posted
I've tried installing this POS on two different computers. On one computer, it wouldn't install correctly, and now every time I put the disk in, it asks me to uninstall. So I uninstall.
The next time I try to install the game, it asks me to uninstall again. No amount of deleting files and cleaning the registry will convince the game to do anything but try and uninstall
OK, not easily daunted, I tried to install on a second computer. What do you know, it installed. But wait! HOMM V would not succumb so easily to my desire to play it!
On this computer, every time I play, after 15 minutes it completely freezes my computer. It crashes so hard I have to push the off button and restart the machine.
Keep in mind, all my other software seems to work fine. I play other games for a reasonable amount of time (except Star Wars: Empire at War, which also sucks and crashes a lot). It's clear to me that Heroes of Might and Magic 5 is a crappy, crappy game.
Where's the flipping off incompetent software developers icon when you need it?
Don't buy it, unless you enjoy a $50 door stop in the shape of a game box. You might want to warn your friends as well.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I'm thinking I might side with Tom on this one. Empire at War works perfectly on every computer I've seen play it. Out of curiousity, what are the specs on these computers?
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Yeah, casting my vote with what Tom said. I regularly visit a games forum where they were talking about this game, and I've read nothing but praise for it.
Posts: 143 | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Have you visited the customer support forum for either game? There are significant complaints for both. These games were released with significant, game-breaking bugs.
Insulting a man's computers? That's just rude. I've built and fixed computers professionally for 9 years. It's not my computers.
One's a Pentium 1.6ghz with 756 ram, 64MB Radeon 9800 Pro. Well within system specs. The other is a laptop, 1.8ghz, 512 ram, 64MB ATI mobile card. I have clean driver installs for all the cards. Latest DirectX, etc.
Are you seriously going to contend that a game which refuses to uninstall is the fault of the computer? Did you read the part where I manually cleaned the registry and deleted every reference to the game, and it still wouldn't uninstall?
It's clearly poor programming. VERY poor programming.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Okay, so you obviously didn't pay any attention to the system requirements...From Ubisoft's store...
quote: System Requirements: Supported OS: Windows® 2000/XP (only) Processor: Pentium® 4 or AMD AthlonTM 1.5 GHz (Pentium® 4 2.4 GHz recommended) RAM: 512 MB (1 GB recommended) Video Card: DirectX® 9 compliant w/ 64MB RAM (128 MB recommended) Sound Card: DirectX® 9 compliant DirectX Version: DirectX® 9 or higher (included on disc) CD-ROM: 12X CD-Rom or better Hard Drive Space: 2+ GB Multiplay: Broadband internet connection
And those are the absolute MINIMUM! You're just barely above spec for your processor. Your vid card is at minimum spec, your RAM is just above minimum spec on one comp, just at minimum for the other spec. Perhaps you haven't yet realized that minimum specs for modern games are extremely low. At the very least you should have the recommended specs for proper operation. Anything below that and you're more likely to have problems.
Further, I've been building and fixing computer professionally for 10 years, and I've come to realize that the technicians who think it's entirely the software's fault are the worst techs in the world. I'm not saying that the programmers aren't remotely at fault, but don't you think that since so many people are able to run these programs you're having trouble with without any problems means nothing at all? Perhaps the software isn't completely compatible with your hardware. Is that the programmers fault? Do you expect them to optimize the software for every conceivable hardware combination out there? That's why they have recommended specs. You go below recommended specs and you run the risk of taxing your hardware too much. Further, doesn't the fact that you could install the software on one computer and not another mean anything to you? Uninstall routines can get screwed up pretty easilly. I've had many occasions where I've seen software that just simply wouldn't uninstall. Norton's Internet Destroyer is one that comes to mind.
edit to add: And how long has it been since you've done a system format? Oh, and the reason that the uninstall entry is still showing up is because you have to delete the uninstall directory in C:\Windows that corresponds to the software as well as removing all the registry entries.
[ May 27, 2006, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: Boris ]
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Hey Boris, is it really necessary to insult me personally? What joy do you get from trying to knock me when I'm just trying to warn people away from a game that's performing horribly and giving me no end of headache?
See where it says "System Requirements?" The word requirements should clue you in that in order to run the game, those are the REQUIRED components. You'll see that it does not say "Unless you have significantly more powerful system, the game will crash all the time."
If they say that these are the minimums, the game should run on those, period. It isn't that it runs slowly, or that I have to turn the graphics down. It crashes every single time I run it on one computer, and on the other computer it refuses to install.
I did mention before that I run a dozen other games, many with nearly identical system requirements, and they all work fine. I also mentioned that my system runs perfectly without crashes or need for restarts.
I can see how you're obviously a wonderful tech though, if someone installs a program when the rest of their computer runs fine, and you blame the computer for the program crashing.
Come on man, reading comprehension!
quote: No amount of deleting files and cleaning the registry will convince the game to do anything but try and uninstall
I know I shouldn't expect much, since you're more interested in insulting me than engaging in a conversation, but I do know how to uninstall a game. The "deleting files" there referred to cleaning every reference of the game from every drive on my computer.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Now in all fairness, a game shouldn't crash or demand to be uninstalled just because a system has the minimum rather than the recommended spec. Slow framerates, load delays, even video and sound stuttering? Maybe. Crashing? No.
It sounds to me like maybe whatever Ubisoft got to replace StarForce copy protection (at haste) may not have been an improvement.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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I wonder about the copy protection myself. Considering the uninstall problem I'm running into (several other people on the tech support forums report the same exact issue), I wonder if their copy protection has installed a rootkit or similar nasty program, which has made hidden and undocumented changes to my system, preventing me from removing it cleanly and completely.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
MC, I'm wondering what "uninstall problem" you're having. You say you've deleted all references to it from your system and your registry; if that's the case, it won't appear in your list of installed programs to BE uninstalled. And, moreover, you wouldn't really NEED to uninstall it.
If you've done both those things already, what further uninstallation are you trying to do?
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Here's the problem: I've uninstalled it, and I mean I've gone to lots of trouble to attempt to make sure my computer never knew that the game was there. The reason that I did this, is because I want to be able to RE-install a clean version of the game and try to make it work.
The problem is that every time I put in the game and attempt to install it, the only option the game gives me is to UNinstall. But it's already uninstalled.
As far as I can tell, that computer will now never be able to run that game, short of a full reformat. That is the mother of all programming errors, when it's impossible to get the game off the computer, and impossible to put it back on. It's not there, but the game always acts like it's still installed, so I can't install it.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
That's intriguing, and I agree that it's possible a rootkit could be the culprit. It's more likely that we're missing a registry key and/or system file somewhere, though. Do you have System Restore enabled?
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Maybe a registry cleaner is in order? I've never experienced this particular problem myself, so this amounts to a best guess. Some value embedded somewhere, claiming the game has or hasn't been installed.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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