Found a fix that actually works!

[noalear]

My problem with SCS is a failure to start with the immediate runtime error as soon as I click "play" in the very first windowed menu. I fixed it.

Okay so since a week before SCS was released TF2 and other random steam games havent been working for me. I was trying to get it fixed tonight and found a magical cure for it. Before trying to get TF2 to work i was trying to get SCS to work, yet again- to no avail.

When I would load TF2 i would get a "hl2.exe has failed miserably" -or whatever- error. The fix was putting -console in the launch box. TF2 worked! I was extremely happy. Then I thought, I feel lucky now. I wonder if this fixes my SCS also!? So I right clicked on my shortcut, clicked properties, and typed in -console in my target box. Then I double clicked my shortcut and !vaullah! I see the load movie start and im running SCS.

One other thing I did, which im almost certain didnt do anything actually (but it will fix the Vista network red x problem, if you have that) is:

Start>Run> type CMD> type 'net localgroup administrators NetworkService /ADD' (without the ' s)

This gave me an error of "Youve already done that before", but im laying that out there just incase.

Something else I did- again, just incase- is went into nvidia control panel and set all overrides to default "application controlled". If you need any help doing this I will put more info on here, just message me or reply or whatever.

Tell me how it works!! :-D
< /better than TM techs >

[JuliaSet]

went into nvidia control panel and set all overrides to default "application controlled". If

Thanks, I have an nvidia8500, and find in the control panel there are two nvidia icons. One is the nView Desktop Manager with tabs called Desto9p Management, Profiles, Window, Applications, Desktops, User Interface, Effects, Zoom, HotKeys Mouse and Tools. I have not understood where the overrides are set.

THe other is the NVIDIA Control Panel. THis has limited possibilities. What comes up is a windows page which has:
3D settings
Adujst image settings with preview
Manage 3d settings, I think there is a way to add SCS in here, but I'm not sure.
Monitor temperature levels

Display
Run display optimization wizard
Move CRT screen position
Change resolution
CHange flat panel scaling
Adjust destop colo settings
Rotate Display
Manage custom resolutions
Run multiple display wizard
Setup multiple displays

Video and Telelvisions,
Adjust video color settings

I"d sure like some detailed destructions on how to add SCS to the application controlled settings.

[Rnett]

Not sure but maybe this is what you're looking for.

22062

[noalear]

I am using driver set '163.75 english forceware Vista 64bit' drivers on my 8800GTS which is overclocked. I am running Vista Business 64bit. I had the notorious networking "red x" issue where vista would not allow itself to check the network status. I fixed that with the fix in the first post.

Here is a step-by-step reproduction of events for the video fix only.

Right click on your desktop in an empty area, the following menu will come up, left click on "NVIDIA Control Panel":
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/2918/step1ly4.png

A window pop up. This is the NVIDIA Control Panel, make sure that "Use the advanced 3D image settings" is checked and then click on "Take me there":
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/3633/step2xq9.png

Make sure all settings are exactly as mine are in the tab that comes up after clicking "Take me there". If you do not see these be sure to check that the "Global Settings" tab is up and not "Program Settings". You could probably make a SCS program setting for this so it doesnt mess with your other games, but I know this works. Experiment at your own risk.
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/9286/step3zq0.png

Be sure to scroll down and fill out the remaining options:
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/2810/step4gr1.png

Now give it a try. If you need step-by-step on the -console fix (my personal vote for what fixed it) just ask! :)

Have a wonderful few hours playing! (I got to 3hours and 9000 people before I crashed, and that was at pretty high graphics)

[noalear]

can anyone confirm/deny my fix?

[JuliaSet]

can anyone confirm/deny my fix?

Thanks,
I plan to use your settings later tonight. The weekend hit and I'm still not recovered. LOL

Thanks for your info. When I got the lockups, I went into testing mode (as a game in itself) since that is my hobby for the past 7 years.

I also used my ATI 9800 machine for a little while this morning, to view forums downstairs while I cleaned. It gives me a better, indeed, lots better, destop and windoze response than the Nvidia 8500 machine. It could be that I'm in "format mode" soon for the dual core-nvidia rig since im between formal testing projects.

I wish I could just enjoy the game itself, but the lockup bug is keeping me compulsively busy. I wish I was more of a geek and could really help.

The invidia 8500 install cd introduced an acrobat error message whenever I boot the computer. As far as Nvidia products, maybe they are not as good as the ati ones.. or maybe ati drivers are better tested. Dunno, im just on the hunt, keeping my brain alive. Cheers!
Julia

[JuliaSet]

Upon checking, I have used two different settings.
I Didnt have Use OpenGL specification, and I have two monitors.

I will give an existing game a run to see if the one change I've added, the Open GL.. will help any.

[JuliaSet]

It took a while.. i had the game minimized while doing other things. I'd made a lot of money, then started to navigate round the map and then locked up with the camera moves. I'd been ok while minimized for an hour.

LOL wierd.
Julia

[JuliaSet]

Nope.. I changed the setting as shown here, then loaded an old saved game... it locked up after 20 mins of playing.

HOWEVER, I went to the save posted by watermellon .. that big huge city and am running it ok. The autosaves are very slow/laggy, but I'm in a city of 83,000 population so something is either in the saves which reflect the gfx settings.

This is good fun though. With more eyes on the bug, the sooner we find a fix.
Julia

maybe a fresh game will fix me up? Dunno, still running the giant city... only time will tell how long before a lockup.

[JuliaSet]

It didnt last long! While it was running, the action was rather smooth for the most part, but I locked up at the same time that other resumed games lock up.

30 mins for first time, 20 mins on first resumed most recent saved game, 15 mins for next one, rinse and repeat...... eventually they lock up within a few moments of resuming the saved game.

[Khanon]

On your lockups, have you tested your sound drivers, or your sound card? Across various games, I've had major and minor lag and lockup issues with my older machine. I'd bought the Audigy card to reduce/eliminate that. One day, I pulled the sound card and went to the RealTek site and grabbed the very latest drivers for the onboard sound chipset...Not a lick of problems ever since...in any game.

Sound driver/card issues can mimic what people often think are video card issues (esp lockups and low fps). This is triply so on Vista, what with MS doing away with DirectSound in the Vista environment. The Creative forums have been blistering since the Vista release regarding a myriad of low fps, crash, and lockup issues caused by this after people spent a small fortune on expensive sound cards. Video cards usually get the lion's share of the blame simply because people associate issues with what they see to their video card/driver and usually nothing else.

Just another avenue of possibility I'm throwin' out there.

[Kuplo]

I've done a complete fresh install of Vista, updated all drivers, and installed SCS first. Now it would appear that about every 20 minutes to 40 minutes the game stops responding and underneath it is a runtime error message and a box to send it off to microsoft.

I never got this runtime error message before reinstalling vista, on the last fresh vista install (also done to try to get rid of the C++ errors in SCS) I had an occasional C++ error message but never any of these runtime messages. Now the runtime messages are way too frequent.

I've done all the windows updates as well, so theres nothing left to update on my computer.

I suppose I should also mention that my game is not a steam game, it was purchased from a retail store locally. My personal belief and from what I've seen in all these many years of gaming is that there is usually no miracle cure that the end user can perform when there is a common error that many people are getting (runtime error, C++ errors etc) and that we can screw around with our computers till the cows come home but in reality, it's only going to be truly fixed when the developers fix the code in the game that is causing the issue.

[JuliaSet]

Hmm I don't have a sound card, but I use headphones most of the time, so getting quality music in the whole room was not my pref.

The next thing I could try is to have the sound turned off.... even tho it is so nice and also indicative of the societal flavors in the game.

I'm still banging my head on the monitor on this puzzle,http://www.citybuildingcontests.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/wallbash.gif and am nearly ready to bring out the old athlon 2900-ati 9600 out of the closet and check the game on it.
http://www.citybuildingcontests.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/zoom.gif
I've tried being on and off the internet.
With and without Norton and YIM etc running.
Various gfx settings
Various monitor settings,
Tried loading a saved game created by someone without problems, then crashed myself.

Maybe it is time to sit by the Fire http://www.citybuildingcontests.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/fireplace.gifand hope that EA brings Santa to my computer with a big fix. http://www.citybuildingcontests.net/vbulletin/images/smilies/santy.gif

[Khanon]

I'm going to assume the mb is a later model board, simply because you're running Vista on it (I think you said?). You've verified the sound drivers are the latest version for the chipset? Try checking the number of sound channels the game is using, too. If above 16(?) try dropping it to the lowest.

Unfortunately, unless the game lets you turn the music off altogether, it's still playing the sound even with the volume set to 0. So the chipset is still processing the sound.

Again, however, it's just a hunch, as the only crashes you're having aren't the standard ones that people are complaining about, but are lockups. Curious...if you get another MS error, open up the details for it and see what it says...if it lists a module or program, what is it?

[redforest]

can anyone confirm/deny my fix?

Unfortunate for me, I still get the runtime error after clicking 'Play'.