Heroes III keeps crashing in Windows 7

[GreatEmerald]

Hmm, maybe it depends on the registry settings, then? Changing the path there is way quicker than reinstalling. And I wonder why this would happen anyway... Maybe it doesn't like characters like '(' and ')'? The path can't be too long since My Documents folder is the same length as PF x86. Or maybe the game doesn't like spaces? Windows 7 doesn't use the "my" prefix in the folder name any more, so C:\Users\Name\Documents doesn't contain any special characters or spaces.

[ByteBandit]

It's hard to say. At first I liked Win 7, but the more I use it and tell Jim Vogan what's happening (He's stuck with Vista), the more it sounds like old Vista only under a different name.

[GreatEmerald]

It's based on Vista SP2. The original Vista was a whole lot worse OS. And while XP has the upper hand in compatibility, Windows 7 actually shines in performance. Newer games run faster on Win7 than on XP, especially if we compare 32-bit XP with 64-bit Win7.

[ByteBandit]

After further analysis, putting H3 in My Documents is no better! My game still crashes! Windows 7 sucks big time!

I checked the Woglogs and EAX popped up and certain locations could'nt be found. What's the right way to correct these problems?

[Pol]

Did you tried to enable compatibility mode? I will be likely on the same boat like you, so it must work!

The default location for games is My Documents/My Games. Or more exactly something along this way:
"C:\Documents and Settings\username.computername\My Documents\My Games"

H3 however should really not depend on it, the only thing which needs to be cared are correct registry entries* and perhaps some libraries (which should be solved with compat. mode anyway)

*In that case use setupregand change rest manually.

Do you have 32b or 64b, Pro or Premium?

[GreatEmerald]

EAX? That's a DirectSound issue. Use Creative ALchemy on your H3WOG.exe and see if it helps. It does help MM7 and MM8, so it might as well do the same for HOMM3.

[Iluvatar]

I use H3 on W7 installes in C:\Heroes - no comp. mode and no problems.

Even with WOG, HD mod etc. etc. - everything works...

I can check for you anything might help to see what's the difference here and at yours computer.

[ByteBandit]

I'm using Home Premium 64 bit system.
Compatability in Win 7 is a joke, really. Does'nt change anything. It still crashes no matter what compatibility you choose.

What is Creative ALchemy? Never heard of it. If it helps to eliminate crashes, you bet I'll try it.

I even copied the HoMM3 Complete/WoG backup CD I had from my XP comp onto Win 7, and I'm still getting problems. Those files worked on XP smoothly with no crashes at all.

I don't want to give up H3/Wog. But it's like Win 7 is telling me to move on to something else. Let's beat Win 7!! I wanna get H3 right!

It's always the same. You play a little with SoD and you get ERM errors with missing locations and an EAX problem. In SoD!! All this with the WoG.exe meaning no CD of course.

Help! Help! Help!

[Pol]

There were reported success with W7 Premium 64bits. According this thread

There are two prerequisites:
1 - Use compatibility mode on all executable files in the Homm3 game folder, set it to Win98/95
2 - Install DirectX9.0c - latest release from the Microsoft site.

There may be also necessary to tweak up Graphic Drivers, usually to disable some "specialities", rarely also something for sound. That should be all.

Try it and report success, or otherwise..
______________
PS Also you may download 32bits patch from SergRoj.

[GreatEmerald]

http://creative-alchemy.en.softonic.com/ - pretty much everything is explained here. I'm not sure if it works with your soundcard, though, but I don't see why it shouldn't.

[ByteBandit]

So far, I've switched EVERYTHING into 98/ME instead of just the few that I had checked. It plays better, but could be improved. After reading the posted site above I see I better get DirectX 9 installed. Also I will put in GrayFaces' 32 bit patch and see what happens from there.

[ByteBandit]

Okay. My pointer kept freezing from time to time. So, I decided to start from scratch. I deleted everything asociated with H3/WoG. I even removed everything in a registry cleanup too.
I installed again for the ninth time. I'm playing H3 Complete ONLY with the CD for now. I no longer get pointer freezing, but now the game crashes to the desktop after about an hour of play. Give or take.
I'm playing at default compatibility XP (Service Pack 3) btw until someone can guarantee playability with another compatibility.
I will install WoG once the game is stable and can play for hours rather than an hour before crashing.

Help a brother out step by step.

[GreatEmerald]

I don't get it. When I play plain Heroes3.exe from Complete (I have WoG installed, just not using its EXE), I have never had a crash yet, despite the fact that I've finished the entire Yog's campaign so far. No compatibility options whatsoever.

[Iluvatar]

Okay. My pointer kept freezing from time to time. So, I decided to start from scratch. I deleted everything asociated with H3/WoG. I even removed everything in a registry cleanup too.
I installed again for the ninth time. I'm playing H3 Complete ONLY with the CD for now. I no longer get pointer freezing, but now the game crashes to the desktop after about an hour of play. Give or take.
I'm playing at default compatibility XP (Service Pack 3) btw until someone can guarantee playability with another compatibility.
I will install WoG once the game is stable and can play for hours rather than an hour before crashing.

Help a brother out step by step.

I remember compatibility with XP SP3 crashed here too. But no compatibility does not. Try it. If not - give a shot for XP SP 2 (surely more stable compat than SP3)

[ByteBandit]

I guess my days of playing H3 are over. I never thought I would ever say that to be honest. Nothing I've tried works at all.
H1, H2, H4 and Civ III play better on Win 7 than on XP. But H3/WoG does not work at all. It's the only game I have that does not work on Win 7.
The 32 bit patch for h3 screws up the graphics then freezes.
Switching to 98/ME gives me direct Draw problems.
Switching compat to SP2 gives me different crashes. EAX related and a host of location errors.
Every H3 install I've done gives me a different missing file.
I get both freezes and crashes no matter what I do.

Bottom line. I've tried every method posted here and nothing works. I can still translate maps and put up files. The map editors work. But not the game. A half hour amount of time to play before either crashing or freezing is the norm.

A sure fire way is what I need to play again.

[Salamandre]

Use a secondary HD boot with XP, switch from one to other when starting computer.

[ByteBandit]

And how is that done? Don't you have to have an XP CD or something?

[Salamandre]

If you ever had XP, then you don't have to pay for it anymore. Just get one from the torrents around and burn it to a CD.

[ByteBandit]

When I get htgh speed internet I'll consider it. But I'm sure there's another solution out there.

[Salamandre]

I still think the best solution is to have a XP HD beside the principal one. Not only for Heroes, but for hundreds of games from the past, which will become un playable on new platforms, and god knows that they were the best games ever done and will still remain, no matter the graphics.