stardock central - worst thing ever!

Did it install directx and did you restart after it installed it?

just reinstalled a few days ago on a new HD & it worked perfectly..

it doesnt seem like the problem was stardock. Missing .dll probably drivers, directx, or something else like that. Easy to whine but next time post more information and a debug.err if you have one.

If you dont like stardock then tdont use it... i prefer a digital copy then a cd cause it never scratches and i can download it from anywhere.

Indeed, a missing dll points to a problem inherent to your system, not anything Stardock has done. If you post the details of the problem though, we might still be able to help figure it out.

Probably have a bad DirectX installation or outdated video drivers. Download that from Microsoft and reinstall and get the latest video drivers and install those.

I have to say its frustrating if it doesn't work, I've never had such problems (knock on wood). I do have some sympathy for the OP, but I also think SDC is the tops and greatest thing ever. Kudos for easy updates !! Wish more companies go a similar route making things easier for us.

Besides, Steam is the worst download service ever.

maybe it just was a corruted download. shit happens. but sdc works rather well.

SOunds like DirectX 9 isn't installed.

Worst thing EVER?

5. Famine
4. AIDs
3. Plague
2. Genocide
1. Stardock Central

0. Steam

Hmm, I should have thought that out more:

0.a: Starforce
0.b: scum-sucking video-game pirates (not the Arrrhh! kind, the make illegal game copies kind)

At least you didn't buy it from a store and get told that your serial number was already in use... They told me I will have to buy another one.

At least you didn't buy it from a store and get told that your serial number was already in use... They told me I will have to buy another one.

Or you could just return it to the store that screwed you with a repacked used copy and demand one that's actually new...

second time around everything works fine. i uninstalled the demo whilst it was downloading, which seems to have confused sc and resulted in the missing dll. i still think it's pants and would rather a normal downloadable file, or at least that SC downloads a regular install file, but everything is working now. thanks for all the comments!

The worst thing ever is STEAM.

half a day of downloading? get braodband.

The worst thing ever is STEAM

Why are there so many people here who whimper and whine about Steam? I've purchased games via Stardock Central and Steam. I don't see why one is supposed to be so much better than the other. Both SDC and Steam will download and install your games for you, and both will manage the CD-keys in your account for the games you have purchased in the past.

So what specifically is your problem with Steam?

IMO, Steam is horrible and rates right up there with StarForce. First, Steam requires an ugly client installation that defualts to running on startup. Then it requires you to *connect* to a Steam server *every time* you want to play the game even in single user mode. That means if you want to play a Steam protected game while waiting for a plane at the airport for instance, you can't unless the airport offers a wireless hotspot or you can modem-in using your cell phone. It's a ridiculous draconian system. Even on a desktop system continuously connected to the internet, Steam uses an insecure upper port connection that requires a liberal firewall. It's a major security hole. I boycotted Valve/Steam a long time ago. Valve can take their Steam protected products and shove them.

BTW, you don't *have* to use Stardock central. It's simply a convenience thing. I initially installed GC2 from CD. I registered my serial number then downloaded the update via the Stardock web site. It then activated online from within the game. Doesn't get more innocuous than that.

In general, I don't have a problem with online activation (similar to the way Stardock does it). That seems reasonable to me. I feel it's a fair trade-off for copyright protection versus customer convenience. In fact, Steam wouldn't be so bad if that's all it was, but unfortunately, it's not.

So what specifically is your problem with Steam?

running on startup. Then it requires you to *connect* to a Steam server *every time* you want to play the game even in single user mode. That means if you want to play a Steam protected game while waiting for a plane at the airport for instance, you can't unless the airport offers a wireless hotspot or you can modem-in using your cell phone. It's a ridiculous draconian system. Even on a desktop system continuously connected to the internet, Steam uses an insecure upper port connection that requires a liberal firewall.

I don't have a problem with online activation (similar to the way Stardock does it). That seems reasonable to me. I feel it's a fair trade-off for copyright protection versus customer convenience. In fact, Steam wouldn't be so bad if that's all it was, but unfortunately, it's not.

I couldn't have said it better. But I have one other thing that irks me about STEAM. (others will argue otherwise.) Half-Life required a PI 233MHZ with a 16MB video card.
After STEAM users had to have at least a Athlon T-Bird to even get it running. (Ever try and play STEAM on Win98SE? won't work.) STEAM was made for newer copmuters and WinXP at a time when most people still had PII 400's and Win98SE. In a single blow they killed off half the Counter-Strike community. If It weren't for STEAM, Counter Strike would still be the number 1 online game instead of Battlefield2.

Well, I hope they felt the pain. In fact, I hope it hurt so bad they go out of business, freaking software facists.

On my desktop system, I'm still running Win2K instead of WinXP becuase of the somewhat draconian activation system MS adopted with WinXP. Like I stated previously, I wouldn't mind if it was just an online activation system, but the MS method uses a checksum based on your hardware config. Major changes to your system's hardware void your activation (which I make quite a bit). You have to get a new activation via the phone which is a real PITA. However, even running Win2K (still a fairly modern OS) presents problems every now and then. So far, I've come accross one program that isn't Win2K compatible, but it wasn't anything I really wanted. IE crashes constantly reading this forum with my Win2K desktop system. Never happens with my WinXP laptop system. Pretty sure it's a Win2K thing. I imagine things are going to get tougher for me in the future so I'll probably have to knuckle under eventually. Better get used to being on infinite hold with MS.

IE crashes constantly reading this forum with my Win2K desktop system

Have you tried Firefox?

I suppose I could, but geez, more software to deal with. If nothing else, IE is convenient.

I'd hardly call constant crashes convenient, but that's just me

IE is as convenient as severe diarrhea. And quite comparable to such, IMO. Get opera, it's wonderful and made of pixies and fairy dust.

SDC is a download manager, Steam is copy protection, and though they may look the same on the surface, they act differently.