Frequent Crashing to Desktop - Heartbroken.
 

Hey guys,

A recent beastly computer purchase in anticipation for SH5 means i can finally play SH4 at full graphics with ease, or so i thought.

I just bought the Gold version, downloaded TMO 1.9 overhauled and installed RSRD 2.0 after it in the mod enabler. I am finding myself having to save every 5 minutes due to the frequency of crashes to desktop and the frustration this is causing me is not healthy. Sometimes the game just freezes up and i cant do anything except a ctrl + alt + del. Other times i get that stupid windows not responding, send a message to microsoft notice.

Here are my specs:
OS Windows 7 64 bit
CPU Intel Core i7-920 Processor
CPU Speed 2673 MHz
MSI ATI R5970-PM2D2G PCIEXPRESS VIDEO CARD 2GB
RAM DDR3 P1600 2GB X3 KIT PATRIOT VIPERLINE GAMER
ASUS MAINBOARD P6T SE
COOLING SYSTEM - COOLIT DOMINO
700W PSU PRO GAMING SILENTPRO FAN ACTIVE PFC - COOLERMASTER
SATA HDD 1TB 7200RPM

Today i will try running TMO alone without RSRD in case of a conflict there. I was running RFB 1.4 before i formatted my PC with next to no trouble.

If anyone had a similar problem and has found a way around please share because this is driving me nuts.

Thanks

PS. I also tried installing the game to C:\ubisoft\SH4 and run the game as admin but still nothing.

Don't know if this would help your problem but if all else fails try changing drivers for your video card.

I was getting a lot of ctd with TM 2.0, no problems with 1.9. Solved the 2.0 crashing by changing video card drivers. Going back to an old driver - 182.50 solved it, I was using the 197.45 drivers before that. (nvidia)

Ill see if i can give it a go.. my pc just came back from a service with a full reformat and fresh windows 7 install so messing about with the drivers really isnt at the top of my list :hmmm:

From what ive heard it took a lot of playing around to get the most out of both the HD5970's cores by my technician.

Really? I would sack him... :88)

Get newest driver here: http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx


Do some stress- and memtest on your system to ensure it runs properly.
Then test some clean Silent Hunter 4 runs (delete your documents/sh4 folder first) and then add mods one by one with testings in between...

Running SH4 here with no ctds ever... it can be done.


Oh! And do your Win7 a favour and add another 2 GB RAM. At least.
It just loves RAM! :D

Hey Jan, Isnt 6gb of ddr3 gaming ram enough? If not ill have to wait a couple of months before i add.. cashflow crisis :P I uninstalled the game and all relevant files.. going for a fresh install and slow mod additions as you said. It's gonna be a long night :yawn:

I was really getting into my last career :wah:

... what kind of stress/mem tests methods are there? are there programs to help?

Thanks

Yes, 6 GB is mighty fine. Though I'm pretty sure I read it as 2 GB only... :D


MemTest86 can be found here: http://www.memtest.org/

A fine stresstool here: http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/index.php?Download

Or use a demo of FutureMark http://www.futuremark.com/
- or SiSoftSandra http://www.sisoftware.net/


:hmmm: - didn't your 5970 come with a complete version of 3dMark?



If you need help you're welcome to use PM too. Good luck! :up:

I'm running the game just fine on an ancient machine with 2 GB of old-fashioned DDR RAM, a single-core processor and an ATI 4650, so I doubt that's the problem. Did you try the new drivers as Jan suggested? Have you tried older drivers as Kiwi mentioned? He's not the only one to make that point.

Yeah, 2 GB is not a problem per se, but you'll be pleasantly surprised just how much smoother and snappier everything runs with more RAM.

And RAM is very cheap... especially your old-fashioned DDR type, Steve! :D


A sidenote reg. updating drivers; I don't agree with trying older drivers.
If new drivers are causing problems, then I would make a cleansweep.
Uninstall and cleaning old drivers first, reboot and install newest followed by a final reboot.

Current ATI version is 10.6 and is running perfectly fine! :ping:



Now back to second half of Italy-Slovakia! :rock:

Jan, it was 2gb x3 = 6gb :03: ... I copy/pasted from my invoice thats why it came out like that.

I did a 3dmark vantage test and got good scores on average. Gonna try instal latest drivers and do some of those stress tests. Then gona try a fresh install as said earlier. Ill keep you updated. :up:

Officially losing hope now.
Went through the full SH4 fresh installation thread step by step. Reinstalled sh4 Gold to c:\SH4 and ran it on a clean install. I thought it could have been an overheating problem so cranked up the watercooling to full. Was going fine and when i decided i tested it enough i clicked exit to window and there it was once again.. "this program has stopped working correctly, windows will now exit". Maybe this time it was just some freak error since it happened when i clicked to exit myself, so i will try install TMO and try one last time. So frustrating :wah:

Funny thing about that. I ordered two more GB just the other day, and it arrived the same day you wrote that. Unfortunately one of the sticks turned out to be bad and it will be another week before I get the replacement set in the mail.

Going from two to four GB really gives the system a lift, so you won't regret, Steve. :woot:

kvBrock! Just a thought... when you installed SH4, did you let it run the directx9 install as well? If not, please try it.
As far as I remember I had some issues until I installed the 9-version :hmmm:


Back to SA! Penalty kick for USA!!!! :rock: :woot::arrgh!:

yep i install it too.. Just tried my luck again with a full fresh install, disconected Razor headphones in case the drivers were causing it to crash, disconnected modem too. Installed TMO and RSRD.. Same problem, game crashed while on patrol before even coming across first ship. :down:

Cant understand, the game used to run fine before i formatted and was running 1.4 with RFB 1.4. This has frustrated me to no end, its been a full time job for the past week. Im thinking about tossing the bloody thing in the bin. The only thing i havent tried yet is gone back to older drivers, which im quite apprehensive about having spent 800 euro on this graphics card. Which drivers do you think i should roll back to? I dont know where to get the previous drivers too as the ATI site only provides the latest ones.

There are no problems with latest driver.

But I just came to think of your A.I. setting in Catalyst Control Panel.
Make sure A.I. is enabled and on the standard setting, not advanced.
This is important since you have a dual core gpu.

Otherwise from that... and if your system passed all stress tests... I'm blank.
SH4 runs here rock solid and never had any glitches, so all I can say is, that it can be done. But that'll probably not cure the broken heart... :D


/edit: if you insist on trying older drivers, AMD do indeed have them all for you!
Click on your wanted driver and on top of the screen is a link to previous drivers.
Here's for Win7-64 bit: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownloa...w_vista64.aspx

Downloaded 10.5 driver, ill install them as a last resort. My CCC was set on basic but for highest settings. Ill go advanced and try run the game with much lower settings and see where it gets me. I used the compatibility technical program that comes with windows 7 and it ran the game for me in windows xp service pack 2 compatibility. I managed to play for an hour until it crashed.

Gonna try the CCC settings, ill be back soon, probably with bad news.. :O:

Thanks for your help!

That was quick... crashed again. Just as i was entering port just like my last crash. Though ive had crashes in all situations. Most frustrating one was the second my torpedoes were about to hit a destroyer and merchant i had been chasing for hours.

I dont know, seem to have tried everything. Maybe ill try install version 1.4 again and see if it works. Maybe i can get some answers that way.

Make sure you point your shortcut to sh.4.exe, instead of gu.exe. Known to cause crashes for some reason.

Use DX9 from the disc, game needs it.

Have you tried updating sound drivers. I played with video drivers and turned out to be a corrupt sound driver.

Make sure your resolution/refresh with screen and game match.

Did you use a clean DL of the mods you use? Load them to a new folder renamed. Doe's the game crash with no mods? Sucks to have to DL all the mods again, but I would...course helps to keep a clean back up of mods in a seperate folder.

Drivers often leave residue files after an uninstall. If you're confidant with messing with the registry I would make sure all old files have been deleted.
Be careful with cleansweep, ect...uncheck anything you're not sure about.
The only issue some have is driver names often link to other drivers, but moreso with nforce MB's.

Your specs are great, just with W7, cut off all unneeded background services and programs with low ram.

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it.

I just tried SH$ 1.4 with RFB 1.4.. been playing for an hour and no crash as of yet. Stark difference to the constant crashing with 1.5.

- I use the SH4.exe file run the game thats inside the SH4 dir.
- I am installing the directx9 that comes with the cd each time.
- How do i know if/which sound drivers need updating?
- How do i check if resolution/refresh match?
- I tried playing the stock game and it ran fine until i clicked Exit to Windows. Thats when the crash happened.
- The only TMO 2.0 i found is the one on this site, linked to filefront. I can try download them again if anyone has a different link to it and RSRD.. Havent found one myself.
- I use Tuneup utilities 2010 to clear and optimize my registry after every uninstall. I also use it in turbo mode to disable all background programs for gaming. Ive tried without it and i still get crash after crash.

I just dont understand what the problem could be. I can try going back to the restore point from when i got my computer formatted last week. I dont know how the game can keep crashing on a clean system with these specs.

I've been having several annoying CtDs fairly regularly when switching from an internal station to an external one, that were fixed simply by disabling Environmental Effects - and I have a 1GB 5770, 4GB DDR3 and a 3Ghz triple-core on Win7 64 so its not like I should be having any graphics lag at all. Give it a try, it might just be that simple! (one can hope!)

Ill try that when i get back from work thanks..

Yes its a sunday and im working AND SH4 is crashing for me. *suicidal smiley*