Game STILL crashing and auto-rebooting system...

Any advice for me on this?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hi,

I'd hoped that the patch would resolve whatever issue I'm having, but that hasn't happened. Basically, after about 5-15 mins of play, the game crashes and auto reboots my system. This has happened every time I've started the game and played it. I'm running it in 32-bit mode (1024 x768), I have an Nividia 6600 GT, I turned anti-aliasing off, I know my system meets the min requirements, I'm running the "English" version of Windows XP. I downloaded the latest (1.0X) patch. I even installed a new fan in my computer last night in case it needed extra cooling.

I downloaded Smart Exception (and turned it on), but whatever is happening isn't creating any sort of error report in that program.

Also, I've e-mailed Stardock support and posted previous error logs here on the forums, all with no response so far. I'd rather not go out any make any more changes to my system until I get some sort of answer as to what's going on. I understand that the people at Stardock are busy (and it's the weekend), but I'd like to get some sort of help with this sometime within the upcoming week. I'd appreciate any advice at this point from Stardock or anyone with any ideas on the forums here.


Here's the error log:

Debug Message: Version v1.0X last updated on: Fri Mar 3 17:16:22 2006
Debug Message: Could not find a TGN Serial No.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 3/4/2006, 12:10:51
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: NITRO
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: GBT___
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.0GHz
Physical Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 181MB used, 2278MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 6600 GT
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0140&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A2
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.8198
Driver Date: 12/10/2005 03:06:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Realtek HD Audio output
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0880&SUBSYS_1458F603&REV_1008
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: RtkHDAud.sys
Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5136
Driver Date: 7/13/2005 01:26:52
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONE
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (hw vp): NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Ron\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\*.StarSystems
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Ron\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipclass
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Ron\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipcfg
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Description_Text
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Tab_Homeworld
Debug Message: Creating Galaxy
Debug Message: Set galaxy size.
Debug Message: Killing threads.
Debug Message: Kiling civs.
Debug Message: Killing ships.
Debug Message: Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message: Killing misc objects.
Debug Message: Killing stars.
Debug Message: Killing anomalies.
Debug Message: Killing space resources.
Debug Message: Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message: killing scenario.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Stars
Debug Message: Number of Unplaced Stars: 0.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Planets
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Anomalies
Debug Message: Num Anomalies: 59
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Resources
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Done
Debug Message: Creating Civs
Debug Message: Drengin Empire: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Altarian Republic: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Arcean Empire: Intellence -> 30
Debug Message: Creating Civs... Done
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Galaxy Create... Done
Debug Message: UIBeginGame called with g_ulLocalPlayerID = 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: setting size 16 x 0
Debug Message: Destroying ship Drengin Empire Colony. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Drengin Empire (1): Researching: Space Militarization
Debug Message: Altarian Republic (2): Researching: Basic Logistics
Debug Message: Arcean Empire (3): Researching: Xeno Research
Debug Message: Carinoids (12): Researching: Galactic Warfare
Debug Message: Scottlingas (13): Researching: Xeno Communications
Debug Message: Pirates! (26): Researching: Galactic Warfare
Debug Message: Destroying ship Arcean Empire Colony. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Destroying ship Altarian Republic Colony. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.
Debug Message: Arcean Empire (3): Researching: Space Militarization
Debug Message: Carinoids (12): Researching: Space Militarization
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: First contact: Drengin Empire Flagship at position 1250.000000,2350.000000 rotation 1.570796
Debug Message: Cannot find texture , in AlienMsgWnd
Debug Message: Drengin Empire (1): Researching: New Propulsion Techniques
Debug Message: Scottlingas (13): Researching: Galactic Warfare
Debug Message: Year: 2225. Scottlingas traded Xeno Communications to the Drengin Empire in exchange for Stellar Cartography
Debug Message: Drengin Empire (1): Researching: Universal Translator
Debug Message: Scottlingas (13): Researching: Space Militarization
Debug Message: Carinoids (12): Researching: Starship Defenses
Debug Message: Destroying ship Colony Ship 8. Orbiting: 0
Debug Message: Updating ZOC.

22,674 views 23 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hold delete after it reboots, and get to the temperature monitoring screen to see if it's heat related (guessing from the auto-reboot it sounds like it's that, drivers, or corrupt RAM). You could use a program like motherboard monitor too (run GC2 for a couple minutes, alt tab, and see what the temperature is). A new fan won't help if you installed it in the wrong place, or if the case has poor air flow.

Also, stop Windows from auto-rebooting when it blue screens. Just click Start, right click My Computer, choose the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery, and finally uncheck Automatically Restart. This could reveal if it's a driver issue.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yep, check those recovery settings in the system applet. 90% of crash-reboots are caused by BSODs that just never get seen due to the auto-reboot setting in there. And BSODs are generally caused by hardware/driver problems.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for the advice. I changed the Startup and Recovery settings. I'll check out the temp monitoring screen in a bit.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yea, I hate to say it but if you're getting a BSOD, that's a hardware issue.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yep, if your system is rebooting like that it could be because of heat but more likely it's a driver issue. Your vid driver, mobo drivers or your sound driver can cause this. Sometimes the latest nvidia driver isn't always the best. The 8x.xx series drivers have some issues with some graphics functions of some software. It can sometimes help to roll back to the 77.77 drivers as they were more stable overall, but you will lose performance with some newer games. hopefully you can get it fixed.

ps: The newer securom7 builds are notorius (sp?) for system reboots. (especially in FEAR)
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Okay, well, when the game is running, the temp is about 55-58C. I have no idea whether that's too high or not. I actually had new memory installed recently. Could that be part of the problem (i.e. the memory is bad)? Or, would the hardware problem more likely be with the video card itself? I'll also see if I can do anything about the drivers.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Bad memory can cause bluescreens, as can bad video, bad CPU, bad mobo... etc. Next time you get it, write down the error code and address, and try googling it to figure out what it means (you can generally see what type of failures can cause that particular error)..
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
That CPU temperature isn't bad. 70C and above is bad, anything below 60C is actually fairly normal.

Bad RAM will generally give you a unhelpful error message on the blue screen that may change each time (PAGEFAULT, or BAD_IRQ, etc., possibly changing each time). From what I've seen, this is a big BSOD culprit. CPU and Mobo problems don't tend to cause BSODs so often as they cause plain dead computers.

If it's specifically a video card problem, the BSOD may mention the video card driver. Something with nv or dx/directx in the name, probably. That would be an excellent clue.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, I DID turn off the auto-restart as mentioned above by Consumed Crustacean and when the game crashed it automatically rebooted anyway. Also, I never actually got a BSOD, as the system auto-rebooted without giving me any sort of detailed error message despite the fact that I specified it not auto restart. Not sure what to make of this. At this point I think I'm going to take the graphics card back. It's a brand-new card, by the way. I've also have had a CTD problem (intermittently, but it's happend a few times) when running Civ4 that I never used to have before getting this card. When I'm not playing any games, the system works fine.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yo GB17, you should update your drivers. I just checked the Nvidia GeForce drivers, and they are for Feb 2006, and yours is older. I would give that a shot first before you go get another card. (Especially since that card is one of the better ones out there.)
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sounds like it could be a power supply issue. I had a failing psu and when the system was booting up all the drives it would crash at the same point. My guess is that when your systemis heats up your fans draw more current (along with whatever the gfx card draws) and might be tripping the PSU reset.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hmm...I'm pretty sure I have 81.98 as the current set of drivers (6.14.0010.8198), but I'll check again. As for the power supply, could be. I guess I'll have to get someone to look at my system. I'm out of ideas when it comes to stuff I can do at the software level at this point. Thanks for all the help, everyone.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I had crashes a couple days ago in game with the 81.98 drivers after an couple hours.
however, I'm now using the new 84.12 drivers and the 1.0x version of the game, played for 6 hours last night, not one crash, this is with a 7800gt. So the latest beta drivers certainly work with the game, and the patch did help the temp issue...

You can grab them here;
ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/84.12

I doubt thats it though.

Since Civ 4 crashes, I bet your power supply is not so good, or you have a desperate need for more cooling, (temps in the mids 50's are fine for that card. 80 would be bad, 70 not so good), or your ram timings are to tight (if you've never messed with them that probably isnt it). But Im just a computer tech who builds a lot of AMD boxes with nvidias cards in them

Usually its the power supply. When you launch a game suddenly the cpu and graphics card draw maximum juice, in your case probably another ~60 watts of power, and your power supply cant handle it.

If you can post your power supply specs, maker and amps support on the +3.3, +5, and +12 volt rails. As well as how many drives you have I could let you know fairly certainly if thats it...
There should be a label on the side, that looks like this;
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/17-103-457-03.JPG

just read it and post the amps. I'll check back a couple times.
good luck



Oh, if it is the power supply. You can swap one out in 5 minutes on your own, all the connectors only key one way, and only fit the things they are suppose to connect to, you only need to remove 4 screws to take one out...
It is quite easy, as long as you dont forget to plug something back in, which is usually pretty obvious
This is not something you need a tech for. However a good supply for your system will run between $60 and $90, anything that selling for less then $40 is complete junk...
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Yep, PSU amperage is VERY important. Much more so than wattage, as manufacturers would like you to think. If you ask too muhc of your PSU in a heavy processing situation it can do anything from randomly reboot, to fail and stay dead, or even catch fire. Definitely not something you want to happen

FYI, the rating on the +12v rail should be at least 18A MINIMUM for stable operation of an Athlon64 system, and 20A for a Pentium4 D. That's not including a video card that requires an extra power cable plugged into it as a lot of newer ones do (in which case you'd want to add on another 2 or 3 amps). Many cheap power supplies only give 16A or possibly less (even high wattage ones), so you really need to look closely at that.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Very true Kryo

The latest video cards out, nvidias 7800GTX 512 and the ati x1900 draw over 11 amps on the 12 volt rail.
So if one has an SLI or Crossfire rig with 2 cards thats 23 amps need on the 12 volt rail (276 watts). Which is absolutely insane....

read this for more;
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1932958,00.asp
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll take a look at the power supply when I get my computer back from the store. Their techs are taking a look at it right now and are testing stuff. If the power supply specs are too low, I'll get a new one and change it out.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The event viewers system log may shine some light for whats going on as well.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Okay, power supply specs are as follows:

Manufacturer: Allied, model AL-C350ATX
Voltage: 115/230V
Current: 8A/4A, +12V, -12V
Frequency: 60/50Hz
Max DC: +3.3V, +5V
Output: 28A, 28A, 19A, .08A
Combined Power: 215W, 9.6W, 330W

Anyway, the techs thought something was wrong with both the motherboard and hard drive, so they replaced both of them (no cost to me, everything was under warranty). They tested the memory, swapped out the graphics card and tried the game, and GC2 STILL crashes.

They reinstalled Windows XP, it's a totally new hard drive with none of the old programs on it (have to reload everything now).

So, I have no idea what to do next. If anyone thinks it's a power supply issue, let me know.
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Here's the latest debug error log, too:

Debug Message: Version v1.0X.1 last updated on: Mon Mar 6 13:57:14 2006
Debug Message: Could not find a TGN Serial No.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 3/12/2006, 17:32:49
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: GREG-D656718D49
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: GBT___
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.0GHz
Physical Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 129MB used, 2331MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 6600 GT
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0140&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A2
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.8198
Driver Date: 12/10/2005 03:06:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Realtek HD Audio output
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0880&SUBSYS_1458F603&REV_1008
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: RtkHDAud.sys
Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5136
Driver Date: 7/13/2005 01:26:52
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONE
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1024 x 768
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (hw vp): NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 60
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Greg Basich\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\*.StarSystems
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for PirateShip. ***
*DEBUG ERROR: ***Unable to find required tech ImpossibleTech for Starbase. ***
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Description_Text
Debug Message: CustomRaceWnd: Cannot find OBJID CustomRace_Tab_Homeworld
Debug Message: Creating Galaxy
Debug Message: Set galaxy size.
Debug Message: Killing threads.
Debug Message: Kiling civs.
Debug Message: Killing ships.
Debug Message: Killing rallypoints.
Debug Message: Killing misc objects.
Debug Message: Killing stars.
Debug Message: Killing anomalies.
Debug Message: Killing space resources.
Debug Message: Killing colonies and planets.
Debug Message: killing scenario.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Stars
Debug Message: Number of Unplaced Stars: 12.
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Planets
Debug Message: *************** Failed To Place Planet ***************
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Anomalies
Debug Message: Num Anomalies: 47
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Resources
Debug Message: Creating Random Map... Done

Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Update: Okay, so the game worked without crashing for about 2 hours last night. I actually turned the game off. Also, when it crashed before, I didn't get the "Windows has experienced a serious error..." message. So, it seems things are sort of better. Not sure how stable the game ultimately is on the newly rebuilt system as I've played it twice and had it crash once. Will post an update later on.
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you're not getting BSODs or rebooting, though, it sounds like the main problem has been fixed.  Since your Windows XP was re-installed, you should install SmartException again so that we can see where your crashes are happening.
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi. More problems since my last post. The BSOD says "Machine Check Exception" and then my system reboots. I have Smart Exception installed and on, actually. It hasn't recorded anything so far. After the game hangs and my system auto reboots, there's nothing listed under "Applications" in Smart Exception. However, in my Event Viewer, I get the following:

Details
Product: Windows Operating System
Event ID: 1003
Source: System Error
Version: 5.2
Symbolic Name: ER_KRNLCRASH_LOG
Message: Error code %1, parameter1 %2, parameter2 %3, parameter3 %4, parameter4 %5.

Could it be a power supply issue? Maybe the fans are drawing too much power when the card heats up (the card temp isn't going past 60C, though)? Something GalCiv2 is doing is causing my system to reboot itself, because no other application I run causes a BSOD. I don't necessarily think it's in the code, though.

Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Solved the problem as far as I can tell. It turned out that it was the motherboard. It needed a BIOS update because the original board's BIOS conflicted with newer graphics cards and anything using 3D graphics effects. Anyway, if you happen to own model GA-K8N51GMF-9 from Gigabyte, you'll need to re-flash your BIOS to the latest version to avoid the auto-rebooting problem (it's version F6, I had to manually download it and use their @BIOS program to install it, but it worked fine). Anyway, again, if you have the board above, which is an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ with an integrated Nvidia 6100 card from Gigabyte, you'll need to apply the latest BIOS update to eliminate the crashing and auto-rebooting problem. Also, I was experiencing this problem on every game I played, not just GalCiv2.