CTD Observation

[tater]

My new machine (E6600/8800GTS/2GB/XP Pro sp2) runs the game better, and with far fewer CTD than I was having before.

That said, I still have them.

There is one thing that is ALWAYS true for my CTDs. I select the TBT.

It happens from the map, usually (with or without TC), but it also happens from one view (say deck gun) to the TBT.

Just thought I'd throw it out there.

So not all moves to the TBT CTD me, in fact very very few, but all my CTDs are the result of hitting the TBT button when they do happen.

[Joe S]

I thought I had mine figured out too, originally it seemed I was getting craches when going to periscope depth, but the last several that I have had, which have come after long and sucessfull sessions, have been in different situations so I dont know if there is really a pattern.When I read the list of all the things people want in the next patch, if we get one, I am hoping that Ubi will address the crashes first so the rest of us can play too. Joe S

[AVGWarhawk]

That is odd Tater. I never had this. Only time I had a CTD was using the stadimeter. Only happened once with patch 1.1. Just a thought and this really sucks, a clean install and go right to patch 1.2.

[tater]

That's how I installed SH4 on this new machine to begin with, actually.

[AVGWarhawk]

Just strange Tater. I did a complete uninstall and reinstall. Went right to patch 1.2. As a result, better FPS and the AA sound is back, so is the explosions sounds. Originally I just put 1.2 right over 1.1 and lost these two sounds. It just made a crackle noise. The game is very odd for sure.

[Fish40]

I only experienced one CTD so far myself. I was heading back to Brisbane after a patrol. Outside the Port, still a good distance away, while in TC with the Gramaphone playing, I noticed that the music got stuck in a loop, and the TC froze. This sometimes happens when in high TC and suddenly you get in close proximity of land, or convoys and the like. Instead of resumeing play, as was always the case befor, I recieved the "SH4 has encountered a problem, bla.. bla.. bla..", and back to Desktop we go.

I used the opportunity to do a fresh install, and load up the latest version of RFB, as well as a few other mods I've been wanting to try. So far, all is well.

[SteamWake]

I know its a new machine and all but you should still check to see if the drivers are up to date.

I just had a thought. I never use the 'button' to get to the TBT I always use the hotkey.

Doubt it makes a difference but something to think about.

[orangenee]

My CTDs are always TBT related as well, but like the OPs they're quite rare.

[AVGWarhawk]

Rare or not it is still a pain in the butt. I use the 'U' key without issue. Must be something in common cause it.

[tater]

I just figured that a patten might help the devs diagnose the issue. Assuming there is one.

[SteamWake]

Rare or not it is still a pain in the butt. I use the 'U' key without issue. Must be something in common cause it.

Yea I forgot that little detail .... I use the hotkey without issue.

[orangenee]

I just figured that a patten might help the devs diagnose the issue. Assuming there is one.

There doesn't appear to be a pattern to it, you can play for hours without the button crashing the game or it can be the first time you click it. But it ALWAYS appears to be that button that does it.

[tater]

^^ yeah, that is my experience as well. It's fairly rare, and seemingly random except for me it is ALWAYS when I hit the TBT button. That is the only part that is the same between the different CTDs, they all involve hitting that button.

[AVGWarhawk]

Stay away from that button, bad mojo:shifty:

[SteamWake]

Start using the hotkey instead and see if the situation improves or not.

[tater]

I will.

[John Channing]

Another thing for everyone to consider.

Seeing as SH4 uses the same "Sound Engine" (for lack of a better term) as SH3 you should all have sound acceleration set to 0. This cleared up my CTDs in SH3, and I have never had a CTD in SH4.

But I too use the "U" key for the TBT.

JCC

[Joe S]

What does it mean to have all sound set to 0? Do you mean in the options folder? How do you get sound volume? Thanks! Joe S

[SteamWake]

He said "Sound Acceleration" set to 0.

But Jc is fond of using black font so its hard to read ;)

[tater]

I have no setting in any of the cfg files (main.cfg?) that mention hardware accelleration for sound. Where is this?

[Major Johnson]

Another thing for everyone to consider. Seeing as SH4 uses the same "Sound Engine" (for lack of a better term) as SH3 you should all have sound acceleration set to 0. JCC

Do you mean the hardware acceleration in the advanced audio properties in the control panel?? If so, and no offense, but you got to be kidding if you think the average user is going to know where that is! I was a computer helpdesk tech up until about a month ago and one of my biggest nightmares was to have to walk someone thru all those steps over the phone. I just went to their locations and did it for them. That would just go to prove there is some major game engine tweaking that needs to be looked into. Then again, that goes without saying.

[John Channing]

Another thing for everyone to consider. Seeing as SH4 uses the same "Sound Engine" (for lack of a better term) as SH3 you should all have sound acceleration set to 0. JCC

Do you mean the hardware acceleration in the advanced audio properties in the control panel?? If so, and no offense, but you got to be kidding if you think the average user is going to know where that is! I was a computer helpdesk tech up until about a month ago and one of my biggest nightmares was to have to walk someone thru all those steps over the phone. I just went to their locations and did it for them. That would just go to prove there is some major game engine tweaking that needs to be looked into. Then again, that goes without saying.

Editorializing aside, this is actually a pretty simple proceedure.

This was a very common problem with SH3 and was posted about hundreds of times. There have been a number of references to it for SH4 as well, but here it is again (for XP... I have no idea how Vista may or may not work)

Click on: Start

Select: Run

Type in: dxdiag

A box will come up with several tabs across the top.

Select the "Sound" tab.

Move the Slider Marked "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" all the way to the Left.


Click Exit


And you're done. Really very easy and it completely stopped my CTDs in SH3 (I couldn't even finish a training mission) and I have never had a CTD in SH4 that I couldn't source to my own stupidity.

JCC

[John Channing]

He said "Sound Acceleration" set to 0.

But Jc is fond of using black font so its hard to read ;)

If you all would just get with the program and use "haylazblue" as your colour scheme, life would be so much easier!

JCC

[Major Johnson]

@John Channing:

Well, never let it be said I can't be taught something new! I never knew that way! Guess I was doing it the hard way, but then, that's the story of my life! :D


I kneel at your feet!!! :rock:

[tater]

Of course in the context of SH4, I assumed that it was a setting in a game config file. It never occured to me that he meant to turn it off for my system. Huge difference.

[Major Johnson]

You know, the one thing SH4 does, is it let's you know just how good your system is, hardware and software. I'm currently waiting for a new power supply. My negative experiences started with some CTDs, and then my pc just started shutting off! I knew it wasn't the games fault, at least not really. I think the game engine needs to be tweaked a little to be a little more forgiving, but I'm convinced that my 650 watt Xion power supply with dual 22 amp 12 volt rails was defective from the get go, but was never really tested until SH4 came along. Had to send back one replacement, that was DOA, and now I'm waiting the replacement's replacement!! :hmm: JUNK!!!

Anyway, I've been parusing the forum getting all kinds of good tips and some interesting reading while I wait. Thanks!! :up:

[SteamWake]

He said "Sound Acceleration" set to 0.

But Jc is fond of using black font so its hard to read ;)

If you all would just get with the program and use "haylazblue" as your colour scheme, life would be so much easier!

JCC

But then Id be all disoriented and stuff :p

Hope you know Im just kiddin ya. :rock:

On a side note... somtimes a repeat topic can be a good thing. See you helped a few people !

[John Channing]

Of course I knew... I just find the other schemes too. I dunno... dark.

I guess I just figured that it had been posted so many times that everyone knew it. My bad!

Oh... and here is another little tip. If you got to another game (like BF1942 fer instance) it will reset it to high, and your SH4 crashes will come back. I make a habit of checking it, every so often just in case. One last thing is if you play IL-2, it will sound lousy. You willl have to re-set it to high, and then back for SH3-4.

A bit of a pain in the a**, but whatareyahgonnado?

JCC

[Lt. Cobra]

Of course I knew... I just find the other schemes too. I dunno... dark.

I guess I just figured that it had been posted so many times that everyone knew it. My bad!

Oh... and here is another little tip. If you got to another game (like BF1942 fer instance) it will reset it to high, and your SH4 crashes will come back. I make a habit of checking it, every so often just in case. One last thing is if you play IL-2, it will sound lousy. You willl have to re-set it to high, and then back for SH3-4.

A bit of a pain in the a**, but whatareyahgonnado?

JCCI just tried this but no joy for me. I just tried to start a career and was not even out of the harbor (about 5 min into the game) and CTD. :nope: I was using various views but never TBT or TC. I have never gotten a CTD in SH3 since I bought it, so it’s back to SH3 for good unless they fix the game engine or whatever it is that’s causing so many of us this problem. It would be nice to be able to play it like many others.

[Argus00]

@ tater - it's a DirectX option. Click Start/RUN, type in "dxdiag" then OK, wait for the analysis, then click the Sound tab, then slide the acceleration bar all the way to the left.

My only CTDs now are related to the Securom copy protection, it seems. Every two/three patrols, I get a CTD, and if I try to restart the game immediately I get a "ERROR 1000: PLEASE INSERT THE ORIGINAL DISC, NOT A BACKUP" message (?). The thing is, it IS the original DVD :o . I have to wait for about two minutes before restarting the game - I think the system clears the executable from memory. Don't know exactly, just speculating.