It sounds to me like your computer is using Vista..
What is needed to know is if you are using Empires at War or Orion Pirates.
I am under the impression that you are using Empires at War.. so the instructions below are for EAW on Vista.
The steps seem long, so read through them completely before you continue, it will only take about 30 min to get your game going so long as you get the materials needed for the game first.
Things you need.
1) Copy of SFC II :EAW
2) Bonus Missions located at
http://www.dynaverse.net/go.php?id=11&source=downloads 3) Game patch 2002-2036 located at
http://www.dynaverse.net/go.php?id=13&source=downloads4) Replacement game script
http://www.dynaverse.net/go.php?id=52&source=downloads 5) Directory Server Fix
http://www.dynaverse.net/go.php?id=56&source=downloads6) DLL Updated files
ftp://ftp.xenocorp.net/game_files/Star_Trek/starfleet_command/Starfleet_Command_OP/Updates_Enhancements/dll.zip7) EZ-INI game configuration utility
ftp://ftp.xenocorp.net/game_files/Star_Trek/starfleet_command/tools/EzINI-2.0.rar. You will need Winzip Trial or WinRAR trial to extract this file.
Optional
8) High Resolution Detailed Models for Federation, Klingons and Romulans ..
ftp://ftp.xenocorp.net/game_files/Star_Trek/starfleet_command/Starfleet_Command_II/Mods/sfcd2hr.zip 9) Co-Op Ace Script
http://klingon.pet.dhs.org/sources_and_utils/coop-ace-4.0.exe10) Sector Assault Script
http://klingon.pet.dhs.org/sources_and_utils/coop-ace-3.2.exe11) Additional Installs located at Dynaverse.net (
www.dynaverse.net/forum) and at Firesoul’s (
http://klingon.pet.dhs.org/sources_and_utils/) and current additional mission scripts located at
http://www3.telus.net/NuclearWessels/sfc/downloads/NWPackEAW.exe (direct Download) and guide for additional scripts
http://www3.telus.net/NuclearWessels/sfc/missionguide.htmlPrepping your computer
1) Go to Windows Updates and make sure you install Microsoft update (upgraded version of Windows Updates).
2) After Microsoft Updates is installed, perform a CUSTOM scan, and get all available updates for your computer, restart and then go back to Microsoft updates and use CUSTOM scan again.. ALWAYS USE CUSTOM SCAN. Restart system after each update.. when you run a scan and no updates appear, restart computer one last time and run another CUSTOM scan to verify that there are no other updates available.
3) Turn off your Anti-Virus at this point. Anti-Virus has been known to cause files to not install correctly or patch correctly. This is to ensure system stability.
4) Download the latest version of DirectX from Microsoft.. use only the redistributable installer, not the web installer (it skips files). Location of the package is at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C1367BC3-4676-481A-BFAA-5C15D1D7199D&displaylang=en. This is the full install package and is approx. 80.3 MB. There is a method to installing this package:
a) After downloading the package, double click the file to run, it will ask you to select a folder to extract to.
b) When selecting a folder, select to install to My Documents folder in the folder selection window.
c) After closing the folder selection window, in the path box at the end of the line add without spaces or quotes “DX”
d) Click OK to extract.
e) Delete the DirectX file you just extracted. It is no longer needed.
f) Go to My Documents > DX folder
g) Double Click Setup.exe and follow install instructions. When finished, close installer.
h) Delete the DX folder.
i) Restart Computer for update to take effect.
5) Right click on My Computer and select Properties from the pop up list. Go to Hardware tab, click on Device Manager. Scroll down to Display Adapter and look at what model display adapter you have. If it is Geforce, you have an NVidia. Check the model number, write it down. If you have a Radeon, your card is an ATI. Check the model number and write it down.
6) Next check your Sound, Video, and Game controllers section of your Device Manager. Look to see what Audio device you have. Write the name and model number for the audio device.
7) Go to System Devices. Look for Intel, AMD, or NVidia. This is your system chipset.. you will need to know which one of the 3 companies your system is built upon.
8) If you have an Intel system, go to
www.Intel.com and go to support area, go to desktop chipsets and find the Chipset Identification utility, Download it and run it to identify your system chipset. Once you have the chipset version number for your computer, back up to where you see Desktop Chipsets in the menu again and look up your system chipset .. You want to download the Chipset Installation Utility package (executable) and run it to update your system drivers to latest version to improve system performance. Do the same thing if you have an AMD chipset or an NVidia chipset (NVidia drivers for the main board chipset is called NForce).
9) Next you want to do the same thing for your Video drivers and finally your sound drivers. Your system may have to go through several restarts in order to get completely up to date.. just make sure you restart after every install.
SFC II : EAW game installation – Vista:
1) Make sure your Anti-Virus program is disabled or file corruption of your game could occur upon install.
2) Install game from game CD. During the install menus, use Custom install and in the following screens make sure that you do not install Gamespy Arcade or DirectX (make sure that they are unchecked).
3) At the end of game install, the installer will ask again if you want to install DirectX and Gamespy Arcade. Say NO to both. Then the game installer will ask if you want to register the game. You can skip and forfeit this since Interplay no longer supports the game.
4) Go to your game installation folder after the installer exits completely. Default location is C:\Program Files\Taldren\Starfleet Command Empires at War
5) Right click on the game directory folder and select PROPERTIES, at the bottom of the pop up window, you will see Read Only with a square box in it, remove the box to where it is empty and click APPLY. A window will pop up asking how you want to apply this attribute, select All Files and Folders and click OK.. give your system a min to apply the changes.
6) While still in the Properties of the Starfleet Command folder, Click on Security tab. Click Edit button, go user by user and put a check mark into Full Control. Click Apply after each one. When finished click OK until all Properties windows close.
7) Go inside the Starfleet Command Empires at War game folder and find the Starfleet2.exe game file, right click and select properties. Go to Compatibility tab and select Compatibility mode for Windows XP Sp 2, Disable Visual Themes, and Run as Administrator and click OK.
8) Right click on Starfleet2.exe game file and select Copy, go to your desktop and right click, select Paste Shortcut (you can rename the shortcut to anything you like). This is the shortcut you will use to launch the game. The shortcut created by the game installer in your start menu points to SFC2.exe which is bugged badly. This file should be avoided like the plague.
9) Install the Bonus Scripts from step 2 above by right clicking the file and selecting Run as Administrator.. you may get a warning pop up, just click OK.
10) Install game patch 2002-2036 from step 3 from the top of this email by right clicking the file and selecting Run as Administrator.. when launched you will see a readme file for game changes. Close this file so that patch can begin to apply.
11) After patch is finished installing extract the Replacement Game Script from the download listed in step 4 at the top of this email. This script needs to be copied to your Starfleet Command>Assets>Scripts folder and overwrite the script that is present. (the patch installer installs a corrupt version of the script preventing the campaign from continuing, which is why the script needs to be replaced.
12) Next install the Directory Server Fix from step 5 above Install the Bonus Scripts from step 2 above by right clicking the file and selecting Run as Administrator.. This will re-enable connection to the Dynaverse.
13) Extract the DLL file from step 6 above, this is to improve graphic display of EAW and stabilize multiplayer game play. Move the files to your Starfleet Command Empires at War game folder and overwrite the files currently there.
14) Extract EZ-INI utility, this utility allows you to change game configurations since the game included tools are broken and there is no On Screen adjustment for the settings. Use EZ-INI any time you like, it will not affect game play. Changes in EZ-INI must be done before any game launch to see changes. On the EZ-INI utility file, right click and select Properties, click compatibility mode and put a check mark into Run as Administrator and click OK. This will give system permission to edit the game settings.
15) You can now install optional components for Empires at War if you like.
16) For Instant Action multiplayer games, go to
www.gamespy.com and download the current Gamespy Arcade installer. Once the arcade is installed, right click on the desktop shortcut, select Properties, Go to Compatibility tab and select Compatibility mode for Windows XP Sp 2, Disable Visual Themes, and Run as Administrator and click OK. Next find the Gamespy Arcade program folder in Program Files, right click, select Properties, Click on Security tab. Click Edit button, go user by user and put a check mark into Full Control. Click Apply after each one. When finished click OK. Click on the General tab and uncheck Read Only and click OK.. in the pop up window select All files and folders and click OK
17) You can now re-enable your Anti-Virus for your computer. Remember if you are running installers to add to Empires at War (or any other software on your computer) you must disable Anti-Virus before running the installers and you must run the installers as Administrator. For Multi-Player game play, please disable your Anti-Virus and Firewall to stop accidental corruption or blocking of game dependant packets from being transmitted or received.
18) NOTE: Dynaverse game play may not work correctly in Vista due to Vista’s new networking protocol.
That is about it.
Optional components are mainly scripts and models that will improve visual experience (especially high resolution model package above) and add scripts that you can edit into the campaign files and scripts that will become active for Multi-player game play.
As a side note, not many servers will be up for EAW nor are there many players for Multi-player for EAW any longer.. most players have moved over to EAW’s big brother, Orion Pirates (basically the same as EAW with 8 more playable races, an added era of ship production, and the ability for many more ships to be added to the game and much more Moldable). Unfortunately players of EAW cannot join in games with people playing Orion Pirates or vice versa. Orion Pirates is a Stand Alone expansion of Empires at War.
Also you may need to disable Universal Plug and Play and Windows Firewall.. additionally, if you have any software starting with your computer such as mouse drivers or logitech control panel, you will need to go to start button > run > type in MSCONFIG > click OK > click startup tab > uncheck everything you do not need, but most specifically anything concerning Logitech.
Hope that this helps.
Pestalence_XC