Author Topic: What is up with the crashes?? (Read 968 times)

Brenjen · « **Reply #15 on:** April 29, 2006, 07:43:08 PM »

Well packet loss aside; ( I never seem to have problems with any other programs ) The windows repair install didn't fix my problem so; I went ahead & did a re-formated hard drive clean install of windows & a third complete re-install of AHII. Now that I'm completely pissed off I'm going to eat.

Brenjen · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2006, 08:31:07 PM »

Update: After the re-format & re-install of the game (again; 4th time) & re-install of all the drivers, it was still screwing up. I had decided to re-install the chip-set drivers & CPU drivers again individually so; I went in & let windows do a search for a driver for the CPU (I knew I already had the latest) & Windows told me "there isn't a newer version of the drivers already installed - click finish to exit"....or something similar, so I did & re-started AH & it WORKED for 6 or 7 hours it didn't crash or lock-up.

I hope it's permanent, Fester is my favorite map & this has been a hair pulling, really super pissed problem for me. I just still don't understand how it screwed up or how it is working now....really wierd.

Anyway, thanks to you guys that tried to help me out, it's good you guys take the time to help other people.

Meatwad · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2006, 10:50:23 PM »

WTG! Glad to see you got it up and running

Brenjen · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2006, 11:14:49 AM »

Update#2 I had discovered my wife ran Windows update when she got on my PC:mad:

I have narrowed down the crashes to a Windows update released in April; I am not certain wich update it is exactly, but I noticed a problem on our other PC ( hers ) & did some digging. I removed all the updates & reinstalled them up to the April releases & my crashes are staying gone. I am going to see if I can narrow it down to which update it was & post that info.

I told her I didn't do Windows updates on my game rig & she thought that I meant I just hadn't gotten around to it. She thought she was doing me a favor.

My problems after the re-install were driver issues - my original crashing problem was that stupid microsoft windows update.

If anyone is reading this & having problems with hard locks & crashing; go to "add/remove programs" click "show updates" at the top & remove all of the updates from April of this year. You may need a piece of paper & pen to write down the identification of the update & go to the windows update page, look at the "review update history" tab to match them up....the only ones I think are a problem are the ones from April ( one or all of them I don't know )

Brenjen · « **Reply #19 on:** May 02, 2006, 10:02:04 PM »

OK this is a bunch of bull-****! I have started crashing again! I am so mad I can't see straight - I never had any problems before the move & now I can't play the game at all. I am cussing a blue streak & beating small animals over here!:furious

The Fugitive · « **Reply #20 on:** May 03, 2006, 05:57:18 PM »

It has nothing to do with the move, get that out of your head right now. Had it something to do with the move this post would be one of the longest and fastest going posts ever with everyone one else that had gotten crashs.

Seeing as it hasn't, I'd rule out HTC. Next, you've "fixed" it a couple of times now, so I believe your on track with something in your computer. I'm thinking you got a nasty virus buried away in your registry that reloads itself. A free on-line scanner I found that works very well is http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ It can clean "most" virus it finds out itself, and it will give you instructions on how to remove the things that it can remove do to things being active (ya can't remove running files).

AKDogg · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2006, 08:12:09 AM »

If u have a windows CD, put that in. When the computer boots off the CD, select recovery console. go to your c drive. Then type this at the dos prompt: scandisk /r What this does is fixes and bad sectors on your hard drive which I believe is happening to ya. U are having same problems I had till I did this. U must boot of the CD for this to do a complete check. Now keep in mind, this process will take a longtime. 80gig is about 1 hour +/- a few.

Brenjen · « **Reply #22 on:** May 04, 2006, 10:29:43 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by The Fugitive
It has nothing to do with the move, get that out of your head right now. Had it something to do with the move this post would be one of the longest and fastest going posts ever with everyone one else that had gotten crashs.

Seeing as it hasn't, I'd rule out HTC. Next, you've "fixed" it a couple of times now, so I believe your on track with something in your computer. I'm thinking you got a nasty virus buried away in your registry that reloads itself. A free on-line scanner I found that works very well is http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ It can clean "most" virus it finds out itself, and it will give you instructions on how to remove the things that it can remove do to things being active (ya can't remove running files).

Nope, no virus, I use NOD32. Trend-Micro is a cartoon toy like Norton & Mcaffee. Obviously it wasn't "fixed" as it is random I simply "thought" I had it worked out.

EDIT: For the record; there are other people who are having crashes & theirs started recently too.

Brenjen · « **Reply #23 on:** May 04, 2006, 10:40:53 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by MwDogg
If u have a windows CD, put that in. When the computer boots off the CD, select recovery console. go to your c drive. Then type this at the dos prompt: scandisk /r What this does is fixes and bad sectors on your hard drive which I believe is happening to ya. U are having same problems I had till I did this. U must boot of the CD for this to do a complete check. Now keep in mind, this process will take a longtime. 80gig is about 1 hour +/- a few.

Nope, not a bad hard drive sector. I have run Western didgitals diagnostics tool as well as scan-disk.

I am checking the thermal possibilities now & will go to the P/S next (the voltages are steady but I'm not sure about the Amperage or impedence etc. etc. )

I started Everest Home & pulled up the sensors panel; started AHII & got it into the most CPU intensive situation I could ( lowest frame rates ) & noticed my CPU temps were near 50C when I Tab/ALT to check it, so it was probably even higher tahn that while the game was full screen.

So, I pulled my Thermal take fan & heatsink - cleaned off the Artic silver 5 & put the stock AMD heatsink & fan on it (with the stock T.I.M.) My temperatures dropped four degrees centigrade at idle immediately. I left the side panel off & ran a small desk-top fan blowing into the case & started AHII, I flew for about 20minutes or so without a game crash, of course when I thought I had it figured out before I had the game up & running for 6 hours or more without a lock-up. So I imagine I won't know for a few days if this is a thermal issue or not.

AKDogg · « **Reply #24 on:** May 04, 2006, 01:28:42 PM »

If u ran scandisk and/or the WD diagnostic program in windows, it will not find or repair sectors that windows itself is using. This is why I said to boot with the CD and check it that way. I been there and done that till I found out about this.

And your right about heat issue. It definately can be that. Could be the memory chips on the video card over heating when under load. Had a Geforce ti4800 did that.

Brenjen · « **Reply #25 on:** May 05, 2006, 11:02:25 PM »

I changed my CPU heatsink & fan & installed a Vantec tornado case fan blowing fresh air right onto the CPU fan with an air duct to guide it there! So far so good. I thought I had it taken care of before though....fingers crossed.

By the way - MY GOD THAT VANTEC IS LOUD!

It sounds like I have a commercial vacuum cleaner sitting on my desk! I had to order noise dampners & a fan controller for it & I'm not usually bothered by loud PC's.

Brenjen · « **Reply #26 on:** May 08, 2006, 06:26:50 PM »

Final update hopefully: I'm almost positive it was a thermal issue. It hasn't happened again. Thanks for the help Skuzzy; everyone.