Windows 7

[BULLITT428]

Can anyone explain to me how I can get CMBO and CMBB to run in windows 7. They use to run fine but now I can't get them to work at all. I click on it and nothing happens.

[Ivan Zaitzev]

Have you tried running it in administrator mode?

[BULLITT428]

Thanks for responding. Yes I have tried and still nothing happens at all?

[Schrullenhaft]

When was the last time you were able to run CMBO and CMBB on this computer ? Do you know if anything changed on this computer (new hardware, new drivers, other new software, etc.) ? What security/anti-virus software do you use ? Do you have an 'exception' set for CMBO and CMBB within this security software ? What type of copy-protection do your copies of CMBO and CMBB use, disc-based (where the CD has to physically be in the drive) or eLicense, where a license key was entered in order to activate the game ? CMBO and CMBB originally used the disc-based copy protection system and then around 2006 move to eLicense. There is also the possibility of having a CDV distribution of the games (bought from other retail outlets) that typically uses a disc-based copy protection system, though I believe CMBO and CMBB are called 'Combat Mission' and 'Combat Mission II'.

Do you know what video card/chip is in your PC ? Are you playing CMBO/CMBB on a laptop or desktop ? 

[BULLITT428]

Thanks for your response  Schrullenhaft. When I got this computer desktop the computer guy who installed the computer I had asked him to install the games on it he did it reluctantly. At the time the anti-virus (AVG) being used would not let CMBO or CMBB install. He had to play around a lot but got them up and running and they ran Great. Don't know what I did but about a year ago they just stopped working Click on the icon and nothing absolutely nothing would come up. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling with no luck. I purchased  both disks CMBO and CMBB from Battlefront about 7 maybe 8  years ago. I'm not really that good with computers so I had to have the computer guy come back 6 months ago to fix some stuff on the computer and he changed my anti- virus to VIPER he says it's better. Asked him if he could install the games again and make them work. After two hours of trying he gave up and told me it can't be done games were to old for windows 7 even though he had them working when I got this computer?  But I know of others that are running them on windows 7 and 8.  I'm not really sure what an  'exception' set for CMBO and CMBB within this security is? I do have a eLicense for CMBO so I could start playing CMBO as soon as I purchased the game but with CMBB I waited till the disk arrived.  Not sure how to use the eLicense or where to go to find it. It's been a while. Video card is NVIDIA Geforce GTX 970. Processor is entel (R) core (TM) 17-4790K CPU@4.00GHz RAM 16 GB System type 64-bit operation system. I hope this helps. I'm hoping that maybe you can get me started on the right path at getting these games up and running.

Thanks for your help!    Ed

 

[Schrullenhaft]

You're system should generally be fine with CMBO and CMBB. Since you purchased both games from Battlefront about 7 or 8 years ago they will both be eLicense protected games (requiring a license key to run the game). With a physical shipment of the games you likely got the license key on a printed sticker attached to either the original disc case or the printed manual. If you got something that had a download, then the license key should have been emailed to you and existed in the 'Battlefront Store' account (which has been moved to the current website). If you have changed email addresses since you ordered the games, you may need to remember what that email address was in order to get into the proper store account.

Currently the CM1 series suffers from some issues with some 2D info screens coming up without text or possibly completely black. Usually this can be resolved by minimizing the game (Alt-Tab  and  Esc or Alt-Esc, I can't exactly remember) and then re-maximizing it (clicking on the icon in the application bar at the bottom of the Windows desktop). This should usually 'refresh' the 2D contents and draw everything properly again.

With eLicense you may need to set up DEP (Data Execution Prevention), which is mentioned in this Knowlegebase article. This isn't always needed, but sometimes it is. Also you may want to launch the games by right-clicking on the icons and selecting "Run as administrator" from the popup menu.

Some security programs may decide that CMBO and CMBB with their eLicense copy-protection systems are some sort of malware. I'm not sure how common this is, but it is a possibility (and it could happen suddenly with certain 'signature' updates for the antivirus). Setting an 'exception' (or Vipre might term it 'Always Allow') within your Vipre antivirus would potentially tell it NOT to interfere with the game's operation or quarantine the files. There's a couple of different versions of the Vipre security software, do you know which one you have ? The Vipre Business edition has these instructions for setting an exception. You may need to temporarily disable the Vipre antivirus when you install, activate and initially run the games (if this is possible).

I'm not aware of any particular video driver having an issue with CMBO and CMBB. With a Geforce GTX 970 I believe you should generally be fine. There are no particular 3D Settings that are needed to my knowledge either (set from the Nvidia Control Panel with the Control Panel).

One other thing to watch out for is the initial resolution selection process (once you've activate the games). Typically this will start at the highest resolution supported by the video card. I think the maximum resolution supported by CMBO and CMBB is 2048 x 1536, then it comes down to 1600 x 1200. If your video card and monitor don't support the first resolution, then the maximum will typically be 1600 x 1200. At this resolution the games will try the highest vertical refresh rate supported by the video card (which the monitor may NOT support). This could be as high as 160 Hertz (Hz) or 120 Hz. If the monitor can work with that resolution and refresh rate, then it should appear in a box in the middle of the screen with buttons to 'select' or 'skip'. If the monitor can't support the resolution and/or refresh rate then the screen may either be black or possibly scrambled like a bad TV signal. If you wait 5 to 10 seconds the game will select the next lower vertical refresh rate and then the next one until it reaches 60Hz at a particular resolution. The the next attempted display will be a lower resolution, but at a high vertical refresh rate. The process repeats until you reach 800 x 600 at 60Hz (or so) on CMBB and possibly 640 x 480 'software rendered' on CMBO. If no resolution is selected, then the games will give a DirectX error and close. You can simply relaunch the games and go through the process again. Once you select a resolution it will be recorded into a Prefs file on a proper exit of the game. If you don't get to exit properly, then the setting doesn't get recorded in the Prefs file and you have to go through the resolution selection process again the next time you launch the games.

Edited October 24, 2018 by Schrullenhaft

[BULLITT428]

Thank you Schrullenhaft. I will try to recover my elicence's  and see if I can get it running that way? If that falls short I will try contacting Battlefeild directly and see if I can resolve it this way. I might contact you latter to let you know what my out come is again thanks for your help in this manner!

Ed.

[BULLITT428]

Schrullenhaft: I have tried every way that John from Battlefront could come up with to help me get CMBO and CMBB up and running.. He was more then helpful in trying to help me and I thank him for his effort. I also had another person come and look at getting it running after 2 hours of trying He says that the way to fix it is by going into the dos so Vipre will recognise it. Over my head for my computer skills. My next step...... Buying the newer games! Before I do this can you tell me if I was to buy the CMBN with the Big Bundle with Red Thunder do all the games come with there own disks?  I thank you as well Schrullenhaft for your help in trying to get my older games up and running.

Thank you.

Ed.

[Schrullenhaft]

I believe if you select, within the 'Delivery' dropdown,  "Download + Disk" or "Download + Manual + Disk" that you should get a DVD for each game. In the case of CMBN this will likely be a single DVD with a single installer on it that installs the base game and all of the modules/packs. CMRT should be a separate disk, if you again make the selections mentioned earlier in the 'Delivery' dropdown during purchase.

For CMBO/CMBB it sounds like you were having a problem with your security/anti-virus software (Vipre ?). Possibly shutting it down temporarily, then installing and licensing CMBO and CMBB and then reactivating it MAY work.

Shutting down Vipre temporarily (from 2015)

Once Vipre is re-enabled, you will want to add exceptions for CMBO/CMBB:

Adding exceptions within Vipre Home (from 2016)