Editing Download & Install

The latest official version of [[Aurora]] can be found on [https://aurora4x.com/c/installation/5 the official forums]. Installing it has a couple quirks, but is usually not too painful. 

Installation needs to be done in a few steps, typically. (When in doubt, look at the pinned posts in the installation forum, go through them in order of their version number, and follow the instructions.) 
* Get the most recent full install file, and install it. 
* Get the most recent main-version (vx.x.0) patch. Delete the file AuroraDB.db from the installation folder, and replace it with the version in the patch. 
* Get the most recent (vx.x.x) patch. Delete the file Aurora.exe from the installation folder, and replace it with the version in the patch. 

If the most recent version is a main version, then the second and third steps can be done together. 

For example, as of March 2026, the most recent full installer is v2.7.1.

When v2.8.0 comes out, you'll still use the v2.7.1 installer, but you'll replace both AuroraDB.db and Aurora.exe with the versions from the v2.8.0 patch file. 

==System Requirements==
===Basic Requirements===
'''Operating system''': Microsoft Windows, however, people have managed to run it under Wine on Linux.

'''Minimum resolution''': Many windows are of a fixed size, and will display very poorly on screens that are too small. You want a minimum width of 1440 pixels for [[CSharp|C#]], or 1280 pixels for [[VB6]]. A higher resolution or multiple monitors will allow you to see more windows at once. If your display doesn't support this, there are ways around it, provided your video card supports a higher resolution than your monitor/display. You can also play with slightly 'reduced height windows' (see [[Game interface|main game menu]]).

===Number and Date Formats===
There are two common issues with Aurora installation that cause headaches for many players, especially in continental Europe. Basically, if you're not in blue on [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/DecimalSeparator.svg/1920px-DecimalSeparator.svg.png this map], these issues will likely affect you. 

The code of Aurora depends heavily on the number format you use for your computer. Steve's from the British Isles, and uses normal British numbering formats (e.g., 9,876,543.21 is just under ten million). This is baked deeply into the game's code for handling all kinds of numbers, and this code will break with different number formats. If you have a different number format on your computer, Aurora will be virtually unplayable, since numbers will get multiplied or divided by several orders of magnitude in all kinds of weird places. 

Similarly, the date format for "long date" should be set to "d MMMM yyyy". This is less important, as it's mostly a display issue (the default format in some places adds the day of the week, which makes the date too long to see in certain windows). 

These are known issues, and unlikely to ever be patched. As such, if you want to play Aurora, you need to make sure you're taking care of these issues. 
* [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/decimal-separator-changes-after-update-to-windows/02aa8cd9-1048-403d-be41-91cfb0dc3830 Windows 11 guide] 
* [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/change-comma-to-period-as-default-decimal/814da317-9b5f-4bb3-afcc-7630831d71f6 Windows 10 guide]

==Background Info==
===Patches===
[[Steve]] uses a simple numbering system for patches. The first number is for large game updates, the second is for database updates, and the third is for code updates. Since the game is saved into the database, a database update will delete all of your saved games. As such, all patches with a new middle digit(e.g., v2.5.0) are not savegame-compatible. Code updates do not break saves, so those patches (e.g., v2.5.1) are savegame-compatible with the previous patch. 

===VB6===
Aurora comes in two main [[versions]], the modern C# version and the original VB6 version. 

The old [[VB6]] version of the game has not been updated since 2015, but the installers are also available on the official forums, in [https://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php/board,10.0.html the VB6 Aurora Installation sub-forum]. The last version is version 7.10 - you will need to use [https://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=1830.0 the full installer for v5.54], and then apply [https://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=8143.0 the v7.10 patch]. 

Instructions for installation are largely the same as C#, but there's more potential issues to consider. 

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
! Installation instruction for any version 5.54 up to 7.10
|-
|
1) Install version 5.54, see lengthy instruction bellow. 

2) Go to the [http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php/board,10.0.html Aurora Installation Forum]. Download the latest patch, and save the file to your desktop or another easily accessed area of your computer.

3) To apply the patch, unpack the patch file and copy the files into the game folder as follow: 
:a) Stevefire.mdb and Aurora.exe into the installation directory, overwriting the existing files with the same names
:b) a11.jpg, b20.jpg and M24.jpg into the Planetjpeg sub-directory
:c) flag0390.jpg and flag0391.jpg into the Flags sub-directory
|}

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
! Installation instruction for version 5.54
|-
|Its recommended to read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly. Aurora is written in an old language and therefore uses an installation program from the late 1990s. If you don't follow the instructions you will end up with a series of errors, usually 3061 then 3265 then a series of 91s. If that happens, uninstall and re-install and follow the instructions carefully. 

1) Download [http://www.pentarch.org/steve/AuroraInstall554.zip AuroraInstall554.zip] and save the file to your desktop or another easily accessed area of your computer. Extract the .zip file you just downloaded, you should get four files called <code>Aurora.CAB</code>, <code>Setup.exe</code>, <code>Setup.LST</code> and <code>AuroraUpdate554.zip</code>.

2) Install Aurora, by running <code>Setup.exe</code>. This will launch a standard (but old) Microsoft install program, follow the on-screen instructions as you would when installing any other program.

:'''Note:''' The installation folder is, by default, in <code>C:\Program Files\Aurora</code>. Change the installation path to another easily accessed area of your computer, such as <code>C:\games\Aurora</code> or <code>C:\Users\yourUsername\Desktop\Aurora</code>.

:'''Important:''' if asked about overwriting any existing files with older files, make sure you KEEP the existing files. This will happen about 10 times during the install.

3) Update the game, by unziping <code>AuroraUpdate554.zip</code> into the game directory you choose, and answer yes to overwriting Aurora.exe and Stevefire.mdb.

: '''Note''' If you live in a country where the decimal separator is a comma e.g. 1,200, see [[#System Requirements|System Requirements]] section bellow.

4) ('''OPTIONAL''') Download [http://www.pentarch.org/steve/UpdatedRaces.zip UpdatedRaces.zip] (29MB) and overwrite the races in the Race directory. This updates the racial pictures and prevents errors when viewing the sample game Steve included.

5) You will need to install the program from this [http://www.pcwintech.com/simple-shutdown-timer website] to safely get some missing .dlls that you will need. You can uninstall the program immediately after if you want.

6) If you've followed all these steps, you're done and ready for your first game! Check the Tutorial section on the wiki for help getting started or visit the official Aurora4x forums.
|}

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
! Using Portable Aurora
|-
| Portable Aurora, is a third-party package that make it easier to install and run the game. It includes the game and a wrapper that automate some technical aspects of running it, and several graphics sets.

Portable Aurora use no installer for the game. Simply extract the archive file to a folder somewhere and run the game from within the folder. You can download it from the [http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?board=191.0 Portable Aurora sub-forum].
|}

==See Also==
* [https://aurora4x.com/c/installation/5 the official forums] latest files and support.
* [[FAQ#Troubleshooting]]
* [[Quickstart for Beginners]] tutorial. 
[[Category:Content]]