Black screen when starting EU1

[unmerged(6435)]

Hi there!

I picked up a copy of EU1 today, but unfortunately the game won't start on my computer, an AMD T-bird 900, 768MB Ram, SB Live running Win2k, DirectX 8.1 etc.

What happens is that when I start the game, the CD ROM spins like crazy, a black screen appears, and then nothing happens. I have to quit the "program" through CTR+ALT+DEL.

I've been looking through all the posts regarding similar problems as mine without finding a working solution. (And I must say that the mix of EU1 and EU2 related problems are not making it any better. Wouldn't it be a good idea to separate the two into two different support forums?)

I would be very happy for some help! Thank you.

/Issi

Oh, btw, what's up with "11. Now go to Start/Programs/Paradox Entertainment and select the "No Music" icon "? I really couldn't find such an icon? Or is it just for EU2?

 

[viper37]

Originally posted by Issirssi
Hi there!

I picked up a copy of EU1 today, but unfortunately the game won't start on my computer, an AMD T-bird 900, 768MB Ram, SB Live running Win2k, DirectX 8.1 etc.

What happens is that when I start the game, the CD ROM spins like crazy, a black screen appears, and then nothing happens. I have to quit the "program" through CTR+ALT+DEL.

I've been looking through all the posts regarding similar problems as mine without finding a working solution. (And I must say that the mix of EU1 and EU2 related problems are not making it any better. Wouldn't it be a good idea to separate the two into two different support forums?)

I would be very happy for some help! Thank you.

/Issi

Oh, btw, what's up with "11. Now go to Start/Programs/Paradox Entertainment and select the "No Music" icon "? I really couldn't find such an icon? Or is it just for EU2?

Are you running Win2000 with administrator priviledges? It's the only way for the game to work.

11 is for EU1 with patch 1.09 and possibly 1.10 (I haven't verified 1.10, but it should be there for 1.09, it was on my system and on most of other user's system)

As for splitting EU 1 and 2, it might be done with the next forum upgrade (it's due soon, but I don't know when). Sorry for the inconvenient.

 

[unmerged(6435)]

viper37, thanks for your reply!

Yes, I’m running Win2000 with administrator privileges. And I have installed the 1.10 patch without getting the "start without music" icon. I'm suspecting that where everything goes black, there is supposed to be a intro video or something. Is there a possibility to bypass that video in anyway? And is there a possibility to start the game without music even though I haven't got the "start without music" icon?

 

[unmerged(1095)]

Rename the AVI folder in EU2 to something else and try again.
There is a configuration file in EU2. Run that and you can change resolutions and turn the music off from there. It might even be in the program group from start/programs. I dont know as we havent got EU2 here yet (makes it difficult to reproduce your problems and help!).

 

[unmerged(6435)]

Uglyduck, hehe, it is EU1 I’m having problems with; we haven't got EU2 here yet either!

I've tried with renaming the AVI folder to something else, but still the game wont start.

 

[unmerged(1403)]

HI

2 things you might want to try..


disable autorun and disable your sound card.
if this works it narrows down the culprits

cheers

 

[viper37]

Aside what Nabil said, you can also try to disable the DMA setting of your CD-ROM in Control Panel, System, Device Manager. Double-click on your CD-ROM and go to Settings, then unclick DMA, Sync Data Transfer and Disconnect. If it works, then re-enable them one by one until you find the setting that is causing the problem.

 

[viper37]

This solution was posted by another user experiencing the same problem:

Got it working! Problem had to do with the avi blowing out when EU tried to run the startup movie. I had noticed that Windows Media Player crashed on some avi files. While looking at DLL's in the WINDOWS/SYSTEM directory, I noticed it looked like some bad app had overwritten a couple dll's with older versions! So I reinstalled Windows Me (what a pain) and everything worked!

 

[unmerged(6435)]

Nabir, Autorun is disabled, and I tried with disabling the soundcard. Still doesn't work.

viper37, Hmm, there is no such option as to disabling DMA under the setting for my CD-ROM. Actually it's a DVD-ROM, but I guess that doesn't really matter. Maybe you are referring to 98/ME? I tried running the game from my CD-R drive, but the same thing happens.

As for the Media Player being corrupted; no, I actually don't think it is. I tried with playing the video clips from the AVI folder just by them selves, and they played without any problem. The sound files form the sfx folder played nicely as well.

I must say this is really, really strange. All my other games runs without any problem... Could it be something with a copy protection or something? Oh, and BTW, I took the copy I picked up yesterday back to the store an exchanged it for a new copy. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything wrong with the CD. But as I'm still here you can figure that it didn't do anything. So nothing wrong with the CD either.



Thanks for your support guys, I really appreciate it!

 

[unmerged(1095)]

Originally posted by Issirssi
Uglyduck, hehe, it is EU1 I’m having problems with; we haven't got EU2 here yet either!

I've tried with renaming the AVI folder to something else, but still the game wont start.

I do apologise. I have taken a day of working because I feel so overtired - that post of mine proves it! Think I will have tomorrow off too....

 

[unmerged(6435)]

no probs Uglyduck!

 

[unmerged(6435)]

Fixed it

Ok, I fixed it. Well, at least temporarily. What I did was to uninstall EU, reinstall it with the 1.09 patch, and apply an unofficial No CD patch.

Ok, I know that this might be a very unsupported way of doing it, but I bough the game, and I want to play it one way or another.

I think there is something wrong with the copy protection on the CD, because this proves there is nothing wrong with the game in itself. I think paradox or its distributors should look into it, because I don't think I'm the only person with the same problem.



Regards,
Issi

 

[viper37]

Originally posted by Issirssi
viper37, Hmm, there is no such option as to disabling DMA under the setting for my CD-ROM. Actually it's a DVD-ROM, but I guess that doesn't really matter. Maybe you are referring to 98/ME? I tried running the game from my CD-R drive, but the same thing happens.[/B]

Yes, it is under 98/ME, I thought it was also there in Win 2000. Sorry.

As for the Media Player being corrupted; no, I actually don't think it is. I tried with playing the video clips from the AVI folder just by them selves, and they played without any problem. The sound files form the sfx folder played nicely as well.

Ok, one thing has been ruled out...

I must say this is really, really strange. All my other games runs without any problem... Could it be something with a copy protection or something? Oh, and BTW, I took the copy I picked up yesterday back to the store an exchanged it for a new copy. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything wrong with the CD. But as I'm still here you can figure that it didn't do anything. So nothing wrong with the CD either.

Strange you say? If it wasn't strange, you wouldn't be here
Wich version to you have, what is the name of the distributor on the box? What language is it in? AFAIK, only Strategy First as used Safedisc for copy protection. Other publishers had other ways.

This problem has been reported before, and I will have to search trough the forum archives to find references of it and all the possible solutions. I will try to get back to you soon on this. In the mean time, maybe someone else will think of something obvious that we haven't tried yet.

 

[unmerged(1095)]

Re: Fixed it

Originally posted by Issirssi
Ok, I fixed it. Well, at least temporarily. What I did was to uninstall EU, reinstall it with the 1.09 patch, and apply an unofficial No CD patch.

Ok, I know that this might be a very unsupported way of doing it, but I bough the game, and I want to play it one way or another.

I think there is something wrong with the copy protection on the CD, because this proves there is nothing wrong with the game in itself. I think paradox or its distributors should look into it, because I don't think I'm the only person with the same problem.



Regards,
Issi

Nothing wrong with that. I only use the 1.09 patch anyway and the CD isnt needed once the game starts

If your copy is produced by Strtagey First then there does appear to be an issue with the copy protection - with their EU2 version too!

 

[viper37]

Re: Fixed it

Originally posted by Issirssi
Ok, I fixed it. Well, at least temporarily. What I did was to uninstall EU, reinstall it with the 1.09 patch, and apply an unofficial No CD patch.

Ok, I know that this might be a very unsupported way of doing it, but I bough the game, and I want to play it one way or another.

I think there is something wrong with the copy protection on the CD, because this proves there is nothing wrong with the game in itself. I think paradox or its distributors should look into it, because I don't think I'm the only person with the same problem.



Regards,
Issi

Glad it works now, even if it trough unofficial means. But I'd still like to know the name of the publisher. If it is Stratefy First, they have an official patch for this kind of problem, for the others, I don't know.

 

[unmerged(6435)]

viper37, I have a Scandinavian version of the game, distributed by Visison Park.

Actually, when I'm at it I'm going to complain about another thing as well, not really related to this:

When installing the game from the Scandinavian version you only have the choice of installing the game in the Swedish, Danish or Norwegian language. I find this rather annoying, because I really would like the option of installing the game in English if I want. Oh, well, I guess I should start another thread regarding this issue. To late to change that now anyway, but maybe for EU2 when it finally arrives here up in the artic wastelands some time in ten years or so.



Take care guys!
/Issi

 

[unmerged(1095)]

Originally posted by Issirssi
viper37, I have a Scandinavian version of the game, distributed by Visison Park.

Actually, when I'm at it I'm going to complain about another thing as well, not really related to this:

When installing the game from the Scandinavian version you only have the choice of installing the game in the Swedish, Danish or Norwegian language. I find this rather annoying, because I really would like the option of installing the game in English if I want. Oh, well, I guess I should start another thread regarding this issue. To late to change that now anyway, but maybe for EU2 when it finally arrives here up in the artic wastelands some time in ten years or so.



Take care guys!
/Issi

You will be pleased to hear that the Swedish version of EU2 *will* be published in English and with an English manual. According to Patric, and posts I have seen on this board, you guys speak and write better English than we do!