GalCiv:Technical problems

How can I archive and move my game to another PC?
If you'd like to install one of your TotalGaming.net games to another computer that isn't connected to the Internet, you may do so via the following:Launch Stardock Central.Select the title you want to move from the Games listing.

I heard the retail boxed version of Galactic Civilizations II has no copy protection. Is this true?
Yes. The retail version has no copy protection whatesover. You don't even have to enter in the serial number if you don't want during the install. You will need the serial number to get updates.

I don't want to use Stardock Central to get updates for Galactic Civilizations II. Do I have to use it?
No. You will also be able to get updates via the website using the traditional "patch" method other games use. You will still need your serial number though.

My anti-virus program says the Galactic Civilizations II installer contains malicious scripts
The installation autorun and the shortcut on Windows XP use Stardock's DesktopX Pro and the Windows Scripting Host support that comes with Windows to provide a custom interface for installing and launching the game. This is sometimes incorrectly detected as a malicious script.

Movies and cut scenes in Galactic Civilizations II stutter. How can I fix this?
If you experience stuttering with the movies (especially with older or integrated video chipsets), go under the Options menu and turn down the Anti-Aliasing setting to 2x or 0 (the default is 4x).

What is the minimum amount of memory my video card must have for Galactic Civilizations II?
If your video card has less than 32MB of memory, the game game will probably not run at all.

Does my video card have to support DirectX for Galactic Civilizations II?
This game requires video cards that support DirectX 9.0c or later. It is required for the TrueType font support that this game uses. Some older Intel Extreme graphics adapters do not support this.

The mouse cursor flickers when I play Galactic Civilizations II. How can I fix this?
Most video cards capable of running the game should support a software mouse cursor (the default). If you experience flickering or information in your debug.err about lack of support for a color cursor, please toggle the option on the Video settings page for a hardware cursor.

My ships and textures aren't as detailed as I see in screenshots. Why not?
Lower-end video cards (e.g. GeForce 4 MX 420's) will run the game, but lack the texture and shader support for all the graphical effects. Your ships and planets will lack the detail you might see in screenshots elsewhere.

Can I run Galactic Civilizations II at 16-bit screen resolution?
No. Your desktop should be set to 32-bit color depth.

I got an error running Galactic Civilizations II. Is there an error log somewhere?
If you do run into an issue, check the debug.err (text) file in the Galactic Civilizations II folder. It will likely provide useful information for diagnosing the problem. Please submit this to [mailto:support@stardock.com support@stardock.com]

Stardock Central (SDC) gives me a URL error when trying to download tutorials, movies and multimedia. Why?
Chances are you're running Stardock Central 2.24a[b]... this version may report URL errors or the inability to download additional content (game executables, tutorials, movies, multimedia, etc.). Please use the link in your serial email to reinstall.

I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core and some of the graphics in Galactic Civilizations II jitter and/or spin too quickly.
Some people with Dual Core machines may notice models spinning too quickly or jitters. Here's a driver update that may solve the problem.

Other links that may be relevant:
 * http://support.microsoft.com/?id=896256
 * http://blogs.msdn.com/tparks/archive/2005/05/14/417516.aspx
 * http://forums.seriouszone.com/showpost.php?p=688033&postcount=139
 * http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=983781

I get an activation error
Remove the sig.bin file from your GalCiv2 directory. Start Stardock Central, Games section, right-click on the GalCiv2 item and select the Activate w/logging option.

That should sort it. If it doesn't, please email the activate.log file from the sdcentral directory to [mailto:support@stardock.com support@stardock.com] for further assistance.

If you have restored a backup or archive from another computer or reinstall Windows, you will need to let Stardock Central reactivate it.

I'm having a problem activating Galactic Civilizations II online. Can I activate offline or another way?
Yes. For activation trouble or activation for an offline system, please follow this guide:

If you are using an online computer, complete steps prefixed by A If you are using an offline computer, complete steps prefixed by B

A - Disable your internet connection AB - Open up the application (to get it to attempt activation) on the system you would like to install to. AB - Enter your email and Product/Object Desktop serial * (If you see the cursor, |, you should be able to paste information using Ctrl+V) AB - The activation will fail because it cannot contact the server. AB - Click "Yes" (You would like to activate by email) AB - Click "Yes" (You purchased your software from Stardock) A - Re-enable your internet connection B - Take all of the information to an online system. AB - Copy the subject and body and paste it into the appropriate fields of an email activate@stardock.com. You will recieve further instructions from there. Please ensure you use the correct serial number when activating. Your serial number should consist of a 28-digit alphanumeric string. Your registration information may be retrieved automatically via email by entering your email address here.

The tutorials are jittery / stutter in Galactic Civilizations II. How can I fix this?
The video tutorials may stutter on some (but not all) older video cards. This is due to alpha blending. You can turn off anti-aliasing in the Video options, but that may not fully solve it. You may also want to update your graphics drivers.

Galactic Civilizations II has no sound or music. Why?
Sound and music files are available as a seperate download via Stardock Central.Open Stardock Central, located Galactic Civilizations II then click on the [+] to the left of it. This will drop down a menu of additional items including Multimedia and Movies.

What is the minimum resolution my monitor must support for Galactic Civilizations II?
Your monitor must support a minimum resolution of 1024x768. You must also have a desktop resolution of 1024x768 running at 24 or 32-bit color depth. You will probably experience problem with the game or it's media (movies, tutorials, etc.) if your resolution and color depth are lower than this.