Constant CTDs

[Yarmonkey]

I really, really love this game. It's the only game I always want to play...but it's just driving me crazy. Everyone else seems to be experiencing very specific problems like dates they can't get past, or particular actions that cause them to crash. I can't put my finger on my problem, but it never seems so specific. I just crash all the time. Not from savegames, just in the middle of play, "Dump!" back to Windows. I don't usually have trouble reloading a savegame, even an autosave, but before a few more days or at most weeks, wham again. Random.

I do autosave every month, but having to replay the same month over and over again trying to get past an inexplicable crash is just maddening. I haven't finished a game in months.

I've changed the AVI directory, music is off, I have all of the latest drivers. DX tests all pass. When a savegame stops working, HOIfix fixes it, but I don't notice that it keeps crashes from recurring after play restarts.

If I had something specific, I'd be in the bug report forum, but it seems like the game is just incredibly unstable.

Can anyone suggest anything? I'm willing to take the most outlandish suggestions. I can't stand the thought of no longer playing, but playing is starting to take its toll on me as well.

Yar

edit: spelling

 

[unmerged(21814)]

Well, if you want something outlandish, my problems ended after I lubricated the CPU cooling fan with gun oil :rofl:

 

[Castellon]

Make sure your color depth is set to 16 BIT.
Turn the acceleration on your audio & video cards off.
If that solves the problem then slowly turn one of them up until you find a setting which stops the CTD.

 

[jpd]

What processor/chipset combination are you using? Which OS, and how much RAM do you have?

Games like HoI need a lot of memory to operate properly, and older OS'es like Windows 95/98 have trouble managing that memory when it overflows in a large swap file, while at the same time having very little physical memory available in to swap in and out of. The OS itself becomes unstable, generating exception 0E after 0E (page faults).

HoI (and EU2) catch those exceptions, but don't give you a message box or a blue screen. They simply terminate the game and dump you back in the desktop, hence CtD (or Crash to Desktop).

Jan Peter

 

[Yarmonkey]

Thanks, I'll try all of that.

My system is a 3.06 (HT) Pentium 4 w/1Gig of RAM and a Radeon 9800 Pro. XP Pro with SP-1. DX9.0b.

I've heard of the video/audio acceleration solutions for every game I've ever had troubles with. <g> Has anyone actually ever had that solution work? :-D

 

[jpd]

Well, given your stated system specs, another possible problem comes to mind. How big is your power supply unit? If it's something like 300 W, then that too can cause system instability.

Your processor, memory and video board are all extremely power hungry. When not enough can be supplied by your PSU, then random crashes can be the result.

Edit: And yes, scaling down video/audio acceleration can regain system stability, if your PSU is a boarderline case. Reducing accelleration means less power consumption by your video or audo board.

Jan Peter

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by Yarmonkey

I've heard of the video/audio acceleration solutions for every game I've ever had troubles with. <g> Has anyone actually ever had that solution work? :-D

Yes lots of times!
I would not suggest it if it had not.
let me know how it goes for you.

 

[Yarmonkey]

Alas! Is there no justice?

Well, I set my color depth to 16m and had one of the longest runs I've had for a while without a crash. :-D Oh, delightful game! I pine for it!

However, now I'm encountering one of the crashes that everyone else gets, where you can't get past a certain date. So my instability seems to be fixed, and now I'm just having the usual CTDs. :-/

<rant deleted>

Sigh.

edit: rant deleted

 

[jpd]

Glad that you got your stability back

Now, please check the following, to prevent future problems, as your particular hardware/OS 'qualifies':

Right-click on the My Computer Icon then Properties to open the System Properties dialog box 

Select the Advanced Tab then the Settings button under Performance 

Select the Advanced tab on the Performance options tab 

In the Memory Usage area, ensure the Programs button is selected 

Apply the changes and select OK 

System restart.

This is copied/pasted directly from the VIA forums, where the newly released hyperion chipset drivers (4.50) created havoq amongst similar hardware/OS.

What happened was that a system setting, accessible by the user in the above mentioned location, was silently turned to 'system cache' by the driver installation procedure.

When that setting is set to system cache, it will trigger a bug deep inside Windows XP SP1, when running on a system with >=512 MB RAM AND an ATI Radeon AGP card with the latest catalist drivers. This bug is extremely serious, as it will COMPLETELY trash your hard disk contents in a way that not even the worst, most destructive virus can accomplish.

Jan Peter

 

[Yarmonkey]

They were both still set to programs, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Castellon]

Very interesting jpd, thanks for the info!

Yarmonkey, try HOIFIX on your save game and see if that allows you to continue.

 

[jdrou]

Originally posted by Yarmonkey
However, now I'm encountering one of the crashes that everyone else gets, where you can't get past a certain date.

What's the crash date and what patch are you running? (1.05c is the latest.)

 

[Yarmonkey]

HOIFix does not fix it, and the date is Feb 1, 1941. More specifically, it occurs as the game clicks over to 7:00am.

I did try switching to another country (I can't seem to switch to any of the other primary countries, only minor ones), and it still crashed. None of my units are in motion, no research being completed (in progress, but nothing within 10 days of completion), no redeployment going on.

Oh, and I'm running 1.05c.

This was one of my best games yet, too. :-/

edit: more details

 

[jdrou]

Maybe you should start a new thread in the bug forum for this new problem. Vulture may want to look at the savegame.

 

[Yarmonkey]

Maybe you should start a new thread in the bug forum for this new problem.

Done.

Vulture may want to look at the savegame.

How do I submit it?

Yar

 

[jdrou]

Originally posted by Yarmonkey

How do I submit it?

His email address is in his sig. Make sure you zip the savegame first (your email may not let you send it otherwise because of the size). I wouldn't send it until he asks though.

 

[Yarmonkey]

Hooray! I got past the crash problem. Thanks to everyone who helped me with this. The details of how I got around the crash can be found in the Bug Report thread here:

http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=2299103#post2299103

 

[Castellon]

Glad you are back in business.

 

[Yarmonkey]

Oh man, so am I. I really do love this game.

 

[Castellon]