Shockwave games wont run on Windows 7 Ultimate

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

hello!

hi, im new! sorry if i do something wrong in this post xD please just let me know and i will remember for next time.

ok, so my issue is with Shockwave games downloaded and played with an Unlimited account. the download goes through fine and the install finishes cleanly (or so im assuming). but when i try to get the game running it crashes and shows this error message:



i am on a laptop that is running Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit. im fairly sure its related to my OS since everything was fine before i upgraded from Vista Home Premium. however, im a basic user and i dont know anything about what goes on behind the screen :3


thanks in advanced for everyones help!
-wr0ngf00t4ward

 

[SlasherIT]

Uninstall Adobe Shockwave. Re-install it again.

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

ah thanks for the reply, but unfortunately that didnt help :L

 

[SlasherIT]

The problem may lie with the Shockwave game you have and not Shockwave itself. Can you try another Shockwave program to see if you still get the error or not?

Slasher

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

i was actually on the Shockwave forums for a while looking to see if anyone was having this issue... i didnt have much luck finding anything :L so yeah ive tried a couple other games as well and the same error comes up:



whats interesting is when i go with "check online for a solution" this little window pops up:



when the bar clears, the window disappears... but then nothing else happens. when i try the game again the same error pops up.

i hope that was helpful?

 

[JaidynM]

Install the latest DirectX available for your computer.
How to Download and Install DirectX

Also download the latest nVidia or ATI drivers for your graphics card.
Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers
AMD Graphics Drivers & Software

If you have onboard graphics, update them instead. It's hard to find the cause of this problem without your system specs. Could you please fill them out (the following link will help you)?
http://www.sevenforums.com/256049-post4.html

 

[SlasherIT]

Updating DirectX won't really help as its using the Shockwave runtime, not DirectX, but updating it won't hurt.

You can try updating the GPU, but I doubt that would fix it, again, updating won't hurt.

Can you try uninstalling Shockwave with Revo Uninstaller.

Download and install Revo Uninstaller Download Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems (Check out this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/106594-revo-uninstaller-freeware-uninstall-programs.html on how to uninstall with it).

After you uninstalled with Revo, try installing Shockwave again.

 

[Gornot]

im fairly sure its related to my OS since everything was fine before i upgraded from Vista Home Premium.

Are you absolutely sure you did an upgrade instead of a Clean Install? Because that may just be your problem. Ever since Win7 came out, I've been hearing about all sorts of problems people had with games and applications because they upgraded from Vista instead of wiping it and doing a clean install of WIn7. Actually doing a clean install after fixed most, if not all of their problems. So that may just be your problem, and the solution.

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

sorry everyone, i had to step out for a little while...



JaidynM:

sorry about that, i totally forgot to add my specs. ive filled out the info to the best of my ability. however, i had a bit of a problem figuring out how much RAM i have:



as you can see it says 'not available' for installed RAM... i know the laptop was sold with 2GB or RAM. now im about to be very unhelpful, please bear with me xD about 5-6 months ago my boyfriend helped me add a new card and i cant remember if it was 1GB or 2GB. so the total RAM should be atleast 3GB. the guy at Fry's said my system wouldnt recognize anything over 3GB and i didnt really understand what he meant by that, my boyfriend did all the talking anyway, i would look but ive never opened the computer before and im hesitant to do it by myself... if its really necessary i could shutdown and try but i wont unless i really really have to xD

in regards to Direct X, i believe i have the latest version:



also something i found in DxDiag:



when i was still using Vista, a friend showed me how to use the Catalyst Controller to make my screen brighter so i could see in super dark dungeons in Diablo II while playing a few weeks, ago i realized it was gone. after some snooping i learned that Windows 7 doesnt particularly like my Video Card. so i did some forum diving and found something marked for Windows XP that works alright for me. this is the Catalyst Controller i have now:





SlasherIT:

im sorry, i dont know what you mean by updating the GNU. could you clarify?

also, i uninstalled Shockwave with the Revo Uninstaller and then reinstalled Shockwave, but the same error window comes up :L



i also failed to mention that when i try to run the game, i see no signs of the game trying to boot up (game window, loading screen, no black screen or screen resolution change).

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

Gornot:

actually i believe it was a clean install... after backing up everything important on my drive, my boyfriend emptied it out and started totally from scratch. i dont know the exact specifics involved, but all the Toshiba stuff that was preinstalled when i bought the laptop have been removed. i remember a boot disc being made and all the hassles involved with it... i also recall an issue involving a Service Pack, which required clearing it out and redoing everything...

i want to say im about 95% sure he cleaned Vista off before installing 7...

sorry i cant be more specific, my boyfriend did all of the actual work and hes out of town on business xD i try to be observant when he does all these things so i can do some stuff by myself, but i have trouble remembering all the small details...

ps: it was decided that updating to 7 would be best done after adding new RAM, so this was all done at the same time.

 

[Gornot]

Yup, you pretty much described a clean install perfectly

Now, since I've re-read all the previous posts, there is one last thing I might suggest:

Right click on a game you wish to play (the .exe file or shortcut on the desktop)
Go to Properties
Go to Compatibility tab
Check "disable desktop composition"
Check "run this program as an administrator" (just in case)

If it doesn't work, try checking Compatibility mode and choose either Vista or XP from the list below. Here's an example of what I mean:



Not sure if that'll do it, but it may just be worth a shot.

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

Gornot:

haha yeah, i use the term 'update' fairly loosely. i realize this can be misleading. the manner of the OS change was something i didnt calculate when assessing this situation and recalling that unstable transition not too long ago reminds me of the issues we had to deal with, both during and for a short time after. its been a while since and 7 has been running quite beautifully, so i didnt think to make that connection xD

anyway, running as admin and changing compatibility modes is actually something i used very recently when i had issues with Raptor: Call of the Shadows! so im quite familiar with it and use it regularly (usually checking 'run as admin' fixes it).

'run as admin' didnt change anything :L HOWEVER, when i checked 'disable desktop composition' (never tried checking this box before) and ran it in compatibility mode for Vista, XP (i tried both service pack 2 and 3) SOMETHING happened! the screen blinked and blacked out for a split second, then went back to normal. there were a few black spaces left but refreshing the desktop and moving my windows got rid of them.

sorry to say, but thats all i got xD

ps: i tried with all the compatibility modes i have available, and the only thing that would change is the duration of the black screen, and the number of times my screen would blink...

 

[JaidynM]

Updating DirectX won't really help as its using the Shockwave runtime, not DirectX, but updating it won't hurt.

I know, but it's a start.

however, i had a bit of a problem figuring out how much RAM i have:

Hit Win+Pause Break/Pause and that should tell you how much memory you have. Look at the screenshot if you need help.




Also try uninstalling and then installing Shockwave.
Games | FREE Online Games & Download Games | Play Games on Shockwave

Could you also try opening Firefox and playing a flash game? This game for example. If you don't have Firefox, download it from one of the links below.
Get More From Your Firefox
Mozilla Firefox - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

just had an interesting discovery!

after a quick call to my boyfriend, he confirmed that i should have 3GBs of RAM. he then suggested i boot with each stick separately to figure out which stick was which (the labels on the stick dont have the RAM capacity, wtf?!) and then putting the larger stick (1.87GB) in the first slot and the smaller stick (875MB) in the next slot. NOW im getting a 2.87GB RAM reading. interesting how switching slots made that difference... and i actually feel quite foolish for not noticing this before! does that mean my extra RAM wasnt being used all this time?!

sadly, this did not change the situation with the game :L



JaidynM:

uninstalling/reinstalling Shockwave didnt make a difference, sadly :L

also, that game, and several other browser games work fine. in both Google Chrome (which i use most often) and Firefox i have no problems.

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

just thought id throw in a few more words before shutting down for the night (holy crap, its 1AM!!!)



ive been forum diving all day and it seems this issue is not new, nor has it been resolved in many cases.

the users afflicted range from Windows 7 users, XP users, Vista users to Windows '98 users. they are also getting this error with other download games from BigFish and other sites.

there are also a range of users who say that they only experience this issue on one OS and not on another OS. one person i spoke with said that their Windows 7 machine works fine but the laptop running Vista was getting the error. from my own personal experience, i didnt have this problem until getting Windows 7, and my moms laptop currently running Vista Home Premium also has no issues.

i found this interesting solution on one forum, and while it has worked for a few people, its not solved my issue:



actually for me, this was already set that way and i made no changes



i tried downloading games from BigFish. the games download fine, and the game manager installs and opens ok. the game manager then downloads and installs the games, which finishes ok. however, when the game manager says its in the activation process this error pops up, and pops up repeatedly (even when one error window is still open):



i wait for the activation process to finish and when the 'play now' option appears and i click it, the same error appears, and the game will not play:



sorry if im being redundant, i just want to cover all the bases.

i have contacted Shockwave. the solutions they replied with are just reiterations of everything you guys have suggested. their last email simply said that this issue has not been solved and they dont know when they can get around to fixing it...

i also want to clarify that its not the browser games im having difficulty with. i have no issues loading games or anything in my internet browsers. its the games downloaded, install onto my computer and run from my games folder that are being troublesome.



so in summary, i have tried uninstalling and reinstalling DirectX, Shockwave, Flash and the games in question. i have tried running the games as administrator and i have tried running them in several compatibility modes. and most recently, i tried the DEP setting above (actually didnt change anything but its worth mentioning).

while some folks in the forums i have visited have found these methods to successfully solve their problems, other threads merely die out with no resolution. i understand that if this issue has no real solution at this time, that it cant be helped. i wont give up, it just means ill have to find ways around it by using other machines and occasionally trying again with mine.

in the case that this thread does die, i just want to thank you guys for your help! youve been really understanding and patient with me (some people on forums are just plain mean </3) and i really appreciate it!

 

[Gornot]

Don't worry, as long as you post back with your discoveries, the thread won't die, there will always be someone to reply

Now I am thinking that, since running Shockwave in a web browser works fine, that the issue may be with the BigFish download manager instead of the game. Now some of aforementioned methods (such as running the app as admin) applies to the download manager, too; not that I want to waste your time or anything, but it might be worth something using some of the compatibility tab options on the download manager itself.

 

[SlasherIT]

GPU= Graphics Card. You have an AMD graphics card, so go check for the latest update here: AMD Graphics Drivers & Software

Also, a solution to this, (albeit a bit drastic) is to completely start fresh and install Windows 7 again. You most likely won't need to do this, but if all our suggestions don't help, this would be the most likely solution to work...

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

Gornot:

yeah, im keeping my eyes out on here and several other forums for solutions. if/when i find one i will surely post it here to end the thread, and also to share for anyone who has the same issues

i found out that even though the Bigfish game shortcuts on the desktop open the game manager (supposed to, all i get is errors on mine), right clicking on them to get to the properties doesnt yield the same options as right clicking on the Shockwave games:



meaning i cant change compatibility modes. i did find the Bigfish Game Manager, as you suggested, and fiddled with those options with no luck. the game manager will open and show me the games, but when i try to play them its back to square one.



SlasherIT:

i went there and got the driver... i dont notice a difference between the new one and the one i had but it installed ok and everything. still no go, though :L

restarting fresh with 7 is something i considered. i wouldnt want to go that far just to get a game running. if it were a program i needed to work with for school or work then yeah, but a game can be done without. so for now, that option stays open.

 

[SlasherIT]

Applying compatibility mode's to the Bigfish Manager will actually do nothing to help run the game any better, as all the Bigfish Manager does is launch the games.

Slasher

 

[wr0ngf00t4ward]

yeah, i didnt think so. but everything is worth trying at this point. theres no way to use compatibility mode on the games themselves either... :L