winSPMBT and WinSPWW2 and VISTA

[Charles22]

I have a ATI Radeon 4850 with a Vista home premium. I tried full screen 1600X1280, and this ocurred: lpDD->SetDisplayMode() failed, code 80004001

and also:
Directdraw could not be intialized error code 80004001.

The next thing I tried was full screen but at the next lower setting, and it worked. The windows mode works as well, but it doesn't seem preferable. One problem I have, in any case, is that while I can read the bottom line of data, though it being very small, the same sized data on the top (the log) is VERY difficult to make out, unlike on my old XP system and it's monitor. The top line has a poor choice of colors, that being red and white, where the red is smearing somewhat into the white letters. There may be something I can do on my end (hopefully not as bad as a new monitor) though. I have a HDTV 720p generic monitor btw.

One other thing that concerns me, because I cannot see why my setup isn't handling the top resolution, and that is that as far as I know 1600X1280 isn't a valid monitor resolution, which is what the game provides. I would think it should be 1600X1200 instead. Perhaps it's actually the correct resolution and it's just mis-typed?

[Dick131]

The problem I am having with Vista is that I am unable to start a PBEM game. I can select my orbat and save it to a game name in a PBEM location.

However, when I go to the PBEM folder, the saved SpEml files are not there.

I assume they are saved somewhere, as the game name stays in the PBEM screen.

[DRG]

So what do you find when you got to the PBEM Games folder ? The CMT is what shows the name on the screen. If you can see that in the game then it's in the PBEM Games folder .

Don

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Dick131

The problem I am having with Vista is that I am unable to start a PBEM game. I can select my orbat and save it to a game name in a PBEM location.

However, when I go to the PBEM folder, the saved SpEml files are not there.

I assume they are saved somewhere, as the game name stays in the PBEM screen.

Because Vista - depending on how you set it up, it seems - will store user files in some rather strange places.

Why - I have no idea. Vista is not a supported operating system for our games, I do not have it and have no plans whatsoever to get it. You'll have to read your Windows help documentation.

Try a search of the entire hard disk on speml*.* to see if you can find where the O/S squirreled them away.

Cheers
Andy

[noxiousnic]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.
Why ? Then, the OS won't be managing your "temp" and user files, and they'll be where you expect them to be
As for your problem : look in users/your_user_name/appdata. You'll see 3 folders, local, locallow and roaming. You should find your saved games in one of those 3 (I don't have your problem on vista64 'cause I installed outside the program files )
Also, no performance problems here in fullscreen or windowed mode, with dl version up to date, not the latest ATI drivers, but close enough.

[DRG]

OK this is very interesting

Has anyone else using Vista ended up installing outside of the Program Files folder ??

Has anyone installed it there and NOT had a problem ??

As we gather more info we may be able to offer suggestions to Vista users that head off a number of problems and installing the game into folders outside of Program files might be a very important one.


Don

[Charles22]

I installed on a new Vista home Premium 64 SP1 about 2-3 weeks ago. No problems at all with directories etc.

BUT, the "first" game I installed, disn't go so well. It was Sins of a Solar Empire. I thought nothing of the install and ddin't notice anything out of the ordinary that you would expect out of that same game installed on my XP machine, so I didn't suspect anything.

The installation put a shortcut on the desktop as you would expect. I played it that first day and switched off the computer. That next day it wasn't there anymore. I did a search on the harddrive looking for 'sins' and even went as far as to check ALL exe's and nothing.

I did find it though. Where? Behind the windows start button on the bottom left. From there, on the right, they had a section called games, and it was there, alongside about 19 other games programs like solitaire. For some reason a typical windows search didn't find a thing in that weird folder that seems only reachable through the start button.

Another funny thing, is that it has other folders there, which do show up on windows searches, but not the games one. It's not that bad, as it saves a bit of desktop clutter, but it being outside the reach of searches isn't too assuring.

Do remember, however, that winSPWW2, my 2nd and only other game install to date is on the desktop like normal. No funky vanishing act.I have installed some non-game software and they're as normal too.

[DRG]

Gentlemen

What I would like to do is summarize a lot of the information we've accumulated about how both games react with Vista and put them into one post anyone with a problem can read and hopefully solve their problem. Then I can add that to the Game guide and maybe put a short version right into the information window of the patch installers.

The info from noxiousnic

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.

seems to answer a lot of questions as to why it sometimes works and why it sometimes doesn't for players first loading it into Vista

What I'd like ( as I'm real busy with OOB work for MBT ATM ) is anyone who's had problems with Vista that they have solved post a list of Vista do's and don't and then we can add to it from other peoples experiences until we have something that's easy to read and hopefully allows anyone who's running Vista to figure out how to get the games to run using a simple checklist. We know some have no trouble at all with the games and Vista and we know that the last service pack introduced new issues and I'd like to get them all in one place if possible.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who could not get the game to run no matter what they tried

Thanks

Don

[Imp]

Install spWW2 and spMBT in a separate Games folder, not in the Program Files (x86) if you're on 64 bit Vista, or the regular Program Files folder on vista 32.

This indeed solves problems with files going walkies, Vista is crazy in that it does a lot of stuff it thinks you would like so tracking whats going on is tricky.

Disable the intro

Right click on your WinSPMBT Icon and go to the Compatability tab & select Disable desktop composition.
This seems to help with colour problems & it only applies to the program, not a global change.

Also more people are probably running on widescreen monitors could this be causing full screen mode problems.

Another thing you can run programs in a seperate screen this might help people with colour probs.
Rather than alt tabing out of switch screens as think this causes it to check the colour pallete & it might store it in the page file.
Not sure mainly use it on XP

[deansprague]

I have owned WINSPWW2 almost 2 years and have enjoyed it. After buying a new computer (w/vista)in February, I've been unable to get it to run, any ideas or steps I should do to get it to run on this high priced piece of hardware, thanks in advanced...