Demo Crashes/directx

[Naghite]

The demo crashes on my system after playing for about a minute. Not only does it crash, but it destroys directx functionality as well (inspiring eh?). Since dxdiag produces different results before and after the demo is run, I have attached two .txt files. The one entitled "before run demo" was completed, the demo was immediately started and played run until crash (a minute or two, ran fine for first minute), then dxdiag was run immediately afterwards for the second .txt file. No other programs were started. With every crash I had to uninstall the video drivers (and demo to be safe) and then re-install again to restore directx functionality. The error message I receive when the demo crashes is

Type: (box symbols across screen)
File: c:\TMill\Source\Engine\D3DDeviceManager.cpp
Function:TMill::Engine::D3D::DeviceManager::Change Device
Line: 338

And a query, outside of a fix .... why is directx not working after running the demo application?

[Keith]

The after file probably shows a difference because it still thinks its running the game and hasn't reset to the normal mode like it would after exiting the game normally. Are you running the game in a 800x600 screen mode?

[Naghite]

Thank you for your replies so far:


Keith

That was more of what I was asking, the question was more along the lines, of "why would any program alter directx functionality after it has ended running, one would think no program should". Perhaps your answer is the reason.


Phil,

15% of 20 Gb is 3, which is JUST less than what was showing, however, i took your advice and attempted to free up more space. I installed a 30 GB drive (F:) as a dedicated pagefile HDD, the demo is and was installed on D: drive (5 GB remaining on that drive) and C now has 5GB open as well now that pagefile has been moved. Same error message, same problems. Including latest dxdiag before running demo for you to verify changes and make further suggestions.

[Keith]

When the game crashed it might have been left running on the processes menu of Task Manager, so running dxdiag again probably got results that reflected that.

[Naghite]

Phil

It took me a while to figure out you wanted me to d/l and install msconfig, which is now done. I deleted all startup programs that were not required (except ms office) and also proceeded to google search all processes and stopped any process that was not "needed". System is quite sleek now, but, same errors, same results. At least I can just re-boot now after a crash since it was an unfinished termination of the demo which caused varying dxdiag results.

Anything else worth trying?

[Naghite]

Hi Phil,

The game runs very fast and very smooth with the settings all maxed out or on the default settings which are mid road. Performance is not an issue, it is simply the (predictable) crashes.

I had already re-installed directx 9.0c many times, both the demo version and the newest off the microsoft website to see if dx version was the problem, it isn't. .Net 2.0 was installed and working properly before my first post. Yes I uninstalled .NET 1.0 and the 1.1 patch that were on my system before installing .NET 2.0.

I have no Daemon tools.

Thanks

[JuliaSet]

a question please.. does it feel like an event trigger, or one from a save?

[Naghite]

Hiya Julia

I haven't tried to save game yet, it always crashes within about 2 minutes, although it seems to flucuate. I have tried building various things or not as small short tests. Although i often seem to be scrolling with the right hand click of the mouse when the crash starts, which makes sense from the error message I guess. At this point, I am pleased to have been lead into streamlining my comp, it's been fun /smile .

[PCDania]

What Brand and Model Power Supply is installed in the computer?
What Brand and Model is your 7800GS?

Some models of the 7800GS require as minimum a 350 Watt Power supply with a 12V current rating of 18Amp, other models of the 7800GS require as minimum a 400 Watt Power Supply with a 12V current rating of at least 20Amp

[Naghite]

That is a good thought PCDania. I had to replace my power supply when I bought the video card. Nothing on either box says "model" but I believe the model numbers are those below:

power supply - ACEPower - 520 W ATX - 88880051796
GeForce 7800 GS Overclocked - BFGR78256GSOC

I am starting to wonder whether it is my motherboard: ASUS P4S533

[Naghite]

Also, just in case someone can use it to help, here is the hjt file with the extension changed from .log to .txt in order to upload.

[PCDania]

Your power supply is made by Taiwanese compagny named HEC (usually rated as really good buy for the bucks but they have a few lame ducks here and there like most other compagnies) but I can't find any 520Watt power supplies anywhere made by them. Please open your case and take a look at the lable on the Power Supply and post what it says in A (A for Amp) for all voltage including where it says 3.3V+5V and 3.3V+5V+12V

Make sure the Auxiliary Power for the graphics card does not use a power connector from the cables connected to your harddisk(s)

Also make sure you have a good airflow in the case as the graphics card you have is factory overclocked and needs better cooling than the normal version.

Your graphics card requires: "A minimum 400W system power supply (with 12V current rating of 20A or more)"

As you suspect the reason for your crashes could be the motherboard, not that I say it is but it could be. Not that Asus makes bad motherboards but the chipset is made by SiS and is not among the best available at that time. The big problem with getting a new motherboard might be getting a good Socket 478 board. I don't know how it is in the USA but here in Denmark they have become very rare.

Regarding the HiJackThis log. You have had an unwanted guest but it has been eliminated. You might like to run HiJackThis again and let it remove the entry:
O23 - Service: Service Hosts (ServiceHost) - Unknown owner - C:\WINNT\shost.exe (file missing)

[Naghite]

Alrighty, shost eliminated

power supply is model ACE 520 W

positive voltage ratings

3.3V - 30A
5V - 32A
12V - 35A

EDIT: I will check the power cable later tonight

[Naghite]

The power cable did go to the video card and hdd's, now the video power is only shared with the cd and floppy drives.

Loaded the demo on again, ran it and lasted 3:15 seconds with a starting city built. Re-booted and re-started the demo. Did nothing but click tips messages, game crashed in about 3:30 seconds again. Is there some event/message that happens then? (game speed was on default

[PCDania]

At 12V 35A your power supply should be good to go.

Are there anything in the program or system logs in the system management tool?

The problem can besides being your motherboard also be a combination of it being the Demo and Windows 2000.

You could try update your motherboard drivers (more specific the IDE and VGA drivers) from Support at Asus. I'm a little hesitant to suggest this because a failed update with Windows 2000 could easily mean a total reinstallation of the computer.

[Naghite]

" Is there anything in the program..."

I am not sure what I would be looking for, could you be more specific? Offhand, I do not see anything that raises my eyebrow, but I am far from a computer guru.

I will look into updating motherboard ..... by like your warning, I am afraid ... very afraid of screwing it up :)

[PCDania]

If there are anything in the Program logs or System logs that is unusual they will have a yellow exclamation point as icon while things that might be really serious will have a red X as icon

[Naghite]

There are some DHCP messges about ip adresses as yellow on boot up. When I run the demo, I just get the information message

Application popup: Caesar IV: CaesarIVDemo.exe - Application Error : The instruction at "0x006f2fa3" referenced memory at "0x00000008". The memory could not be "read".

Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program

[Keith]

That particular error code (0x00000008) always indicates some problem accessing the memory.

I was searching for some similar error message and found a bunch. One of the suggested causes for this type of error is as follows:

These type of errors are more generally an indication of a slightly unstable system. Instability can be caused by marginal memory, overheating, marginal power supply and of course overclocking.

The suggested thing to do there was to run a memory test program to verify that the memory was functioning normally. If you don't have a set of tools with a memory tester that came with your computer you can download the free recommended memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/), which I have recommended on these boards myself in other threads.

You may also want to run Microsoft's Online Crash Analysis (http://oca.microsoft.com/EN/welcome.aspx) utility.

[Naghite]

No memory errors (after 3 passes) and upgraded agp and ide drivers did not help /sigh. Crashed at much different times (15 seconds and two minutes +).

[Keith]

Which one did you use? Just curious.

[Naghite]

memtest86+ - it took a long time, but i guess it is thorough.

[Keith]

I had a faulty memory strip once, and it was hard to track down. It never showed up on the memory tests I ran. The tech had me setup the memory diagnostic to run for 99 iterations (passes). I let it run for more than half that and the problem didn't show up. Yet, I still had a lockup problem that occurred at random moments. Sometimes not for an hour, sometimes six times per hour, and sometimes 10 seconds after the desktop loaded up. They finally just yanked the memory strips and replaced them and the system hasn't had a problem like that since. Memory strips are tricky things.

[Naghite]

If my computer had any problems outside of C4 I would be more inclined to look for memory errors. My computer never crashes and everything else runs without (expected) errors. To be honest, I am stumped, the C4 demo just doesn't seem compatable with ... something, perhaps my oldest component, the motherboard, perhaps not /shrug. Perhaps it is between my motherboard and the video card that is only brought out by C4 graphics. Most graphic intense game this system (as is) has tried was everquest for a few hours, which was fine.

[PCDania]

Back when I worked in a PC shop I've run tests with memtest86+ where the errors first started sometime after the 50th iteration. We used to let the computers run memory tests over night.

[Johannus]

I have just installed the demo and have exactly the same problem:

I double click on the shortcut
The Window opens
I get the message about there not being a file a C:/Tmill

First I should make two thinks clear:

1: I am a mac user
MacBook 2x1.86
1024MBs of Ram
64MBs of VRam
C Drive (with windows on) 13GB 2GBs Free (1GB paging file)
F Drive (With osX on) 65GB 27GB Free (4GB paging file)
Windows XP Service Pack 2
MacOs X.4.1

2: I am a complete 'Newbie', and have no idea what im talking about, I just thought that having another user would help you to narrow down where the fault is and (tell us how to) fix it.

Now here are the two thing which puzzle me as the ignorant user of my brand new Windows-infested Mac:

1: the pageing file takes up 5GBs total on my disk, yet windows insists that there is only 256MBs assigned in total. Every time I log on, I have to press CTRL + Alt + Escape (the mac equivalent of CTRL ALT Delete - god knows why this works on windows) and it shows up a message nagging me to increase the pageing file.

2: The error message refers to C:/Tmill . I have looked - I have shown hidden files - I have reinstalled the demo many a time and i have never seen such a folder. Maybe this is part of the problem?

I would like to take this opportunity to declare myself a moron for partitioning such a small space for windows befor any of you guys do. I havent even put anything except CSS on the windows side and its already eaten the entire of its space bar 2GBs.

I wouldnt usually join a forum or devote more than 2 minutes of my time to a faulty game, but C4 looks like its going to be absolutely amazing and I want to make sure I can run the full version with no problems.

Is this issue going to be resolved in the full release patches?

Is it a one off for the demo and I can go ahead and buy the full thing?


Thanks for already reading 5 minutes of waffle and thanks in advance for any solution.

John, England

[Naghite]

FYI:

Upgraded my motherboard, and the demo now finally works. Tis sad that a P4 1.6 GHz computer was unable to play a demo. Well, the new motherboard with accompanying Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz runs it easily at max settings and no stuttering. Since nothing else changed, it is now clear that is what not a memory or graphics issue, but, as I suspected, an older motherboard that was somehow incompatable with the game.