How to get Starfleet Command to run on Windows 10

Since I've been a child, I've always LOVED this game. I'm sure there are, without a doubt, quite a few others that are out there who feel the same. Now that this game is on Steam, people have gotten a way to play it again... unless their machine is Windows 10. Ignore the little warning there, I can show you how to run it.

Setting the game up through configs

First of all, when you DO buy and install the game, you will NEED to do some configurations to the game first.

Starfleet Command doesn't interface with modern graphics cards or the drivers, as for why you need to do this.

IN YOUR STEAM LIBRARY, RIGHT CLICK THE GAME AND LEFT CLICK "PROPERTIES". FROM THIS POINT, GO TO LOCAL FILES AND LEFT CLICK "BROWSE LOCAL FILES"

From here, you will find an application called "config." Run it, and you'll find a video configuration file. Here, you will want to select "Software" and set to the maximum resolution, once this is done. This will make it so that the software will run the game independently.

Windows Compatibility Troubleshooting

After you've set the configs to Software support and set the game at the maximum resolution, you need to find the game application itself, and right click to select "Troubleshoot Compatibility".



From there, you will be prompted with:



Select "Troubleshoot Program", and then check "The program worked in earlier versions of Windows but won't install or run now" From here, do "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)", and then test or click "Next".

In the "sfc" configuration settings file, you'll want to change and save this:



YOUR GAME WILL NOW RUN.

[OPTIONAL] If you don't want to run in fullscreen

There's a nice little program called DxWnd, which will help you bind the program in a windowed form. There's a download for it online, but be sure that you have WinRar/7Zip before you download it, or you'll have no way to run this program.

When you get it extracted, look for "dxwnd" as an application where you extracted it to. Run it as an Administrator and then go to the "Edit" dropdown, and click "Add". You'll be given this.



From here, set the NAME, and then go through this directory for both the path and the launch:




For both Path and Launch, select the Starfleet application. Then, you can set the main to keep the aspect ratio selected, and keep it selected to run in Window.

Go over to Video, and set "Window Size & Position" to Locked Size, so that the game doesn't crash while moving it. Then, you can set your initial resolution and your limit resolution. After this, you simply double click "Starfleet" in the DXWnd option, and it'll start the game.

After this, you'll have to open DXWnd first, but you can open it straight from Steam, and it'll set the game in a window.

Additional fixes

Thanks to a nice user by the name of Stilkdog, there has been insight on additional fixes I did not find the origin problems to.

Another one, General Maximus, posted this one.


I thank everyone who viewed this guide; please, leave comments about any further problems or fixes, I'll credit and add your work here!

[Katsuni]

Can confirm this works on Win11 currently.

You may want to change the settings on DXWnd a bit more though if you're running a 4K monitor though so the text is large enough to be legible, their help page is pretty good though and explains it clearly what to change so no real point to list it here.

[Doctor Suplex]

Will this help it work on Win11?

[DrumsOfBerk]

Follow Stilkdog's guide to copying and pasting the three files he listed. I got these from downloading from here getting the most recent stable version: dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2/

Then going back to the original steps, click the gear icon for the game in your Library > Properties > Installed Files > "Browse..." Once in the File Explorer, find the "Starfleet" application > Right Click > Troubleshooting Compatibility. Once in this window click on "Troubleshoot program". Make sure only "The program worked in earlier versions of Windows but won't install or run now" is checked. Now click next and then select XP Service Pack 3. Click next > "Test the Program" Windows will flag so click yes. The game should automatically load from this point.

If you get the odd window in the corner error, just back out and repeat the previous paragraph.

I have even started a Federation Campaign and saved it, exited back out, repeated the process again, and loaded the campaign successfully

[eladril]

there is no "Browse Local Files" after clicking properties....

[Mr. White]

FYI that screen position help thing helps with the seethrough starships, didnt do that the first time, as I made the accident of validating the SFC files via steam

so it undid all these changes, did that the second time, and now its running better than ever, and its a simple thing anyone can do

so make sure you do that in addition to the other steps mentioned here

[Mr. Bilbo]

Thanks to Just Apex and Blood Deuce ... you guys Rock !
Now runs Great on my Windows 10 !!

[Kosh]

thanks worked on 1st try and easy to understand thanks

[Captain_Crustyheart]

Thanks, it did kick me out twice, I set the async as advised and I'm reliving a fantastic game.

[OdstSpartan534]

it works well on the steamdeck

[mcp1959]

No dice, running windows 10. Any other suggestions? Thanks!