Game wont work sometimes, when it does not long.

[Jacki]

When I load the game, and go to Online Mode>Main Arena then the cache loading thing will jus freeze, and go to my desktop.  That is about 75% of the time.  The rest of the time it will load, but then after flying two minutes (it seems like whenever this happens, I am flying shooting enemy aircraft)  It freezes bringing me back to my desktop.  What could be wrong?  My machine specs. are below.



Compaq Pressario SR1124NX

XP Operating System W/ SP2

512MD SDRAM DOR

120 GB HD

2800+ AMD Athlon XP Processor.

VIA/S3g UniChrome IGP Display Adapter

Norton Antivirus 2004

Belkin 802.11g Wireless Network

Wildblue Sattelite internet

[Jacki]

It also does the same thing offline

[fuzeman]

Originally posted by Jacki

VIA/S3g UniChrome IGP Display Adapter

Wildblue Sattelite internet

Those two would definately have an impact.

1) That video chip will have a hard time running AH if it can at all. That might explain the sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't syndrome.
2) Also, from wheat I've heard about this game and satellite connections they do not work well together.
Not just this game but the inherant lag in satellite communications is not to good for most online gaming.

Further help can be had by posting the top 1/3 or so if your DxDiag report.

[Jacki]

what you mean "DxDiag report"?

[Panzzer]

dxdiag: click Start -> Run -> type in "dxdiag" (without the quotes) and then there's a button to "Save all information", save it to a text file and then copy and paste the first third of that.

[fuzeman]

I still think that video chip is your main problem. This is from another post:
"The VIA/S3G video chip is not up to the task. If the hardware vertex processing option is checked in the game video settings, uncheck it and try again. "
From: Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
support@hitechcreations.com

Posted in this thread: http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181266

[Jacki]

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 7/12/2006, 10:31:32
       Machine name: ALEXCOMP
   Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Compaq Presario 061
       System Model: PC133A-ABA SR1124NX NA430
               BIOS: Phoenix - Award BIOS v6.00PG
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2800+,  MMX,  3DNow, ~2.1GHz
             Memory: 960MB RAM
          Page File: 220MB used, 2094MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
  DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
          Music Tab: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.
        Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
        Card name: VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP  
     Manufacturer: VIA/S3G
        Chip type: VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP
         DAC type: Internal
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_7205&SUBSYS_81181043&REV_01
   Display Memory: 64.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: hp f1503 Flat Panel Monitor
  Monitor Max Res: 1024,768
      Driver Name: vtdisp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0010.0212 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 3/8/2005 11:50:06, 3453824 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: Yes
  WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
              VDD: n/a
         Mini VDD: vtmini.sys
    Mini VDD Date: 3/8/2005 11:50:16, 172544 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71FE6-3145-11CF-2773-12A1A0C2CB35}
        Vendor ID: 0x1106
        Device ID: 0x7205
        SubSys ID: 0x81181043
      Revision ID: 0x0001
      Revision ID: 0x0001
      Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_B ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
 Deinterlace Caps: n/a
         Registry: OK
     DDraw Status: Enabled
       D3D Status: Enabled
       AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
 D3D7 Test Result: Not run
 D3D8 Test Result: Not run
 D3D9 Test Result: Not run





{ This isnt in the first third, but it is the display adapter)

  Name: VIA/S3G UniChrome IGP  
Device ID: PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_7205&SUBSYS_81181043&REV_01\4&10AF1F73&0&0008
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\vtmini.sys, 6.14.0010.0212 (English), 3/8/2005 11:50:16, 172544 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\vtdisp.dll, 6.14.0010.0212 (English), 3/8/2005 11:50:06, 3453824 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\vticd.dll, 6.14.0010.0212 (English), 3/8/2005 11:52:06, 1871872 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspChs.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:44, 21597 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspCht.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:44, 21629 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspJpn.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:44, 22937 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspKor.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:44, 24212 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspWst.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:42, 230580 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspTha.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:42, 19472 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTDspWs2.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:28:42, 170426 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2WST.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:16, 141071 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2CHS.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:18, 17574 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2CHT.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:18, 17536 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2JPN.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:16, 16594 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2KOR.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:16, 19233 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2Tha.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:16, 18524 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTGm2Ws2.hlp, 1/11/2005 07:34:16, 104672 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2wst.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 61136 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2chs.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 9295 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2cht.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 9280 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2jpn.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 9670 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2kor.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 10217 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTIn2Tha.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 9285 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTin2ws2.hlp, 12/8/2004 10:03:06, 49083 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTovlwst.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 70000 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTovlchs.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 10559 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTovlcht.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 10515 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTovljpn.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 10533 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTovlkor.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 11385 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTOvlTha.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 8660 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\help\VTOvlWs2.hlp, 1/11/2005 04:23:58, 50925 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTDisply.cfg, 1/11/2005 04:29:30, 63630 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTDispl2.cfg, 1/11/2005 04:29:30, 56791 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTDispl3.cfg, 1/11/2005 04:29:30, 52299 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTDisply.dll, 2.00.0048.0110 (English), 1/11/2005 04:29:24, 487424 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTGamma2.dll, 2.00.0019.0110 (English), 1/11/2005 07:34:40, 360448 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTGamma2.cfg, 1/11/2005 07:34:40, 48406 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTGama_2.cfg, 1/11/2005 07:34:40, 35496 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTInfo2.dll, 2.00.0022.1207 (English), 12/8/2004 10:03:04, 253952 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTInfo2.cfg, 12/8/2004 03:12:38, 44076 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTovrlay.dll, 2.00.0021.0110 (English), 1/11/2005 04:24:38, 389120 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTovrlay.cfg, 10/8/2004 07:21:52, 60337 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTOvrly2.cfg, 10/8/2004 07:21:52, 33451 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTTimer.exe, 2.00.0001.0307 (English), 3/8/2005 04:33:28, 53248 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTSetvga.exe, 1.00.0026.0109 (English), 1/9/2004 11:52:04, 49152 bytes
   Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\hg201hp.inf, 3/9/2005 11:17:46, 11692 bytes

[Schatzi]

That IGP graohics chip wont be able to run AH stable. You can try to minimize the issues (check the thread fuzeman linked), but youll always get random crashes.


Youll need a Video Card, im sorry.

[Jacki]

Can you recomend a good quality video card?

[fuzeman]

Even with a better video card I still think that satellite connection will give you BIG headaches.

[TexInVa]

Originally posted by Jacki
Can you recomend a good quality video card?

I don't know about ATI cards. I do know about nVidia cards.

First, you need to establish whether you have an AGP or PCI-E video card slot. I didn't see it specified on you dxdiag report, which tells me that it's probably an "onboard" chip. Are you computer-savvy enough to tell the difference between the three?

Once you determine the slot, the next choice will be flavor. You get to choose from a lot of cards depending on budget, gameplay and function. I personally use an nVidia 6800XT, which was in my budget, allowed me to play Need for Speed- Most Wanted and Aces High at max resolution and performance/quality, and gives my fiance enough clarity and power to do photo restorations. You can check http://www.newegg.com and http://www.tigerdirect.com for video card price and performance comparisons. eBay sometimes has good deals on older cards if the newer cards are beyond your budget.

[Schatzi]

AGP slots are the old standard. In other words, if you need to get an AGP (like i did a few weeks ago), dont spend too high $$, since you wont be able to use that card with newest Motherboards anyway.

Im using an AGP Radeon 9600 Pro for about 80 EUR (~ 65 USD)  - plenty enough to run AH with good quality.

Also, apart from the correct slots, when buying a vid card, make sure first, your power supply can handle the additional load.