CMBO LOCKS UP :-((

[jinx71]

Hey guys,

I really hope someone out there can help me soon. My new copy of CMBO (ver 1.12) goes on locking

during every mission (both demos too) i tried to play in a not predictable, random way :confused: (sometimes at first turn, sometimes at 4th, 8th, ecc...) forcing me to reboot every, EVERY time

Please, support this sad new soldier !

Here you find my system config....

Computer:NOTEBOOK "ACER TravelMate 524TX"

CPU:Intel Pentium-M III 650MHz

L2 Cache:256kB

System BIOS:ACER V3.3 R01-A3n-EN

System Mainboard:Acer ALi Alladin Pro

System Chipset:Acer Labs Incorporated (ALi) ALI M1621 Aladdin Pro II AGP System Controller

Installed Memory:192MB SDRAM

Video Adapter:ATI RAGE MOBILITY-M AGP

Total Video Memory:8MB

Video Driver:ati2drab.drv

version:4.12.01.2125

Sound Card:ALi Audio Wave (Ver. 5.00)

Drive Device:GENERIC IDE TYPE02 - 9,4GB (1.3GB, 14% Free)(FAT32)

Windows System:Windows Me Ver 4.90.3000

CD-ROM:TEAC CD-224E

[Schrullenhaft]

I'm not sure what the solution for your problem may be. It's possible that the amount of CPU cycles that CM demands may be problematic for some laptops - causing them to overheat and lockup. Many laptop designs don't handle such high percentages of constant CPU activity very well since their cooling systems are often built to accomodate space and sound (noise) limitations rather than cooling performance.

There is a newer BIOS (v. R01-A4c) for your laptop, but I doubt that it will affect your problem.

You probably already have the latest driver that Acer provides for Windows ME (dated 9-14-2000, on the same page as the above listed BIOS). There are some newer drivers you can get from other manufacturers if you're willing to experiment (or possibly cause yourself some additional headaches). This list of drivers from Packard Bell probably has some applicable drivers for your laptop. I believe that your video chip will be the ATI Rage Mobility-M1 8MB AGP, which has driver versions 6.11.79 & 6.11.107 listed here (though the first number of the version - 6 - is an incorrect way to number the driver according to Microsoft - since this is for Windows 98/ME it should be numbered with a 4).

You can also download some of the newer ALI chipset drivers for the M1621, which includes the Northbridge's AGP functionality (which could affect your problem). Select 'Search by Products' and 'M1621'.

[ February 24, 2003, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: Schrullenhaft ]

[jinx71]

Ok, first of all thanx a lot for the speed of the your answer.

i followed every points u suggested, so:

1) i updated my system BIOS to the last version (R01-A4c), and the PC looks like running well;

2) i downloaded and installed the new version of my ALi AGP chipset driver (v. 1.90);

3) finally, i upgraded the video adapter using the drivers located in Packard Bell support-site (microsoft certified ! ).

I wanna thank u for having found all those infos :cool: for me.

BUT, despite the system running well ,the problem of locking-up still remains when i play missions and scenarios on CMBO.

Any other idea?

[nevermind]

Just taking a wild stab in the dark here,but it might be that you only have 8mb of memory on your video card.All else looks good to me,but i would check in previous post and see if anyone else with a ATI Rage card has,or had problems.If this doesnt help,sorry.

One more thing via EDIT:

Windows ME is a really bad version of windows,ive heard all kinds of bad stories from people who have/had it.I doubt that is the problem,but it might be,and if all else fails you could look into that.

[ February 24, 2003, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: nevermind ]

[Schrullenhaft]

For CMBO the amount of memory shouldn't be too much of a problem. 8Mb is sufficient for CMBO. For CMBB it is a problem (though I have seen 8Mb configurations run - albeit slowly).

I'm going to guess that your laptop just can't handle the CPU utilization (stress) that CM puts on it. Like I said earlier many laptops aren't engineered for 100% CPU utilization and they can overheat when they are put under such a load.

If you want to push this further I suggest checking where the exhaust ports are on the laptop and making sure that they aren't blocked. Make sure that the laptop sits on a cold surface (a 'body part' may be too insulating). Turn off any power saving features. If you're hooking up to a 'dock' you may want to disconnect (since some docking devices can actually block exhaust ports - not good engineering). If you're lucky your laptop has some active cooling in the form of a fan, but to save money, noise and reduce failure rates on moving parts, a number of models don't have fans and rely strictly on passive cooling. If your laptop only uses passive cooling (some will run the fan when the CPU reaches a certain temperature), then CM probably won't be able to run on it.

If you have a desktop I suggest installing CMBO on it. Your laptop just may not be able to handle CM unfortunately.