Does Bryce 5 run properly under Windows Vista?

define 'properly' ?

if I may give my 2 cents:  the same question is asked a lot of our Project Dogwaffle, especially with the latest PD Pro 5 release a few weeks ago.

The challenges that occasionally prop up with installing on Vista, or on win7, are very often related to UAC. With User Account Control enabled, there are certain things that a program might want to do which are not allowed by UAC, such as installing a new subfolder or additional files inside the folder where the program is installed. For example, if you launch the program and it tries to create a Temp subfolder in its own instalation folder, you could get an error message like "unknown error - quitting" or similar, because the creation of the folder was denied by UAC. Programs like Bryce 5.0 (or perhaps still also 5.5) and others from 4-5 years ago may have not been developed FOR smooth installation and use under Vista with UAC. However, you can often still make them work there to, such as we see with PD Pro. Even the old free version of Dogwaffle 1.2, dating back 6 years, based on Visual Basic 5 code, runs fine under win7 or Vista, even on the 64-bit versions.

Sometimes you'll want to install as administrator: instead of double-clicking the installer file, right-click it, and select Run As Administrator...

Sometimes you'll want to run the installed program as Administrator too, at least just once, so that it can override the UAC restrictions and create its needed subfolders. That works in 99% of the cases for PD Pro. Bryce may work the same way.

If you're looking for a getting started tutorial on Bryce 5 I have one or two and some links to others at www.thebest3d.com/bryce :
http://www.thebest3d.com/bryce/bryce-gallery-and-resources.html#Tutorials

Try the Getting started tutorial and send us feedback here if you will?
http://www.thebest3d.com/pdp/tutorials/bryce101/index.html

Hope this helps

-Philip

uketutu.com - now on iPhone too

I suspect that to achieve this you'll need to use all the common workarounds :-

1. Don't install under "Program Files"
2. "Run as Administrator"
3. Use an appropriate compatability mode when running the EXE
4. May need to be added to the DEP exclusion list
5. Upgrade to a newer version (5.5 is available free, 6 may have been on a cover disc, 7 you'd have to pay for)

good pointers. On 64-bit versions there's also a 'Program Files (x86)' alternative. If that also fails to install or run thereafter, you could install under one of the folders that you have total ownership of, something you create in 'My Documents' or equivalent, or a folder on the desktop. That way you know that UAC won't interfere. Still, UAC may interfere with installation of some .dll's or ocx's or other items normally going into the System32 folder or other system area. That you may need UAC disabled for at least temporarily. I don't recommend UAC disabled constantly. UAC has its reasons and they're valid for security against trojans and other malware.

Compatibility mode: excellent point.

There's also nin windows 7 a thing called Desktop Compositions, you may need to disable that too. Try with it, then without it. Look at the other options in this Compatility panel, this one is win7, Vista may not have all these options... See image attached.

If the program was made for and tested with XP sp2, you may want to run it in compatibility mode for XP SP2. The screenshot example shows SP3, which is more restricting in some ways than SP2.

Yes get at least 5.5, free.

I have 5.5 running under Win 7, so I should think 5 would run perfectly under Vista.
I haven't used any compatibility check or so.
Just installed it and it works.
It runs nicely next to Bryce 6.1 and Bryce 7. :-)

Corrie

Quote - good pointers. On 64-bit versions there's also a 'Program Files (x86)' alternative.

That's no better then "Program Files".

Quote - > Quote - good pointers. On 64-bit versions there's also a 'Program Files (x86)' alternative.

That's no better then "Program Files".

I don't think you want to install into 'Program Files' if you're installing a 32-bit version of a program on a 64-bit system. That's what the x86 version of Program Files is for.

Of course, if you install a program that only expects to be working in Program Files and only on C: drives then there's not much choice, but many programs will give you choices, and when it comes to a 64-bit system, there's a reason why they created a x86 legacy folder separate from the normal one. Granted, you can ignore it. It's just another folder, no magic there as far as I know. Just good housekeeping sense. And in this particular case if it turns out that some modules of Bryce 5.5 look specifically in Program Files, then I'll say Amen, you'll be better off installing in Program Files. I'm just preaching what should normally be done.

In theory, theory and practice are the same. But in practice, they may very well be different  ;-)

Quote - I don't think you want to install into 'Program Files' if you're installing a 32-bit version of a program on a 64-bit system. That's what the x86 version of Program Files is for.

There is no "magic" associated with either of those locations, it's just a placement convention, whether an EXE is treated as 64-bit or 32-bit is determined by the subsystem flags in the EXE header.

Running 5 on mine no problems what so ever.

Also have B5 running on mine, and Windows 7. No troubles at all.

--Death

My query is why would anyone run Vista...I've noticed only every 2nd release from M$ is worth getting...I jumped from XP to Win7 and just deleted Vista from my last box [one f the two stolen computers and installed XP Pro] and am happily rinning Win 7 on my new box.. ....

times are tough, not everyone can afford to buy the next better thing.

Guess I got lucky and had my XP computers stolen and had to borrow money to by the new one with Win7 Home Premium installed...had it had Vista installed I'm afraid I'd have washed the HDD and just installed XP all over again...Not meaning to make anyone feel poorly but I discovered the every second release theory around the Vista release when I back checked what was a good OS and which were bummers.. ...

Dunno about all the fuss with Vista is since I never had any troubles with it on any of my machines that have it, including this laptop. But I do rather Win7. Computers are complex machines and anything minor that goes wrong can domino into something that can bring the whole system to a crawl. However, I'm currently battling Win Server 2008 and some mysterious auto-update that screwed up my settings. Now there I can understand fuss! Grrrr  :-)

--Death

On computers that run a 64 bit Windows (XP64, Vista, and Windows 7), Program Files is for 64 bit programs like Vue 6 Infinite 64 bit and higher versions. 32 bit code will not run from this folder. You have to install to Program Files (X86), which will automatically invoke WoW (Windows on Windows) 32 bit emulator.

Both of these folders are secure under Vista and Windows 7. This means that all user content must be outside of those folders, usually under My Documents.

In Linux and UNIX, there is the /user partition where all of each user's stuff goes. I would imagine there is something similar in Mac OS X, which is a BSD UNIX.

Quote - On computers that run a 64 bit Windows (XP64, Vista, and Windows 7), Program Files is for 64 bit programs like Vue 6 Infinite 64 bit and higher versions. 32 bit code will not run from this folder. You have to install to Program Files (X86), which will automatically invoke WoW (Windows on Windows) 32 bit emulator.

There is nothing "magical" about either folder, placement of EXEs in either is just a convention (otherwise installing in other non-"Program Files" folders wouldn't work), the EXE itself has information in the header which determines the subsystem it runs under.

Invoke is a term used in computing as well. I never mentioned nor implied magic in any sense.

My experience with computers and computing goes back to the days when only mainframes existed.

Microsoft began using two Program Files folders with XP Professional X64 Edition. More than likely to keep 32 and 64 bit programs separate, in case you have both versions installed (if there are 32 and 64 bit of the same program that can be installed on the same machine).

Quote - Microsoft began using two Program Files folders with XP Professional X64 Edition. More than likely to keep 32 and 64 bit programs separate, in case you have both versions installed (if there are 32 and 64 bit of the same program that can be installed on the same machine).

Agreed, but what you said originally about EXEs in the wrong directory not running isn't correct.

Substitute version 5 with 5.5 and you should be good to go.