Crash's on launch.

[Juneau]

Hi all, firstly i'll put as much information here as possible, as im pretty mad to be honest.

E6600 @ 3.24 w/ Watercooling
4Gb Crossair twinmx ram (removed 2gb to rule out mem issues)
32Bit Vista Home Premium & 64Bit Ultmate (duel boot - same error on both OS's)
XFX 8800Gts

When I install the game in order to get the Patch#2 to install I have to RUN it from the source im downloading, If I save it to anywhere on any of my hardrives it refuses to run and says the game needs reinstalling.

Ok, so once we've gotten around that problem. THe game launcher works fine. When I click on play the game launch's (my TV/monitor give me the black screen which shows any new window with its own resolution settings starting up.

It then instantly crash's out and gives me the option to look for solution online, close, debug. The debug option just causes it to give the first two options.

I've also tried putting on the -thelamasaysgo which skips the launcher but it still crash's. I don't get any sound or images the crash in near instantanious.

I've got all the vista hotfix's (32bit Home Premium) and im running the latest NVidia drivers. My bios is fully updated and the system is specced to run at 4gb RAM but I've taken the 2additonal GB out and increased the pagefile ammount to rule out RAM issues.

(just to point out nothing on my system is an illegal copy and I've even given it a fresh install of Vista 32-Bit home premium, the 64bit os for work)

--

Same everytime.

Description:
Stopped working

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: SimCitySocieties.exe
Application Version: 1.0.1.38
Application Timestamp: 47615dec
Fault Module Name: unknown
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 6aba8297
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 2057

Read our privacy statement:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50163&clcid=0x0409


--

I've also tried running it in 2000 compatibility mode and XPSP2 with the same results though a slightly differnet crash message.

which i've attached as SCError.jpeg.

[Juneau]

Any ideas?

I'll check back tommorrow night.

[Keith]

If SCS has SecuROM security, (don't know, cause I don't have SCS), run the Launch Analysis program in the exe's right click menu.

With the game disc in the drive, open the game's install folder on the hard drive and right click on the actual exe file of the game and select that option from the list. Let it finish, then find the C:\AnalysisLog.sr0 file and put it in a zipfile.

Create a email addressed to support@securom.com with the title Sim Cities Societies and attach the zipfile to it. Send it. They will review the info and get back to you.

Of course, if EA doesn't use SecuROM on its games this won't do you any good.

[Micavaga]

I can vouch that EA is using SecuRom on its games. I got "infected" with Bon Voyage.

[Juneau]

Thank's.

I've ran the above, zipped it and e-mailed it off. You guys got any idea when they will be open (new year an all)

[Juneau]

They see nothing wrong with securom. It is authenticating fine.

So here I am £39.99 out of pocket with a game that refuses to run on my machine built with some of the most popular pieces of hardware out to date.

[Juneau]

So what do I do next?

Return the game?

OR

Is there someone else I can speak to with regards to this fault?

on a side note i've had my memory, chipset, processor and harddrives tested for any faults - all of which came back clean.

[MaxBeta]

Hi Juneau

I don't post often here at TM, but your situation appears bleak. It is frustrating anticipating just having fun playing. I wanted to play SC:S so badly a built a special Vista Mega PC.. no expense spared. I didn't have the errors you've reported but did endure the driver ques Vista kept harrassing me..and poor resource management. So I went back to XP just to escape... I was so desperate just to play.

One thing I had SLI 8800s ..and I'm wondering if you might be running that setup? I know I had to disable it for other games..and did for SC:S..also my quadcore processor caused some issues..though I never discovered the actual reason. I do know some newer Nvidia drivers are not helping.. and this forum has a expert on Nvidia driver application.

I wish now that I had been patient with Vista back then to figure out some of the issues. I think I felt so sure my Monster gaming PC would do the trick..I found out differently. I do think that all problems can be resolved..yours included. The game is a very beautiful game and is all consuming to play. I hope some of my dialogue might point you to areas where you can re-check to see if some alternate configuration will open the door to your having a better experience with this title.

Wishing for the BEST playing experiences for all..in 2008

[Juneau]

No, im not running SLI and i'm not isntalling XP jsut for one game when its clearly advertised it works on Vista.

Latest NVidia drivers.

Been on the phone to EA and im sending them off hte information after trying a few small fix's.

oh edit - i also tried setrting the affinity to a single core - no luck.

[Keith]

Now that we know it's not a conflict with SecuROM you can be pretty sure its another application.

Have you tried disabling all non-essential Windows applications from the MSCONFIG?

Even though SCS is not a Sierra game, these instructions will help:

How to disable background applications (http://220.226.203.21/Vivendi_Current/(t2teng45i1tpvr55qeqahu45)/Pages/ViewFAQ.aspx?FAQID=1792)

This will eliminate more possible sources of your problem if you carry out the steps there. The top sectiond of instructions are for XP but it should be similar for Vista.

[Juneau]

It's been done previously.

Also note - this is a fresh isntall of Vista home premium with only the latest drivers for the gfx card and sound drivers. none essential hardware such as onboard sound, high def sound, flash drives etc.. have all been disabled

(can you tell i really want to play this game)

[Keith]

A while ago I was attempting to research another problem for a different game and stumbled across a rather helpful thread that has some excellent ideas on another board.

[HOW TO] Troubleshoot Gaming issues, Basic steps to run before asking for help (http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10711)


It wouldn't hurt to read through that thread and try the things he's suggesting.

Keep in mind that the post is a sticky thread that was made at the tail end of 2006, so some of the "tools" he's using may have been updated since then.

[Juneau]

I read it, kinda groaned but tried a few things on there that I hadn't and still no luck.

EA haven't got back to me.. again (3rd time i rang them today)

One thing that made me giggle


"II.1) Causes for crash
Incompatibility between hardware (graphic card, USB device, chipset, soundcard, ...), driver and the game.
Defective hardware element. (graphic card, RAM, chipset, ...)
Borderline or worse specifications in comparison to the game requirements.
Overclocking of the video card.
Poorly programmed game.
Monitor refresh rate different than 60 Hz."

Just to let you guys know. Its going back to the shop tommorrow. I don't see why I should have to dismantle my entire PC to make a game run when its more then capable of running everything thats out at the moment -including cpu/ram/gfx intense games such as crysis damn near maxed out.

Thank you for the suggestions.
You can lock this thread.
One unhappy customer.

[Keith]

Just so you know, I'm just trying to help out. I don't work for TM so I'm not one of those "you guys" you may be thinking of. ;)

[Khanon]

It should also be remembered that every game on the market, new and old, has certain combinations of hardware, drivers, and software it can get persnickety with. I know...It happens to me often.

[Grinder]

It should also be remembered that every game on the market, new and old, has certain combinations of hardware, drivers, and software it can get persnickety with. I know...It happens to me often.

I don't accept this is the problem that SC™S has. There seems to be a wide gamut of hardware/OS specifications posted by users all having similar issues. There's nothing to single out that suggests it is maybe a GPU or driver problem etc.

In situations whereby a significant number of people have issues and have gone through standard procedures to remedy the problem with no success then you have to look at the single common denominator first. In this case Sim City™ Societies.

[Khanon]

I don't accept this is the problem that SC™S has. There seems to be a wide gamut of hardware/OS specifications posted by users all having similar issues. There's nothing to single out that suggests it is maybe a GPU or driver problem etc.

In situations whereby a significant number of people have issues and have gone through standard procedures to remedy the problem with no success then you have to look at the single common denominator first. In this case Sim City™ Societies.

While the first part of what you said is true, most of those people who've had problems were one of three or so things reasons:

Out of date drivers
One or more system components under the requirements
SecuROM access issue

While there are a few other problems, those 3 have answered the vast majority of issues... It seems, however, that this one has suffered more than most titles for the first 2 issues...because unlike many games that will run, however poorly, on outdated drivers or hardware that doesn't meet the requirements, SC:S seems to take exception to simple instructions not being followed... *shrugs*

[abomb59]

That's odd, because I've been browsing this, the EA, and other various forums for the past couple of weeks, looking for solutions to get SCS to work. (As well as contacting EA support).

To me it seems like the majority of people who are having issues do have the latest drivers and meet all of the minimum specs. That's what's so frustrating, although I will have to try the SecuROM, that's the first I've heard of that issue.

I realize that I'm running the minimum video card and RAM, but if Tilted Mill/EA are going to advertise that these are the minimum requirements and they are indeed not, then I've been duped out of close to $50 from false advertising.

Everything I've read, and the uniformity of errors across many different systems, from high-end to low-end, lead me to believe that this was just bad coding, but only because it was rushed to market. I *HOPE* that TM is currently working on it. I can't imagine that they wouldn't be, but a little confirmation on their part would be nice.

[Juneau]

I returned it this monring under false advertising and funnily the person in game told me in the 6th or 7th person to return the game because it wont run on there vista PC's.

Now game dont do returns on PC games because of copying etc.. So they check everything. All the poeple that returned it had top of hte line rigs with extremely common and popular hardware. To top it were all avid gamers of many years.

[ADJB]

I sympathise with your problems Juneau especially as I am about to build a machine with similar specs to your own so I had a look at the dxdiag you posted to see if anything jumped out.

The only "problem" I noticed was the fact you were using unsigned drivers for the sound card.

So a quick look at the Vista HCL to see if its there being as its a very up to date card and guess what - apparently no Creative Labs cards are "authorised" by Micro$oft for use on Vista.

I find this very hard to believe as Creative are hardly an unknown company in the sound card business.

It does mean however that there is no guarantee that Vista will play nicely with it.

With the repressive DRM integrated into Vista I feel this could well be a major part of your issues.

[squids2k]

While the first part of what you said is true, most of those people who've had problems were one of three or so things reasons:

Out of date drivers
One or more system components under the requirements
SecuROM access issue

While there are a few other problems, those 3 have answered the vast majority of issues... It seems, however, that this one has suffered more than most titles for the first 2 issues...because unlike many games that will run, however poorly, on outdated drivers or hardware that doesn't meet the requirements, SC:S seems to take exception to simple instructions not being followed... *shrugs*



Yet for that simplistic answer have you read through :
http://simcitysocieties.ea.com/community/forum/start.php?&openItemID=item.214&startRow=1#f1f9347412b75540a4250ac1f1a35526

??? or have you noticed that there were a very few (282 people) posting this very error in the EA forum as a single thread. That was untill it was locked by admin. as far simple instruction when one is in a retail store they read the box for min requirements as listed my system meets those requirements. Many people systems seem to meet those requirements yet the game does not meet ours. If you were in a resturant and you ordered steak and got a salad insted would you say some thing about it ?? What if the waiter just said opps we ran out of steak but heres you salad and we'll still charge you 50 bucks for a bowl salad. What the heck would you do how would you this is the place that your customer base is at. It would be interesting to see actual numbers off the bug submission form or the numbers of acual resolutions thus far. I have posted my error here and on ea, submitted a bug report, and reported to securom. Iam not new to pc gaming nor the bugs that come with it but how a bout a hey were sorry either we
1 have bugs
2 have patches
3 mislabled our min game req's
4 we don't know whats going on but our people are calling in for back up

It says we have tact we vaule our customer base and it make us the guys and gals with the $ a bit more paitent.

Joe B