Game Crashes While Loading

[SoulBlazer]

I've been waiting to play this game all day, I finally get home and try it, and it won't start!

First, may I express my displeasure in being forced to play in higher then 800 by 600 resolution? I STILL use that resolution for everything, including all my games. This is the first game I've had that requires something larger. The problem is that I have my monitor tweaked JUST so for 800 by 600 mode and to have it larger I have to change all my settings.

Anyway, running the game at 1024 by 768, the game loads, the bar on the bottom of the screen is filled, and then WHAM! Without warning, it reboots my system. [:@]

I've updated my video driver to the newest one, made sure Windows Media Player was up to date, and removed the start up videos. Still no success.

My computer is a AMD Athlon 2.1 gig with a NVidia Ti200, Windows XP, iiyama LS902UT monitor, over a gig of RAM.

Please find attached my DxDiag report, as requested.

Thanks in advance for any helps so I can run this game!

[Marc von Martial]

Hi,

DxDiag Previously: Crashed in system information (stage 4) & Direct3D (stage 2) & DirectSound (stage 3)

It seems you have a problem with your DirectX setup. This may also be the cause for a lot of information missing in the dialog file.

I would recommend to resintall DirectX 9c, reboot, reinstall the graphic card driver, reboot. Then see if it solves the problem.

If not please run the DirectX dialog tool again, perform all tests on all tabs and attach it again.

[SoulBlazer]

Wow, thanks for the quick response.

Okay, I realized that I messed up on the Direct X report so I had just come back to post a fixed copy. But I went ahead and reinstalled both the newest Direct X and the newest NVidia driver for my video card (71.84)

Here's the new report.

BTW, does the game HAVE to run in 1024 by 768 or larger?

Oh, one more thing that may be a clue -- I tried running the game in 800 by 600 mode just to see what would happen, and at the point where normaly in the higher resolutions the computer reboots instead it returned me to the desktop with a 'nv4_dsp display driver has stoped responding' error message. I'm not sure if this is related to the fact that mode is not supported, but I'm just tossing it out.

I have also tried running the game with a older NVidia driver.

[Erik Rutins]

Are you still experiencing a reboot on load? Usually something like that points to a hardware issues that has come to light because of software demands, for example a CPU / Video cooling/temperature issue or a bad memory chip. Have you had any instability issues in other demanding games? What is the newest/most demanding application or game you run on this machine?

1024 x 768 is a minimum requirement, we need the space to effectively display the info and buttons in the various screens. I'm surprised this is the first game you've played that doesn't support 800 x 600 as I've seen that a lot more often in the last year or two. I expect that 1024 x 768 will increasingly be the minimum requirement moving forward.

Your comment about having to re-do everything confused me though. Normally, monitors save resolution mode settings independently and with GGWaW normally running full screen, it simply switches to its resolution and when it's done it puts you back to your desktop resolution with your normal settings. If you're not seeing that, then either your monitor isn't saving its settings properly or something else is going on.

Regards,

- Erik

[SoulBlazer]

Yes, I'm still experiencing a problem when the game tried to load, even in the higher resolutions the game requires.

Only now, after the bar finishes filling and a few seconds pass, the PC does'nt reboot -- the game crashes back to the desktop with a error message saying the 'nv4_dsp display driver failed to load properly' and the colors on the desktop are all messed up. If I try to close the WaW bar or reboot the system or anything, then the computer locks up with a monitor error message saying 'out of range'.

I've tried older NVida drivers with the same results. I've also tried de-selecting my illyama LS902UT monitor for a generic plug play driver and the game nv4_dsp display driver message apears, conviencing me that this is a video driver problem. As I said before, I have a NVidia GeForce 3 Ti200 with the newest NVidia graphics driver.

And everything else I've thrown at this computer has been fine -- Doom 3, Half Life 2, LSL: MCL, even other Matrix games like War in the Pacific. This is the FIRST time this has happened.

Was the updated (the second one) DxDiag report any help?

Please help me play this game! [&:]

[Joel Billings]

This game loads a lot of graphics into memory, and Keith is guessing that's where the problem is happening.


Please create a shortcut for the exe and where you see the Target: listed on the Shortcut Properties add at the end of the line: –w –16
This will load the game using windowed mode and 16 bit graphics. If the game crashes, you should get an error message. Try to get the technical information about the error and give us the part at the top (top 3 lines of info up to address) that lists the type of error along with your dxdiag system report. The more information you can give us, the quicker we can hopefully figure out what’s causing the problem for you.


Let us know if you don't know how to create a shortcut.

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, I've tried the -w -16 commands in two places: by going into Start, then Programs, then World At War, the right clicking on World At War Quick Start and selecting Properties, followed by adding the -w -16 at the end of the Target line at the top, outside of the " " marks.

I've also tried Start, Run, going to the World at War Directory, creating a shortcut of the wow.exe file, and then going into Properties and doing the same thing.

I've never really done this before so I wanted to try it both ways. I've tried to run the game from both places (the game menu in the Programs listing and from the Run box). BOTH times, the same error happened -- no new messages or information.

I see the loading screen, the bar slowly fils up at the bottom, and after it finishes loading the HD keeps working and about 30 seconds pass, and then the computer either boots me back to Windows with the error message I posted above and a unstable system or it just reboots on me.

I've also tried setting my video Windows resolution to Medium (16) instead of High (32).

I KNOW my video card (a Nvidia GeForce 3 Ti 200) is a few years old, but it has 64 MB of memory, and according the specs that should be enough to run the game. As I said, I've never had this problem with any other game I've thrown at it, including the demanding Doom 3 and other Matrix games.

I'm re-posting my DxDiag report from last night again.

Any other ideas?

[Joel Billings]

I don't see the error message in your post. Can you point me to it here or post it again. I've sent a note to Keith (the programmer looking into these problems) and hopefully he'll look at your detailed info tomorrow. Sorry for the problem. Hopefully we can get you past it.

[SoulBlazer]

Basicaly, the error message is a standard Windows one, saying 'nv4_dsp display driver has failed to respond, etc.' when the game crashes me back to Windows. Also all the colors are messed up and the system is very unstable -- I have to do a hard reset in order to get things running again.

Damn annoying, considering how long I've been waiting for this to come out! [:@]

[Marc von Martial]

SoulBlazer, the error message might be due to a corrupt installation of the latest drivers. Generally it is recommended to uninstall the old Nvidia drivers first and then install the new ones.

There are freeware tools out there like for example:

Detonator Destroyer
Detonator RIP
Nasty File Remover

These make sure that all traces of the old drivers are gone before you install new ones.
It helped me allready in a few occasions.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, I had the error message when using the older (66.93) set of drivers anyway, but I'll go ahead and try one of them to see if it helps.

[Marc von Martial]

Oh, this is not connected to a particular driver built. It´s only that installing new driver over old ones can cause issues if you don´t remove the old ones first. It is pretty common with Nvidia drivers , for some reason.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, I REALLY do like all the help you guys are trying to give me.....and I'm trying everything suggested, but nothing is working.

Since my card does'nt use Detonator drivers, I downloaded and installed the Nasty File Remover program. Manualy undeleted and removed my NVidia driver, then ran NFR and had it get rid of every Nvidia file. Rebooted. Reinstalled the new set of NVidia drivers (71.84), and then rebooted and tried the game again. Same problem.

I'm downloading the driver, BTW, from the NVidia website.....and then selecting my GeForce 3 card and Windows XP. If there's another file you suggest I try, please say so.

I'm just about ready to toss the game out the window at this point. [:@] But again, I'm gratefull for the help and please keep it coming.

[Marc von Martial]

I note you have an nForce based motherboard. Did you check for a chipset update yet?

Also I note that you actually have two sound devices running. The Hercules Game Theater and the onboard nForce sound chip. You may want to try deactivating the nForce sound chip in the BIOS. We had some customers that were having problems with sound chips and sound card running at the same time with other products.

Btw. what kind of monitor do you run , since it´s set at 800x600 at 60hz?

[SoulBlazer]

I have a iiyama LS902UT CRT monitor. And I just like using 800 by 600 for browsing, that's all. I'm always changing to a high resolution to play.

How do I disable the on board sound chip? You're right, I use the Herculles Game Theratre to run everything.

I just recently updated my motherboards chip set and flashed the BIOS with a new version.

[Marc von Martial]

What motherboard do you have? Normally they tell you how in the motherboards manual, should be under "onboard controllers" in the manual or so.

I'm always changing to a high resolution to play.

I was more worried about your 60hz refresh rate and your eyes [;)]. 60hz is bad, very bad, for the eyes [;)]

[Erik Rutins]

Do you have access to another nVidia card, through a friend or familiy member that you could swap in and see if that makes any difference? I'd love to be able to eliminate the card as a problem, if possible.

You should be able to disable your on board sound in your BIOS settings. Marc's right that running two at once may cause some conflicts.

Regards,

- Erik

[SoulBlazer]

No, I don't know what motherboard I have anymore, but I'll try looking at the BIOS menu when I reboot the system.

No, I don't have access to another video card. I'm convienced that it IS the card, though, in light of the error message I get and the colors being messed up when I get booted back to the desktop.

No, I don't know how to change the refresh rate on my monitor.

At this point I'm thinking of just using this as a excuse to buy a new video card.....one with 128 MB of memory on it and able to run anything for the next three years, not great, just good....and try not to spend more then $250 on it. Any suggestions?

[Erik Rutins]

Soulblazer,

For a budget buy, you can find some nice 128Mb cards for about $50 or less at www.newegg.com (the ATI Radeon 9200 is a good budget card, for example). If $250 is your limit, you can pretty much go hog wild and get a kick-butt card like a Radeon 9800 Pro for less than $200. A good mid-range would be a 9600 Pro or 9700 Pro.

Regards,

- Erik

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, I went into my BIOS on my Motherboard and disabled the on board NVidia sound chip. Game STILL won't load.

Does'nt anyone else have this video card? According to the spces, it SHOULD run the game.

I figured out how to change the refresh rate on my monitor also.

Any other ideas?