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Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: Borfors40mm on August 01, 2008, 05:06:01 PM

Title: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Borfors40mm on August 01, 2008, 05:06:01 PM
I'm having problems with firing any kind of weapon in AH2. Everything works fine until I pull the trigger on my joystick, then there is a 2 or 3 second pause, then it catches back up and runs fine again.

I'm running a 2.0ghz P4, 768mb RAM, 32mb ATI video card (128 Rage Ultra I believe). I'm running the game at 1024x768 (problem happens at any setting), textures at the minimum of 128. Like I mentioned, everything runs smoothly until I try and fire any type of weapon, I'm officially out of ideas. I have no clue how to fix this little hiccup, and would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. :)
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Borfors40mm on August 01, 2008, 05:14:49 PM
Forgot to mention this happens while offline, no chance to try it online yet.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: NHawk on August 02, 2008, 06:04:49 AM
Right off the top of my head, your video card doesn't meet the absolute minimum requirements...

http://www.hitechcreations.com/ahgs/minimums.html (http://www.hitechcreations.com/ahgs/minimums.html)
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Max on August 02, 2008, 02:07:50 PM
You may want to check your sound acceleration setting via DirectX.  Hit RUN on the START menu and enter DXDIAG. Hit the sound tab and set acceration at the 3/4 mark
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Borfors40mm on August 02, 2008, 08:10:02 PM
Looks like I'm due for a new video card.

Max, I tried what you suggested with dxdiag, it helped a little but not enough to completely erase the problem.

Thanks for the help! Guess I need to get with the times. :D
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Getback on August 03, 2008, 09:47:28 PM
Looks like I'm due for a new video card.

Max, I tried what you suggested with dxdiag, it helped a little but not enough to completely erase the problem.

Thanks for the help! Guess I need to get with the times. :D
Oh boy, I haven't used any video card that small for 10 years.

Now that I am looking at it I think you should build a new computer altogether. For one I will bet that it is AGP and P4 is not that good a chip.

Just my humble .03. ( I just feel my advice is solid so I added a penny)
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Max on August 04, 2008, 08:22:39 AM
Borf ~

As Getback has mentioned, you can build a decent computer in the $500 - $600 range and a really good gaming rig for under $1,000.

If funds are tight, at the very least you should increase RAM memory to at least 1 gig. 2 gigs would be better and you can get a 2 x 1 gig stick set at Newegg for less than $50. Just be sure to check compatibility with your  P4 chipset.  While checking out memory at Newegg, check pricing on a Nvidia Geforce 7600GT 256 mg vid card. You should be able to get it for less than $60 after rebate. I used that card in building a rig earlier this year and I'm happy with it. Just check to see if it's compatible with your power supply.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Borfors40mm on September 11, 2008, 11:35:58 PM
Well, I finally got a better video card, hoping it would help my situation. Picked up a GeForce FX 5200, 8x AGP, 128mb. Looks like I'll be stuck with this setup for a while. I can now run 60fps more often than not, but I'm still having the same skipping or pausing problem as before, when firing. I'm running the game a 1024x768, textures at 256, and sound accel at 3/4.

Any more ideas would be immensly appreciated, but I'm guessing it's still video related. Here's my dxdiag, if I need to post more of it, let me know:


System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/11/2008, 22:31:19
       Machine name: A
   Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 1 (2600.xpsp1.020828-1920)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
       System Model: Dimension 4550               
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.00GHz, ~2.0GHz
             Memory: 768MB RAM
          Page File: 293MB used, 1582MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: /PackageInstall
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.0001.0904 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.
        Sound Tab 3: No problems found.
          Music Tab: No problems found.
          Input 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: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce FX 5200
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0322&SUBSYS_80CF1043&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 128.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Dell 1700FP
  Monitor Max Res: 1280,1024
      Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4403 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 5/2/2003 01:19:00, 3180171 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: n/a
  WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
              VDD: n/a
         Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
    Mini VDD Date: 5/2/2003 01:19:00, 1312555 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4062-11CF-C062-C5A000C2CB35}
        Vendor ID: 0x10DE
        Device ID: 0x0322
        SubSys ID: 0x80CF1043
      Revision ID: 0x00A1
      Revision ID: 0x00A1
      Video Accel:
 Deinterlace Caps: n/a
         Registry: OK
     DDraw Status: Enabled
       D3D Status: Enabled
       AGP Status: Not Available
DDraw Test Result: Not run
 D3D7 Test Result: Not run
 D3D8 Test Result: Not run
 D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
            Description: SoundMAX Digital Audio
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
            Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24C5&SUBSYS_01421028&REV_01
        Manufacturer ID: 1
             Product ID: 100
                   Type: WDM
            Driver Name: smwdm.sys
         Driver Version: 5.12.0001.3515 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: n/a
          Date and Size: 8/5/2002 10:23:58, 545208 bytes
            Other Files:
        Driver Provider: Analog Devices
         HW Accel Level: Standard
              Cap Flags: 0x0
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
               Registry: OK
      Sound Test Result: Not run
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: gpwurzel on September 12, 2008, 05:37:01 AM
Could also be onboard sound issues - especially if you are running custom soundpacks - takes resource away from game running to load the sounds then play them.

Wurzel
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Skuzzy on September 12, 2008, 06:29:09 AM
I was surprised to see the ATI Rage video card work at all.

What is happening when you pull the trigger is the sounds are being loaded which, for some reason, are taking a long time on your computer.  This usually means resource issues such as too many background processes running, or other programs interfering with disk access or memory access.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: The Fugitive on September 12, 2008, 06:38:12 AM
I was surprised to see the ATI Rage video card work at all.

What is happening when you pull the trigger is the sounds are being loaded which, for some reason, are taking a long time on your computer.  This usually means resource issues such as too many background processes running, or other programs interfering with disk access or memory access.

What memory? Your system is showing 768 meg of ram. Thats way low. check out the system requirements (http://www.hitechcreations.com/ahgs/minimums.html). Your inbetween the min. and recomended. Cleaning your system to the bare bones might make it work, but dude, its time for an upgrade  :D
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Skuzzy on September 12, 2008, 07:50:42 AM
If his system is clean, 768MB should be plenty for the game, but the system will need to be a pretty clean one.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Denholm on September 12, 2008, 09:49:21 AM
I agree with Skuzzy. I once ran AH on 500 MB of SDRAM. No, I didn't have bad frame rates.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Borfors40mm on September 12, 2008, 10:39:56 PM
What memory? Your system is showing 768 meg of ram. Thats way low. check out the system requirements (http://www.hitechcreations.com/ahgs/minimums.html). Your inbetween the min. and recomended. Cleaning your system to the bare bones might make it work, but dude, its time for an upgrade  :D

Well, dude, whether it's low or not, it's what I'm stuck with for the foreseeable future. When finances allow, I'll go with a 256 or bigger card and more RAM. Every other game I run works fine with the graphics maxed out with no sound problems(IL2 for instance), and AH runs great otherwise, 50fps or better, which is fine by me, it runs smooth.

I've got EndItAll running with everything but the minimum required for Windows to work shut off as far as I can tell, maybe a total of 10 processes running. Usually, for this computer, Windows runs 35+ processes after startup. I've checked everything sound related I know of, but come up empty handed.

Skuzzy, I'll check for any other interfering programs and post anything I find. Thanks for the help so far, all.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Skuzzy on September 13, 2008, 06:54:15 AM
Might try a defrag of the hard drive as well.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Nwbie on September 13, 2008, 07:46:41 AM
do not load textures in memory
get fsautostart - it will help you shut down anything not necessary to run
make sure anti-virus shuts down
turn off screen saver
remove as many icons on desktop that you can- use blank background
use game default sounds
after you start game - tab out back to windows desktop- start task manager see what is still running and end process of what you can
run game at 256 or 128
after that - still not working - you are in need of a new system...
good luck
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Yossarian on September 13, 2008, 08:34:05 AM

remove as many icons on desktop that you can- use blank background



How does this make a difference, and how much of one could I expect?

<S>

Yossarian
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: The Fugitive on September 13, 2008, 08:42:41 AM
Well, dude, whether it's low or not, it's what I'm stuck with for the foreseeable future. When finances allow, I'll go with a 256 or bigger card and more RAM. Every other game I run works fine with the graphics maxed out with no sound problems(IL2 for instance), and AH runs great otherwise, 50fps or better, which is fine by me, it runs smooth.

I've got EndItAll running with everything but the minimum required for Windows to work shut off as far as I can tell, maybe a total of 10 processes running. Usually, for this computer, Windows runs 35+ processes after startup. I've checked everything sound related I know of, but come up empty handed.

Skuzzy, I'll check for any other interfering programs and post anything I find. Thanks for the help so far, all.


That's what I mean about running a clean system. It sounds like you have done a great job and got it about as clean as you can.

Comparing "other games" with a flight sim is like comparing apples and oranges. "Other games" are more dependent on eye candy so use the video card more, were as flight sims are all computations and use the CPU more. So the more load you can take off of the cpu the better you will be.
Title: Re: Game pauses when firing
Post by: Nwbie on September 13, 2008, 09:22:51 AM
How does this make a difference, and how much of one could I expect?

<S>

Yossarian

Not sure - read it in one of the sticky posts up there ^

maybe waffle? sorry to poster if not- can't remember - I have a low end vid card - i took all the tips fro the sticky folders and did as told - i have less problems since trying all of them - seemed to make sense what the poster said - the vid card resources are still being used for all graphics - so the less it needs to be aimed at your desktop graphics - the more goes to ah needs...