Game crashing infrequently

[suitednate]

Just like the title says. No specific situation seems to trigger it. Running this mod load out:


RFB_2.0 (Real Fleet Boat)
RFB_2.0_Patch_23April2010
RSRDC_RFB_V575 (Run Silent Run Deep Campaign)
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
Improved Ship Physics 2.15

Also my computer is:
Intel core i5 @ 2.5 ghz
Windows 7 pro 32 bit
4 gigs RAM (also says 2.88 usable? Dunno what this means)
Intel HD Graphics 4000 (yes I'm running on a laptop)


Any ideas?

[CapnScurvy]

I'd first try using the app "Large Address Aware", to make the game use more memory than what its maximum set amount was when it left the publisher in 2007, which was no more than 2 gigs of memory. You may have more memory than that (you say you've got 4 gigs), but the game won't use any more than 2 gigs unless you force it to.

Second, take the mods out of JSGME "Activation", then run the "Compare Snapshot" feature to compare your original game files (when you first installed the game and JSGME), with what you have now. Comparing stock game files is the only way of knowing whether you still have a good game install or a corrupted one from using mods. Didn't take a "Snapshot" as the instructions in JSGME state? Start over with a good removal of the game, then a clean re install.

[cdrsubron7]

In past times SH4 and Intel graphics were not very compatible. Depending on whether your computer is a desktop or laptop (sounds like the latter with the shared memory) you might want o try installing a third party graphics card.

Of course, Intel might have improved their graphics cards and this isn't the problem, but it still might be something to consider.

[suitednate]

Thanks for the tips all

[merc4ulfate]

Did you do a clean install of the game, a clean install of JSGME and then load the mods?

If you didn't there can be lingering files from moving moded files around.

Taking a snapshot after you have already added mods and then removed them is not a 100% accurate way to get a clean snapshot that is done with a clean install of the game and JSGME and taking the snapshot before anything is ever added.

I know your running Win7 but take advice from this thread and make clean installs.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=133290

Many troubles from skippers are had by not using clean installs.

Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
RFB_2.0
RFB_2.0_Patch_23April2010
RSRDC_RFB_V575
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
More_DDs_for_AITorpedoLauncher
Improved Ship Physics_2.15
Classe_Balao_CamoTri

[suitednate]

Getting a lot of crashes while trying to load saved games now. I did a "compare snapshot" after removing mods and the sh4.exe file is "different" and SI.bin is "new". Anyone know what this means? Is this what is causing my saved games to crash upon trying to load them?

[Sniper297]

I'm running Win XP on a desktop with 2 gigs of RAM and a real video card (Nvidia GTX 650) and still get the same thing, so it's probably unrelated to hardware. One random crash I've been trying to chase down is changing from the map to the periscope or bridge view the game crashes to desktop with the standard error message, but no way to duplicate the error - sometimes it does it, most times it doesn't, which makes troubleshooting impossible.

Save games are sometimes a problem, one trick that often works is to load a different save game, delete half of other save games, then try loading the last game that crashes. Example;

4 patrol 7
4 patrol 6
4 patrol 5
4 patrol 4
etc
3 patrol 8
3 patrol 7
3 patrol 6
etc

That two most recent, 4 patrol 7 and 4 patrol 6, crash every time I try to load either one. So I load 1 patrol 1, click on SAVE to get the delete menu, then delete all the odd numbers or all the even numbers from the first three patrols, then try loading 4 patrol 7 again. No idea why, but that usually works.

The random crashes are still a mystery, I've done clean re-installs and moved from the SSD disk to the main C disk to see if there was some sort of conflict with the save games being on a different disk, changed out memory sticks and video cards, defragged, cleaned up the registry, ran virus checkers, all the usual stuff - the program crashes because it's buggy, only way to fix that is play something else.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Sniper297

I'm running Win XP on a desktop with 2 gigs of RAM and a real video card (Nvidia GTX 650) and still get the same thing, so it's probably unrelated to hardware.

Is 2 GB or RAM enough with that video card?

[Sniper297]

Got its own 2 gigs of VRAM, no shared RAM. Reason I mentioned XP and the 2 gigs of RAM was to confirm this isn't necessarily a "large address aware" problem like you would have with a modern Win7 or Win8 computer since XP doesn't use anything over 3 gigs anyway.

Operating System: Windows XP Media Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3
Model: Dell DXP051
Power supply: 550 watts
CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 3.40GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2GB Crucial 667mhz
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX650 2GB driver 344.65
Sound: SB Audigy
Hard Drives:
C:Western Digital WD5000AAKX-001CA0 462.0 GB 7200rpm
F:SanDisk SDSSDH120GG25 114.5 GB solid state drive

[fireftr18]

One thing not mentioned is the save issue. The "save" issue is an old, and well known bug. The save file for sh4 is very complicated. The biggest issue now is saving over top of old saves. Eventually, you'll do it so much you actually corrupt the file. Every time you save, it's best to save in a new file. For example, I do a fresh save while still in the office (fireftr). Then each save while on patrol, I simply number the save (fireftr1, etc).
There are some old guidelines to make sure you have the cleanest save possible. Best to save when: nothing is in sensor range, on the surface, clear weather. The more you add, the more complicated the save file becomes and the greater chance of getting a corrupt save. The commonly used computers when sh4 came out did have a problem. The computers now seem to not have a problem.

[Sniper297]

Agree, if I want a save named 2nd patrol 8 and there's one already with that name, it's best to delete that save and make a new save with the same name. If I just overwrite the existing save I found the problem comes up much more frequently.

Even when I am careful to avoid overwriting it still happens occasionally, when it happens frequently I start looking for causes. Recently I started getting frequent CTD from save games, which is why I made a clean new install on the C drive - I suspected running the game on the F drive (a solid state drive) with the save games on the C drive (hard coded my documents nonsense, what were they thinking?) might be a factor. Probably not though, since once I started adding mods back in it happened on the C drive, so the SSD wasn't the problem.

I should also mention I have the Direct2Drive version patched to 1.4, haven't gotten around to buying the 1.5 patch yet.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by suitednate

I did a "compare snapshot" after removing mods and the sh4.exe file is "different" and SI.bin is "new". Anyone know what this means? Is this what is causing my saved games to crash upon trying to load them?

You haven't told us what you've done since your first post, except using the Compare Snapshot feature of JSGME. I'm going to have to read between the lines to answer your two questions.

You state your "sh4.exe file is different".

Since you haven't said you've used the Large Address Aware app or not, I'm going to assume you have. The reason I say this is that's one of the few things that will change the .exe file of the game. Mods never touch the execution file of the game....but LAA does. If that's true......there's your answer. The LAA app made its expected change to the sh4.exe file.

You state the "SI.bin file is new". That's OK too. The SI.bin is a file created by SH4 every time you start the game. The reason the "Compare Snapshot" feature says it's new is because you had apparently taken the original "Snapshot" before the first start up of the game. If you had run the game, then taken the "Snapshot", the SI.bin file would not have be reported as new. It would have been reported as Same.

So, if that's all that's reported with the "Compare Snapshot" feature.....you're in good shape with your original stock game files.

================

Below is a recent "Compare Snapshot" result from one of my game files. Notice it reports......20045 files are the Same, one file is Different, nine are New, two are Removed.



The one file Different is the same as yours.......Due to the changes made by LAA to the sh4.exe file.

The nine that are New are due to screen photos taken while in-game.

The two Removed are in the picture. I don't know why this happens.....but these two image files of the game are always removed after adding TMO to the game. The two image files are of the stock German ship flags used in-game. For some reason they are lost through JSGME when TMO is added/removed from Activation. I just keep a copy of the two flag images in another folder to replace them when I find they aren't put back in their place by JSGME. This is exactly why any gamer adding/removing mods with JSGME should keep the original stock game files as a "Snapshot" for future reference.

Knowing which files are Different, New, or Removed will help in keeping your game running as expected.....as long as you know which files are effected.

=================

Originally Posted by Sniper297

.......I mentioned XP and the 2 gigs of RAM was to confirm this isn't necessarily a "large address aware" problem like you would have with a modern Win7 or Win8 computer since XP doesn't use anything over 3 gigs anyway.

It's true, XP won't access anything over 3 gigs of ram (neither will a 32 bit OS, no matter which version you may have...XP, Vista, Win7, or 8) however, a player having an XP OS will definitely see a difference in game play if he has 3 gigs of ram and uses the LAA application. That 1 gig of extra memory makes a huge difference in performance. I realize the "Saved Game issues" can be entirely another kettle of fish with this game, but having your game run as efficiently as possible is a start.

[suitednate]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

You haven't told us what you've done since your first post, except using the Compare Snapshot feature of JSGME. I'm going to have to read between the lines to answer your two questions.

You state your "sh4.exe file is different".

Since you haven't said you've used the Large Address Aware app or not, I'm going to assume you have. The reason I say this is that's one of the few things that will change the .exe file of the game. Mods never touch the execution file of the game....but LAA does. If that's true......there's your answer. The LAA app made its expected change to the sh4.exe file.

You state the "SI.bin file is new". That's OK too. The SI.bin is a file created by SH4 every time you start the game. The reason the "Compare Snapshot" feature says it's new is because you had apparently taken the original "Snapshot" before the first start up of the game. If you had run the game, then taken the "Snapshot", the SI.bin file would not have be reported as new. It would have been reported as Same.

So, if that's all that's reported with the "Compare Snapshot" feature.....you're in good shape with your original stock game files.

================

Below is a recent "Compare Snapshot" result from one of my game files. Notice it reports......20045 files are the Same, one file is Different, nine are New, two are Removed.



The one file Different is the same as yours.......Due to the changes made by LAA to the sh4.exe file.

The nine that are New are due to screen photos taken while in-game.

The two Removed are in the picture. I don't know why this happens.....but these two image files of the game are always removed after adding TMO to the game. The two image files are of the stock German ship flags used in-game. For some reason they are lost through JSGME when TMO is added/removed from Activation. I just keep a copy of the two flag images in another folder to replace them when I find they aren't put back in their place by JSGME. This is exactly why any gamer adding/removing mods with JSGME should keep the original stock game files as a "Snapshot" for future reference.

Knowing which files are Different, New, or Removed will help in keeping your game running as expected.....as long as you know which files are effected.

=================



It's true, XP won't access anything over 3 gigs of ram (neither will a 32 bit OS, no matter which version you may have...XP, Vista, Win7, or 8) however, a player having an XP OS will definitely see a difference in game play if he has 3 gigs of ram and uses the LAA application. That 1 gig of extra memory makes a huge difference in performance. I realize the "Saved Game issues" can be entirely another kettle of fish with this game, but having your game run as efficiently as possible is a start.

You read between the slides well. I have done another full removal and full reinstall and seeing where it is taking me, and will use these tricks on loading saved games if issues arise.

[CapnScurvy]

Good!!

Having a bit of knowledge of how to protect yourself when things don't work as expected is a good starting point. JSGME is a wonderful tool for adding/removing modified files with the game. The only trouble is, its not fool proof. JSGME's creator knew this by adding the Snapshot feature, so we could check the integrity of the stock game files from time to time.

==============

One of the more overlooked things we should do is clean out our "SH4" folder from time to time too. This folder is made the first time you start the game. It's put into your "Documents" folder....... holding your personal game options like screen resolutions, or which unit of measurement you have chosen. It also holds your saved game points as you make them. It's my opinion not to have too large of a saved game group of files saved. Just keep a few later ones, but get rid of the older ones. Their not needed, so get rid of them. Keeping your saves as clean as you can, with as little a chance of the game being confused over too many files to keep track of will help.