SH4 and Windows 11
 

Anybody else having trouble with SH4 Gold running under windows 11?
Tried everything I know and still wont run. Process runs but the program wont.
any ideas? besides rolling back to win 10?

You probably have to re-install SH4 and DirectX v9.0c and the Codecs for it. If you have the disk version, those of course, are on the install menu. If you have Steam or Ubisoft, they should automatically install with the game. After that, the usual Windows settings on the SH4.exe Properties page to prevent Windows from messing with your display

https://i.imgur.com/bP46VIS.jpg

Thank you. followed your suggestions and I now get a UAC notification saying an administrator has blocked me from running this app. For mor information contact administrator.

Checked my account and I am an admistrator.
Im at a loss got anymore Ideas?

You have UAC (User Access Controls) cranked way up, or you are in a "protected" folder, such as "Program Files (x86)", or both. If you type "UAC" in the Search box by the Start menu, you should get a "Change User Account Control settings", or something to that effect. You do not have to turn it off, just down a notch. If you have a Steam version of the game and are in the default Steam Library folder, you are under the sway of a "Program Files" folder, and can either un-install or move SH4 to an unprotected folder, or re-install it in a new Library folder on a different hard drive. See Moving a Steam Installation and Games. If you have a Ubisoft UConnect download, you can copy the entire contents of Silent Hunter 4 folder and move it to a folder of your own creation, such as "C:\Games \SH4" or whatever, and paste it in there. The licensing will move with the game. The Steam version uses the Steam App for its "security, so is more complicated. A disk version of the game can be handled like the UConnect version, and just be copied and pasted elsewhere. Let us know here what 'brand' and version of the game you have, and where you have it installed. Did you re-install SH4 after upgrading to Win11?

Windows 11
 

Oddly enough, I couldn't get SH4 to run on my old rig under Win 10. When I bought a new Desktop it ran, under Windows 10. And now it runs better under Windows 11.

I suspect your problem is related to something other than Windows. I wish I could tell you what.

Welcome aboard! & Welcome back!
 

That is most likely a graphics/display issue
 

I think the issue is with the Silent Hunter 4 initial screen resolution. I never had the issue until I had to buy a new PC with pre-installed Win 11. The issue is that the initial screen resolution of the Steam version comes with a very low screen resolution setting and lowest graphic settings. Since the app is running (as seen from task manager tab) but nothing happening, likely indicates a graphics/display issue, or issues related to your screen refresh rate.

What you need to do is to override your OS' auto-scaling and screen optimisations as older programs with smaller resolution settings do fail to show up on the screen. Once you can access the in-game menu, you can also adjust resolution settings to a higher one that fits your modern rig.

For that, you need to go to the sh4.exe file location, set compatibility settings to Vista (Service Pack 2), disable screen optimisation and go to high DPI settings and check "Override High DPI scaling". After changing all of those, I can run SH4 with U boat missions like butter on Win 11, however, keep in mind that some visual mods who change screen resolutions/settings might cause issues as well.

For context, I would get through the introduction screen in Windows II in SH4 with the Fall of the Rising Sun Mod to a black screen with an hourglass (that never changed) or a pointer, with the same result. I downloaded the SH4 Gold with UBoat Missions from Amazon through the link on Subsim.

I finally got it to work. In no particular order...

(1) I checked the box overriding the High DPI, disabled fullscreen optimizations, and ran it as administrator
(2) I cranked UAC down one hash (one above the bottom)
(3) Changed the Main.cfg file to run in 1080p. From another post on Steam, I made the following changes. Go here and put in these settings.

:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific\Data\Cfg\Main.cfg

[VIDEO]
Resolution=1270,720,60,22
DynamicShadows=No
FullScreen=No
Synchronized=No
TextureResolutionHigh=No

Thats exactly how the video section in cfg file must look like,

(4) I changed the screen display scale to run at native 100%

I am not sure which one was the trigger, as I had been playing around for a while. If I recall correctly, I had the same no go results with steps (3) and (4), but it was logging in as administrator and lowering the UAC that may have sealed the deal. It seems to work fine now, as everything loads up. It has been a while since I played, so I cannot say it ALL works fine. I can get at least to the training screens now.

I may go back and undo things to what the true fix was, if it was not a collection of fixes.

Welcome aboard!
 

What exactly is the purpose of UAC when we have such complex security programmes? I have UAC turned off, always have done.

Microsoft.....control the users and you control the world.:doh:
:D

Another Win 11 Offering
 

I'm late to this discussion but seems everyone's situation is different so... here goes.

In Windows 10, around 2 years ago, started getting "An administrator has blocked this app" and SH4.exe is identified as the culprit. Presumably, there was an MS security update involved. Turning down the UAC slider in "Settings" didn't help. What did work was constructing an "elevated" launch icon for the sim. If you hadn't done this before, a bit daunting, but there's good advice on the Web. In business after that.

I could NOT get his trick to work under Win 11 so was stuck for a while. What did work was the following:

01 - In the application search Window type: "Edit group policy" (without quotes) and ENTER. (Group Policy can be found using Control Panel but this way is actually easier).

02 - In the panel that opens, choose "Windows Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/Security Options"

03 - On right side, scroll down to find "User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode Enabled"

04 - Double-click that line to get an option box with "Enable / Disable" options.

05 - Choose "Disable", close the editor and re-boot. The access problem is now solved but wait (see later).

06 - When finished gaming, be sure to re-enable that UAC setting for best protection. You'll have to go through the steps above but "Enable" that UAC setting in step 05.

My troubles still weren't over. The sim ran fine part way but upon doing my first SAVE it hung and could not be relaunched even with a reboot. Bummer. Upon first initialization, SH4 allocates a \SH4 directory with \Data as follows. This is SH4's working directory for the files included and is initialized from the one distributed in the executable's directory so you can ignore that one for now:

C:\Users"Your Name"\Documents\SH4\data\cfg

(Note - "Your Name" might not be your name but it's whatever you called your user account when installing Windows.). If you are using "Onedrive" the \Documents folder will be under \Onedrive. I don't use Onedrive so you're on your own there.

Navigate to and open "main.cfg" (in \cfg above) in a text editor. Once there, specify preferences in the "Video" section. The following worked for me with a Hi-Def monitor:

[VIDEO]
Resolution=1920,1280,60,22
DynamicShadows=Yes
FullScreen=No
Synchronized=No
TextureResolutionHigh=Yes

You might have to experiment with this and the simulation's graphics settings (once you can get in there). What appears to work is having the two matched.

I still was not out of the woods as the sim would not launch. After a lot of fooling around did the following:

01 - Deleted the entire \SH4 folder found in C:\Users"Your Name"\Documents\SH4\data\cfg.

(This is safe. Windows might obstruct you saying the file is open in another program. In that case, do a cold boot from system powered-down and you are good to go.)

02 -This forces SH4 at your next launch to rebuild that directory from the execution library (good idea to have desired video settings in the .cfg in THAT library.

Caramba! SH4 now launched. I was able to edit all options and the sim runs beautifully. "Saves" work without a glitch. I can only surmise that refreshing the "working" main.cfg fixed something.

Hope this helps someone.

Best wishes,
Cpt. J. Hazelwood

to kill uac just go to control panel and type it into search - bingo

Where do you have SH4 installed?