Support
Installing the GWX3 GOLD Add-on for Silent Hunter 3
You must install GWX3 GOLD over a CLEAN, UNMODIFIED installation of Silent Hunter 3 with the latest patch (1.4b) installed.
- You do not need any previous version of "The Grey Wolves" or GWX. GWX3 GOLD completely supersedes all previous versions.
- You can use JSGME to activate other mods after you install GWX3 (including GWX3's optional mods), but not the core GWX3 add-on itself. JSGME is included with the GWX3 GOLD installation.
Step-by-step instructions for Windows XP users
- SH3 COMMANDER users: press the "Rollback SH3" button and exit SH3 Commander.
This will remove any modifications SH3 Commander has made to your Silent Hunter 3 games files. You don't need to remove SH3 Commander, but AFTER you have installed GWX3 GOLD, please make sure you are using the latest version and have installed the GWX3 Config files for SH3 Commander. - JSGME users: disable all mods and exit JSGME.
JSGME will be re-installed when you install GWX3 GOLD. IMPORTANT - if you want to keep any mods you've used with JSGME, please make sure you back up your 'MODS' folder (default location is C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\MODS ) - Open 'Add or Remove Programs' in your control panel, and remove 'Silent Hunter III'
Alternatively, you can use the un-install option on the SH3 DVD (on the menu that appears after you insert the disc). - Make sure the un-install process has removed the following folders:
- The 'SilentHunterIII' folder in C:\Program Files\Ubisoft
- The 'SH3' folder in 'My Documents'
- Re-install Silent Hunter 3.
- Apply the latest patch (1.4b).
If you need guidance on which version of the 1.4b patch to use, please read these notes. - Download the GWX installation files to your desktop (or wherever you wish to store them).
You must ensure all 8 installation files are placed in the same folder. - Run 'GWX.exe' and follow the installation instructions.
Step-by-step instructions for Windows VISTA users
- SH3 COMMANDER users: press the "Rollback SH3" button and exit SH3 Commander.
This will remove any modifications SH3 Commander has made to your Silent Hunter 3 games files. You don't need to remove SH3 Commander, but AFTER you have installed GWX3 GOLD, please make sure you are using the latest version and have installed the GWX3 Config files for SH3 Commander. - JSGME users: disable all mods and exit JSGME.
JSGME will be re-installed when you install GWX3 GOLD. IMPORTANT - if you want to keep any mods you've used with JSGME, please make sure you back up your 'MODS' folder (default location is C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\MODS ) - To remove 'Silent Hunter III', double-click the "Uninstall" icon that was created when you installed SH3.
Alternatively, open "Programs and Features" in your Control Panel, and remove 'Silent Hunter III'. - Make sure the un-install process has removed the following folders:
- The 'SilentHunterIII' folder in C:\Users\\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\SilentHunterIII
- The 'SH3' folder in 'My Documents'
- Re-install Silent Hunter 3.
We recommend you install it outside of the "\Program Files" folder - Apply the latest patch (1.4b) by right-clicking the patch file and selecting 'Run as administrator'.
If you need guidance on which version of the 1.4b patch to use, please read these notes. - Verify you installed the patch correctly by running the game.
If the game fails to run, download and install the StarForce Vista update from the StarForce developers' site. - Download the GWX installation files to your desktop (or wherever you wish to store them).
You must ensure all 8 installation files are placed in the same folder. - Run 'GWX.exe' as you would any other program and follow the installation instructions.
You can run optional tools like SH3 Commander, JSGME, SH3Gen, etc. provided you run them as an 'Administrator' after you have installed them.
For greater familiarity with Windows Vista system security issues that may affect Silent Hunter 3, we recommend reading up on the Microsoft Vista "User Account Control" and "File Virtualization" features.
Frequently Asked Questions
“What other mods are compatible with GWX3 GOLD?”
GWX3 GOLD is a 'supermod' - an integrated package of many smaller mods - and as such it's not compatible with any other 'supermod'.
However, there are many other mods that affect specific aspects of the game (e.g. sound, graphics, interface, etc.) that you can safely use with GWX3 GOLD. Check the documentation for information about compatibility with GWX3 - or ask the author of the mod.
We cannot assure the compatibility of GWX with any other modification due to the time required to perform adequate compatibility testing – which would take us away from the time needed to add (and test) more GWX improvements.
For further information on other Silent Hunter mods, take a look at:
- The SH3 Mods Workshop in the Subsim forums
- Beyond The Shadows mod hosting website
“Do I have to pay to download GWX3 GOLD?”
No. Our Silent Hunter add-ons are free to download and use, and always will be.
We only ask that you abide by the terms of our Licence Agreement:
- Do not distribute any version of our expansion pack in whole or in part on CD-ROM, disk, or other physical media for a fee without the permission of the individual authors.
- Do not include any version of our expansion pack in whole or in part within other modifications ("mods") without the express permission of the individual mod authors and artists.
“I have a slow Internet connection. Is there any other way to get the GWX3 GOLD installation files?”
Yes, we'll gladly send you the files on disc!
Send a Private Message (PM) to a Grey Wolves team member at the Subsim or Ubisoft Silent Hunter forums to request a copy of GWX3 GOLD on DVD.
“How can I improve the quality of the game's 3D graphics?”
Silent Hunter 3 was released in 2005, and many players now have PC hardware that far exceeds the game's recommended hardware requirements. However, Silent Hunter 3's built-in video options are very limited, and do not allow you to take full advantage of a more powerful graphics card's capabilities, such as anti-aliasing (smoother edges), anisotropic filtering (better texture rendering) or higher screen resolution.
For better texture rendering and smoother edges, experiment with your graphics card's driver settings. Both ATI and nVidia provide a control panel for their graphics card drivers that allow you to set application-specific graphics settings for anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering.
To run SH3 at higher resolutions, install the SH3 Res Fix for Windows XP (SP2) — download link (instructions included in the zip archive). Running SH3 at a higher resolution helps edges to look smoother, but not as much as anti-aliasing. If you have a widescreen monitor, a mod is being developed to help SH3 run in widescreen mode without stretched graphics.
To get the best results, use the highest anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering and screen resolution you can, without crippling your frame-rate. Silent Hunter 3 will look like a new game!
For reference, the in-game screenshots shown in the GWX3 GOLD section were taken at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, on an 'ATI Radeon HD 4870' graphics card with anti-aliasing (AA) set to the card's maximum of 8x and anisotropic filtering (AF) set to the maximum of 16x.
“How can I contact you about a problem with GWX3 GOLD that isn't covered here?”
Unfortunately, The Grey Wolves team cannot provide technical or gameplay support on a one-to-one basis. If you have a support question regarding GWX that isn't here
- There's a good chance someone has already answered a question similar to yours in one of the Silent Hunter community websites. Try searching for an answer in either the Subsim or Ubisoft Silent Hunter forums.
- If you can't find an answer in the above forums, post your question there. Members of The Grey Wolves team regularly visit both forums, so you should get a response in good time.