Windows 8.1 problems

[KonstantinII 1,106]

Before, SC4 Deluxe used to run very smoothly. Now Win 8.1 installed itself on my computer. The problems caused by it are unacceptable! Whenever, I build or demolish something, the whole neighborhood goes into nothingness! Even when scrolling around, there are problems, and I have lags. Just see for yourself.

[Compdude787 916]

You must have an Intel integrated graphics chip in your computer. These cards, when on Windows 8.1 don't play nice with old games like SC4. You can do either one of these things to fix the problem:

 

1) If you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer, you're in luck. Go into the settings for the card and set it so that SC4 runs using the video card, rather than the integrated graphics. This should fix your problem.

 

2) Set the game to run using software rendering. For most people this will work fine, but if you want to use any HD custom content, forget about it. That will cause the game to crash. Software mode doesn't like HD textures or props.

 

3) Downgrade, ahem, upgrade to Windows 7. This will also require finding older versions of the graphics drivers made prior to 2013, but unfortunately when I recently looked on Intel's website a few weeks ago, I could no longer find the older drivers. They seemed to have removed them recently; I was able to find and download the driver back in July when I upgraded my computer to Windows 7. So, this is no longer an option, because I've heard of people having this same issue on Windows 7 because they had the latest drivers.

 

When I get the time, I'm going to install SC4 on my brother's computer when he puts the Windows 10 Preview on it (he hates Windows 8 more than I ever did), and see if I get any graphical issues, because I'm pretty sure his computer has the problematic Intel integrated graphics chips. And I don't have time to set up a dual boot or VM on my computer to see how Windows 10 will work.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

 

 

1) If you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer, you're in luck. Go into the settings for the card and set it so that SC4 runs using the video card, rather than the integrated graphics. This should fix your problem.

 

Please explain how to "Go into the settings for the card". I want detailed step by step.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

 

 

 

1) If you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer, you're in luck. Go into the settings for the card and set it so that SC4 runs using the video card, rather than the integrated graphics. This should fix your problem.

 

Please explain how to "Go into the settings for the card". I want detailed step by step.

 

That kind of request requires local hands on.  Do you have a local computer geek to help you?

[Compdude787 916]

 

 

 

1) If you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer, you're in luck. Go into the settings for the card and set it so that SC4 runs using the video card, rather than the integrated graphics. This should fix your problem.

 

Please explain how to "Go into the settings for the card". I want detailed step by step.

 

Sorry if that was a little vague, but it varies for every card and so I can't give specific instructions because not all cards are created equal. My suggestion: Google it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you don't have the manual for your hardware, try finding it on the Internet.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

 

 

 

 

1) If you have a dedicated graphics card in your computer, you're in luck. Go into the settings for the card and set it so that SC4 runs using the video card, rather than the integrated graphics. This should fix your problem.

 

Please explain how to "Go into the settings for the card". I want detailed step by step.

 

Sorry if that was a little vague, but it varies for every card and so I can't give specific instructions because not all cards are created equal. My suggestion: Google it.

 

 

So I find the graphics card settings, and I don't know what to do next.

[Compdude787 916]

I'd like to know a bit more info about your computer; obviously I can see that you have the problematic Intel integrated graphics chips. Do you have another graphics card on your computer, or is it just that Intel integrated graphics card? To find out, search for "dxdiag" in the built in Search function on Windows. Then go to the Display tab and take a look and see if it shows that you have another graphics card.

 

If you only have that Intel graphics chip and you use a laptop, you will obviously not be able to put a different video card into your computer, so your only option would be to run the game in Software mode like I mentioned above. This prevents you from using any HD custom content without getting CTDs, sorry.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

I'd like to know a bit more info about your computer; obviously I can see that you have the problematic Intel integrated graphics chips. Do you have another graphics card on your computer, or is it just that Intel integrated graphics card? To find out, search for "dxdiag" in the built in Search function on Windows. Then go to the Display tab and take a look and see if it shows that you have another graphics card.

 

If you only have that Intel graphics chip and you use a laptop, you will obviously not be able to put a different video card into your computer, so your only option would be to run the game in Software mode like I mentioned above. This prevents you from using any HD custom content without getting CTDs, sorry.

 

It appears that I do have a dxdiag.exe file in my system. On the exact same computer, my computer, SC4 worked just fine with Win 8, so I think that Win 8.1 must have messed up the graphics settings.

[Compdude787 916]

 

I'd like to know a bit more info about your computer; obviously I can see that you have the problematic Intel integrated graphics chips. Do you have another graphics card on your computer, or is it just that Intel integrated graphics card? To find out, search for "dxdiag" in the built in Search function on Windows. Then go to the Display tab and take a look and see if it shows that you have another graphics card.

 

If you only have that Intel graphics chip and you use a laptop, you will obviously not be able to put a different video card into your computer, so your only option would be to run the game in Software mode like I mentioned above. This prevents you from using any HD custom content without getting CTDs, sorry.

 

It appears that I do have a dxdiag.exe file in my system. On the exact same computer, my computer, SC4 worked just fine with Win 8, so I think that Win 8.1 must have messed up the graphics settings.

 

Well, uhh, I wanted you to open that program, and then go to the display tab. And yes, the game does work fine in Windoze 8; that was my experience. Microshaft and/or Intel screwed up compatibility with older games in Windows 8.1. Even if you used Windows 7 and got the latest drivers, you'd still have problems (which is why I have drivers from 2012 installed, but they're no longer available for d/l on Intel's website).

 

Anyway, do you have a desktop? If so, I'd suggest you slap in a dedicated video card, and make sure SC4 is set to run on that card. Integrated graphics isn't all that good anyway; I'm only forced to use it because I have a laptop where the only upgrades I can make are adding more RAM and swapping the hard drive out with an SSD.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

 

I'd like to know a bit more info about your computer; obviously I can see that you have the problematic Intel integrated graphics chips. Do you have another graphics card on your computer, or is it just that Intel integrated graphics card? To find out, search for "dxdiag" in the built in Search function on Windows. Then go to the Display tab and take a look and see if it shows that you have another graphics card.

 

If you only have that Intel graphics chip and you use a laptop, you will obviously not be able to put a different video card into your computer, so your only option would be to run the game in Software mode like I mentioned above. This prevents you from using any HD custom content without getting CTDs, sorry.

 

It appears that I do have a dxdiag.exe file in my system. On the exact same computer, my computer, SC4 worked just fine with Win 8, so I think that Win 8.1 must have messed up the graphics settings.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Have you skimmed through

[KonstantinII 1,106]

I solved the problem!
 

You could also try it in software rendering mode. To do that, in the Target box of the Shortcut (properties) that starts the game add:

<space>-d:software

after the closing quote of the complete pathname where <space> is one depression of the space bar. If this doesn't work or if you use HD textures, then you should upgrade to Windows 7.

[Huston 5,796]

 

I solved the problem!

 

You could also try it in software rendering mode. To do that, in the Target box of the Shortcut (properties) that starts the game add:

<space>-d:software

after the closing quote of the complete pathname where <space> is one depression of the space bar. If this doesn't work or if you use HD textures, then you should upgrade to Windows 7.

 

 

So this doesn't work if you have HD content? That explains a lot when I tried this method, and there's no way I'm giving up HD content just because of some glitches. If only I could upgrade to Windows 7 again - I'd be a much happier man.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ Considering that we are all talking about a game, one wonders if insisting on having HD content, which didn't exist when the game was created, is some kind of modernistic lockout?

 

I use HD content with full hardware acceleration with no problems.  If you really want it, try dual booting with Ubuntu.  With Windoze 8 you might have to learn how to turn off the exclusive boot garbage by messing with your UEFI firmware, but there is a wiki article on that.  My current system is BIOS based.  If you really don't need some special feature of Windoze, I'd suggest this is a good time to bail out.

 

Ubuntu Link.