Game Crashes?

[sohkmj1]

This is pretty much a repost of a topic I had several months ago. I think it might be lost in the transition, since I can't find it. :mellow:

 

To get to the point, several of my games have been crashing on me. The screen just turns black halfway through the game, and repeating the last sound that came through the speakers.

This usually happens to games with kinda high end graphics, or require good processing. I'm extremely sure that my PC is capable of handling these games, and to make sure, I updated the graphics drivers. Still nothing.

So if anybody could find a nice solution, I'd really appreciate it.

 

A few of the affected games:

Halo 2: PC (Very rarely, but had it on at least 3 occasions)

CnC 3

Red Alert 3.

 

Processor: Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q8300 2.5GHz

RAM: 4GB (32 bit, so I use only 3GB, there IS a 1 GB stick in there)

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GS 2GB RAM

Monitor: Samsung Syncmaster (doesn't sync anything at all -.-) 2233SW

OS: Windows Vista Home 6.0 Build 6002 32bit

DirectX Version: DirectX 10

 

If you need anymore information, simply ask.

[armybuilder]

Actually i have this problem too. So far theres no way of fixing it other than changing the amount of cpu or something that your gaming uses. Happens when i play Guild wars or other high graphics games.

 

Sorry i cant help more.

[sohkmj1]

Actually i have this problem too. So far theres no way of fixing it other than changing the amount of cpu or something that your gaming uses. Happens when i play Guild wars or other high graphics games.

 

Sorry i cant help more.

So... what you're saying is that playing those games can overtax my computer? Weird... :mellow:

[Dracion1]

I'm pretty sure what armybuilder says is rubbish :---) I have a PC that has lower specs than yours (XP, Intel P4 3.2Ghz, 3GB RAM, Nvidia 8600GT), and it runs Red Alert 3 at highest settings without any problems at all. I'd suggest making sure you've got the latest graphics drivers. Make sure if you update them you uninstall the old ones first. Try also updating your sound drivers if it helps, and make sure all the games that are crashing are patched to the latest version etc (though stuff like RA3 should do that automatically).

[sohkmj1]

Okay... I've updated the drivers and still... nothing. Just bought MW2, still crashing. I'm starting to suspect some factors.

1. Power supply? My power supply kind of sucks, and it has to feed a speaker, a quad core processor, a wide monitor, a laptop with a damaged battery and a wall mounted fan.

- Turned the speakers off, and turned everything else that was not my computer off. RESULT: Crash.

2. The monitor. This freaking monitor has been nothing but trouble. When it crashes, after some time it tells me to check the signal cable. I do just that and... nothing happens.

3. Overheating. The fan faces a solid surface (like 4-6 cm away from it), and hot air may not circulate properly. However, the case is huge as hell, which I've heard increases air circulation and therefore decreases the possibility of overheating,

4. Programs running in the background. McAfee? (Yes, it sucks [wagon], I had to deal with this for a whole year) Whatpulse?

 

Also, when I turn on my PC and run MW2, I keep getting this "device been recognized" sound (like a dun-dun! sound) when I play, sometimes, it does this at random as well. Related? To add on, I keep getting a message that a device was detected and I have to install it or something. I do not know of such a device. The only devices that are connected to my PC are:

1. Irritating widescreen monitor

2. Keyboard

3. USB mouse

4. Logitech webcam

5. Speakers

6. Printer, this is off most of the time though.

 

Stupid computer. :angry:

 

(By the way, my processor is 2.5GHz, but it is quad core, so can I run games like MW2 with a requirement of 3.0GHz?)

[Sbrideau]

Try removing McAfee and using a free one like Microsoft Security Essentials or Avira for a while and see if it still crashes. I remember a lot of programs crashing on me when I was forced to use McAfee.

[Dracion1]

Yes, just because the main advertised numbers are higher doesn't necessarily make it better. A quad-core running at 2.5Ghz will outstrip a single-core running at 3.0Ghz by quite a way. Porgrams like McAffee and Norton are notorious for sapping your system's power even when they're not doing anything. I had trouble running TF2 when I had Norton, I switched to Avira shortly after I got it but it was worth it :) If you can kill any other background programs, stuff like MSN, IRC, iTunes and such, that should help.

 

As for the 'dun-dun' sound, have you tried unplugging the webcam and printer? I'm sure why you'd be getting that sound, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try that to see if it fixes it. Do you get any messages telling you what the computer has 'found' when you get the sound?

[sohkmj1]

Kinda resolved it for MW2. Turned all the graphics settings to normal, disabled anti-aliasing, and gave it 800X600 in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Although it looks like crap now, gameplay is still pretty okay (eg no lag).

 

EDIT: Crashed in the lobby. :/

[sohkmj1]

Bump.

Since nobody is able to really solve the problem, I'd just like to know what I'd need (GPUs, processors, essentially hardware) to run MW2 and games like that on highest.

[sohkmj1]

I just checked a sound card that didn't seem to be running out of the factory. It is a little more stable now (I can actually play on higher graphics without crashing so often), but it still crashes. I'd really want to play on nice settings instead of everything being blurry and such.

[Solartide]

Well I was gonna blame it on the sound card, but it seems you figured that part out. Good work!

[sohkmj1]

Well, it still crashes...

[sohkmj1]

2 month bump (from the 3rd page anyway...).

The crashes suddenly became more frequent. I would play with decent settings on MW2, or whatever game you'd prefer. It would crash, say once or twice a week, max. However, it started to crash within minutes of playing (TDMs are 10 minutes, I always crash on the first game), even after I lowered the settings from the safe and older ones. This is bordering on irritating. If it helps, my computer, for whatever reason, refused to display anything upon the first bootup for... about the past 3 days. I have not downloaded anything, so it cannot possibly be a virus.

 

I believe the root cause is either my Nvidia 9600GS, or my power supply (I have no idea how to check the power though, some help?). My graphics card (according to other users) seems to freak out insanely if the voltage (I can't remember what the exact term is, but it has something to do with voltage) rises a bit, causing it to shut off all display, because last time I checked, the graphics card powers the monitor. Alternatively, my power supply might be too weak. It is definitely not overheating, because I, experimentally, have been playing the games only in an airconditioned enviroment. Would like some insight to what I should replace/fix/anything.

[sohkmj1]

Never mind that... I fixed it (underclocked my graphics card to below the factory standard).

My brother's FIFA08 keeps crashing after... quick sim or something. I looked it up in event viewer and it gives:

[hide]Faulting application FIFA08[Caution: Executable File], version 0.0.0.0, time stamp 0x46d9d9d4, faulting module FIFA08[Caution: Executable File], version 0.0.0.0, time stamp 0x46d9d9d4, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x001c659f, process id 0x1c14, application start time 0x01cb065a8fc0b771.[/hide]

Anyone know what maybe causing this?

[manonaazreth]

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

 

found this in this site ;) Click here to View

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

 

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

 

1 Hardware conflict

 

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique

[sohkmj1]

Bump. More problems now.

First, the stupid piece of crap continues to crash. It enjoys crashing for almost every game after 2005...

I now suspect it may be a bad piece of RAM. When I bought this computer, the saleman offered to put in an extra 1GB stick for the prebuilt computer for $50 (local currency, not important). Being incredibly dumb at the time, I just forked over more money and... well. Having a 32-bit system, the computer seems to process only up to 3GB (the initial value without any upgrade) of RAM, and not that extra piece I was given. It seems to be the case that removing this stick of RAM might not have any bad repercussions.

Alternatively, it may have something to do with the cable, since the monitor displays funny graphics (whole screen turns green or blue or any other colour) if I hit the table hard enough, but I highly doubt it.

I've ruled out overheating: I opened up my computer, put 2 USB desktop fans in addition to the one in the computer, and turned on the AC. Still crashes. I've cleaned out my registry. Still crashes. I've underclocked everything, and it still crashes (in fact, if it works if you underclock, you should probably return the hardware...).

 

This sucks. It's not even that I don't know how to fix it so much than I have no goddamn idea what the problem is anyway.

 

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

 

found this in this site ;) Click here to View

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

 

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

 

1 Hardware conflict

 

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique

Yeah, I don't seem to have any hardware conflicts... will continue to look.