Civ IV failing to work on Windows 7

[Anonyman]

I have Windows 7 Home Premium, and recently attempted to install Civ IV (without expansions). The installation seemed to work fine, but as soon as I try to run the game a Windows dialog box popped up to tell me that there were "known compatibility issues" between Windows 7 and the game. I tried running it, but another Windows popup apppeared immediately telling me that "Sid Meier's Civilization 4 has stopped working" and closing it. This happens every time I try to run the game, and not being that brilliant with computers I have no idea what to do. Help?

 

[The_J]

It's easy: The base game is not compatible with Win7. If you have the expansions, then just install them, they should be compatible.
Else you might want to try the compatibility mode in Win7: Find the civ4.exe (normally somewhere C:\Program Files (x86)\Firaxis Games\Civ4\Civ4.exe), rightclick on it, find the tab for compatiblity, and check the box for compatibility. I don't think the chances are very high, but it's worth a try.

 

[Anonyman]

Thanks for the help - I gave Compatibility Mode a go, but got nowhere. The game immediately crashes when trying to "Check XML". Oh well.

 

[kiwitt]

Try my install method on the the top of this forum

 

[tchristensen]

I install the game not in the default location but directly in a folder in C drive. Then give that directory full access to all profiles, it seems to work for me.

 

[TX_chessmaster]

GROAN! http://forums.civfanatics.com/images/smilies/frown.gif Whatever you guys started has apparently broken quarantine and spread. Now I too am suddenly unable to start up my Civ4 game, getting the same prompt about it having "known compatibility issues with Win7". Only difference is in my case, I've had Win7 in a superior loaded custom component system since April... playing Civ4/BTS almost daily since then with no problems. Now, out of the blue, it simply won't load/run. I tried all the methods here of changing compatibility mode, uninstall/cleandisk/defrag/reload Civ4 > BTS > 3.19patch... and on first start-up attempt it did try to load (I could hear the theme music sporadically/distorted but no picture... some flashing blackscreen. Subsequent attempts got nothing at all except pop-up notice to "install correct disk". I checked auto-updater, and no new modules added since game last worked.

I'm not a total noob, but certainly no tech... call me an "experienced amateur"... I'm JONESing without my Civ4... played over a hundred campaigns of all types/levels. I'll personally call off this Mayan curse on 21st if someone can help on this. I'm at a loss! http://forums.civfanatics.com/images/smilies/cry.gif:cry:

 

[Pomphis]

No idea whether there is any connection, but I just had to reinstall after a harddrive failure. In my case I couldn´t run any of my old mods after I copied them from the backup. I am still in the process of dealing with this, but in two cases my problem was that for some unknown reason Windows made some of the copied files Hidden, so BtS couldn´t use them. After I removed the Hidden attribute it worked again.

 

[ciccioitaly]

Hello,

I have just bought a new computer, it has Windows 8. I tried to install Civ4 and it does not work. A message pops up saying that the programme has stopped working and that there is a problem that prevents the programm from functioning correctly.

Does anyone know why this is and how to resolve it? I have just installed Colonization and it works perfectly.

 

[tchristensen]

If you right click on the icon, or whatever you do in Windoze8, and click properties then Compatibility try running it under XP or 7?

Also try running as administrator?

Also check to see if you have the correct DX version on your computer -- not sure what 8 has?