \Program Files, so change this...

C:\Program Files\Shrapnel Games\The Camo Workshop\WinSPMBT

to this...

C:\Shrapnel Games\The Camo Workshop\WinSPMBT

However, you may be happier with something like

C:\Games\WinSPMBT (Or WinSPWW2 as appropriate)

Now repeat this process for each and every patch, installing each to the new game folder you created.

The patches can be found at:
WinSPWW2
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Wo.../WW2_page.html

WinSPMBT
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Wo.../MBT_page.html


Step 2) once you have fully patched the game up to version 4.5 (WinSPWW2) or 5.5 (WinSPMBT)

The GameOptions launcher program supplied with version 4.5 (WinSPWW2) or 5.5 (WinSPMBT) detects if you have Vista or later, or XP or earlier.

Certain things apply in Vista or Windows 7:

2.1) - In Windowed Mode, the GDI graphics mode is pre-selected.

Using this mode instead of DirectX solves the problems with the Windows Aero interface destroying the game palette if you minimised it. (Aero will still destroy the palette even if you selected 256 colour mode, and disable desktop composition etc in the "compatibility mode" dialogue for the executable).

2.2) - In Full Screen Mode it uses a batch (CMD) file to remove Aero completely.

The batch file removes the desktop completely by shutting down Windows Explorer, thus turning the Aero interface off. On exiting the batch file script it should restore the taskbar and desktop icons.

2.2.1) - Note that unlike in Windows XP or earlier, you cannot now ALT+TAB out of the game and do email etc.

The game is the only thing you should be playing under the control of full-screen batch file session. You will have to save the game in progress and exit, then do any other activity and return to it.

NB - you may have other programmes available to ALT+TAB to if they were already running when you started the batch file session. Those programmes may have palette problems but should still work.

We recommend that you run in Windowed mode with desktop resolution set, should you require to work on other Windows programmes simultaneously (full game CD owners). This provides a windows-friendly full screen environment.

2.2.2) - If when exiting the batch file session, you find yourself with no taskbar and icons, simply press ALT+SHIFT+ESC to bring up Task Manager. Start a task called explorer.exe, and that will restore the desktop.

If this happens, and you have a non-English language edition of Windows, you may need to edit line 3 of the CMD file from cd c:\windows to cd c:\your local name for windows.

Once you have completed steps 1 and 2, you are good to go for Windows Vista or Seven.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

FAQ 1) Why avoid the /Program files/ and /Program Files (x86)/ Hierarchies?

Windows Vista and onwards attempt to "manage" the /program files/ hierarchy. The O/S will place required files to places it thinks are correct, rather than in the actual game's directory structure. In particular, what it thinks are user data files will go to the "virtual store" folder under your /user/ directory. Unfortunately, the virtual store seems to be a bit problematic, and patches can go to their own virtual store location and hence not take effect.

Simply installing your program to a path that is outside the "managed" hierarchy makes things work properly for pre-Vista programmes which were never written to use separate user data areas.

NB - if you have any older pre-vista software that seems to be flaky when installed on Vista or later, then this approach may well work for them as well. (It did for my Borland C++ Builder development suite - Windows Seven refused to let that write to it's own temporary files in its own folders (even if granted administrator rights and running in an administrator account). The problem was solved by reinstalling to a directory outside of /program files/).

FAQ 2) I have Vista/Seven and I already have the game installed under /program files/ or /program files (x86)/

So - can I just move the game folder to say c:\winSPMBT and update the paths in any desktop shortcuts?

Unfortunately not, since Windows Vista or Seven has shot-gunned game files to various directories that it thought were where they should be, as described in FAQ 1 above. Some may be in virtual store folders under different user profiles, or even different sub-folders of the same user profile. So not all the required files will be where they should be, unlike in XP or earlier where 100% of the game files could be guaranteed to be in the game's folder hierarchy.

Therefore the only solution, if you did not follow the requirement to install outside /program files/, is to uninstall the game and then follow the instructions in step 1.

NB: If you have save game files, scenarios under development, custom maps, edited OOBs etc then you may want to first find these and store them in a temporary folder or folders before uninstalling. They probably will be under your user account folder structure somewhere - you will have to search for these, since it appears that Vista/Seven does not consistently use the same place to stow the files. Any Secure mode PBEM game will be toast - there is no point in moving those save game files. Basic security mode PBEM games in progress should be OK, but are not guaranteed to be on moving to a new folder.

NB: It also appears that the uninstaller does not completely work in Windows Vista or Seven. It only seems to remove the GameOptions Programme. You may have to delete the game files under /program files/Shrapnel games/Camo Workshop/(WinSPWW2 or WinSPMBT) and also you will have to hunt under your user profile(s) for any files dumped in the Virtual Store as well.

FAQ 3) What Compatibility Mode settings should I use?

No Windows Vista or Seven compatibility mode settings are required.

FAQ 4) I have Windows XP or earlier - Does any of this apply?

This technical note is for Windows Vista or Windows 7 only. None of it applies to Windows XP or earlier.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I installed SPMBT yonks ago in the normal program directory. Given that I now have to re-install it and the several house moves that I've done over the last few years that mean that the cd I think is now lost, am I going to have to re-purchase the cd?

I am aren't I?

*sigh*

Well there goes £30 or so next payday.

All for a very good cause of course.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

If you still have some supporting purchase documentation from back then somewhere then try contacting Shrapnel Sales. They may be able to cut you a deal - worth a try anyway.

But unlikely - I had to repurchase the Sims2 series in similar circs.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Thanks for the advice.

I'll have a look around but I'm pretty sure I'll just have to get a new one.

'A fair exchange is no robbery' as someone I was related to might have said.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Am I to understand you still have it active in program files ?


Don

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Yes and it seems to run fine there but following the orginal post above I'm now no longer sure that the patches have been correctly applied.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I think what DRG is implying is you have a few options
1) You can prove you bought the original game either by taking a screen shot on the screen that lists the version number if they will accept that
or
by allowing remote access & letting them look at your computer

Then despite the fact they dont need to they will probably be nice & offer you a CD or electronic download at a discount.

2) Pretty sure if you have installed patched in order & it works fine there is nothing wrong with your install, The problem is with user generated files as in game saves both normal & PBEM player generated maps OOB changes etc not when a program is actually being installed

So what you can do is copy the entire game folder & move it to a folder called say games & use that.
Also back it up elsewhere as in on another drive or CD naming the folder MBT & patch number. Now if you ever need to reinstall just copy it & apply any patches AFTER those already installed.
No need to repurchase

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

If it runs fine where it is you don't have a problem. Not everyone has a problem with the game being in program files but enough do that we recommend now it be installed outside but if you have patched the game with all the upgrades in the order they were installed AND you don't have a problem running it then you don't have a problem so don't worry about it

Don

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

John, DRG, many thanks for the advice. Think I'll try moving it and updating to 5.5

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Secretgeek, if you do end up having issues and need to repurchase definitely first go to customer support and create a ticket. As long as you haven't been losing the CD every other month you should be fine. I believe we may want payment to cover postage although we may give you the option to simply download the CD edition if you want. Not my area, so I can't say for certain.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Thanks for the info Krol.

Have moved the folder, updated to 5.5 and everything appears to be hunky dory. Nice.

Now where was that artillery? :-)

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I loaded MBT on my WIN7 according to the instructions you provided. While it will play in Windowed mode, I can't get it to work in Full Screen mode. Not sure what I need to do now??

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

If you have the demo version then that will only play in 800x600 mode at maximum, so it may be that your video card cannot handle that resolution in full screen mode?. (Not many these days will handle the old DOS 640x480 mode either, other than as a window).


Cheers
Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Thanks. Will the CD version play in full screen mode on Win7 or does it depend on the video card for the computer?

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

The CD version will happily adapt to whatever screen resolution you have currently set in its "desktop resolution" mode. My W7 laptop happily plays 1368x768 or whatever weird wide-screen mode Dell provided, or at lower resolutions than the "natural" as well.

But full screen windowed mode is really the best way to run the games - that way you get to use other windows programmes as well, and you can see the task bar as you play (so keep track of the time, incoming emails etc).

Also, because of the way Microsoft has messed up 256 colour palette handling in their aero interface (Aero thinks it is the only owner of the 256 colour palette!), full screen mode in vista/seven requires running the game under a batch file that nukes the Aero interface and also disallows running other windows programmes (unlike windows XP and earlier). So - in vista/seven then windowed mode at "desktop resolution" is the best way to run it. The window will then expand to take the entire screen real estate, bar the task bar but it's a regular window that does not interfere with task swapping. Windowed mode cooperates with the operating system - full screen mode does not.

In vista/seven I think the use of real full-screen is probably only of use to run at a different resolution from your current desktop. (e.g at 1024x768 instead of 1368x780, perhaps if your eyesight requires the lower resolution?). Some modes will expand to fill the screen with an interpolated set of pixels , others may play in a letterbox with darkened ends - it depends on your specific graphic card and drivers really - all wide screen monitors seem to do things differently if presented with a 4:3 aspect screen ratio. Another reason to stick to windowed mode at "desktop resolution" IMHO.

Cheers
Andy

Oh - BTW - another reason your download of the demo version may not work in full screen on W7 may be that you have not yet patched it to the latest version?. Remember that you have to go here http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Camo_Wo.../MBT_page.html and download and apply each and every patch in order from the downloads section, since we have not yet got round to doing a consolidated patch yet.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I am running 64bit Windows 7 Home Basic Edition.

If the game is installed outside the Program Files directory and launched from GameOptions.exe the Win7SPMBT.cmd file does not work correctly. Explorer.exe is closed and game starts with no color corruption, but when the game is closed explorer.exe is not restarted. I then need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and start the Task manager and from there manualy start explorer.exe. Curiously if I do not start the game from GameOptions.exe, but instead directly from the Win7SPMBT.cmd file it works as it is supposed to and explorer.exe is restarted when the game is exited.

If the game is installed in Program Files directory (which you do not recommend) the Win7SPMBT.cmd works fine with GameOption.exe and explorer.exe restarts when game is closed.

By the way the game works just fine from the Program Files folder in windows Vista/7 if you disable UAC (User Account Control). Disabling UAC also disables virtual store.

What I did first with my Windows 7 was to go to the control panel and disable every new UAC and other "security" feature that Microsoft had planted there. Bottom line being that most of those anoying features can simply be turned off.

Also note that when running 64-bit operating system there are two program files directories: Progran Files and Program Files (x86). Your information screen which pops up if the user has installed his game to Program Files folder only appears if the game is in the "Program Files (x86)" -folder on a 64bit OS. The way 64 bit Windows works is that the "Program Files (x86)" -folder is the legacy folder for 32 bit aplications. 64 bit aplications use the regular Program Files -folder...

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Program Files (x86) is also "managed" by Windows vista/seven. No legacy code therefore should be installed there, ie any code that was written before the compulsory split into code (which remains in that tree, and cannot include even the programme's own .ini files etc) and data sections (the changeable user data now has to reside under each user's profile (each user is supposed to have his own individual ini file for the programme, save games etc). And the installers written before Windows Vista sometimes will install files that are meant to go into the programme's root directory under whatever user profile is current instead.

Using the full screen mod with the cmd file is not really required, since the desktop resolution of the full game (CD) version does away with the need for it. Thus it's merely a convenience for those who want to stick with the old antiquated style. We also point out the process for restoring the windows explorer in the help files.

The cmd file works perfectly well when called from the Game Options programme - since I developed that on a Dell laptop with the windows 7 O/S installed. However since this is windows seven, it may well barf depending on whatever flag you have set etc, whether it is Tuesday etc. or perhaps if you installed it in a memory stick (it refused to restore the desktop when I tried that on mine anyway). But as stated - the desktop resolution mode removes any need to use full-screen mode.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Yes both "Program Files (x86)" and "Program Files" folders will stop beign managed by windows if you disable UAC. But I can understad your reasoning behind the recomendation not to use the program files folders. Most users probably dont know how to disable UAC and are too inexperienced to tweak their windows settings.

I do not own the CD version of the game so I cant use the features it has. But could you fix the fullscreen issue in a later release of the game? I could imagine that even some CD owners would like to use the lower resolutions full screen. Having a HD resolution monitor can make the graphics tiny.

So could the game be updated to use a newer version of DirectDraw? What about Direct2d?

Also have you looked at the ddraw.dll wrappers / hacks out there for other games?
http://sol.gfxile.net/ddhack/
http://hifi.iki.fi/cnc-ddraw/
They provide source codes.
I know there is a guy working on a ddraw.dll fix for SPWAW maybe that fix will work with this game too.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

There is no real need if using "desktop" mode & its to small its a couple of clicks to change your desktop resolution or switch graphic card settings. Most graphic cards allow saving of multiple profles so you just save one with a diffrent resolution for playing these games if you desire.
You can even assign this to a hotkey easy enough or if you wanted I suppose could setup a script that changes the res automatically when the game starts.
Possibly & I say possibly running a poll on what people would prefer as a resolution from the ones currently available & supplying a wide screen version of it could be an option though fullscreen mode is certanly not needed. The thing is hardly anyone answers when the developers ask questions look at the views compared to answers when they have done so.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Doh! :doh: I never thought of changing the desktop resolution before. I made a simple compatibility mode (using Application Compatibility Toolkit) so that everytime I launch WinSPMBT or WinSPWW2 the desktop resolution automaticaly changes to 800x600 and when I close the game it reverts back to my native desktop res. Works like a charm now running in windowed mode.

Only thing is that I use the old fashioned windows 9x style for my windows 7 menu themes and the game window is always off center when I run it. Using the default win7 theme the game windows is spot on though. No big deal since I can just move the game window to be in the center manualy.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Here's the compatibility mode "fix" that I use now.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Now that's strange. My old XP based machine died about 3 weeks ago. I managed to save the contents of the hard drive, including the full installations of the (free versions of) winSPMBT & winSPWW2 folders that were stored on a 32gb USB 2.0 flash drive.

Using a neighbor's Dell Windows Vista laptop, I can plug in that same flash drive and run both programs with no issues whatsoever in either windowed or full screen mode simply by launching the game either from the gameoptions.exe or directly from the {game].exe as opposed to a shortcut. Game launches, runs and exits perfectly. Shows 800x600, directX graphics indicator, windows vista or higher in game and either full or windowed options as selected. I've played scenarios and done some map editting without any seeming problems. Haven't made a single change to the winXP installation nor have I made any UAC control changes.

So my new windows 7 pro 64 bit system shows up a week ago. I reinstalled both games under windows 7 Pro 64 bit. I installed in a directory outside of the program files structure as recommended. I re-downloaded all the patches, double checked them for size against my previous versions. Repatched in sequence. Starting around v4.0 I started getting the program did not run successfully messages for patches for both games. I checked the progress of the game.exe files to make sure that the mod dates closely matched the patch dates and saw no obvious mismatches.

Both games seem to run fine in windowed mode at 800x600 when launched from desktop shortcuts.. Games Launch fine, close fine; restore desktop on exit, absolutely no issues. I can see the GDI graphics indicator on the game launcher.

However, the full screen mode does not properly restore the desktop when I exit. In fact, it totally wipes my desktop and I have to do a control alt delete and reboot the machine. I can see the CMD window flash briefly when the game starts and again when it shuts down.

Just to make sure it's clear, this happens for both games - winSPWW2 and winSPMBT. I just posted it here as I thought it might get more visibility.

Any suggestions here? Any particular files that I might check to see if they did NOT get fully or properly updated?

By the way, my native desktop resolution is 1920 x 1080 widescreen (16:9). Graphics card is a geForce 680 GTX.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

That does not happen on my windows seven machine, so it is a point to be concerned about.

As to no desktop being restored - see point 2.2.2 of the original post about restarting windows explorer via task manager. You may need to use fully qualified paths to the windows functions in the batch file as described there too - that worked in my case when running it from a memory stick, rather than the C: drive.

Also see Imp's post above about setting up a desktop resolution change if playing the free game in 800x600 with a hotkey. (You could try manually setting the monitor to 800x600 as a quick experiment. If the desktop gets restored OK in 800x600 monitor mode then it may be for example, your graphics card or drivers having a hiccup with that resolution change from a batch file or whatever).

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Andy, are you running the 32 bit or 64 bit version of windows 7?

Just for clarification on the patch failures:

IIRC the patch installation errors for winSPMBT started around the 4.0 version upgrades iirc, possibly the 3.5. sorry I don't remember exactly patch was the first to give me that error. Once the patch failures started every subsequent patch failed as well. i.e. with v 5.0, v 5.5 and v 6.0 and iirc v4.0 and v4.5 as well.

I going to uninstall and then redownload/reinstall winSPMBT from scratch.so I'll let you know if that problem re-occurs. If any of the patches fail to install properly I'll try re-installing running as admin to see if that works.

If it makes any difference, all of the game and patch files I've downloaded have come from the Shrapnel game site.

I actually had both games installed on my D drive. That's not a partitition but a physically separate 1 TB HD. Windows 7 Pro 64 is running on my SSD C: drive.

I'm running the english version but I'll double check the cmd as per 2.2.2 in the original post.

Resetting the desktop resolution to 800x600 and then running full screen for winSPMBT does not solve the problem. Still end up with a blank desktop after it exits.

WinSPMBT did uninstall using the uninstall.exe for me, but not WinSPWW2. Simply deleting the SPWW2 game folders did not remove telltale traces of the program. It's still showing up in the control panel I may need to clean the registry to get any tell trail traces of SPWW2 out. What are the registry key(s) for winSPWW2?

Thanks.
.................................................. ..

Dwight

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Don't need the registry locations for winSPWW2 after all. Got that sorted out. :doh:

Sorry for not just editing the previous post - for some reason I can't edit it now, even though I could previously.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

FWIW winSPWW2 v3.5 and winSPMBT v4.5 were produced after I lost all the earlier installers ( and the installer software ) in a HD crash and upgraded the installation program to a newer version that supported Vista. All the installers after that point were set up to "Vista/7 :run as administrator". The previous ones were "pre-vista"

It maybe a co-incidence or not but it's not been an issue for 99.99% of the people who have DL the game. However, it's worth mentioning because the change does seem to coincide with the patches you are saying are reporting as being "patch failures".




Don

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

And I've never have any problems installing or running winSPMBT on any of my previous systems. This is the first time I've ever had any issues whatsoever actually running the game. It's probably an issue with installing or running in windows 7 64 bit. I've been reinstalling games over the last week and several of those have either required "run as administrator for patch updating (and in some cases for the game installation itself).

I just installed the v 4.0 patch -have not gotten a "program may not have installed properly message" so far. I checked the winSPMBT.exe file properties after patching and its showing v1.0.3.5 with a date modified 4/19/2008. I'm assuming that's good since the modification date is just 10 days before the v4.0 patch update was finalized.

I appreciate all the help here, truly.

I'll try this again just to make sure.

Again, thanks Don and Andy.

Cheers,
Dwight

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Here is an alternate fix for the windows 7 color problem. This method does not reguire explorer.exe to be closed.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=47156

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I posted another alternate fix here:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=49236
This one reguires no registry changes to windows and is easy to use.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Just did a full reinstall. Installing the winSPMBT patches v4.5 to v6.0 (inclusive) using the "run as administrator" option does not give me any failed installation messages.

After re-installation, windowed mode runs perfectly. Scenario selection screen show v6.0-DL.

Full screen mode is still a problem as outlined before.

At least I know that it is not related to the patches. Haven't tried the other suggestions yet.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

I am having a devil of a time trying to run MBT on out laptop. We have a Dell Inspiron with 4G of memory. It is a Win 7 machine. No dedicated graphics card.

I have the CD version of MBT as well as WW2. Both are installed according to the path described earlier in this thread. MBT is patched up to the "13th March 2013" version. When I double click the desktop icon the opening screen appears. Using that screen I set the game to run in "Windowed/Desktop" mode. My desktop resolution is 1366 x 768. But when I click 'play' the game will not launch. Nothing happens. WW2 will not run either.

I was experimenting with different settings, and at one point was able to get MBT to run, but the screen was elongated and impossible to read.

I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

And that is precisely the brand of laptop I have, in Win 7 with that size of screen. Both games work perfectly OK in all resolutions that it supports - though as a wide-screen, I tend to stick to "desktop" resolution in both windowed and full-screen modes.

1366 wide screens needed a little bit of jiggling with the pixel size that is used by the graphics engine way back - they are not divisible properly by the appropriate multiple of pixels that WinVFX expects and so had to be shaved by 2 pixels I think it was.

The normal error if you are trying to drive the graphics card at a resolution it does not support is the "Unable to initialise directX" message box. Is that what you are getting?.

The elongated screen is a partial failure, with a mode that almost worked, but not quite. (The pixel adjustment for 1366 mode wide-screens cured precisely that).

Also - have you applied all the patches in sequential order and ensured that they are pointed at the same path? That is a necessity for Windows vista and seven as if you use the "program files" path then it tends to install patches to your user profile and not where they should have gone. (I would have a look in your user profile for any game files being placed there). The skewed screen suggests to me that you haven't got the patch that fixes that properly applied, to me.

- does the work in windowed mode in 800x600, 1024x768 etc?. If not then something is surely wrong.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Oh - I forgot the commonest reason for the skewed desktop, naturally!:doh:. Insufficient tea this early in the AM..

If an end user has not followed the installation instructions and has not disabled auto-hide for his Windows task bar then that happens as the graphics engine was written before Windows had that feature (I think) and so gets the wrong screen size reported to it at initialisation.

So make sure your Windows task bar is not set to auto hide, and it is in the default position and size at the bottom of the screen.

cheers
Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Thanks for the replies.

My taskbar isn't locked. And as far as I know I installed all the patches in the correct places. But I've gone ahead and deleted the game. Some files would not delete because Windows says they are in use. [huh?]

Anyway, I'll try to re-install everything tomorrow night.

I hate Microsoft. There are several games that I used to enjoy that just won't work in Win 7. In addition to our Win 7 laptop, until a week ago we were using a 9 year old Win XP desktop that we kept repairing until it's just not cost-effective anymore.

Oh well. I hope I can get MBT and SPWW2 to work in Win 7. Thanks for the tips.

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Make sure you install it OUTSIDE program files

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

Something seems not right with your W7 laptop - mine is a pain to deal with for older stuff that ran perfectly well under XP and before, but not completely hopeless...

Since it seems to be your UAC then I'd try:-

- 1) disconnect computer from the internet (cables physically pulled and wireless turned off, and router too!)
- 2) ONLY then, disable the UAC in windows 7
- 3) Now try installing everything, and ensure that you use the same path for each installer, and that it is outside of /program files/

NB - 4) For older games and utilities that seem to not work any more in windows 7 - also de-install those if necessary, then install to a folder such as c:\aaa\Games and not to any of the Microsoft UAC-managed (mangled?!:hurt:) directories. That has been known to let at least some games and older applications work once more under W7. For example - Windows 7 UAC wont allow programmes to write data to their own installation's home folder (if installed under a UAC-mangled folder), which can nuke e.g. INI files holding your changed settings and so on and so forth.

NB - 5) Some games (and ours in full screen is one of these) - that used the 256 colour DOS palette get "interesting" screens, since M$ decided that as DOS was dead (yeah, right!:cold:) then the new Aero user interface in W7 could happily play with that as its own private colour palette!. That is why we have to use a command script to disable Aero and the explorer as part of running in full screen in W7. Look at the scripts we have supplied, and try making a version for the older 256 colour DOS game that W7 is killing by smearing its palette. (I copied it from examples on other game's support sites that had the W7 colour problem, did not invent the method all by meself!).

Finally - Turn UAC back on, if you require it. Then reconnect to the internet.

As for stuff that really wont work in Windows 7 (Such as my Borland programming environments for both Delphi and C++ Builder) - then I installed a virtual XP emulator for that.

BTW - Don has reported to me that Borland Builder actually works in Windows 8 - so Microsoft seem to have fixed something at least, in W8! - and that's something rather rare from them:re:. (In Builders case W7's UAC refused to allow the IDE code debugger to work, even when installed outside of mangled folders, as it considered it a security risk or whatever!)

Andy

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

It looks like I have gotten everything working correctly. Thank you so much for helping me, and for everything you guys have done to keep this great game alive.

I think my mistake was in how I set my taskbar. I thought that it was enough to right-click on the toolbar and unlock it. After poking around a bit I found that I needed to right-click, choose 'Properties,' and un-check 'Auto-hide the taskbar.'

*sigh* I'm just not very tech-savvy. Back in the day I used to spend LOTS of time tweaking DOS settings to try to get games to run... But that was long ago.

I wonder who has the rights to the old classic Age of Rifles. If you gentlemen could do for AoR what you have done for Steel Panthers...wow!

Re: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation
 

No "unlocking" the taskbar is nothing to do with auto hiding it (where you have to hover the mouse over the appropriate bit of the screen - the left side if the end user has it set up there say - to make it pop into view).

"Unlocking" simply means you can drag the icons about on it. Which in my case means that if you double click on say your Firefox launch icon and slightly put some right (or left) motion on it, it swaps around with another one on the launch bar which you then click instead of what you wanted the next time:doh:! - which is why you unlock the task bar, set up icons as desired, then re-lock it:p!

Andy