101 replies to this topic

[Adridos]

I think it's the common crash problem with Win7. I don't know if you can get it fixed, but a lot of people have it so try to look at a site like Mech3.org. If you can't find anything, then wait for the Catamount. He seems to be skilled in solving these issues.

[Catamount]

Well, only because I've encountered many errors in this game.

All I can say for certain is that Windows 7 x64 (and probably x86), Service Pack 1, completely supports Mechwarrior 3, because that OS is going to be exactly the same from one person to the next in every meaningful way. Everything beyond that is basically hardware and drivers, and usually drivers (Mech 3 doesn't like my Crossfire 5770s, but beyond that, other AMD hardware is supported, if with a small patch).


Vista I can't speak for, because I don't have a copy on me, but 7 definitely works.


Apparently this is also one of the rare cases where the compatibility mode actually does something useful, so playing with that can also sometimes yield results.

Edited by Catamount, 16 November 2011 - 03:38 PM.

[Adridos]

it didn't work.

Guess I'll give up. I can play it on my old computer after all.

[Catamount]

That's really odd.

I have none of these problems running this software, except in Wine. Windows 7 x64 has no problem running the installer or game.


I'm at a loss as to why it would work so differently on other machines running the same OS.



I could speculate that maybe Mech 3 Gold (which is what I have) somehow updated things to better run on newer OSes, but it never seemed like it; who knows.

Edited by Catamount, 18 November 2011 - 07:23 AM.

[Threat Doc]

I don't think it's only the OS, I think it might be hardware, varied drivers, some only marginally compatible, enough to run most things, but not enough to run MW3 or MC. (shrugs)

[Catamount]

Drivers probably explain better than 90% of the in-game errors, especially crashes, lockups, and rendering bugs.

Still, the installer working or the core executable at least launching should go the same regardless of these factors.


That's why I'm so confused.

[William White]

Mw4 mercs works fine i have been on it and installed it on my machine no probs wich is win 7 64.

[Lazarus Hraefncin]

I got all of my Mw4 games working perfectly on my windows 7 along with MechCommander 1 and 2, but when I try to play Mw3 i get a massive amount of screen tearring. I have ATI Ratheon, and I thought I saw Catamount talking about a similar problem, if so what do i need to do to fix this problem.

[ENDMYSUFFERING]

Yeah, someone told me about MechVM for MW2, but I'm kinda skeptical about that kind of stuff, I seem to get viruses for no reason. even though I only go to sites I know you can trust. (Youtube, Steam, etc.)

[retroboy]

either run it in compatibility mode or on DOSbox

[loganthevi]

My problem has always been 3, which is also my favourite (well, and 2 Mercenaries). My problem was never actually the game not working, but not working well with non-Mech enemies. On XP tanks and emplacements either weren't there or do this weird dropping thing, where they kinda stay at their spawn point, but keeping "jumping" into the sky (pretty high), ruins the experience, and I can't beat the 2nd mission because I need to kill a non-existant artillery gun.

[Mota Prefect]

retroboy, on 21 February 2012 - 01:13 PM, said:

either run it in compatibility mode or on DOSbox

I concur, not too long ago I was playing netmech with some OLD Grand Council buddies via DOSbox and it worked near flawlessly. The only thing that was REALLY weird was not having to shoot 4 mech lengths ahead to account for lag lol. It was great playing with old friends again and brought my right back to the hayday of netmech/GC/TKZ/Reg/Kali.

[Red October911]

Well in my case I got MW4 Mercs working + MC2

Just today I got the situation working with MW 3 on my topic thx to the help of Catamount and MoogyD:http://mwomercs.com/...738#entry236738

I suggest you visit MoogyD's post tho (2nd page), he gives a link to a youtube video. The Youtube video has a link to mediafire that gives:
1. The 1.2 patch
2. The patch that fixes any ATI graphic card problems
3. An additional patch that gives you a loader that you can use instead of MW 3.exe, you can use it to launch up MW 3 (you should put compatibility mode to windows 98/ME, I also found that disabling visual themes, desktop composition and display scaling on high DPI settings helped to make the game work better)

Also, you should (once all the above steps have been worked on) play the game with high graphics EXCEPT the resolution. For me, I used 640x280 and it seemed to work flawlessly. Try tweaking with the resolution a little (I had also tried 800x600 but it had kicked me out but was better than top resolution. If you want I can post in detail what I used as graphics)

I can't ganrentee a full repair of you're MW 3 problems since
A) I just found this out with Catamount and MoogyD's combined help, they know wayyyy more than me
B)I only got past O1 M2 (FINALLY!!!) w/o any problems (i.e. no flying apcs, no graphic errors etc.) and have yet to try any other missions so these "fixes" might not work on any other problems in futur missions (assuming there will be)

I'm currently looking for MW 3 PM help cause i also have difficulties in this too (i.e. same graphic error as MW 3 + Jump Jets that make me fall) but it seems no one ever posted any patch whatsoever for MW 3 PM (I tried using the Z-buffer patch from MW 3 on PM (since it was the same error that I was expirencing) but it ended up telling me it (being MW 3 PM) needed Direct X 7, even tho mine is like Direct X 10 (it bascially made it worst cause now PM did not want to open w/o Direct X7 installed, but it didnt seem to detect my better Direct X))

If ever I find a solution to MW 3 PM i'll post it. Time to search the catacombs of the Interwebz! XD

P.S.I really hope this works for you guys trying to run MW 3 again :3

[Red October911]

Yah just tried o1 m3 and old errors emerged once again...It's really a pain in the arse really wish there was reverse compatibility on windows

[Catamount]

Aww, it sounded like you had it working there for awhile.

You know, it's a longshot, but it might at least be something to try. Why not install Ubuntu and try running the game in Wine? A fresh start away from Windows 7 might just be what you need here, and it's easy to install (you don't need an extra drive/partition, just install on a virtual disc). Once the download was done, I couldn't imagine it taking more than a couple of hours to get setup and working.

More and more recent versions of Wine/Ubuntu seem to run it better and better according to WindHQ, so by now, it should be very playable, if with a minor glitch here or there

Edited by Catamount, 18 May 2012 - 06:45 PM.

[Red October911]

That's nice Catamount but that last endeavor just made me hang up my skates. Just seeing hours and hours on end making MW 3 work only to play 1 mission w/o glitching then the following mission just ends up screwing up all over again. It was just unbearable so I uninstalled it.

Now to anyone out there trying to fix it up again, i'm not telling you not to try, but you must have a lot of patience because as you can see, it is just troublesome to get through one mission...

(though I will admit that the steps I gave do significantly reduce glitches, there are just too many of them that keep coming back)

Edited by Red_October911, 18 May 2012 - 07:46 PM.

[Ignys]

I just found this post and got dosbox to run some MW2! Oh the nostalgia!
Thanks for the links. :>

[JazzySteel]

Catamount, on 15 November 2011 - 03:09 PM, said:

I really don't get the MW4 trouble people are having. It seems like everyone but me has these problems, and yet no computer I've ever owned has had them. My only problem in MW4 is that it refuses to connect for multiplayer in Windows 7

I have the opposite problem. I am a bug magnet (makes me good for beta testing *wink wink*) every single game I play I manage to find every glitch and problem and some that no one else has had. It took me three days to get Skyrim to run on a brand new computer that was designed to run it!! Fortunately Im an IT tech and Electrical engineer so Im able to fix or work around most problems I have.

[Fl3tcher]

Foot note for Mechwarrior 3. . this link may help

http://www.mechwarri...opic.php?t=4948

Also. . if you have the MW3 expansion Pirates Moon, that works fine under Windows 7

Edited by Fl3tcher, 22 June 2012 - 03:25 PM.

[BrotherSurplice]

I'm trying to play Mechwarrior 2 on Windows 7 64 bit with DOSBox 0.74, and have encountered a couple of problems. I downloaded the files, I don't have any of the CDs or anything

Firstly, I cannot finish or otherwise exit missions. When I get to the dropship it come up with the "press any key to exit" but then just freezes there. This happens whatever I do in a mission. If I'm killed or if I abort mission the same thing happens.

The second problem is that in the training missions I cannot hear the voice of the instructor.

Does anyone know any way that these problems could be solved? Its damned odd, as I can play the first Mechwarrior from 1989 on DOSBox just fine.