Getting Chessmaster 9000 to Work in Windows 10

I'm trying to decide whether to invest time to see if the build number is the culprit. I have a spare hard drive - I could load a fresh Win 10 image, then try to get it to update to a newer build - then see if I can install CM 9000. In theory, I could verify whether the build is the problem...The box is old hardware, so I don't know if I could get it to update to a recent build...but I could try.

Update - OK, I swapped out the hard drive and restored the original image. Now I'm just waiting for Winblows to do all the updates for the 1909 build. After that, I'll try to get a more recent build installed, if that's possible.

Version 20H2   Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.551.0

Dang, these Windows updates are agonizingly slow compared to Linux updates, haha.

Well, I guess I've done all I can do for now. I have Build 1909 updated. Apparently, the only thing that I can do to try to get a more recent build is to just "Check for updates". Either a newer build shows up as an option or it doesn't. (In my case, it doesn't.)

I have no way of knowing whether the new build just hasn't yet been rolled out to me or whether there's some kind of incompatibility with my machine that's preventing them from offering me a newer build. It would be nice if they would tell me which case applies for me, but I guess that information would be too useful to the user. Typical Microsoft...

So, all I can do is wait and hope a new build comes along one of these days...

And, yes, the irony of this situation hasn't escaped my notice. Up until now, I've tried to avoid new builds, and now here I am, wanting a new build that is so far beyond my grasp, lol.

Yes, we know, but Nimzowitts likes the CM 9000 version the best, and we're simply trying to get it installed on his Windows 10 PC. That's the only version of CM that's giving him problems.

Yes. He's one of the other people posting in this thread.

Well, you'd have to ask him that question; I'm sure he has his reasons. For me, it's enough to know that that's what he prefers - I'm not going to try to foist my preferences on him.

Imho, each version has its own advantages and disadvantages. CM 9000 has the best manual. It also has a tournament manager that allows an entire tournament to be run to completion in one go. CM 10 & 11 require that you start each tournament game manually.

Of course, CM 10 & 11 have a slightly stronger engine and more personalities (and probably more bugs, too).

There are other pluses and minuses regarding the different versions, but I hope you're getting the picture.

If all compatibility modes and admin access fail, I recommend using virtual machines. Setup a windows XP VM and play all your old game’s there. Additionally, You won’t have to worry about future Windows 10 updates breaking your current configurations. 

Yep, that's definitely a possible solution. I've thought about it, but I haven't yet gone down that path due to my aging hardware (not much cpu power or RAM, etc.) But the next time I buy a new system, I'll probably do that. I compounded the problem by switching to Linux a year ago, and I'm a bit hesitant to install Wine. And booting into my Win 7 hard drive, while doable, is a bit of a pain. So I'm just not playing games as much as I used to, which is probably a healthy thing, anyway.

You can also get a cheap retro machine dedicated to running windows XP for your older games to run on real hardware. 

Ha! I've already done that, old school! Picked up an old Dell desktop running XP a while back in a garage sale. It was well maintained; It has a service sticker on it, and it looks like it was probably serviced on a regular basis. It has a grand total of 1 GB of RAM, haha. (I think maybe upgradable to 2 GB). It's actually running a lightweight Linux on it now, but I could install games into XP if I ever get the urge.

I prefer Cm 9000 because I like the Newspaper 3d set. The later programs do not implement this well. And yes the tournament manager is fun! I tried VMs but had no luck with CM 9000, however that was like 3 years ago, I can not even find the Free VM program (which was well thought of back then thought of back then.) If anyone else can manage it (with their 64 bit machine) PLEASE let me know! I successfully set up Kasparov's Gambit using a VM - everything worked EXCEPT the sound when a piece was moved. Like I said in a previous post I had found an old game legacy site that got CM 9000 to work on a download but not ALL features worked.) I am a perfectionist kind of guy.

Further. It matters not how strong the CM engine is as one can always set up stockfish in it.

Slightly off topic, but since you're such a CM 9000 fan, you might enjoy a post I made in this thread. I dubbed it the Merlino Papers:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-strong-is-chessmaster-10th-edition?page=3

Lotta stuff there. Sidebar. I DO know that Cm 9000 was the top of the SSDF rating list in it's day altho it was soon passed by chessbase engines.

Okay, long story short - I got the new build installed, and I got CM 9000 installed and running.

Here's the long story. As I was just waiting for Microsoft to decide when to give me the 20H2 update (which could have been the twelfth of never), I wondered if there might be another way to get it. I discovered that the Windows Media Creation Tool actually ships with the 20H2 update! So I downloaded it, upgraded, and actually now have the exact same build as you. (same build and experience number).

So the next step was to try installing CM 9000.

Attempt 1 - I did not install the legacy DirectPlay, as the other time I installed the program, the install program told me that I didn't have it, and offered to install it for me. It didn't work - nothing happened when I inserted Disk 1.

Attempt 2 - Okay, I first enabled DirectPlay before inserting the disk. My experience was the same as yours - I clicked on the "Install" button, and nada. The box went away, and absolutely nothing happened.

Attempt 3 - Same as Attempt 2 - I inserted the disk, clicked on the "Install" button, the box went away, and absolutely nothing happened.

Now here's the wild part - I was trying to figure out what to do next, and for some reason, I just clicked my mouse cursor on the Settings icon (the cogwheel) on the task bar. The Settings window came up as expected, but then the CM 9000 install suddenly came to life. From that point on, the install went as expected.

Btw, for info, I told the install program to install DirectX 8.1 and the desktop shortcut, but I disabled the checkboxes for "Install Ubi.com" and Adobe Acrobat. (As long as you have a newer version of DirectX, it doesn't actually install DirectX 8.1, although it tells you that it did.) Of course, for the product registration, I chose "cancel" and "never register".

I also installed the three patches, and that seemed to go OK.

Also, I replaced the "Chessmaster.exe" file with my custom "No-CD patched" version of "Chessmaster.exe" from my Windows 2000 install. This should prevent CM 9000 from periodically asking me to insert the CD in the drive.

I haven't tested all the features. I just started the program, created a player name, and went to a few places like "Tournament", "Classroom", "Game Room", etc.

Btw, I didn't have to disable Windows Defender or the firewall, or make any compatibility changes.

!!!!??????!!!!! Incredible!! I endeavored to duplicate the process you mentioned. For the first time I could hear the CD drive spinning! I could not believe it! However after that nothing else happened. I then cold rebooted my machine and made sure the disc was spotless. I tried again with the same results. All other programs were closed. However I do have the legacy components  feature enabled. I contemplated your recommended process regarding the random idea of just happening to clik on settings (before process initiated? While initiated? After initiated?)  and my brain seizured. WTH-ECK!!  How bizarre! I then knawed off my big left toe. Clearly you hit upon SOMETHING but GOOD GRIEF!! How non nonsensical!! Please tell me if all the features work. Will continue to fiddle regards as I now smell blood on the water. -Nimzowitts. Any further advice much appreciated.-Regards Nimzowitts.

3rd attempt. Ok I disabled firewall and defender. After I did another cold reboot. I seached for any ubsoft files in the windows temp directory. Found none. I disabled steam and Amazon music. legacy components plus Direct Play enabled. enabled. I then started the process. cd drive fired up. I then got a dialogue box saying 'The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process' under the heading of Error Create Process (C\Users\Alex\AppData\local\Temp\~f51e43.temp)  Go figure. I then knawed off my big R toe. currently home stitching toe to stop bleeding.

I just now tried it a second time. I uninstalled CM 9000, but left legacy DirectPlay enabled. Put the Disk 1 in the drive. I get the little autoplay box popup on the right side of the screen and click on it before it has a chance to disappear, then click on the autoplay option. Then click on the admin prompt for setup.exe. And the install process starts right up - This time I didn't even have to click on the Settings icon on the task bar. As I'm typing this, it's on Disk 2 of the install.

The install is finished, and it looks like it's working. I did notice that the player name was retained from the last install, so the last uninstall must not have deleted all of the configuration settings.