Game Freezes machine (sound problem?)

[EricGS]

Every so often (about once an hour at the moment, but it's not regular) the game freezes the system entirely. The game is still on screen, but it has stopped, the mouse pointer stays in the same spot and the music freezes repeating the same chord constantly. Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn't work and the whole thing requires a hard reboot. Occasionally (just to make things interesting) it BSoD instead - but normally still requires a hard reboot.

The only other game on which this regularly happens is Europa Universalis (it has happened a couple of times on Railroad Tycoon II but that was solved by disabling System Restore) - that is, it doesn't happen on games like Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale II, Panzer General II or III, Medieval: Total War.

Operating System: Microsoft Windows ME (4.90, Build 3000)

System Manufacturer: VIA Technologies, Inc.
System Model: VT8363
BIOS: Ver 1.65
Processor: AMD Duron(tm) processor, MMX, 3DNow, ~747MHz
Memory: 256MB RAM
Primary File System: FAT32
DirectX Version: DirectX 8.1 (4.08.01.0881)
Video: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400
Sound: VIA Sound System Play (DC00) (emulated)
-onboard sound.

I've
- updated video drivers
- renamed the avi file
- disabled DX sound acceleration
- switched of AVG
- unplugged USB devices
- upgraded to v1.05

None of these have solved the problem.

 

[Vulture]

What's the date of the game at lockup?

 

[unmerged(18063)]

I have a similar system and the same problems, but more severe. In my case it crashes a few seconds into the game. I have v1.5 too, the most recent drivers, and a fresh install of windows (1 day old). I *think* its hardware related, maybe due to the VIA chipset

 

[unmerged(18063)]

for the sake of completeness here's my system:

AMD Athlon 850MHz
VIA KT133 Mainboard
256MB SDRAM PC133
GeForce3 Ti-200
Philips Seismic Edge Soundcard (previously Soundblaster Live!, same problems though)
Maxtor 20GB HD
Windows 98 2nd Ed (previously Win XP, same problems)
Newest drivers for Video/Sound/Mainboard as of 6/7/03
DirectX version that is supplied on the CD

 

[jpd]

And once again we have the infamous 'infinite loop' AGP error.

Unload/uninstall completely the VIA 4in1 driver set, and use only the stock Microsoft AGP, chipset and IDE drivers.

That should take care of the problems.

Jan Peter

 

[unmerged(18063)]

hm i haven't had time to fully play yet but yes it doesnt crash right away anymore. thx. btw are the "stock" drivers the ones that load automatically after the restart after deinstalling the 4in1 drivers?

 

[jpd]

Stock drivers are those that came with the Windows installation CD (assuming you are not using Windows XP), and yes, those should normally be reactivated by the VIA 4in1 de-installation.

Jan Peter

 

[EricGS]

Sorry to sound thick, but how do I uninstall the 4-in-1 drivers? Can't do it from uninstall software and doesn't seem to be any other way of doing it other than deleting them in System Devices - which seems drastic. If I just disable them the machine won't start at all except in Safe Mode.

Have fun,
Eric

 

[jpd]

If you go to the device manager (assuming pre Windows XP), you can select each component affected (ie. IDE device, AGP device, CPU to AGP bridge, CPU to PCI bridge, PCI to ISA bridge), and select <change driver> (or <update driver> depending on your OS version).

Then select the Microsoft driver for that piece of hardware, instead of the one from VIA.

That should do it.

If you have Windows XP, then you are out of luck. The only course of action remaining in that case is to delete Windows XP from your hard drive, and (re)install either Windows 98 SE or Windows 2K.

Jan Peter

 

[Castellon]

Thanks to my VIA driver expert, JPD!, once again, for handleing this matter!

 

[Laffertytig]

ive started getting these lock up as well. its only since i installed the 1.05b patch. ive been testing the first 18 months of the 36 scenario and in 4 games its locked up twice, both at different dates. a typical favourite seems to be whan an event happens. the sound sometimes sticks as well.

i dont see how it could be a sound problem as its never happened before as ive completed several games with the 1.05 patch. i have no other mods installed at present

windows xp
384mb ram
64mb geforce 2 card
athlon 2200mhz processor

 

[jpd]

Well, first of all you need to identify the type of lockup you are getting. In this thread it was the 'infinite loop' lockup. This is not confined to or caused by any particular game, but by faults in the AGP device driver.

When it happens, your PC will stop responding to anything, as effectively the processor stops working. Symptoms are mouse pointers no longer moving on screen, no reaction from keystrokes on the keyboard, last sound fragment loaded in the soundcard repeating indefinately.

The only trouble with this kind of lockup is that it is extremely hard to reproduce in any consistent way, as it is highly timing dependant. However, it does happen more often when the north bridge of your mainboard's chipset is very busy, which it usually is when a lot of graphics are being processed, together with CD-ROM/harddisk activity and intense sound effects being played.

It also strikes more often if you happen to own a mainboard with a VIA chipset (which usually implies an AMD Athlon processor). This is because VIA chose to sacrifice system stability for increased speed. Most of the time they get away with it, and the user never experiences any infinite loop lockups. However, on the older chipsets (KT133, KT266, etc) and especially in combination with recent GeForce video boards and Creative soundcards, it goes horribly wrong.

If you own an older Microsoft OS (Windows 9x, Windows 2K), then you still have the choice of *not* installing the VIA 4in1 (or Hyperion) driver set, as Microsoft has supplied default ones for these OS'es. These are not as fast as the VIA drivers, but they are rock solid stable. Unfortunately, Microsoft has abandoned this approach for Windows XP, and has supplies an older VIA 4in1 driver set with this OS, which, alas, already contains the VIA AGP problems.

If, on the other hand, you encountered a problem specific to HoI, then you still should have (partial) control over your PC. Especially things like <ctrl><alt><del> to call up the task manager should still respond.

Jan Peter

 

[Castellon]

Originally posted by Laffertytig
ive started getting these lock up as well. its only since i installed the 1.05b patch. ive been testing the first 18 months of the 36 scenario and in 4 games its locked up twice, both at different dates. a typical favourite seems to be whan an event happens. the sound sometimes sticks as well.

i dont see how it could be a sound problem as its never happened before as ive completed several games with the 1.05 patch. i have no other mods installed at present

windows xp
384mb ram
64mb geforce 2 card
athlon 2200mhz processor

Sounds like you found a bug in an event, check out the bug forum to see if others are having problems. If no one else is then start a new thread here.

 

[unmerged(18438)]

I started having this problem shortly after installing Viet Cong however after uninstalling VC it still happened. I updated every driver I could find to no avail. Anytime, especially when theres heavy usage of graphics/sound cards, the system goes into a look lockup and repeats the same tiny bit of sound so it sounds like a drumroll. the keyboard and mouse are locked and the only answer is to switch it off at the wall. Im starting to get really hacked off with it all!

Is there an answer to us lucky people with XP?

I love this game (and VC) but have nearly reached the point of trying to fix it with a hammer.

my system is:

windows XP
1900 athlon processor
512 ddr ram
80gb hdd
geforce 2 graphics card
soundblaster live! sound card

any ideas would be fab.

 

[jpd]

For the moment I assume that you have a VIA chipset.

If you really want to hang on to XP (I can't imagine why ), then all you can do is modify the timing in your system, and, with trial and error, configure it in such a way that for the games you play, the infinite lockup no longer occurs. Note: you don't take away the cause of the problem, you will only be fighting the symptoms.

There are several things you can try:

1) Move your soundblaster to PCI slot #3. This slot is the least likely one sharing an IRQ with something else.

2) Tweak your DRAM timing, making it a bit slower.

3) Adjust the PCI latency timing (in your advanced chipset setup in the BIOS)

4) Adjust AGP aperture size. Note: never ever set is smaller than 16 MB. It *will* crash your Windows setup if you do.

5) Scale down your AGP speed from x4 to x2 or x1.

6) Disable IDE busmastering

7) Install an older (aka slower) video driver.

Jan Peter

 

[Castellon]

You may want to try adjusting the acceleration on your Audio and video cards.

 

[unmerged(15409)]

I am having a very similar problem, and in fact I really think it is the same.
My motherboard is an Asus v7100, though. There are more info on the problem, as well as my PC´s specs in this thread: http://www.europa-universalis.com/f...029&perpage=25&highlight=Nuclear&pagenumber=1

Notice that it sometimes takes some seconds before teh computer is truely unusable, thre have already been times in wich I managed to slowly and patiently save the game before resetting the PC, but it eventually comes to a point were it is totaly frozen... I believe it is the same problem since the lights in the cabinet of the PC get to a point where they are no longer lit.
Please, if you find out that it is the same problem explain to me step by step how to fix it... I am a newbie in pc fixing and I dunno how to follow procedures unless told how to in a fool-proof fashion.
I´d be greatly thankfull for any input on it,
Nuke

 

[Castellon]

You are on a Pent 4. not the Athlon CPU. It is the Athlon that has the problems.

 

[unmerged(15409)]

But the description of the problem seems just too much alike; it must at least be something similar

 

[Castellon]

Not the same at all actually, since your system slowly slows down, then powers the whole system down.