Runyan99 Posted October 29, 2001 Share Posted October 29, 2001 So far twice. The game freezes up and I have to hit the restart button on my computer. Any ideas as to why adding RAM would cause a problem? So far I have only had difficulty with CM. Another possibility is that I recently installed DirectX 8.0a. Are there issues with this new version of DirectX? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted October 29, 2001 Share Posted October 29, 2001 What video card do you have and have you updated the drivers for it ? Adding additional RAM shouldn't be a problem for CMBO. Do you have problems with any other large apps or games in Windows ? Maybe the serial EEPROM on your DIMMs has incorrect memory timings. Do you know the technical details of the memory you just installed ? Maybe your computer's CMOS/BIOS setup has the memory timings set higher than your new DIMM can handle or there is a possibility that your new DIMM is bad (a problem which may not show up during the memory count when you first turn on your computer). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 29, 2001 Author Share Posted October 29, 2001 -What video card do you have and have you updated the drivers for it ? Yes, my drivers are more or less up to date. I installed drivers for it just a month or two ago. -Do you have problems with any other large apps or games in Windows ? Only World War 2 Online, but it is so buggy I do not blame it on my system. -Maybe the serial EEPROM on your DIMMs has incorrect memory timings. Do you know the technical details of the memory you just installed ? Uh. I have no idea what EEPROM is. I can tell you I have 100mhz SDRAM. I got it direct from Dell, so supposedly it is 100% compatible with the RAM I already had. I do not think that any of my memory is buffered (ECC). At least it does not show ECC capability on my system diagnostics. -Maybe your computer's CMOS/BIOS setup has the memory timings set higher than your new DIMM can handle... I doubt it, but how would I check? -or there is a possibility that your new DIMM is bad (a problem which may not show up during the memory count when you first turn on your computer). I do not think so, because I ran some diagnostic checks on my memory, and no errors were found. I think the thing is good. What about the DirectX possibility? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted October 30, 2001 Share Posted October 30, 2001 If you ordered the correct memory from Dell (especially if it was matched for your particular computer and CPU running at a FSB frequency of 100MHz), then I wouldn't assume that there would be too much of an issue with the memory being of an incorrect timing or not cooperating with your CMOS/BIOS settings. CMBO works fine with DirectX 8.0a, so that shouldn't be a problem in and of itself unless something went wrong with your installation or your video drivers don't support DirectX 8.0a properly (which isn't a problem most of the time). Your video drivers don't need explicit support of all DirectX 8.0a features, they just have to be compatible with the DirectX routines. It is rare for most cards that have newer drivers to have a problem with DirectX itself. I'd suggest removing your new DIMM (temporarily) and see how CM responds. More memory isn't a problem with CMBO so having additional memory above what you had previously shouldn't be an issue (unless you have over 512Mb under Win9x - and that's an OS issue). If CMBO continues to have problems when you've removed your DIMM, then I'd suggest reinstalling DirectX 8.0a and then reinstalling your video driver to see if that helps. [ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: Schrullenhaft ]</p> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWB Posted October 30, 2001 Share Posted October 30, 2001 One thing which you might want to do: 1) Manually reset your video to 'PCI VGA (standard)' 2) Reinstall Dx8a. 3) Reinstall video drivers. WWB 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 30, 2001 Author Share Posted October 30, 2001 I have installed some new video drivers, and will see if that works. I think it may be a conflict between my older video drivers and DirectX 8. I'll let you know. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 30, 2001 Author Share Posted October 30, 2001 Okay, I installed the latest video drivers for my Geforce 256, but I am still getting the freeze. I guess I will try a re-install of DirectX. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted October 30, 2001 Share Posted October 30, 2001 <blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Runyan99: Okay, I installed the latest video drivers for my Geforce 256, but I am still getting the freeze. I guess I will try a re-install of DirectX.<hr></blockquote> I had the exact same problem with CM and my GeForce 256. I also have 256 megs of memory. The solution for me was to actually use older drivers. 3.90 is what I use. I found that anything later than that caused CM to lock up after a few minutes. Note that I am still using DX 7.0, so no guarantees it will work for you. BTW, if you are overclocking your video card, that could also cause it. [ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: Vanir Ausf B ]</p> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 30, 2001 Author Share Posted October 30, 2001 Well, I hesitate to blame my video drivers, because I never got the freeze with my old drivers until I installed DirectX 8, and I am still getting it now with new drivers. I am not overclocking my video card. Is it possible to reinstall an older version of DirectX? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Posted October 30, 2001 Share Posted October 30, 2001 The only way to install an older version of Direct X is to format your hard drive and reinstall Windows. Direct X is considered part of the OS and as such cannot be uninstalled and/or written over with a older version. (and that sucks!) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted October 31, 2001 Share Posted October 31, 2001 Actually, if you look down at the bottom of the page I linked to in my first post you will see a DirectX Uninstaller there. I think you should try the 3.90 drivers first. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Elder Posted November 1, 2001 Share Posted November 1, 2001 i'd run dxdiag before using any of those dx uninstallers out there (from the run line on the start menu). As long as it says all your dx files are ok, then you don't need to worry about backing down your dx. All newer versions of dx are completely backwards compatible, so uninstalling it is not necessary...thats why it works that way; only new features are added, old features aren't taken away or changed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil stanbridge Posted November 2, 2001 Share Posted November 2, 2001 How have you got on with this? I had similar problems way back when I first got my copy of CM. It was when I upgraded from 98SE to ME (if you can call it that ) when I first strarted seeing the crashes. I had around 256mb of PC133 memory at the time if memory serves. I think it was a combination of the O/S and the drivers that caused the crashes. I got so fed up with it that I did a belt and braces and formatted and reinstalled 98SE. This fixed it. I'm running XP now and I haven't had the same problem since. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted November 2, 2001 Author Share Posted November 2, 2001 I have not experienced the freeze for a few days, so I do not know if it is still there or not. Maybe it has disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted November 5, 2001 Author Share Posted November 5, 2001 Well the problem is still there. I just got it today. I am pretty baffled. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted November 7, 2001 Author Share Posted November 7, 2001 Having tried several other things, I decided to remove my 256MB RAM upgrade, and I will leave it out for a week or so. If the memory IS the source of the problem, what might explain it, and how might it be corrected? I currently have two 128MB chips in slots 1 and 2. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 It's got to be DirectX 8.0a because I'm having the same effing problem. No other changes on the system. Thank you Microsoft. 8.0A, who'd a thought it would be buggy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mensch Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 <blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Lars: 8.0A, who'd a thought it would be buggy.<hr></blockquote> Well I was on the general assumption that "A" stands for "Alpha" version you know the version before the official Beta or official version comes out.. I never touch Alpha versions since they are buggy, more so with Microshaft products, worse yets they pawn them off as "Functions" and not bugs.. I spent, 2 freeking hours on my Wifes computer cuz some darn internet program thing installed some silly Microcrap thing.. and wow her modem does not work! I got it fixed now after uninstalling it and using a older version. [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: mensch ]</p> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 I feel your pain, mensch. I wouldn't have touched the damn thing but the damn program I was running went and installed it. According to Microsoft's website the 8.0a is for win95/98. The 8.1 is for 2000 and XP. What do you think my chances are for a bug fix from these clowns? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted November 12, 2001 Author Share Posted November 12, 2001 Since I took out my 256MB Ram chip, I have not experienced the CM freeze. So, as much as I would rather blame DirectX8.0a, that does not seem to hold water right now UNLESS it is a problem of DirectX8.0a AND 512MB memory AND Windows98 all working together. The memory itself is not bad, and it caused no problems with any other programs when I had it installed. So, right now it looks like I cannot upgrade my memory if I want CM to work reliably. What to do... Lars, how much memory do you have on your system? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 I have a BX-Intel based system with Win98SE and 512Mb of RAM (though it is ECC-Registered). Win98SE sees 511Mb of the memory. It turns out that Win98SE, WinME and earlier versions have a limit to the amount of physical memory that they can address due to software caching limits. This Microsoft Knowledgebase article has some more details. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted November 12, 2001 Author Share Posted November 12, 2001 I read the article, but it does not seem to apply in my case. I have not experienced those symptoms exactly, and in any case the article states that this occurs only in systems with more than 512MB memory (e.g. 768MB), not systems with exactly 512. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Posted November 14, 2001 Share Posted November 14, 2001 Runyan, it's my old video card, a Viper V550. It doesn't support directx8. If I turn down the performance under control panel, then CM runs without locking. Time for a new video card! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeydz Posted November 14, 2001 Share Posted November 14, 2001 real shot in the dark, but could be the memory slot could be bad. Couple of years back, I had a similar problem. The system I had ran flawlessly. I added a second memory chip to the system and occasionally would have unexplained lock ups in certain games. The memory would test ok. I changed the memory, switched the slots that the memory was in, ect. Ended up being the slot was bad. If you have a third memory slot, try putting the extra memory there, and see what happens. This is assuming your board will let you skip a slot. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeWary Posted November 14, 2001 Share Posted November 14, 2001 It could be the memory slot; is it dusty? Try removing the memory and blowing on it or vacuuming it (sounds dangerous, but I do it all the time, just be careful . It very well might be bad memory. I had a bad chip one time, and it would only crash a few games, and they would always crash in generally the same way. I kept thinking the games had bugs, but after replacing almost all components in my system, I FINALLY narrowed it down to the memory. It's very possible that your other programs simply don't crash when they get the bad data supplied by the memory. It all depends on how the program uses the information in the bad memory location(s). Believe, I've seen it numerous times as a programmer. At least you determined the source of the problem without too much trouble. And if you have 128MB or more of ram, you shouldn't need any more for a while (unless you're going to use WinXP). BeWary 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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