Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Replicant on July 18, 2002, 05:35:07 PM
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Hi
Okay, I've had this problem for quite awhile especially since I've been running Windows XP but only 1.09 onwards. The problem I have only happens Online. When you load up AH and select the online button it then takes you to the user name/password screen. As soon as I have confirmed my password I get an occasional lockup which requires a hard reboot. Additionally on leaving AH after being online I again occasionally get a total lockup before it goes to the arena choice screen.
I have tried reinstalling AH but I still have the problem. I'm using Win XP Pro with latest updates. 1 gig TBird, Abit KT7 mobo, 640Mb RAM, SB Live, latest 4-in-1 VIA drivers, GeForce 2 GTS 64mb with 30.30 Detonator Drivers (previous versions still had lockup), Cougar HOTAS with Foxy launcher. I don't have any firewall running and I have Norton AV disabled whilst playing AH.
The image below shows what is normally running in the background. Do any of you recognise obvious programs that could be causing such a problem?
(http://www.btinternet.com/~nexx/task1.jpg)
I'd appreciate any help. I don't have any other problems with any other programs or during normal Windows use.
Cheers
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Do you have any kind of firewall software running?
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eeww kill AHQTB (think thats SBlive audio HQ)
kill msmgs (messenger)
kill Navapw (looks like norton anti virus)
not sure what ctfmon is or point32
Now... errm your problem maybe unrelated to all of the above...
Can ya show us your IRQ's?
SKurj
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Thanks for the replies.
No firewall running. Norton AV disabled whilst AH running. MS Messenger closed down on starting AH.
Ah, wondered what AHQTB was!
I'll try and sort the IRQ screenshot, although I've not changed anything since before AH 1.09 when the problem started.
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Go to http://www.pingplotter.com/download.html and download there free ware software ininstall the software and run a trace to tpl.hitechcreations.com
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Can't you unload Norton completely while you are playing?
SKurj
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I'm having the same problem. I had it with my Win98 Machine and now with WinXP Pro. Did you ever find the fix for this?
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Hi Red
I got a new system since then so there's been no lock-ups since. Did you upgrade to XP from 98? That's what I did last time and it caused me a lot of problems. My new system came with XP already preloaded and hence no problems.
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Skurj, plenty of us use Norton AV and Internet Security on our systems while playing Aces High just fine, so unloading your means of protection against external threats is both unneeded and unwise.
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Norton Anti-Virus will cause problems when running with AH. We have seen this time and time again. Disco's, micro-warps, general instability with connections are all side-effects of running this in conjunction with AH.
There is no reason, at all, to be running this when playing AH. None.
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Skuzzy I beg to differ about not being needed when running AH. The internet connection needed for AH online means your computer is possibly vulnerable depending on the configuration to outside attacks.
Also, as an aside, Norton Corp edition hasn't given me any problems playing AH.
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If you are only running AH and no other network programs and have shutdown the background programs MS starts up, then there is no need to run a firewall, as the ports that have to be opened (DNS, AH ports) would be exposed to the Internet anyways.
Programs from the Internet cannot connect to ports on your computer that do not have software running on them. It is a network impossibility for this to occur.
Norton will give you problems. You may not attribitute them to Norton, but it will give you problems. The problems will be inconsistent, and thus difficult to nail down.
If you want to know what ports on your computer are LISTENING for connections from remote systems, then in the DOS command box, type "netstat -a" and it will show all listeners on your computer.
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All valid points however someone new to computers may not be shutting down all background services.
Also the reason I mentioned my lack of problems with NAV Corp is only because I really haven't had any problems, not even one since building my new computer almost 5 months ago.
I'm not saying NAV doesn't give problems just that I've been having success with it so far.
(goes off to knock on wood)
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Those same people will not know how to correctly setup Norton to allow normal operations either.
Most the people I talk to do not know how to shut down Norton, much less configure it.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Those same people will not know how to correctly setup Norton to allow normal operations either.
Most the people I talk to do not know how to shut down Norton, much less configure it.
I use Norton and believe I have it set up correctly. I also usually shut down the Norton firewall and NAV before playing AH...or at least I believe I do. I Disable them both in the pop-up menu and then run a End it ALl to close other things as well as some additional norton stuff remaining resident.
Have you a link or anything so that I can verify? Any info on optimizing and/or killing Norton for AH?
Thanks!
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Skuzzy,
I'm in management for the development organization at Symantec (the makers of Norton software). If you know of a problem with Norton Antivirus and Aces High, please let me know the specifics and I'll have it looked at.
That said, I've used NAV on my Aces High machine the entire duration I've had an account here, and I have never had any of the problems you describe.
Please email me immediately at bhallert@symantec.com and we'll figure out what's going on.
Regards,
Chairboy
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One other thing regarding your advice about personal firewall.
A common mistake is to assume that the only danger comes from malicious users connecting to a listening service, but that's not true at all.
This is a copy/paste of what I wrote to someone else on another board here who is operating under similar misconceptions:
Ever heard of nukers? Those are programs that take advantage of flaws in TCP/IP implementations to crash a target machine. For example, you could target a Win98 machine's IP address in winnuke and cause it to IPF.
There are other similar exploits that affect other versions of windows, like ping flooding and things that take advantage of insecurities in Windows File Sharing.
Not using a firewall is an amateurish mistake, especially on todays internet. If you use a good firewall like Norton or ZoneAlarm, you can be protected against this stuff. If you take the thirty seconds that's needed to properly set up your game, you shouldnt' have problems.
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I appreciate the offer and will get that email to you tomorrow.
The category of attacks you are describing pretty much fall into the DOS area.
For DOS attacks, there is not much you can do to begin with, as the goal may not be to corrupt the machine but simply corrupt the connection itself.
The vulnerabilities of flawed TCP implementations does exist, but those programs that attack said weaknesses cannot do much more than crash the computer. A nuisance and an annoyance at best.
The best method of protection is external of the actual computer being protected. Not everyone can do that and that is understood. Most ISP's leave thier networks rediculously open for attacks.
Even some of the 10.x.x.x users are vulernable as the ISP has not taken the time to stop propagating the translation table or just leaving it exposed to hackers.
My network at home is completely devoid of firewalls and anti-virus programs. In all my years I have never had an attack of any type nor has any hacker been successful at getting to my network. I do my protection external of my home computers, which allows my computers to run at thier fullest potential.
I am not advocating people should not run firewalls nor anti-virus programs, but with a modicum of effort you can run them when you need to run them and not keep them up all the time.