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Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 13:59 Go to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
Hi,

My Stars! and my serial num is the retail ver patched to 2.60j.

Im on holiday in Greece from this Thur evening so will miss 8 turns in the game Im in. Ive just noticed the place we are staying at has 'internet facilities'.

Dont know in what capacity but if take my stars! with me and if they allow me to install it will I be able to upload my turns to autohost each day? Or will autohost not allow it for whatever reason?

(I know it sounds sad wanting to take Stars! on holiday with me but its at the very beginning of the game so it only takes me not even 10 minutes per turn and if it will work it saves me missing 8 turns and having to Q order etc) so if Autohost will allow it I will take Stars! with me so I can still turn in while in Greece. (as long as they allow me to install it anyways).

Cheers and any replies,
Phil.


[Updated on: Tue, 22 August 2006 14:02]




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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 14:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mlaub is currently offline mlaub

 
Lieutenant

Messages: 744
Registered: November 2003
Location: MN, USA
hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 12:59



Dont know in what capacity but if take my stars! with me and if they allow me to install it will I be able to upload my turns to autohost each day? Or will autohost not allow it for whatever reason?



If they allow you to install it, you are in business! Don't forget your serial #. Also, you can run it from a USB memory key. I've done that before.

The only thing you need to remember is that the stars.ini file needs to be installed on the host computer (I think, although you may be able to fake it out by putting the /windows directory on the Key?). So, if they only give you user rights, it probably won't work.

Probably erase the stars.ini when you are finished with the computer.

-Matt



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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 14:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
mlaub wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 19:25

hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 12:59



Dont know in what capacity but if take my stars! with me and if they allow me to install it will I be able to upload my turns to autohost each day? Or will autohost not allow it for whatever reason?



If they allow you to install it, you are in business! Don't forget your serial #. Also, you can run it from a USB memory key. I've done that before.

The only thing you need to remember is that the stars.ini file needs to be installed on the host computer (I think, although you may be able to fake it out by putting the /windows directory on the Key?). So, if they only give you user rights, it probably won't work.

Probably erase the stars.ini when you are finished with the computer.

-Matt


Cheers for that I will take it (and yes the serial num to heheh).

Im a bit puzzled I cant find any .ini file in my Stars! directory.

If I just take my Stars! cd, my serial num and my .h10, .m10, .x10, .xy for the game Im in and I install it all if they let me then it should work?

Cheers,
Phil.



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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 16:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mlaub is currently offline mlaub

 
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Registered: November 2003
Location: MN, USA
hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 13:40


Im a bit puzzled I cant find any .ini file in my Stars! directory.


Usually it is in the \windows directory. Example:

c:\windows\stars.ini

Quote:

If I just take my Stars! cd, my serial num and my .h10, .m10, .x10, .xy for the game Im in and I install it all if they let me then it should work?


Yes. It would be just as easy to burn a cd with your stars directory on it... That way you don't lose the original install disk! Write the SN on the disk, or put it in a text file and burn it with the rest if the files (hide it, rearrange a couple letters, put it in a stupid document no one would look at). Nothing more aggravating than having your disk, but forgeting you SN! Laughing

-Matt




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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 17:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Marduk is currently offline Marduk

 
Ensign

Messages: 345
Registered: January 2003
Location: Dayton, OH
The help file claims that the .ini file doesn't get written until the first time you do a File eXit from Stars! to close it out (instead of simply closing the program). I don't remember if that is true or not, but if you end up without a c:\windows\stars.ini file doing it any other way, then give it a try.

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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 18:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
mlaub wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 21:24

hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 13:40


Im a bit puzzled I cant find any .ini file in my Stars! directory.


Usually it is in the \windows directory. Example:

c:\windows\stars.ini

Quote:

If I just take my Stars! cd, my serial num and my .h10, .m10, .x10, .xy for the game Im in and I install it all if they let me then it should work?


Yes. It would be just as easy to burn a cd with your stars directory on it... That way you don't lose the original install disk! Write the SN on the disk, or put it in a text file and burn it with the rest if the files (hide it, rearrange a couple letters, put it in a stupid document no one would look at). Nothing more aggravating than having your disk, but forgeting you SN! Laughing

-Matt




Brilliant thanks for the help, I will do that instead (just burn my Stars! directory and everything in it onto a CD with also the serial num on the CD). Yes thats much easier than taking the install cd etc etc etc

Cheers also Marduk.

There is a stars! .ini file in my Windows directory. Well windows says its a 'configuration settings' file but I guess thats the same thing. Do I need to take file with me as well (?). I will throw it on the CD as well just incase.

Thanks for your help and Marduk's help,
Phil.


[Updated on: Tue, 22 August 2006 18:13]




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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 19:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mlaub is currently offline mlaub

 
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Messages: 744
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Location: MN, USA
hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 17:12


There is a stars! .ini file in my Windows directory. Well windows says its a 'configuration settings' file but I guess thats the same thing. Do I need to take file with me as well (?). I will throw it on the CD as well just incase.


Nope. Don't use that stars.ini file on another computer. The hash it creates is unique to each computer, IIRC. Recreating it is as simple as typing in your SN when you fire up stars on a strange computer.

If you mess up the file on your current computer, you can always recreate it, by deleting it, and firing up stars and enetering your SN again. You will lose all the personalized stuff, like orders and screen settings, tho. I always make a copy and call it stars.bak in the \windows directory.

One nice thing about bringing the stars.ini file with you is that you can edit the new one, and copy the [ZipOrders], Waypoint orders you custom create, to the newly created .ini file.

-Matt



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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Tue, 22 August 2006 20:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Marduk is currently offline Marduk

 
Ensign

Messages: 345
Registered: January 2003
Location: Dayton, OH
And don't forget to edit the .ini file by adding newreports=1 under [Misc]. For those who don't know, that gives you more complete information when saving planet and fleet reports to files. Hmm, suppose this is a candidate for the 'Must Know' topic?

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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Wed, 23 August 2006 02:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Micha

 

Messages: 2342
Registered: November 2002
Location: Belgium GMT +1
hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 20:40

If I just take my Stars! cd, my serial num and my .h10, .m10, .x10, .xy for the game Im in and I install it all if they let me then it should work?

Don't forget to take the new .h10 file back home or you'll lose 8 years of planetary data, enemy ship design etc,

mch

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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Wed, 23 August 2006 07:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
Micha wrote on Wed, 23 August 2006 07:20

hiunmaiden wrote on Tue, 22 August 2006 20:40

If I just take my Stars! cd, my serial num and my .h10, .m10, .x10, .xy for the game Im in and I install it all if they let me then it should work?

Don't forget to take the new .h10 file back home or you'll lose 8 years of planetary data, enemy ship design etc,

mch


Thanks Micha! I would have forgotten all about that actually so I would have come back home losing 8 years worth of data, designs etc Shocked

I definitely will not forget that now! They might not even have a CD burner ... actually doesnt matter I can just email the .h10 file to myself so thats cool. (thank heavens Stars! files are tiny!).

Cheers,
Phil.



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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Wed, 23 August 2006 07:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
mlaub, Marduk, Micha thanks for your replies/help. I will be OK now.

LOL I would not be surprised now tho that I get there and they wont even let me install it Mad .

Even if they dont its not the end of the world the stars! cities are spread out and its very early on so Im not in danger of any attack just hamper my expansion a little bit but Im sure I can recover.

But fingers crossed they let me install it anyways!

Cheers,
Phil.



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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Thu, 24 August 2006 11:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
vonKreedon is currently offline vonKreedon

 
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Messages: 610
Registered: March 2003
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Be sure to that the last set of orders you submit, before leaving for holiday, cover the entire 8 years in case you cannot install at the hotel. You could also ask for a standby temporary player in The Bar and then e-mail if you can't install.

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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Thu, 24 August 2006 12:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
hiunmaiden is currently offline hiunmaiden

 
Crewman 1st Class

Messages: 37
Registered: November 2004
Location: liverpool, uk
vonKreedon wrote on Thu, 24 August 2006 16:55

Be sure to that the last set of orders you submit, before leaving for holiday, cover the entire 8 years in case you cannot install at the hotel. You could also ask for a standby temporary player in The Bar and then e-mail if you can't install.


Thanks for the advice, yes my turn is in and Ive covered 8 years just incase it turns out that I cant install it in Greece.

I did think about asking for a standin player but decided against it cus I want to do well (or completely rubbish LOL) ... whichever ... in this game off my own play not someone elses help.


[Updated on: Thu, 24 August 2006 12:27]




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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Sun, 15 April 2007 21:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
bigdruid is currently offline bigdruid

 
Civilian

Messages: 3
Registered: April 2007
There are certain situations that cause the game to get cranky with serial numbers for copy protection. Can someone please spell this out for me? I am starting up a new game and have some new players and while they're all going to have their on serial #, there are several potential situations where an alternate computer may be used for one of the players and I want to make sure that we don't accidentally goof the game by doing turns on other systems.

Thanks in advance

Gary

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Re: Stars! serial num on different computer... Mon, 16 April 2007 05:03 Go to previous message
gible

 
Commander

Messages: 1343
Registered: November 2002
Location: Wellington, New Zealand

Its posted elsewhere, but the issue is that when stars write a .x file it stamps it with two hashes: the computer used and the serial used. The host stars then goes and checks that each serial is only used on one computer. There a problem tho: the computer hash is stamped when the file is created but the serial hash is stamped whenever the file is updated(or maybe when its "submitted"?) thus if you create a .x file on one computer and continue the turn on the computer of another player in the same game(who must be using a different serial)the result will be a .x file with the computer hash of the first computer and the serial hash of the second which from the host point of view will conflict with the turn naturally produced on the second computer.

The solution is to open the turn, delete the .x file and save (and submit) the turn to correct the computer hash in the .x file

You only need to do this once, just before you upload you turn to the host(SAH)

The other situation that calls for this is when you make changes after you submit your turn, otherwise orders will sometimes be ignored by the host.


[Updated on: Mon, 16 April 2007 05:04]

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