Netbook Guide For FM2010

Jake

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There are a few threads kicking around asking about FM2010 on a netbook, but none of them have been comprehensively answered, so ive decided to create a guide.

Ok so i normally play FM 2010 on my pretty bog standard laptop, but i have recently starting using it on my Samsung NC10 netbook when i am travelling, as its more convinient. It took me ages to work out how to get it to run. I came accross the same problem as everyone ive spoken to about it. After installing the game, i would try to run it. FM.exe would appear in the processes area on task manager, but the game would not appear, i was greeted with the following error if i tried to start the game again: Football Manager 2010 is already running.

I have cobbled together information from various guides, resources and help discussions to create this short guide on how to get FM2010 up and running on your netbook. (specifically the NC10 but all netbooks are bascially the same underneath their shiny exterior)


The Netbook Guide

1. Get a desktop shortcut

STEAM Go to where Steam installed Football Manager (by default, C:/Program Files/Steam/Steamapps/Common/Football Manager 2010) from My Computer. Find fm.exe in that directory. Right click on it, and then click Send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Move onto step 2.

WINDOWS 7 or WINDOWS VISTA Go to where you installed Football Manager (by default, C:/Program Files/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2010) from My Computer. Find fm.exe in that directory. Right click on it, and then click Send to -> Desktop (create shortcut). Move onto step 2.

WINDOWS XP You should already have a working shortcut on your desktop. Move on!


2. Editing the shortcut

Right click on the desktop shortcut, and go to Properties. In the shortcut tab (which should be the first tab that opens) find the Target field. It should say:

"C:\Program Files\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2010\fm.exe"

Change it to read like this:

"C:\Program Files\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2010\fm.exe" -windowed -small_screen


Make sure you add -windowed and -small_screen after the quotation mark, and with spaces between the quotation mark, -windowed, and -small_screen.

The game should now launch, but there are still some issues. The small resolution of the netbook means the game doesnt fit the screen. There are a few things we can do to fix this.

Doing all of the following will result in the most enjoyable FM2010 netbook experience, but any combination of the following steps will help, only do what you are comfortable with!!!

1. Maximise the game window to use all of the available space.

2. Set the taskbar to autohide. Right click an empty space of the windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen. Then click properties, Tick the ''auto hide taskbar'' box.

3. Downlaod and install the Netbook Skin. This is basically the defualt FM2010 skin with some changes to the layout to make it fit a netbook screen. Download it
here. Please note the following game screens will not work, even with the netbook skin:

New Game Wizard - The images showing leagues you've selected do not appear, so I recommend clicking 'cancel wizard' and using the classic method of starting a new game.

Tactics Creator Wizard - Do not use this. It cannot be resized even with the Netbook skin, so avoid altogether. If you do click on it you can go back by pressing the escape button. Tactics must be created using the standard method and changing the player roles and duties there.

Please note, some netbooks will not be capable of displaying the 3D match engine. The amount of nations/leagues/players and your DB size will also be restricted. I can load a large DB with a handful of leagues of my modified NC10 (2GB of RAM instead of the standard 1GB, also extended battery life and overclocked for increased processing speed) but i use the text commentary for speed of use during matches.

When in windowed mode, FM will alse receive less processing priority than if in full screen mode. to combat this you can try the following:
presss ctrl+alt+delete to open task manager. go to the processes tab. right click fm.exe and hover over priority, then set to high or real time (some systems will noy allow real time)
please be aware this process is risky, if you have other programs running your game may crash.

I have also heard reports of the game sometimes crashing when the preferences button is clicked. If this happens then bad luck, as far as i can tell there is no fix for this issue.

Any problems please ask. Im not the netbook oracle but i may be able to help. No doubt Sean will cast his eye over this from time to time as well, i think hes got a Netbook....?


---------- Post added at 04:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 PM ----------

just noticed a lot of these tips are in the thread for the FM2010 netbook skin download. But they have been added to and simplified here. They are also now a bit easier to find (A)

good luck netbookers!
 
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:wub:

thanks mate!!!!! fm on my netbook, never thought i would see the day!
 
Sorry, I just thought that that small screen windowed was general knowledge. My mistake
 
Sorry, I just thought that that small screen windowed was general knowledge. My mistake

i knew aboutr it for forcing fm to run in windowed mode. i didnt realise it would be the answer to get it to run on a netbook. whenever i clicked the fm shortcut, nothing would happen, even though fm.exe appeared in task manager.

also the other tips really help i think.
 
Sorry, I just thought that that small screen windowed was general knowledge. My mistake

its just intended as a friendly guide to help people out. i wasnt aware that small screen windowed would allow fm to run on a netbook either unitl i researched it. i had previously used it to force FM09 to run in windowed mode.

---------- Post added at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:50 PM ----------

i knew aboutr it for forcing fm to run in windowed mode. i didnt realise it would be the answer to get it to run on a netbook. whenever i clicked the fm shortcut, nothing would happen, even though fm.exe appeared in task manager.

also the other tips really help i think.

ps, thanks mate :D
 
Thanks man, getting a netbook within the next week (hopefully) and this is really handy (A):wub:
 
Thanks man, getting a netbook within the next week (hopefully) and this is really handy (A):wub:

its still not a patch on playing fm on 'real' laptop or pc, but 2 or 3 hour blast when on the road is great fun and really convinient.

what netbook are you getting mike? i chose samsung as the battery life even with the standard battery is fantastic, some of the netbook out there only last a couple of hours. mine averages 6-7 on max performance!
 
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Well I just looked at the Samsung NC10 and looks quite handy. What about the 1GB RAM though? Will that be no good for FM, or just really annoying and slow?
 
Well I just looked at the Samsung NC10 and looks quite handy. What about the 1GB RAM though? Will that be no good for FM, or just really annoying and slow?

most netbooks come with 1gb, remember most also run xp and not vista which should help save on ram memory.

my nc10 has 2gb. the company that built it added the extra 1gb of ram and also an extended battery. imo its the best one on the market atm, gets top reviews in all the computer mags. i think there is a newer model out now, but its essentially the same model just a different look.
 
edit. the company i bought it from no longer sells that model. you could buy the factory model and add the ram yourself, or ask your local computer shop to do it. i added extra ram on my laptop but couldnt locate the right kind of ram chip for my nc10 art the time of purchase
 
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What's the Graphics Card on the NC10 like? The one on my current laptop's around 300MB XD
 
Whats the battery-life like in-game? Surely youd only get a couple of hours out of it, tops?
 
if playing the game i can get 3-4 hours.

on normal internet browsing ill get 7+
 
I have a Acer Aspire one looking for to get rid of the Linux thats on it though. Have no idea how to though. Nightmare.
 
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