Win7 Laptop SMAC doesn't work

[SolarAdept]

So I iso-d SMAC so I could play it on my laptop(doesn't have a CD/DVD-ROM) and installed it.

Problem is, it doesn't work. Crashes right as I open it, with nothing but a black screen.

 

[Petek]

Welcome to CFC and the Alpha Centauri forum!

First, make sure that you have installed the most recent patch, the Win2000/XP Update, which may be found here. Note that this patch should be installed on Win 7 systems.

If that doesn't help, please post again and provide additional information, such as:

* What steps, if any, have you already taken to solve the problem?
* What screen resolution does your laptop use?
* Does the main game folder contain a file named Alpha Centauri.ini?

Thanks,

Petek

 

[SolarAdept]

* Except the patches you suggested none.

* 1024x600 screen resolution, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150

* It does have the ini file, but it has only the following text in it:

[Alpha Centauri]


 

[Petek]

The laptop screen resolution probably is the problem. That resolution really isn't suitable for running games. Try the following:

1. Add the line DirectDraw=0 directly beneath the [Alpha Centauri] line in your ini file. This will attempt to force the game to run at your native Windows resolution (1024x600). This would be the best you could hope for, but may not work. If that doesn't work, then
2. Remove the DirectDraw line and replace it with video mode=800. This will attempt to force the game to run at 800x600. Assuming that your laptop supports such a resolution, this probably will work.

(Be sure to edit the ini file with a text editor such as Notepad. You may have to run Notepad as the Administrator, even if your user account has admin rights.)

HTH

Petek

 

[SolarAdept]

Didn't work for either... I give up.

 

[IdaGno]

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator

often referred to as Intel Graphics Media Decelerator for a reason

 

[Bonapirelli]

I have a similar problem; the only way I can get it to run on my netbook is to first change my Windows Desktop resolution to 800 x 600. That seems to be a ratio the game can make sense of, and then I can play .