1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I bought Gold (1.78) and have 4 PBW games using 1.78.

I've downloaded the patch.

Now what do I do?

Like do I keep my current SE4(1.78) for PBW games and use the game installer to install a duplicate set of SE4 into a file which I then upgrade to 1.84 so I can see the marvelous things you guys are talking about.

I have absolutely no idea what to do, so please do not presume I know anything.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Yes. Exactly. You can have separate installs of Se4, one for 1.78 and one for 1.84. You will need separate installs if you are in more than one PBW game if all yoru game owners don't upgrade at the same time.

Geoschmo

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes this is probably your best/easiest option. Run the installer and when it asks you where to install the game change the path to something else.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

yes, if you want to keep different Versions of SE4, you need to make a second installation and patch that.
You can use the patch #3 on the fresh install. No need to apply patch1 and 2 first.

Rollo

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

darn, only third.

you guys are fast http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Thanks guys. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I had absolutely no certainty on what to do. I just guessed on the dual installation. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Perrin in your post...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes this is probably your best/easiest option. Run the installer and when it asks you where to install the game change the path to something else.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You seemed to imply other options. What would they be?

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Other options.

Buying a second computer for the different Versions.

upgrading anyway and cause a PBW delay while the others get around to the install.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Well you could get all 4 of your PBW games to update to the new patch. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Sorry I guess there really isn't another option unless all your games get upgraded. Unless you want to install one Version, play a turn, uninstall, etc ... etc.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Thought of another way that didn't work.

[ January 28, 2003, 18:07: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Note that the autoinstaller for the patch doesn't cope well with multiple installs.

Look very closely at what folder it wants to apply the patch to; it will very likely pick the wrong one.

I had to type in the correct folder; merely selecting the correct folder from the list did not work.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I didn't have any trouble selecting the correct folder via mouse-click. That goes for both the 1.84 patch and the 1.78 patch (which I had to apply to my 3rd SE4 install to play my PBW games http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif ).

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">capnq, this sounds serious. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

I am not clear on what you mean by

"I had to type in the correct folder; merely selecting the correct folder from the list did not work."

I think you are trying to say is that we need to type in the name of a unique folder for SE4. Y/N?

Like IIRC, Gold installs into a folder "Space Empires IV Gold".

So, we need to install into something like "Space Empires IV Gold 1.84". Y/N?

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

What he means if if you have two copies of SE4 installed, say:

c: \se4\se4Classic
and
c: \se4\se4Gold

And you try to run the patch, it will latch on to the first one it finds.

If you have multiple installs as above, odds are it will pick the wrong one.
The window it brings up has a text box for the exact location to install the patch, and a directory tree below where you can click through your folders to find your install folder manually.

Typing the full path into the text box will surely work.
If you want to use the directory tree browser thing below you have to DOUBLE-CLICK the Last folder, rather than just single click to select.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">SJ and capnq, you were absolutely correct! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

It picked the wrong one, the oldest!

So, I was ready! With my handy-dandy paster (Control-V), I pasted in the correct path to the right SE4 file!

Foiled the malicious attempt to screw up my enjoyment of the game! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

A handy work around to the problem:

Rename any SE4 folders:
ex. I have SE4g167, se4g170, etc...

Do a temporary rename SEIV.exe (or is it SE4.exe, I'm not home now) program file in those folders.
I follow the same name style as above.

Now install a fresh copy of SE4 from Gold CD.
Copy the patch to the new SE4 folder.
Patch It.

Now you can change the names of the folders or SE4.exe.
Since I use MODLAUNCHER, I will return all SE4.exe file to it's original name.
Then you may want to copy MOD folders and game folders over to the new folder.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I just made a new folder called "Space Empires IV Gold 1.84" and copied all of the files from my file called "Space Empires IV Gold 1.78"

I then unzipped the patch file into the new folder and ran the install.

I made a shortcut to the new .exe file and drug it to my desktop.

Worked great, all of the .emp files and races files are there, and I haven't had any problems.

The copying took about 12 minutes, but that's not too bad on my badly outdated computer.

Greybeard

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Greybeard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

This sounds like the best idea yet!

Both files will then have identical sets of data.

You can play PBW games on the old 1.78 game.

If a PBW game changes to 1.84, everything is there in the new 1.84 file to play under 1.84!

A good tip! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

When I try to do the upgrade it tells me that the Version on my system is incorrect and had to be 1.67, or 1.78 etc. I know the Version is 1.78 so I dont know what it is that is messing it up. Am running XP. Anyone got any ideas ?

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Did it for me aswell when I tried to copy the directory.
It worked when I made a clean install though and patched that one, after that you can copy over any mods and races.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I was hoping that would not be the solution. My original copy of Gold suffered an unfortunate accident while I was on the road so reinstalling isn't going to work, at least not in the short term.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Copying se4g directory and patching it worked fine for me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Gravey101,

I only have Win98. But it sounds like you might have a registry issue. It could be confused by more than one entry for SE4.exe. So simplify the situation.

First back up your folder by copying it on the hard drive under a new name.

Change the SE4.exe names to remove them from the registry as SE4.exe.

Just to be sure, restart the system.

Return the SE4.exe file you want to use to SE4.exe name.

Launch it so it gets registered and close it down.

Now try patching it.

BTW, There is some type of copy protection signature (deliberate checksum errors) in some of the stock race picture bitmaps. It may have been SE3, b4gold, or only CD related. Apparantly no one is having problems with it recently.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I have the same problem every time a new patch comes out. But I only have the problem on my work PC. I have to install fresh from the CD. On my home PC and on the PBW server I have no problem. I never have figured out what it is either, but I'll try the registry trick you mentioned Wardad.

Geoschmo

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

I tried it, but it didn't make any difference. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">AHA!!! THAT explains the problems I've alway had with the installer. I never would have thought of double-clicking the destination folder in the list. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The autoinstaller was finding the "Space Empires IV" folder (i.e. classic), listing that in the text box. SINGLE-clicking the correct "Space Empires IV Gold" folder in the list didn't change the target folder in the text box.

[ January 29, 2003, 22:43: Message edited by: capnq ]

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

The registry problem would probably be caused by copying the directory over. The registry won't contain an entry for the executable in the new directory.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had no trouble upgrading a fresh copy of GOLD. It is quite possible your copy is registered wrong. Make a backup copy and play with it. Try running the backup to create a new registry entry.

You may want to try a registry cleaning program or do a manual registry edit. But, without the CD I would be real carefull.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

Anotger newbie question.

I'd like to copy my SE4 files a la Greybeard.

But before he made his posting, I did a regular install of SE4 and patched it.

Now I would like to uninstall it.

Usually the uninstall instructions are given in the manual with the install instructions.

Not so with SE4.

And "uninstall" is not in the index.

Nor is it in the Table of Contents.

And not in the common questions section.

I could just trash the files, but I'm sure SE4 is no different from outher programs and installs other intems elsewhere on my hard drive.

So, is there an uninstall program?

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

not that I know of...

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

It is always better to use the Add/Remove Programs utility of Windows to uninstall than it is to use third party uninstallers. Use that to uninstall SE4.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

AFAIK uninstaller will remove the whole game, not just the Last patch. But of course, I may be wrong.
Edit: And YES, se4 is different from other programs because everything is stored in one folder (except shortcuts) and that is why you can easily copy the folder and it still works fine http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ January 30, 2003, 10:16: Message edited by: Pablo ]

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fyron http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Interesting that you should post this recently.

I Subscribe to PC Magazines Tip of the Day and received this in my e-mail just now.
--------------------------------------------
To delete programs you rarely use, and free up space on your hard drive in the process, try using an uninstaller application, such as Norton CleanSweep Deluxe from Symantec. CleanSweep tracks unused files, schedules cleanup jobs and removes applications more completely than the Windows Add/Remove utility.
--------------------------------------------

Knowing that CleanSweep does track the files of an install, I have been using CleanSweep over the Windows Add/Remove utility whenever a uninstall program is not provided with the application/game.

It is nice to see my "druthers" confirmed. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

tbontob,
you need to have Clean Sweep running _before_ installing any of your programs for it to be able to properly remove all the files. This means, it uses your system resources. If you like that - use this program. From my experience, most of the programs are very nicely uninstalled (not deleted) using windows uninstaller.
Actually, if the program is well done, it creates an uninstall file itself. All installation files are logged into some logfile.log. Then both win.uninstaller and cleansweep just launch the uninstaller and that's it.

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I can confirm, it works well. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

To those players who use rtclient, you will also have to change the SE4 directory of rtclient for it to refer to the 1.84 Version. It is done using the Options Menu.

I made a shortcut to the rtclient.jar file in SE4 1.84 and dragged it to my desktop.

Happy playing! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: 1.84 upgrade and a newbies request for help.
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks Pablo.

Although I have owned computers since 1981, I have only switched from Macs to a P4 in 2001.

So, I am a newbie and as a newbie I like to reduce or limit the probability of problems. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

At least until I become somewhat proficient in the use of windows.

I have read from a number of sources that the best way to uninstall is to use:
1) the applications uninstaller
2) Norton Cleansweep
3) the Add/Remove program of windows
in the above listed order of preference.

There was a caveat however. A lot of the uninstallers supplied with the product are buggy. If you suspect this may be so, the recommendation was to go with #2.

It is not often that the Tip of the Day specifically recommends a product. I can't remember the Last time they did so, and I have been reading their tips for the past two years (700 tips).

Quite right, I do have cleansweep running all the time and it does use system resources. But with a P4, I don't notice it. Owners of slower machines may notice a degradation in performance, but I wouldn't know. It also takes up hard disk space but I still have over 50% unused space even with GoBack which takes up 20% of the space on my hard drive. The fact that Norton SystemWorks [EDIT Professional] does not come cheap is definitely a disadvantage! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

So, like many things this may come down to a difference of opinion. Being a newbie, I am in no position to judge the relative merits of the different positions taken. But if the people who make computers their lifes work say something and if these "experts" are more or less consistent with each other, I give what they say a great deal of my attention.

[ January 30, 2003, 19:23: Message edited by: tbontob ]