the galaxy forge 3.rar file is a winrar compressed file, you can use winrar or 7zip to extract the contents( you can google winrar or 7zip, 7zip is freeware winrar is shareware) install the one you downloaded ie 7zip or winrar then you can extract the contents of galaxy forge 3 to a folder ( i suggest a folder on the desktop as vista does NOT like other programs accessing folders in the program files tree) then create a shortcut from the galaxy forge.exe on the desktop and use the shortcut.

the maps you make need to be placed in (for sins 1.15 & earlier the C:\Program Files\Stardock Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\galaxy (32 bit) C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\ (64 bit))(for sins 1.16 & later C:\Documents and Settings\'user name'\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge (xp) C:\Users\'user name'\AppData\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\GalaxyForge (vista/windows 7)) folder

then you will be able to play the map in your sins

harpo

First step is to download and install winrar or 7zip.

second step is to open the galaxy forge 3.rar with the winrar/7zip archive managing program

third step is to extract the CONTENTS of the galaxy forge3.rar archive to a folder

fourth step is to create a shortcut on the desktop to the freshly extracted galaxy forge.exe

fifth step is to start the galaxy forge.exe using the new shortcut

hope this helps

harpo

please state the steps that you took in detail during your installation & operation attempts

harpo

you should NOT MOVE the exe to the desktop, but right mouse click on it then hover over the send to then click on desktop (create shortcut).

the icon is a shield with three brown/copper vertical stripes.

also you can NOT run the exe from a compressed folder.

please follow these steps

1 install winrar

2 open the galaxyforge3.rar file with winrar (the icon should look like 3 books)

3 click on extract to button (second button from the left)

4 choose where to place the galaxy forge 3 folder & its contents

5 open my computer and browse to where you extracted the galaxy forge 3 folder, then open it

6 locate the galaxy forge.exe (size should be 198kb date should be 27/2/2009 5:22pm

7 right mouse click on the exe then hover over the send to then move to the desktop (create shortcut) and left click

8 you should now have a shortcut on the desktop called shortcut to galaxyforge.exe

9 close all open windows/programs

10 doubleclick on the 'shortcut to galaxyforge.exe' on the desktop and galaxy forge should then open

hope this helps you

harpo

does the icon have the small white box with an arrow in it?

you are attempting to run the galaxy forge without the ESSENTAIL dlls that are in the folder that you extracted.

I suggest moving the exe back to the galaxy forge 3 folder then creating the SHORTCUT to the exe on the desktop, then trying again

harpo

the dll files in the galaxy forge 3 rar have .dll at the end of the file name it stands for Dynamic Link Library.

if you follow the instructions in reply #7  and extract ALL files in the rar to a folder then follow the remaining instructions then galaxy forge should run for you.

harpo

jpsprack the same issue ie the galaxy forge.exe NEEDS to be in the SAME folder as the other files & folders in the rar because the exe uses the files and DEMANDS that the files are there or it closes.

harpo

does the folder have the four png files and a galaxysenariodef.galaxysenariodef and an icons folder?

harpo

next idea do you have installed the ms dot nets v2 & 3,5"?

harpo

in other threads some people reported that they needed it

harpo