I am trying to play Myst IV on my Win 7 32-bit OS. This game came out in 2004 and I am having problems. Anytime I need to use my mouse to left or right click on anything, the game crashes to my desktop. I bring it back up and it does the same thing over and over. Naturally, I can't get the game started because of it.

The crazy things is that Myst III: Exile came out in 2001 and it plays on my Win 7 just great.

I tried the compatibilty for XP, but problem still persists. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

The tip in the ***Windows 7*** thread says to install both patches.

You might also try turning off any extra visual effects in the game options.

Thank you Jenny. I'll check out that link before I do anything. My goal is to have to turn off the extra. They are so nice!

I'll let you know ASAP

Thanks!

**question: where do I get the two patches mentioned in that thread? I tried the Ubi Soft website, but no dice.**

The Ubisoft downloads are here
http://patches.ubi.com/myst_4_revelation/

Thanks again!! LOL. I'll give it a shot :))

Well, shoot, those didn't help either. LIke I said, when I click the mouse even to start a new game, it drops to desktop. I bring it back up, click again and thud....right to desktop.

I finally uninstalled the game. I will deal with this another time. Getting late and I am tired (and disappointed) LOL.

Thank you though!!

So, you are installing from the original disks for Myst IV?

I have installed it the same way and it works well (Win7). SO, my suspicion is that this is a Video issue with your Graphics Adapter. It's hard to fault the developers whom had no idea what technology would be available years into the future.

Let's keep in contact and see if we can get thru this. :-)

Dadguy

Cissy have you tried playing in compatibility mode? Sometimes that's all it takes for me to get a game to play.
Also I have found that sometimes when you try and open the game from the icon on the desktop it doesn't always work. Opening the game from the "program files" might.
Make sure you close all Defender and antispy ware programs before you play. Any program running in the background can cause it to drop to the desktop. It has happened to me.

Oh! I am not blaming the developers at all! No sir. My graphics card is all up to date with the drivers. I am using nVidia GForce 9600 GT. I will try what the next poster says.
Thanks, Dadguy!

Yes, definately tried the Compatibility mode which suggests XP sp 2 or XP sp 3. Neither helped. So, I will reinstall the game, open from Programs rather than the desktop. I will close Defender as well Thank you.

I'll get back to you and Dadguy as well later when I get a chance to test this out.
Thank you'all so much

**UPDATE** Well, shoot again. I have tried everything 6 ways to Sunday (for you younger folk that expression means a LOT LOL) Still same problem. For example, after the opening where Atrus speaks about his sons, I click New Game. The game drops to desktop. I bring it up and it continues until I try to use the camera when Yeesha stops so I can take a picture. When I click the anywhere, it drops to desktop. I bring it up, we continue to the front door of Atrus and Catherine's house. I click to open the door, game drops to desktop.

Obviously, I can't keep doing that. LOL. I unstalled for the umpteenth time. Going over to XP to install just for the hell of it.

Thanks, everyone, but it seems to be a lost cause. I can only do this so much, then I give up
Happy Easter!

If it works, that would probably be easiest.
It would be good to know why it works in Windows 7 on one computer and crashes on the other. Is it due to a difference in video card, in drivers, or in something related to Windows 7?

Well, it worked last year on XP and I have since "upgraded" my video card. ::sigh:: same thing happened on my XP. I tried w/o the patches and with the patches. No change.

I actually had saved one of the patches in a folder on XP so apparently when I played this before, I used the patch. It was the updated patch to go from V1.00 to V3.

Anyway, I have concluded that it's my video card. I am not going to change video cards for this game, of course. I am so disappointed.

Now, just for the heck of it, I am going to install Myst V and see if it also has same problem :::HUGE sigh::

Thanks!

Just because I'm curious about this issue, I installed my Myst IV Revelation game and played for about an hour. I didn't change anything at all and didn't install any patches. I have the 2 DVD version.

My video card is an Nvidia GTX 260 which - at least a year ago - is a fairly powerful video card. I didn't have a single issue with video, sound or gameplay.

Draclvr
I shouldn't have these problems either especially when I can play even Grim Fandango on my Win 7! LOL.

I decided not to give up, so when I get time later, I am still going to work on this. I wish GOG.com has Myst IV and V for that matter. They have Myst and Riven, that's it.

Thanks!

Have you run Ccleaner on the registry after an uninstall of the game? I've had bits of a game left over after an uninstallation that caused problems when I reinstalled.

Then just to say you tried everything, you might think about actually installing in XP compatibility mode, not just playing it. I can't remember which game it was, but I finally got it working that way. Just find the executable file in the game folder, right click and click on Troubleshoot Compatibility.

Yes, registry cleaned out of the bits. I always do that when uninstalling something

I haven't tried installing it that way...at least I don't think so. I am worked this thing so many ways, I am not sure! LOL. However, I will put the game back on and intall as you suggest. Will let you know!

**UPDATE** dang!, same exact thing. And, Myst V: End of Ages won't play at all. I get an "access error" when trying to "PLAY". I am so surprised about all of this. Even Blackstone Chronicles.....another oldie played perfectly on my Win 7 32-bit. How sad. I so looked forward to playing both of them again. Even XP won't let them play. So, I KNOW it's got to be in my video card for these two particular games. What that could be, I don't know.

Of course I am not replacing my video card for these two games I have played in the past.

I want to thank all those who offered help, but now that I have pulled all my hair out, I need to cool it for awhile and think about what this could be. As much as I enjoy troubleshooting my computer, this is exasperating me! LOL.

Later!

Cissy are you sure you do not have any programs running in the background? Be sure you close all programs including Defender and antispyware when you install the game and while playing. Defender will interfere with the install as well as playing.

I wonder if a program is interfering - one last thing. Try to install in Safe Mode. Jenny or Inland will know more, but a 9600 GT should be able to run this older game.

Yep, been there, done that, Kaki. ::sigh:: but my brain is still in gear. I'll figure this out. Getting something to work is a challenge, but I figure it CAN be done LOL.

Thanks, tho. Much appreciated!!

Draclvr
You know this safe mode stuff doesn't always work. I mean getting to Safe Mode. They say to press a certain key, but it never gets there.

Now, when my machine messes up.....then Safe Mode will come up when you don't want it to! LOL.

I still have some hair and graycells left that are working on a solution....I hope

I will triple check about programs running in background that may interfere. As of yet, there doesn't seem to be any. I even closed down ones in taskbar to be sure..including Windows Defender, Firewall, etc.

Thanks! :D\

**latest update**...tried again, failed again, no matter what I do..... The good news is, URU End of Ages works perfectly w/o using any compatibility changes. Weird, huh?

I won't post anymore unless I have good news about Myst IV or someone offers another solution for me to try. In the meantime, I will continue exploring avenues and play URU once again.

Thanks so much for such fantastic suppport as usual from Gameboomers' members!
Cheers and Happy Easter!

Cissy, for most computers, if you repeatedly tap the F8 key as soon as you turn it on, you should get to the Safe Mode screen.

I will try that Draclvr......definately..... and get back to let you know. I think I will try it later after I do some other things that work! LOL.

Thanks!!!

Cissy I seem to remember reading something about "copy protection" interfering with this game. I had some notes from a post back in 2004 on gameboomers that said "this game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some DVD-RW and virtual drives."
Maybe some here knows how to get around it.

Just to put my bit in, I have played all the Myst series on XP with nVidia 9600, and I had no problems, I no longer have that computer so I can't really help, but nVidia didn't seem to affect me.

Monbron, me too on all other games except Myst IV and V. I am "mystified" Sorry, icky pun And, Uru plays great....

It will get figured out especially after my hair grows back in ;-)

Kaki, I also read that in the booklet for the game. It did occur to me and if that's the case (I think I do have different DVD drives than i did when playing the games on my XP), then, of course, nothing I can do about that. Very very weird. I'm still working on it. In the meantime, I am playing URU: Ages Beyond Myst....which works great in Win 7 w/o using Compatibility. Go figure.

Thanks!!!

**UPDATE**...sometimes I don't think when I get involved in trying to troubleshoot something. I am testing the game out on my husband's computer! If it works there, I don't know it that means video card or the DVD burners. I suspect video. Anyway, I'llget back to let you know.

***UPDATE 2**. Works perfectly on his Win 7 32-bit. He has a diff video card, but it's high end like mine. It doesn't do me any good on his computer b/c we do our own things all day long. Very inconvenient to use someone else's puter. Back to the drawing board for mine.