HELP, patch 7 will not work on my Computer!!

[Deathstalker]

ARRRGGGHHHHH!

Ok, first off. I have two computers, my internet computer (Packard Bell, pile of junk, likes to crash/re-boot without notice, page default errors etc all the time. Good for PBW though, can usually finish 1 turn before errors happen.) and 'Old Reliable' (Pentium 133mhz, DTK brand, windows 95, runs ALL Versions of se4 up to 1.41 without problems except for the odd memory overload error when in games with tonnes of units or known bugs with the game.)

Now the problem. the internet computer can run the new patch fine (well, as fine as that pile of crap can run anything anyway). BUT 'Old Reliable' spits out the following error after upgrading to 1.49: Access Violation address 057B658-Module se4.exe, address FFFFFFF. And immediately after: Exception EsockError-se4.exe @ 00060C4A. Initialization of windows sockets failed.

HELP, what the HELL is happening?? Yes, no mods are being used, computer is re-booted, and I have uninstalled se4 and re-installed and re-patched, still no luck. And 1.41 still works fine.

UGH.

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"We are all...the sum of our scars"....(paraphrased) Matt. R. Stover-'Blade of Tyshalle'.

"Human existance is all imagination...Reality is no more than a simple agreement among its participants that this is where we shall meet, and these are the rules that we shall abide by."- Kevin McCarthy/David Silva "The Family:Special Effects"..

"Long Live the Legion!!"-Comic book fandom...

[Skulky]

You don't really need the patch, unless your playing Online and having to update your password, patch 1.49 (aka patch 7) does nothing important, read the Version history.txt file available in the patch download section of www.malfador.com this will tell you what each patch does (more or less)

[Deathstalker]

As to needing the patch. Yep, I do. IIRC the 'intell bug' is part of 1.41, and not 1.49. As well as numerous additions (warp hole preventers, combat randomness in sim-move which I play alot, fleet experience changes, AI attacking decisions and sat/weapon platform strategies)...All in all the patch seems much better (as well as the tech min% finally working for what the AI researches and how fast.). That and I need to update the numerous AI's I have floating around at Kuat Drive Yards etc. for the new patch, hard to do when your computer can't run it.

I'd say the patch defintly does something important.(no flame intended by the way.)

[Suicide Junkie]

Have you tried more than once?

I never pay attention to that "please close all other programs when running installer" message that every game displays, perhaps this is a case of it actually making a difference?

[Deathstalker]

Yep, un-installed/re-installed/re-patched about 4 times, as well as multiple 'clickings' of the se4.exe after booting/re-booting the computer. Somehow the new patch seems to have made my computer 'obsolete'.

[Suicide Junkie]

Have you tried patching in two steps?

You could try checking the SE files on both machines for differences, or copying the patched Version that runs, over top of Reliable's files.
Theres always the dangerous suggestion to update all your drivers...
And another alternative of getting a "new" machine at today's dirt-cheap prices.

[/scraping the bottom of the barrel]

[Deathstalker]

Oh believe me, after the wedding I will be engaging in 'negotiations' for a new machine. (much to my new wifes dismay ).

Her list: 1.wedding
2.house
3.car (or 2.car, 3.house)

My list: 1.wedding
2.COMPUTER!!!!!!!
3.car
4.DOG, a big floppy eared Golden Retriever, which of course I only get if we have a house. (ah, such is the price of true love... )

[TallTroll]

Deathstalker, I am getting exactly the same errors, Access Violation in SE4.EXE, then the EsockError. My machine was just fine with 1.41, never crashed, try to go to 1.49, no way!

I too have tried complete uninstall/reinstall procedures, patch straight to 1.49, or go through 1.41, THEN patch to 1.49, and no still no joy. I can get it to go to 1.41, and its all fine, go to 1.49, and it freezes. One interesting point of commonality, I run a Win95 machine, too.

I am wondering:

1) What OSs do MM test patches for? (ie is Win95 included)

2) Any other Win95 Users out there who can confirm or deny a problem with 95?

3) Will switching to Win98 fix it?

[geoschmo]

Have you guys tried redownloading the patch. I heared a very few people had problems with the first download file (I didn't, but heard some did) and malfador uploaded a fresh copy way back on day one. I don't think it got a lot of press because not very many people had the problem. Anyway, it's worth a shot, even if your copy of the patch works on the other pc. Try uninstalling, and reinstalling se4 and then patch with a fresh download of patch 7. If that doesn't work, I suggest emailing malfador.

Geoschmo

[capnq]

I have SE IV + patch 7 working perfectly on my Win95 machine, but I had to do a clean reinstall to get it working. I think my older installs were partially corrupted; the patch claimed that the first install that I tried it on wasn't a valid Version, and the second install accepted the patch but crashed during game setup while trying to load a race portrait on the Add New Empire page.

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Cap'n Q
My first mod! Hypermaze quadrant
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"