Author Topic: Random Lock-ups (Read 333 times)

Bino · « **on:** December 01, 2006, 11:07:26 PM »

Please help.

The latest patch won't run more than five or so minutes, tops. The screen locks up, and after another thirty seconds I get that nice Microsoft "your app has encountered a problem..." screen.

I'm running Win XP Pro with all the latest from MS Update. The mobo is an Asus P4C800-E Deluxe (socket 478, Intel 875P chipset). The CPU is a 3.2 GHz P-4 running stock timings. I have 4 x 512 MB Corsair DIMMs for RAM. Video is a BFG 7800 GS in an AGP slot. Sound card is a Creative "Live! mp3" in a PCI slot (no interrupt conflicts, I checked) running the driver from Creative.

I have checked out the sticky at the top of this forum and used all the appropriate tips regarding Win services, dxdiag sound acceleration, etc.

No joy.

I work as a AIX/SUSE Linux System Admin, and I built this PC machine from parts, so please feel free to get as tech as you care.

Thanks in advance!

Roscoroo · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2006, 11:51:05 PM »

overheat ???? or perhaps a weak part ???

Skuzzy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2006, 07:33:30 AM »

If you are using the latest video card drivers from NVidia, you will have the kinds of problems you are listing. The 9x.xx series of drivers have a ton of problems in them.

Just a guess.

Need the DXDIAG output to make a more qualified guess.

Bino · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2006, 07:54:48 AM »

Roscoroo, the machine is in a full tower case, liberally festooned with fans, so there is lots of air flowing around everything. Plus, the dust filters on the intakes are checked regularly, as are the heatsink/fan units on the components (Zalman copper monster on the CPU, Swiftech copper/aluminum on the chipset). The video card is just a week old, so it hasn't had time to grow dusty.

Skuzzy, I'll email my DxDiag output to you. In the meantime, I'll down-rev the video drivers and let you know what happens.

Thanks!

Skuzzy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2006, 11:16:10 AM »

The 8x.xx drivers hsould work better for you.

Bino · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2006, 06:44:01 PM »

I reverted to the NVidia 84.21 driver. I'll let you know how it goes.

>S<

Bino · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2006, 09:06:50 AM »

No joy. Using the NVidia 84.21 driver makes no difference.

AH is the one and only program on my machine that exhibits this behavior.

What are my next steps, please?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2006, 09:44:12 AM »

I'll have to root through the DXDIAG output.

Hazzer · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2006, 10:35:21 AM »

84.66 worked for me.May be worth a try.

Hazzer · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2006, 10:38:17 AM »

Oh, and reducing my sound hardware acceleration To standard.I hope that helps good luck.

RTR · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2006, 10:39:46 AM »

Just started with the latest patch?

Everything else works okay?

Uninstall AHII, redownload and install the game again. If you have kept the game current by overwriting version to version and patch upon patch you likely have a corrupted file somewhere.

just my opinion mind you.

RTR

Bino · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2006, 09:01:50 PM »

Thanks for all the responses, folks! *S*

OK, here's what I did:

I pursued the software angle for a while. I downloaded a completely new copy of AH: no joy. I went back and re-read all the notes (which Win XP services to turn off, how to set DX sound acceleration, etc.) in here that sounded right: no joy.

So after all that I guessed that maybe my hardware really was to blame. I tried running the Prime95 stress test again, just to make sure, and: it failed. This was puzzling. So I grabbed a copy of the Asus overclocking console program and made double-sure to set everything to stock timings and voltages.

This *seems* to have worked. Stay tuned...

Bino · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2006, 11:58:31 PM »

I was online for about two hours tonight: no lockups!

Thank you, all !