Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: Brenjen on April 28, 2006, 07:55:06 PM
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I have never had a problem with AH crashing & locking up until the recent move. Now I can't even play the *BLING-BLANGIN-HOSSINFEFFIN* thing. It's sort of irritating to pay for something you can't use. I cut my cable tv drop down into the street over something similar. I have talked to a few other people who are having the same trouble.
So what is going on Skuzzy? Was there a windows update or joystick driver released around the same time you guys did the move causing all these problems or was it the move itself? I could swear I didn't change anything on my PC ( I don't allow automatic updates etc. ) and these crashes only started happening to me the day of the move. I have even un-installed & re-installed AH with no luck.
I need someone more PC savvy than myself to toss some ideas my way before I have a brain aneurysm.:furious
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smooth as a baby's butt here
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Meatwad, what OS do you use? What JS ( if any ) do you use? And did you log into the MA so you could play DURING the move? ( I did )
Anyone else that replies either with or without a problem if you could include this info it may help to narrow it down if I can find what we have in common or not in common for those with no problems. I'd like to solve this without giving Skuzzy more burdens than he already has.
Thanks folks.
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I was on during the move when lag reached a new record in delays...up to 4 minutes between screen updates. No problems since other than less lag.
I use XP Home, old analog CH joystick with pedals, no firewall or antivirus (this computer is strictly for gaming), FA autostart. I run a defrag every month and a scandisk every week.
Intel 3.06P4
ATI X800 video
Soundblaster 128
1 G ram
I currently reside in Malaysia and the only problems I see with the game are problems with my net hops in LA and Dallas using pathping and tracert.
My guess due to you seeing that message ( AH has encountered a problem....) is that you have corrupted files or a stick programming problem (if you are using a stick that uses not-in-game software for functions. Run a good antivirus scan and delete and reinstall AH
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Another thing....your OS may be confused or corrupted. I assume you are using XP. After a defrag followed by a scandisk, try reinstalling XP over your existing copy but when it asks you if you want to repair or install choose repair. Then visit Windows update and download all the critical updates. You won;t lose any data or files this way like you would by reformatting.
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My guess due to you seeing that message ( AH has encountered a problem....) is that you have corrupted files or a stick programming problem (if you are using a stick that uses not-in-game software for functions. Run a good antivirus scan and delete and reinstall AH
Yeah Docc I'm thinking corrupted files or drivers too; but like I mentioned in the OP I already re-installed AH clean. It has crashed on me without my joystick profile loaded ( should I unplug it & try?? ) & I use ESET NOD32 so I know I'm virus free ( 99.99999% sure anyway ) I also use ad-aware regularly & defrag like clockwork as soon as I see a red line instead of blue. My net status is always steady as a rock too. I looked at the "event viewer" & it's full of error Application hung messages for AH since the day of the move...I just don't get it. I'll try un-plugging my X-52 & deleting the software ( I have used this stick with this PC since march trouble free ) I don't use this PC for much more than games & E-mail either; I probably get in the browser less than three hours a week & those times are regular sites like Newegg & E-bay.
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I've been putting off a repair install of XP but I may have too.
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I think you can eleiminate the move as the cause of your problems. you might just have some hardware in the process of going bad. If it is a bad sector on the HD a repair of XP will cure it and buy you some time to buy a new HD. That previously good and now bad sector might have XP files on it that AH uses.
The only website my game computer visits is the AH main arena...absolutely nothing else. This computer is not my game computer.
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I run XP pro. During the move I didnt log in since I wasnt able to. But before and afterwards it is fine to me. Have you done any recent spyware/adware/virus scans lately?
EDIT - I seen you scan regulary. My guess is to do a format of the hard drive and reinstall XP. Always works for me when this computer gets hosed
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This PC is basically new ( since march of this year ) so I doubt it's hardware; I ran western digitals hard drive tool when all this started & it gave my hard drive a clean bill of health. Since I don't run Windows updates & all my problems started when the move took place....I just can't reason what else it could be, I think windows freaked out for some reason over it. I just don't know, I did a repair install of XP ( I hate doing that ) & have AH running now with my X-52 plugged in & the profile running; I'm going to leave it on overnight & see what happens.
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I don't think your problems have anything to do with the move either. This most recent move ....office relocation.... only moved the servers that have the HT web page, score pages, this message board, and the loggin information. Once you log into the game, your on another totally different server that WASN'T moved. So if your crashing while in the game, your on the same server that you were on for the past few months, that one hasn't changed or moved.
I would do the "re-install" of windows that was suggested above and try for a "repair" before I did a re-formate.... hate reformating :mad: takes all dang day to get it back together, and ya always forget to back something up!
I'd also check the processes you have running (CNTRL, ALT, DELETE), and make sure nothing was snuck in there eating your CPU cycles. Start the game, ALT, TAB out, bring up the processes window. AH should take 99% of your cycles.
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would do the "re-install" of windows that was suggested above and try for a "repair"
As I noted in the previous post above yours, I already did that. I left AH running all night long & when I got up this morning it had crashed again...but the event viewer indicated it may have crashed only minutes before I checked on it.... I'm going to run it again today to test it further, if it will stay stable for eight hours that's an improvement.
I'm completely aware the game server was still connected; you can't inter-act with something that's not connected to the internet.:rofl I was not of the impression I was riding inside a server in the back of a beat up pick-up truck with side boards while Skuzzy flirted with questionable women & drank Corona in the front seat.
( allthough that does sound like something I would do ):noid
Oh B.T.W I check my processes regularly as well, Not counting the task manager itself; there's twenty processes like clockwork. I just find it so strange that no other program is having problems or showing the slightest sign of a glitch, just AH & it's ALWAYS just AH, it was the same with my other PC, AH buggy & everything else was fine.
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Are you using the same downloaded copy of AH when you reinstall? I've had to download the game up to 3 times each update before I get a copy that works. Downloading the update only and installing it usually causes problems on my game copy so I download the whole game each update.
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Interesting observation Docc. I downloaded fresh off the website & always do when I am forced to re-install AH; I don't have a CD or a saved copy on my PC. I wonder why you would need to D/L two or three times to get a solid install? Makes me think it's AH & not my PC or Windows even more than I already do.
*edit: I also disable my anti-virus prior to downloading & installing;)
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It all depends how on whether or not you have packet loss while downloading. With the status of the net these days it's very easy to get an incomplete copy.
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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.
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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.
:aok
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WTG! Glad to see you got it up and running
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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 )
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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
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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! :eek: 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.
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Final update hopefully: I'm almost positive it was a thermal issue. It hasn't happened again. Thanks for the help Skuzzy; everyone.