Info: Windows Vista and Windows Seven Installation

[Mobhack]

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.