Freezes in initializing globals

[unmerged(13394)]

Yesterday I installed my eu2 back to my computer after I was formatted my hard-drive and changed from win98 to win2000. After installation I patched it. But when I try to run game, it freezes when game is initializing globals in start up. Music goes on until the track ends and the nothing happens. I have to go with Ctrl+Alt+Del to Task Manager and shut the program.

I tried about 4 times uninstalling and re-installing, with and without patch, but it won't work. Game worked fine with win98.

I have a EU2 1.05 Park Vision (scandinavia) version,
Win2000, Amd duron 1200mhz, 655mb ram, Gainward geforce4 128ram, direct x 8.1.

when I was playing with win98, I got only 128mb ram, asus geforce1, and duron 600mhz.

I got newest drives to my hardware...

Pleaase help me!

 

[unmerged(6777)]

It could be one of several things so I'll make a couple recommendations for you and you can see which one solves your problem.

1. Have a look at this post and scroll to the third item where you'll see a fix from Patric for the Scandinavian patch issues. My guess is that this is the most likely problem.

2. If that doesn't work, the next step would be to go to the EU2 game folder and rename the avi folder to avi_old. This will disable the binkplay pre-game clips and avoid the occasional problems that binkplay seems to leave behind when it finishes.

Let me know if either of those work and if not then we'll go from there if it doesn't.

 

[unmerged(13394)]

I tried both but didn't work..

 

[Castellon]

Working on a process of elimination here, the next thing to try is turning the music off. Do this in the EU2 settings program.

 

[unmerged(10426)]

Did the program really freeze up? Did it say 'Program not responding.' when you pressed CTRL+ALT+DEL?

 

[unmerged(13394)]

Turned music off, didn't help... Game goes to initializing globals, and then nothing happens. Yesterday I waited about hour. When I press Alt+Ctrl+Del, it goes to task manager and says close the program not responding, and the status of eu2 is not responding (only program on the list). So there's no blue screen or anything like that, computer works fine, but the game don't. I have tried different resolutions and colors, with music and without, but no, it don't work.

 

[unmerged(6777)]

This seems like it's going to be a little tougher than I'd hoped.

When you were doing the uninstall/installs did you follow the full procedures and check to ensure that you had deleted the registry key for EU2 as well?

Next thing...

Could you please run DirectX diagnostics and test all drawing and sound functions. If this reports that everything is fine, the next thing to do is try turning down the hardware acceleration.

If that doesn't work then could you please give me precise driver details for your cards (i.e. the exact driver version and build you're running). I'm guessing that it might be related to nVidia driver for your card. I know that the 30.x-39.x versions crash all the time but the 40.x and 42.x version seem stable. Remember that Windows Update does not always update your drivers so you usually need to check and update those manually.

Let me know, and we'll take it from there.

 

[unmerged(13394)]

Still won't work...

Yes, I did full uninstall, deleted the registry, and all what patric told in the link you gave. I did it all again in weekend but didn't help.

DxDiag didn't found any errors. I tried to lower hardware acceleration even to zero, but didn't help.

My nvidia drivers are 41.09. What's the build?

 

[unmerged(6777)]

Sorry to take so long to get back to you. The winter cold season struck with full force and I'm only just getting back up to speed.

The nVidia driver you have is the current one for your system and I know that other people have been using it without problem. In some of their earlier drivers there was a "build" number" relating to the driver to indicate the system and build date but the one you've got is the newer UDA style that isn't OS-dependant (as much) and doesn't have a build associated with it.

What next...?

I'm a little mystified as to why it is hanging at this point. Could I ask you to do another uninstall/reinstall and this time do not patch it (just load the version on the CD) and then try launching the game. If it doesn't work then that will tell me that it's something relating to the basic compatibility of the game and your system. If it does work and then stops working when you patch it then it's something wrong relating to the patch.

Did you make any other changes to your system since you were last able to play other than reformatting the hard drive and shifting from Win98 to Win2k? Have you added extra devices (a joystick or other game controler) or a CD-ROM or anything like that? I just want to make sure that we're not missing a possible source of conflict. I'm also assuming that you've run and installed all possible Win2k updates...

 

[unmerged(13394)]

Yes I already tried without the patch, and it didn't make difference.

I did install microsoft sidewinder, but I have tried also without it.

I also changed my Asus Geforce 1 to Gainward Geforce4 Powerpack Ultra/650 XP, added 512mb memory, and changed my duron 600Mhz to duron 1200Mhz.

I haven't done any windows updates since I don't have a internet connection in home. I have service pack 2.

I don't if it matters any, but HoI is working fine with me, not a single CtD.

I found that my SbLive Value drivers aren't the newest one's so I try to get them somehow to my computer. Tried already yesterday with 19! (25mb ) diskettes, but when I was extracting them in home, 7th one got I/O error . I'll try again today.

I'm beginning to think, why in the earth I even wanted to change to Win2k

 

[unmerged(6777)]

Mystifying...particularly since you're able to launch HoI with no problems.

I wonder if there's some sort of surface issue with the CD that is corrupting a file during the install. How does it look? Perhaps a very gentle wipe with a soft cloth would help?

I can't think of any Win2K patch since the SP2 release that addresses this sort of issue, and (again) it is highly unusual that HoI would work but EU2 wouldn't when most of the system interface code is essentially identical.

As a possible test, do you have access to a second computer that you could temporarily install the game and see if it works? I guess you must have some access since you have whatever computer you're using to access this site but you don't have access from your home computer. If you could quickly install the game (even unpatched) on your "other" computer and see if you have the same problem then we might be able to isolate whether it's a system specific issue or a more global one.

Another test which would be annoying to do but might help point us towards a culprit would be to remove the new Geforce4 card and put the Geforce1 back in temporarily.

I'll also be interested to see if you find that the problem disappears once you manage to get the new drivers installed on the system.

Sorry this isn't a quick fix, but this is definitely an unusual problem and it may take some tinkering around to figure out a solution. I'm going to do a search through some old threads to see if I can pick up any other clues. Fear not, though. We'll figure it out one way or another.

 

[unmerged(13394)]

Hmm. Those sound card drivers didn't help. I cleaned the cd, and installed again, not working.

Well, then I decided to change that geforce4 to geforce1. I unistalled detonators, shutted off computer, changed cards. When I installed drivers (same detonators) to g1, and restarted computer, in startup blue screen comes, which says something about "pagefile error in nonpaged area". I have to restart again and go to whatsthatinenglish fault-mode? Then I uninstalled the detonators again, and now windows start normally. But now I have no drivers. I installed again, and here comes the blue screen. Some point, don't remember where, eu2 worked, but after restart the blue screen comes and I have to uninstall detonators again...
After couple more install/uninstall and fault-modes and blue screens, I decided to give up.

I change geforce4 back. I turn computer on, install detonators, now windows starts normally again. I try to run eu2, AND IT WORKS!!!

I restart my computer, still works!

I don't understand what I did to get it work, but I don't care because I just annexed mameluks

Thank for help MrT!

 

[Castellon]

It can be tricky to get a clean install of drivers, sounds like what you did achieved this for you. Congrats and happy conquests.

 

[unmerged(6777)]

Originally posted by JouniL
I don't understand what I did to get it work, but I don't care because I just annexed mameluks

Thank for help MrT!

Ahh...the famous "screw with it long enough and something's bound to work" approach. I like that one myself and it's about 50:50 in solving my problems - although the other 50 involves reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling OT, etc. from scratch.

Glad you're up and running now.