Constant game freezes this morning. Game is unplayable

[SilverZ06]

This morning I've had at least 10-12 game freezes. It seems to happen most when I look around the cockpit. I don't think I've completed a single sortie without having to ctrl+alt+del to force shutdown the game in task manager. I have my settings low graphic wise. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated as the game is near impossible to play with constant freezes. Dx9 version. Here is my dxdiag:

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System Information
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Time of this report: 3/1/2018, 09:27:43
       Machine name: ADMIN-PC
   Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_ldr.171231-1547)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
       System Model: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
               BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/11/11 15:46:09 Ver: 04.06.04
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz
             Memory: 16384MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 16362MB RAM
          Page File: 2889MB used, 29833MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode

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DxDiag Notes
------------
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.

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

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Display Devices
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          Card name: AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
       Manufacturer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
          Chip type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x6719)
           DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_6719&SUBSYS_31251682&REV_00
     Display Memory: 1776 MB
   Dedicated Memory: 2032 MB
      Shared Memory: 3840 MB
       Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
       Monitor Name: ViewSonic VA2702w
      Monitor Model: VA2702w
         Monitor Id: VSCE727
        Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
        Output Type: DVI
        Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.1404 (English)
     Driver Version: 15.200.1062.1004
        DDI Version: 11
       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
  Driver Attributes: Final Retail
   Driver Date/Size: 8/4/2015 01:28:34, 1445224 bytes
        WHQL Logo'd: Yes
    WHQL Date Stamp:
  Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-2459-11CF-4E70-2F11BEC2C535}
          Vendor ID: 0x1002
          Device ID: 0x6719
          SubSys ID: 0x31251682
        Revision ID: 0x0000
 Driver Strong Name: oem90.inf:ATI.Mfg.NTamd64.6.1:ati2mtag_NICayman:15.200.1062.1004:pci\ven_1002&dev_6719
     Rank Of Driver: 00E62001
        Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C
   Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
                     {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {3C5323C1-6FB7-44F5-9081-056BF2EE449D}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                     {552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                     {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=
       D3D9 Overlay: Not Supported
            DXVA-HD: Not Supported
       DDraw Status: Enabled
         D3D Status: Enabled
         AGP Status: Enabled

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[Skuzzy]

Are you running any anti-xxxx software?

Sounds like something is interfering with the game.  Did it just start happening after the patch?  That is a good indicator some anti-xxxx software could be interfering.

I was just online and no one else seems to be having any trouble.

[SilverZ06]

Just MSE. It happened sporadically before the patch but now its like every single sortie. I tried to tell/ask you while you were in the Arena but I keep freezing before I could type it to you.

[SilverZ06]

I disabled MSE and it still freezes.

[Skuzzy]

Does the computer lock up or is the game just getting paused?  Does sound stop playing, or does it repeat ad infinitum?

You did not happen to get the recent updates for the Meltdown/Spectre fiasco?  Those updates WILL cause stability and performance problems.

[SilverZ06]

Sounds stop, game freezes. I can Alt/tab out of game and everything else with the computer works. Alt/tab back in and still frozen. I'm not sure what the Meltdown/Spectre fiasco is. Let me look into that.

[Skuzzy]

Ok, the game is not frozen, per se.  Something in Windows is waiting for an interrupt which is not happening. 

Does the computer happen to have multiple sound devices and are not using all of them?

By the way, abnormal aborts of the game can cause a lot of other game problems due to configuration files getting corrupted.  You might have to rename the "settings" folder to something else.

Could you post your entire DXDIAG output as an attachment?  Not sure why everyone thinks they have to post the actual file.

[SilverZ06]

I am using G35 headset but I do have speakers plugged into the back. Here is the DxDiag.

[Skuzzy]

Your page file usage seems very high.  How many background processes are running?

What kind of network/Internet connection are you running?

[SilverZ06]

70 processes. cpu usage jumps from 0-3% every couple seconds. Wired FIOS 100/100 just speed tested at 101.16dn/78.27up

[SilverZ06]

So I renamed settings folder and now everything is default. What can I copy over from renamed settings folder so I don't have to remap everything and download all the skins again?

[Bizman]

70 processes for Windows7 is pretty high, getting rid of half of them should be doable, getting to some 40 ish is a novice level task.

Look what you have running, do a google search if you can't figure out what each process does. If you find programs you definitely never use, simply uninstall them. For the rest, find their settings and disable any automatic features. Programs like Real Player tend to add all sorts of applets doing mostly unnecessary tasks, as well as household printers/multifunctionals. When was the last time you partook a customer satisfaction survey for your printer??? Very rudimentary but surprisingly effective.

[Skuzzy]

If you have jumps to 3% activity when no programs are running, then you have something ill-behaved on your computer.  That type of usage can cause all manner of problems.

A fairly clean Windows 7 system has about 35 processes running and 0% activity when nothing is running on the desktop.

[SilverZ06]

So I renamed the settings folder and started the game. Once in the game I quit the game and copied all the new files from the new settings folder over to the old settings folder I renamed and overwrote the existing files. Renamed original settings back to settings while renaming the newer settings folder to something else and it appears it is working again. I was able to play for the last hour without any freezes to the game. 

[SilverZ06]

Scratch that. Getting game freezes again