Windows10 compatability - patch?

[DaveFairhall]

I still can't get either to work on w10 and from what I can see any fixes / workarounds are soon blocked by a ms security update. A patch disabling the sysdrv.sys check would seem to be to only way forward as this is what is stopping the game running.
 

[abc123]

At first it didn't work for me on Windows 10.

Windows prompted me to install Directplay and the game began to work as normal.

I can also verify that the original SMAC runs on Windows 10.

I just happened to be visiting a relative with a new Win10 system and couldn't resist trying it. Since the original SMAC doesn't have DRM, I just copied the game folder to the new computer. (And deleted it after the testing.)

The "Install DirectPlay?" dialog came up for me as well. Alas this Win10 system does not yet have speakers, so I couldn't hear anything. But the video clips in the game look fine, it also saves and loads game files without any problem.

I'm happy that this is one less thing to worry about if I need to upgrade to Win10.

[mikecody]

I am running a legacy version of SMAC (1.0i, dated 4 January 1998), and it does run on Windows 10.  When it opens, a blank screen with two long skinny unlabeled boxes comes up, if I click on the left one the game starts (clicking on the right one shuts it down).  However, when I attempted to update to the 4.0 version from this site, i received a message about noncompatibility with my system with options to quit or go on, when I choose go on the game ends.

[DrazharLn]

You can try running the patch in compatibility mode, but the easiest fix is probably to use the GOG version.

https://www.gog.com/game/sid_meiers_alpha_centauri

[Mablir Dorlig]

Any update on this as I am really struggling with Windows 10 & Installing SMAC & SMAX - I've tried removing SecuROM but I'm afraid I am a technophobe

[gwillybj]

@Mablir Dorlig:

I use Win10 Pro, and I got it running after a couple of hiccups.
It runs fine after the Anniversary and Creators' Updates.

It should install if you right-click "setup.exe" on the CD (not "autorun.exe") and select "Run as administrator". That usually works.

If that doesn't do it, right-click "setup.exe" again, click "Properties" then the "Compatibility" tab, and select "Compatibility mode". Select "Windows 98 / Windows ME", click "Apply" then "OK". Again, right-click "setup.exe" and select "Run as administrator". That usually works.

In either case, be sure to click "No" when it offers to install DirectX 7 if you already have it or a newer version.


You will need to install the "SMACx_Win2000&XP_Compatibility_Update_v1.03f ("XP patch")" (found here at alphacentauri2).


Then there is Yitzi's unofficial patch (now version 3.5d) that fixes a dumptruck-load of bugs and adds many new options. That's here, too.
You will need the 3.5 patch for the changed text files and the 3.5d patch for the newest "terranx.exe".


After you get it running, you might notice five "missing" sound files. BFG was nice enough to fix them and upload the new files here. It's just nice to have the game complete .

[Mablir Dorlig]

Thanks - Got SMAC working - will try SMAX tomorrow

[Mablir Dorlig]

Dear All - Thanks for help and apologies for the delay in getting back.

I've still not managed to get SMAX working but I did manage to get Yitzi's Patch working - this was a bit bizarre in itself - I had to unistall SMAC & SMAX and then re-install with patches but without Direct ?.x then installed both of Yitzi's patches for SMAC & SMAX. First time I run SMAX it told me I needed to run as an administrator and then crashed, after re-booting it's worked fine except it hangs when I'm loading saved games from SMAC/SMAX - never mind I'm happy     

[bvanevery]

Cracked GOG version has always worked fine on Windows 10 for me.  I'm not using it to pirate, I'm using it because I've bought the game twice in the past already and don't feel I owe something more for it.  Also if I committed to paying for the game again, I wouldn't be willing to delete it off my drive when I get disgusted with it.  Which has happened numerous times over the past 10 years.

[mikecody]

I am running the GOG version now and it has been running fine until recently. I am running Windows 10 Home, Version 1803, OS Build 17134.345 with 8 gig RAM, AMD A6-5200 APU. Recently I have been having a problem when well into a game the computer plays its turns then simply shuts down the game, no error messages or anything. I am attaching a save file from one of these games if anyone is interested in seeing if it works on their machine.

[bvanevery]

If it ran fine on Windows 10 before, I presume only 2 possibilities:

1) The update to 1803 has created a bug.  You'd want to do the usual drill of updating your BIOS and graphics device drivers.  You might also consider rolling back to the earlier release.  1803 created a serious audio latency on one of my ancient 10 year old laptops, so I had to do that.  Fortunately I have the Professional verison of Windows 10, owing to old licenses when I upgraded once upon a time, so I can delay Microsoft's evil machinations for 16 months.  That's under the Advanced options for Update if you have the Pro version.

2) You have changed your play style somehow, or otherwise arrived at a new circumstance in the game, that you haven't previously been in.  In this case the bug was always there, you just didn't happen to do anything to trigger it.

The bug I always expect to crash a game, has to do with your Interceptors trying to fly out to prevent an attack.  If you have enemy aircraft attacking your stuff, with Interceptors in interception range, try Disbanding your Interceptors or moving them far enough away that they won't intercept.  This has pretty much always been my problem in recent years of playing the game.

Historically, another survival drill on my part, has been to turn off Secret Project movies.  I've seen them all a gazillion times, so it's not really a sacrifice for me.  Some game instability was definitely attributable to that on my system.  YMMV.

[DrazharLn]

Try using scientist or Yitzi's patch. This sounds like a bug in smac.

[Vidsek]

   I've had the same type of sudden crash playing on Yitzi's patch with some text mods of my own.  Couldn't be certain if my alterations were to blame or not.  However now I'm leaning toward a bug in SMACX, perhaps the one bvanevery mentions (I've had the movies turned off forever).

  In my case, watching the action in Omniscient View with the Scenario Editor showed it happening during one of the AI factions' moves when they were attacking one of my land or sea units in one case, and when it was attacking another AI faction in another.

  One thing I discovered was that if I went back to a save three or so turns before and did some things differently so that the moves/attacks turned out different, the crash would not happen, or would happen in a different part of the turn.

[vonbach]

It works for me but the videos stutter its annoying.

[bvanevery]

I think I had video tearing with the Spring 2018 update of Windows 10.  I have not had previous problems and didn't change the drivers, nor did Windows change them out from under me.

I also had audio stuttering, really bad, on 2 different laptops.  That, I proved it was due to the Spring update.  I rolled back to an earlier release, since I have the Pro version and can do that readily.  Then I turned off updates for another 16 months.  I am hoping that the Fall 2018 update will fix something, and that the bugs in that will be shaken out by Spring 2019.  At which time, I'll try going forwards again.

The audio stuttering issue was completely independent of the specs of the machine.  You could have a rocket of a machine and still get the stuttering, because Microsoft really screwed something up in the innards.