WallyTheWalrus
Chieftain
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2001
- Messages
- 5
Has anybody got this working on XP, if so how.
can it work on XP
- Thread starter WallyTheWalrus
- Start date
I pulled out my old copy to see if it worked on XP i did a full install. Then installed the SMAC 4 patch. And the game worked fine for me.
Just a though did you go to windows update and install the XP compatability update. It my not say SMAC in there but the fixes usually cover more than what is listed. If the doesn't work go to catchup.cnet.com and install and run their little program it will tlet you know just about everything that is not up to date on your machine.
Just a though did you go to windows update and install the XP compatability update. It my not say SMAC in there but the fixes usually cover more than what is listed. If the doesn't work go to catchup.cnet.com and install and run their little program it will tlet you know just about everything that is not up to date on your machine.
WallyTheWalrus
Chieftain
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2001
- Messages
- 5
I have found that it is not XP it is my Pentium4 that it complains about. This is crazy as the P4 supports everything the earlier ones do plus more. I put this down to crap development.
Another CD for the hammer treatment
Another CD for the hammer treatment
Misfire
Chieftain
How did you expect Firaxis to test its software on a platform that didn't exist three years ago? If you want to blame someone, blame Intel, because the backward compatibility of the Pentium 4 is obviously not as perfect as you think it is. 
Have you tried putting the ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1 line in the .ini file?
Have you tried putting the ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1 line in the .ini file?
The program does not recognize P4s and many non intel processers
Look in the alpha.ini file for
"ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=0"
change the 0 to 1
if you cannot find the line (It should be there, but I have heard one report of it being missing) add it at the end of the file with the line [preferences] above it.
Look in the alpha.ini file for
"ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=0"
change the 0 to 1
if you cannot find the line (It should be there, but I have heard one report of it being missing) add it at the end of the file with the line [preferences] above it.
hey - i have xp - and just installed smac - got it a while ago, never really played it - couldn't get over the new techs/units/etc - trying it again now thanks in large part to the people on this post - must say it is pretty interesting - however, when i start the game, the screen goes black - and there are two long thin rectangular boxes - can't see what they say, the whole screen is black except for the outline of the boxes - if i hit the one on the left, the game starts up - if i hit the one on the right - the game shuts down - any idea what these boxes are, or what i am choosing?
sounds like the video driver might nead updating. The two boxes are likely badly rendered buttons.
Serge Desmarais
Chieftain
Whenever I doubleclick on the program icon, the hourglass appears and then vanishes and nothing happens . On Firaxis web site, they say that it is caused by a PC/videocard that won't support a 800 X 600 16 bit resolution! I got a nVidia GE Force II DDR with 64 MB RAM! The CPU is a Athlon XP 1800+ with 512 MB RAM and the soundcard is a SB Audigy Gamer.
I tried to run it as a Win 95, Win 98, Win XP 4.0 and Win 2000 program but nothing works... I downloaded the latest video driver.
Did someone had a similar problem?
I tried to run it as a Win 95, Win 98, Win XP 4.0 and Win 2000 program but nothing works... I downloaded the latest video driver.
Did someone had a similar problem?
Have you tried the ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=1 ?
Serge Desmarais
Chieftain
Yes in Alpha Centauri.ini, there was the following lines :
[Alpha Centauri]
Language=1
To which I added, unther the language line, your sugested :
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=1
Yesterday, I also downloaded and unzipped the latest 4.0 version. I was wondering if it had something to do with the NTFS file system, which is used on my D-drive, while the FAT32 system is used on the C-Drive. Maybe I should remove it from the D-drive and install it on the C? But they say it should work on Win 2000 that also uses the NTFS system.
The only other things I can think of are an incompatibility with the Athlon XP processors or one with my nVidia GeForce II Graphics card or its drivers.
I filled a supprt Bin at Firaxis web site and got an automatic reply.
There must be a way to get to run this game?
[Alpha Centauri]
Language=1
To which I added, unther the language line, your sugested :
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=1
Yesterday, I also downloaded and unzipped the latest 4.0 version. I was wondering if it had something to do with the NTFS file system, which is used on my D-drive, while the FAT32 system is used on the C-Drive. Maybe I should remove it from the D-drive and install it on the C? But they say it should work on Win 2000 that also uses the NTFS system.
The only other things I can think of are an incompatibility with the Athlon XP processors or one with my nVidia GeForce II Graphics card or its drivers.
I filled a supprt Bin at Firaxis web site and got an automatic reply.
There must be a way to get to run this game?
smaxc-x works fine with my 32mb Geforce, if you had to add the ForceOld voxel etc line rather than merely flip the 0 to 1 you may need to add the line
[preferences]
imediately above it. This is the way it look is my smac-x file, but it may be diffent for smac (the smac read me file has some sort of instruction for that line IIRC).
You posts indicate you are using smac (patch 4.0) rather than smac-x (which has patch 2.0)
[preferences]
imediately above it. This is the way it look is my smac-x file, but it may be diffent for smac (the smac read me file has some sort of instruction for that line IIRC).
You posts indicate you are using smac (patch 4.0) rather than smac-x (which has patch 2.0)
Here is a thread at poly showing some further possible steps.
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51215&highlight=winxp
http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51215&highlight=winxp
Richard III
Duke of Gloucester
I've played it six times now on my XP machine, and it crashed once, but otherwise is fine.
Serge Desmarais
Chieftain
Here is the answer from EA :
"Thank you for contacting me. Make sure that you have closed any programs or tasks running in the background as sometimes one of the programs can conflict with the game. Background applications such as anti-virus programs are often the cause of conflicts.
Hold down the Ctrl, Atl, and Delete keys at the same time
This will bring up the "Task Manager", follow the steps bellow in order:
1) Click the "Processes"
2) Click on the User Name button to sort by user name
3) Click on anything besides EXPLORER and TASKMGR for this User Name or other user names. Do NOT select anything for SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE.
5) Click on END PROCESS
6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 until only explorer.exe and taskmgr.exe are open for this user profile.
Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts Online Support,
Brian F.
EA Online"
Thank's for the lik to the Apolyton's forum. I am gonna try some of the instructions given there in the .INI file.
Also, I played one of the videos by "drag/dropping [it] into the playuv15.exe", as suggested by Mongoose in the Apolyton's thread and it played fine.
Feedback to follow...
"Thank you for contacting me. Make sure that you have closed any programs or tasks running in the background as sometimes one of the programs can conflict with the game. Background applications such as anti-virus programs are often the cause of conflicts.
Hold down the Ctrl, Atl, and Delete keys at the same time
This will bring up the "Task Manager", follow the steps bellow in order:
1) Click the "Processes"
2) Click on the User Name button to sort by user name
3) Click on anything besides EXPLORER and TASKMGR for this User Name or other user names. Do NOT select anything for SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE.
5) Click on END PROCESS
6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 until only explorer.exe and taskmgr.exe are open for this user profile.
Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts Online Support,
Brian F.
EA Online"
Thank's for the lik to the Apolyton's forum. I am gonna try some of the instructions given there in the .INI file.
Also, I played one of the videos by "drag/dropping [it] into the playuv15.exe", as suggested by Mongoose in the Apolyton's thread and it played fine.
Feedback to follow...
Serge Desmarais
Chieftain
That damn game won't work!
1. I did what was suggested by EA : ending all the user name programs except for EXPLORER and TASKMGR. I also ended the anti-virus softeware but it didn't work.
I tried uninstalling it and installing it on my C-Drive with the FAT32 filing system system, after what I tried running the program under a Win 95, Win98, Win 2000 or Win NT 4.0 environment : it won't start! So I put it back on the D-Drive (I use the C partition for the Windows and system files).
Now, my Alpha Centauri.INI file is like that :
[Alpha Centauri]
ds3d=1
DirectDraw=0
Video Mode=1024
DisableOpeningMovie=1
WindowsFileBox=1
Language=1
[PREFERENCES]
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=1
Still, the hourglass appears like 2-3 seconds and then vanishes...
I reported it back to EA support...
1. I did what was suggested by EA : ending all the user name programs except for EXPLORER and TASKMGR. I also ended the anti-virus softeware but it didn't work.
I tried uninstalling it and installing it on my C-Drive with the FAT32 filing system system, after what I tried running the program under a Win 95, Win98, Win 2000 or Win NT 4.0 environment : it won't start! So I put it back on the D-Drive (I use the C partition for the Windows and system files).
Now, my Alpha Centauri.INI file is like that :
[Alpha Centauri]
ds3d=1
DirectDraw=0
Video Mode=1024
DisableOpeningMovie=1
WindowsFileBox=1
Language=1
[PREFERENCES]
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithim=1
Still, the hourglass appears like 2-3 seconds and then vanishes...
I reported it back to EA support...
Chairman Yang
Member
I get the game running when using the "ForcedVoxels..so on, so on", but it crashes often, its very annoying.
Sukenis
the J'BOOtian Warlord
Does the expansion work any better or worse with XP?
Chairman Yang
Member
If its me your asking I cant give you an answer since I dont have the expansion, altough I would very much want to.
BTW, SMAC worked perfectly fine with no crashes on Win95.
The sound in the game when using XP was also faulty, and I dont think it was any drivers missing. Ive used the patch that is said to fix SMAC on XP but the problem remained.
BTW, SMAC worked perfectly fine with no crashes on Win95.
The sound in the game when using XP was also faulty, and I dont think it was any drivers missing. Ive used the patch that is said to fix SMAC on XP but the problem remained.
Sukenis
the J'BOOtian Warlord
Chairman Yang,
I picked up a copy of the expansion on ebay for around $15. If you want a copy you can find it for around that much. Even though I must say the expansion is not that great. The AI has a hard time playing a faction with extream bonuses and penalties. Most of the new factions are like this. The only factions I see the AI playing well and the two alien factions and the pirates.
It is still fun because you can play the new factions adn just set the AI to be the factions it can play.
I picked up a copy of the expansion on ebay for around $15. If you want a copy you can find it for around that much. Even though I must say the expansion is not that great. The AI has a hard time playing a faction with extream bonuses and penalties. Most of the new factions are like this. The only factions I see the AI playing well and the two alien factions and the pirates.
It is still fun because you can play the new factions adn just set the AI to be the factions it can play.
