CTD in SH4

[Alemap]

Hello

I have SH4 with Wolves of the Pacific added. Just recently I have noticed a disturbing pattern of CTDs every time I play the game, seemingly irrespective of power usage ( usually when I fire a torpedo but certainly within 45 mins of game use) My computer is an HP Touchsmart (intelcore i5, 650 @ 3.20 GHZ) operating Windows 7. 6 GB system memory using Radeon HD 570. The resolution is 1920 x 1080.

I have tried removing the game then reinstalling again but the same problem occurs. The only mod is the Sofu Gan rock but it does not seem to be part of the problem. SH4 is the only game to cause this problem on my computer Anybody out there have any ideas ?????

[CapnScurvy]

Hi Alemap, although you didn't mention in your computer specs whether your OS system is running on 64 bits or 32, the problem could be resolved with the "Large Address Aware" fix.

The game uses a lot of resourses, A LOT OF THEM. Graphics is the number one killer of using the ram your system provides. One ship isn't going to hurt your system too much, but getting into a convoy of rendered ships, the system is going to slow down. Unlike the days when the game was first released (March 2007), there are ways around getting more ram into play when using a modern system that has more ram than the game was designed for. Your system has 6 Gb of ram. You need to tell this older game to "go ahead, use more ram, it's available". That's what this little program does, tells the game to use more ram since it's available.

Try it and see if it doesn't help. It helped me with a similar system using an older game called "Sid Meiers Railroads". Stopped the CTD's.

[Alemap]

Thanks, I willtry. My system uses 64 bits

[CapnScurvy]

With a 64 bit OS you'll be able to give the SH4 game the use of 4 Gb ram, instead of the games 32 bit expected limit of only 2.

If you had a 32 bit OS the gain would be 1 additional Gb of ram. That's usually enough to see a huge improvement in the games speed and its overall process of keeping the "blue screen of death" away.

Having a 32 bit OS requires a special switch to be added to increase the ram usage. Having a 64 bit system, you'll not need to set anything additional. By running the app, and placing the SH4 ".exe" file into the "Large Address Aware", then setting the "checkbox" to enable the flag, gives the game the extra ram when its available.

are you using v1.4 or v1.5 of the game?

mods that are for the wrong version can and usually do cause ctd issues

[aanker]

I've been using LAA CapnScurvy wrote about and have been very satisfied - never had a problem. (64 bit)

Happy Hunting!

[Alemap]

Thanks Webster

I use 1.5 but remain within the American version. I have used the Wide Address program but my ctds continued. I will remove all mods and start again...

[AngryHatter]

Thanks for this!

[CapnScurvy]

Sorry to hear the Large Address Aware program didn't seem to help. Any time a newer system with expanded ram (like yours with 6 Gb of ram) has a problem with CTD's, it's my first thought to look at the game itself. The game just wasn't optimized to run with the larger available ram we have today (nor was it designed to use the many different video options we have with the differences in LCD monitor sizes and video card options).

I would still use the LAA program for your system once you sort out the possible problem of installation of the game, or an issue with one of the mods you're trying to use. As Webster points out, using a mod that was designed to work with a particular version of the game, different than the version you have, is always trouble.

Remember to delete the "SH4" folder, usually found in the "Your Computer Name/Documents" folder, IF your OS system is Windows Vista. I suspect it's in a similar place if your system OS is Windows 7. This file gets left behind sometimes when uninstalling the game through the games install/uninstall wizard. To make a clean reinstall, all parts need to be removed from your computer. I'd not add any mods to your new install until you're sure the game will operate as expected under a heavy load of a large convoy with no CTD's.