EU2: The Return of the Annoying Screen Dropouts

[unmerged(3131)]

I'm experiencing annoying random screen dropouts with EU2 with Win2K/Geforce MX, that are driving me mad.

Somtimes 5, sometimes 20 times per minutes the screen goes for a fraction of second black! I had this feature sometimes with EU1 but not that often. I know that these problems had been reported for EU1 some time ago in this forum.

First I thought that is caused by my monitor, maybe problems with the resolution and the frequenzy but i tried different resolutions/frequencies without any remarkable success.

It has to do with my machine, as I tried it on another win2k computer at work without any problems.

So I tried differnt drivers and different BIOS settings but nothing helped.

Then I deactivated my network connection (small home LAN) and the dropouts vanished. Looks like some ressource conflict caused by the network controller, but they all seem to be distributed fine. And of course the computer runs with all my other games and apps fine and very stable with the network connection being active.

As this problem has been reported for EU1 too, this seems to be an issue that is not limited to my computer alone...
So Anyone out there with the same problems or any idea?
(Please don't tell me to just deactivate the network conn while playing EU2 This is what i'm doing, but i have to stand my girfriens whinings, as she is using my computer as a fileserver and internet router.)

 

[viper37]

I would need to know your complete configuration to help you. See the "Running problems" thread, at the bottom of it, I have listed what I want. Plus, give you network card brand and model, there could be firmware or driver upgrade available that will solve the problem.

Also, go to control panel, system, device manager, properties. It will give you all the IRQ lists with each device. Post it here so I can see of there is a conflict.

 

[unmerged(3131)]

At first, thanks for your response.

I have to correct my first post, i have the same effect on the second test computer at my workplace, only at a very lower rate (1 times per 1-3 Minutes). (Sadly I can't play EU2 a longer time at work for some obvious reasons )

This machine has a different configuration but it is also configurated as a router with two network cards.

All ressources are controlled by WIN2K ACPI by the way, so there is no way to change them and no usefull information in the devicemanager but the statement that there are no conflicts at all. And all is running fine under all other circimstances with both machines. I do not think that it's a ressource conflict...


Both machines are configured with Microsoft Internet sharing. (=NAT-Routing for SOHO and (small office&home LANS). And are using DSL. Maybe here is some reason.

I'll give you some specs, but i don't think that this will give much help.

Please do keep in mind, that I mainly posted this thread in the 'hope' that there must be some other machines around suffering the same problems. So that we can compare.

I will continue to observe this effect and call back if there are some news.

Machine one (workplace)
win2k (german)
Duron 700 Mhz
Gigabyte GA 7ZX MoBo (VIA KT133)
256MB RAM
5GB free partition space
elsa erazor IIIpro 32MB (TNT-2)
NIC1+2: 2* 3com EtherLinkXL
NIC3: Realtek RTL 8139 Noname
SB PCI 128
CDRW Ricoh MP7063A
CD BTC 44x

Machine two (at Home)
(?)=must check first

Duron 800 Mhz
Epox 8-KTA2 (VIA KT133)
Win 2K (german)
384 MB RAM
Elza Gladiac MX 32 MB (Geforce MX)
4 GB free partition space
NIC1 3com (?)
NIC2 (?)
CDRW (?)
onbord sound (?)
TV-card (?)

 

[viper37]

I don't think it's a conflict problem either, but we never know, so that's why I ask. If it was a conflict, it would simply not work in most case.

It's the first time myself I hear about this problem, and I have a network card on my home computer, for the DSL connection. I will check the forum however for older solutions that could have been posted. It will take a few days, since it's not an emergency

I noticed you have a CD-RW, it has nothing to do with your current problem, but I'd like to know if you had any problem with installing or running EU 2 (in other words, did you need to do something special for it to work?).

I personally think that it's a NIC bios or driver problem.

I would like to try upgrading you MB bios, your NICs bios (if they have flashable rom) and try the latest drivers for your nics.

Also, try disabling the onboard sound card in your bios and play EU without sound, just to see if you get the same problem.

It's a lot of 'fiddling', but I'm trying to corner the problem with you, so we can help future users.

 

[unmerged(3131)]

PROBLEM SOLVED:

It was not a driver problem, not a ressource conflict.

Both machines had network cards from the german telekom, which came with their DSL-packet. Both were Allied AT-2500TX.

I replaced them with other cards with the same chipset.
(Realtek RTL8139) so that I didn't even have to change the drivers and, wonder why, these annoying dropouts vanished!

So, thanks to you viper37 for your help

P.S:
And no, i had no problems installing EU2 with the CD/RW.
Apart from the dropouts I only experienced one strange thing with EU2: The setting Program hangs on both machines by 100% CPU, it has to be removed by taskmanager...
But no problem, since the setings.cfg can be easily edit by notepad.

 

[viper37]

I'm glad your problem is fixed! Also thanks for the feedback.

About the settings program, I do not know... If it ever annoys you, try to reinstall the game.