trouble installing NAM

[Northern Pyro 4]

Hello all, its been too long. I finally bought the game on steam after the disc stopped working on my old copy. I downloaded the nam installer, and got the message that my game wasnt updated (it should be updated, its steam after all), and promted me to download the update. When I did that, it said missing or invalid registry and did that multiple times. The update installer said it was installed, and I tried continuing with the NAM installation, only to find the update was not, in fact, installed.

 

Could someone please direct me on how to install the nam and/or update?

 

EDIT: More info, the message popped up after choosing an installation method and clicking next. I never got to specify where the game is or where the nam should be installed.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

OK, you don't need any patches if you got the right version from Steam.  Check your build version number.  Steam, being a DRM vendor, doesn't use the standard structure so you will have to use windows explorer to find your executable.  When you find it, right click it and open the properties panel to version.  It should be 1,1,641,0.  If anything else, Steam sent you the wrong thing.

 

Since this is the NAM Team's private support forum, one of them should jump in and tell you how to convince the NAM installer.

[Northern Pyro 4]

It is the right version, the nam installer must be unhappy.

 

EDIT: popup says this:

 

"Your version of SimCity 4 does not have a required patsh from EA/Maxis. The game must be patched to at least version 1.1.638.0 in order for the NAM (and almost all custom content) to work properly. Do you want to install this patch now?"

 

Note that the version according to the properties of the EXE say it is at version 1.1.641.0, higher that the required patch.

[Tarkus 6,932]

NAM Team developer here.  The installer is designed to accept 1.1.641, so it should be recognizing the Steam version as valid, unless, of course, Steam made some sort of unannounced change recently (as Origin had done not too long ago) that is gumming up the works.  We've gotten a handful of reports like this of late, though as I'm not personally familiar with the Steam release, I'll leave that to one of the NAM devs who is running that version (there are a few around).  One other more likely possibility is that the registry entries aren't pointing to the right place somehow.

 

-Tarkus

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Looks like Steam has opened yet another can of worms.  Can you detail the steam constructs that lead to the executable for your game?  You should be able to find this with Windows Explorer.

 

After you find what they've done, you could use the tree command to get a neater display.

[Northern Pyro 4]

Path is as follows

 

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps

 

Turns out the game wont even start. I will try redownloading.

[Northern Pyro 4]

Redownloaded, still nothing. This is the troubleshooting I have tried:

setting launch options under properties, on the real properties, setting compatability mode to windows xp service pack 3, checking cache files. I am at a loss as to what to do to get this darn game to start.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

This may sound like heresy, and Steam (Valve) won't like it, but try this:

 

1. make a backup copy of C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe
   including all files.
    
2. create a new folder at C:\Program Files (x86)\SimCity 4 Deluxe
   and copy the other folder into it.
    
3. Send the old folder to the trash can
    
4. Inside the C:\Program Files (x86)\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps folder make a short cut to the file SimCity 4.exe
    
5. Drag this short cut on to your Desktop

 

Try starting the game from the shortcut.  If this is successful (may not be due to messed up registry), then use this shortcut to start the game from now on.  You can also update this shortcut with any options you want.  Just right click it, and open properties to access the target line.  There are other posts in this list describing what to do next.

 

If this doesn't work, get a refund from Steam and download the program from GamersGate or GOG.

[Northern Pyro 4]

Did what you said, didn't work. Currently downloading game from GOG. Will be filing complaint with steam soon.

[Northern Pyro 4]

Game downloaded, NAM installed. I will notify steam that their version of SimCity 4 does not work.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Please let us know what Steam has to say?

[Northern Pyro 4]

I am at a loss as to how to get a refund...steam, y u do dis?

[Compdude787 916]

Origin had this problem with selling an unpatched and unpatchable game a while ago. I wonder if someone at Origin got fired, then got a job at steam and is now gumming up things there. This is just a stretch of the imagination though....

[JessiLaurn 183]

For what it's worth, I can confirm that the Origin version is currently 641 and working fine (downloaded and installed from them last week to finally put an end to running my optical drive so much).