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unexplicable problems in Win98 SE
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RPGDot Forums > Dungeon Siege

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Guest







unexplicable problems in Win98 SE
   

Can anyone help me with this bizarre problem I have?

I ran DS on a Win2k and it was super-stable, but quite slow. That's why I installed my old Win98SE and now everything is in shambles...
If I install DS right after I install all the drivers (but no other software), the game starts fine, also if I install various software and run it the first time WITHOUT installing DirectX from the CD, it works great. BUT, if I install the DirectX from the CD or run the game the second time (with DirectX from MS directly), it crashes.

The crash consists of an error in objects.dr something file, with the internal resource of XY (different every time). It also states it could be a hardware problem. Unlikely, since everything else runs OK and also DS the first time, but not the second time and so on. This is definitely a software problem, something related to DirectX, but I can't figure out what it is.

I have P3-800, Abit BE6-II, 384MB, SB Audigy Player, Geforce2 MX, 2 network adapters. Anyone had a similar problem and when the heck is the first patch going to be released? We all know MS-based or affiliated software needs patches or upgrades. Unfortunately, because although it lacks a story completely, it compensates by a great atmosphere.

Please help or suggest a solution, as I'd really really like to continue playing this game.
Post Sat Apr 20, 2002 9:45 pm
 
Markoff
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Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 4
Hmm, strange...
   

Yes, I have a very very similar problem with the objects file. Most of the times, DS starts OK when I freshly reboot the system, after a while, it crashes for the similar reasons.
I'm thinking of selling this stupid game as it ain't worth all the trouble. Semms like noone in here is interested in other people's problems as well, so don't bother.

This brings back memories of the V:tM, where people were sooo helpful.
Post Sun Apr 21, 2002 7:02 am
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
Re: Hmm, strange...
   

quote:
Originally posted by Markoff
Semms like noone in here is interested in other people's problems as well, so don't bother.


Dear Markoff, I personaly read every message and answer on every message here- in Dungeon Siege forum (of course only if there is not good answer already). I do it every day. I some time spend hour searching for help for one poster.
Sometime I am not succesful.
But also when I am not succesful I post it here and try to help with some advice such as link to official support etc.
So I really do not understand you...
I am not really sure but from our archives I think you visited us only several times and posted only one post - do you think that this is enough for such conclusion?

Anonymous
I was seraching everywhere for some help. However I didnt find anything useful. I didnt meet this problem before and this game is so new that there is not big "base of knowledge" that I can use.

I had no single problem with this game and your problem is really "bizzare" as you say.
I can give you only "well known" advices that you surely know:
- install latest official drivers for your card
- try to install new drivers for your sound and net card
- if it will not help try to remove network adapters (they can cause some conflicts)

Possibly some pieces of your software drivers for your hardware causes conflicts, so as I said, try to update them, disable all things possible on background (including antivirus...).

If nothing will work, try to contact official support (Microsoft/Gas powered games).

P. S. I will try to ask someone form Gas Powered Games to visit - from time to time - this forum, if this will be possible, probably they will know some help for you.
Post Sun Apr 21, 2002 12:22 pm
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Markoff
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Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 4
   

Hey Danicek,

Actually, both posts were made by me, becuase I felt that my question would go unnoticed (I had several bad experiences with some other boards). Wasn't really fair of me, I agree. Sorry about that. It's just that I reinstalled my damn OS just so I could play DS faster and in higher resolutions (went down from Win2k to Win98). I also bought Audigy player, because my old Live! player caused too many problems to handle, but still no banana.

I suspect problems with my A-bit BE6-II board, because if I install Intel drivers for the MB (downloaded from Abit site), it finds all the goodies, but, sadly, makes the system very unstable. As you know, it's nearly impossible to get a Slot-1 MB these days, and if possible, it's still expensive.

The funny thing is, I can now play DS if I freshly boot the machine, but it crashes at one or another point in the game. Usually it crashes at very specific areas.

Otherwise the hardware is working more or less OK, even DOS games work great (which shouldn't happen if there were major HW conflicts). Would you believe it, Moght and Magic works without flaws, although all my friends have problems with it crashing all the time.

I really don't know what to do and still I'd like to play DS very much. I even tried to install Win2000 over Win98 (dual boot), but Win2k setup program reports errors when copying the files, even though they were coiped from CD to disk so there were no errors. Even used an alternative Win2k source, still no go. Could it be possible that Win2k simply can't dual boot with Win98? It would be the first known case I've heard of...

What are my options, besides spending loads of $$$ on a new P4 machine???
Post Mon Apr 22, 2002 8:22 am
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

That is ok Markoff.

I will keep your problems in mind and if I will find something interesting that can help you, I will post it here (I am constantly searching web for info about bugs of this game).

EDITED: your problem with installing with W2000 shows that there can be some problems with your DS disks, problems that causes crashes in W98 and that causes unsuccesful install in W2000

Your other options? It seems that you did everything possible to make this game running.
You can try to contact official support (I know this is not really nice option) or you can wait until we will find some solution.
Post Mon Apr 22, 2002 8:35 am
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Goratrix
Guest






   

It just plain crashes? Odd, uhm...try to do the windows upgrade, and install direct x again, newest version. I had simular problems with my PC, untill I slashed my BIOS. Hope you get the game working, cause it's worth it.

Goratrix
Post Mon Apr 22, 2002 9:29 am
 
Guest







Check this, Markoff
   

Got the game yestaerday (dragon.ca it's great, 6 days ordinary mail from canada to italy) strarted playing (Win98SE) got to the first high building, turn around it, *CRASH* the same error you got.
Every time i got there.
I got to the MS site Dungeon Siege secton (use the link you get in Start->Programs->Dungeon Siege->Dungeon Siege HP), got to support section and found description about the exact error me and you got.
The say it usually comes from errors in HD or bad fragmented HD, my impression is different and i'll tell you later, however what they say is:
- Create a new shortcut to the game exe, adding after the exe name and the " the line verifidata=true witha blank before.
Running this shortcut launch the game but it send you integrity check result for each resource file, the first time telling me that object, terrain and voices file where corrupt *UGH*.
I reinstalled the game, and on the second check got voices ok but world corrupted.
At the 5 trial (with changing results but always with objects and terrain corrupted) i uninstalled the game and run a 4 hour scan+defrag.
After this i installed the game for the last time and... all files good, except object; this time however it just says bad CRC, not detecting any specific resource error.
I played the game for the next 4 hours and at the moment all works fine *cross fingers *

My personal impression is that the game CD has got some wanted writing errors (for pirate copies protection issues) and, depending on CD Reader fault tolerance and luck of reading it get the files in the good or bad manner; the problem may be enanched by the fact that resource file are huge (each >100 Mb).

Hope this poema helps

Bye,
Fabrizio
Post Mon Apr 22, 2002 9:36 am
 
Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

Yes try that "verifidata=true" (place it after shortcut command of your DS installations).

However it is one of first think they suggest in Readm.rtf, I though you already tried it.
Post Mon Apr 22, 2002 9:38 am
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Arms Of Dirt
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Joined: 26 Dec 2001
Posts: 21
   

Not sure if this will be of benefit to you... but I would make certain that all your video cards, sound cards, etc... have the latest drivers available... (Yea, yea... everyone says this... I know)... THEN I would re-install Direct X...

Also... what kind of hard drive space do you have left over... and do you have alot of single player save games? I noticed that on my machine... DS would fail to load up... at random... fresh boot, not fresh boot... wouldn't matter... It would stop after the last 'dot' on the loadup screen (those that display on the lower left) and just freeze the machine... I tried the 'Verifydata= true option, but that resulted in no errors reported... Nothing else about my system had changed... no new installs... no new drivers... nothing... So, I pared down the size of my save games folder... (Which it stores in your My Documents/Dungeon Siege folder on your desktop) and it seemed to launch just fine... with no further problems... Not sure if this was the 'fix' or not... but it certainly seemed to help...

Arms of Dirt
Post Wed Apr 24, 2002 12:37 am
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Markoff
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Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 4
   

Thanks you guys, but check this out...yesterday I did put a verifidata=true in the path (should it be verifYdata=true or is it verifIdata?), but the disk went on and on and on for half an hour and only one dot in the lower left corner appeared. Don't know if that's supposed to happen or not, so I simply reset the bloody thing. Punchline: it simply doesn't work or my patience isn't what Microsoft expects it to be.
However...I couldn't read the rtf (RTFM actually) file, because my word crashes. What the hell?!? Never had problems with Office, now I do. I distinctly remember, when I freshly installed the machine, put on latest drivers, made a ghost image and tried DS - worked like a charm. Then I restored the image (I wanted to try DS at the end, not having it in the image), put on other crap of the software and look at all the Office/DS problems...this same bloody software worked a month ago!!!
OK now the only thing I can think of that could cause this mess (apart from my f***ing Abit s*it of a BE6-II board) could be Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2. Could it be it???

I'm restoring the ghost image with the drivers on today or tomorrow (actually, Manchester United is playing Bayer L. so I can't really miss the game:) ) and I'm putting DS to the test. If it doesn't crash, then blame it on the MS. Wait a sec., DS IS published by MS! What a world... Anyway, if it's IE5.5, then we have a winner. If it's not, I'm paying 10.000$ to Osama bin Laden to destroy Abit company. Or anyone else.

And, no, can't be the drivers. Why not? They're all ONE WEEK old. Yep, freshly downloaded them before I installed my Win98 StupidEdition. Never thought I'd say this, but...I think I'll try LINUX instead!

Sorry about the ranting and raving, but...is it really worth all the hassle and the money, this hardware/software bul*s*it???
Post Wed Apr 24, 2002 12:51 pm
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

You should check "verifidata=true".

Whole command line of your shortcut on desktop should look like this:

"c:\program files\microsoft games\dungeon siege\dungeonsiege.exe" verifydata=true

Please note where are " "

I mean, do it only if that fresh install will not work. If you have not enough patiente, then I do not know...
Post Wed Apr 24, 2002 12:58 pm
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Arms Of Dirt
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Joined: 26 Dec 2001
Posts: 21
   

Just a note...

Having used the 'VerifyData=True" option... I can say that it can take quite some time to complete... since it must check and validate all the core game data...(which is alot of data!) And this check is very dependent upon the speed of your machine... including hard drive speed... So patience will win the day... It does go faster after the first dot... Then slows down one more time before all the dots are through appearing...

Oh, and you'll want to remember to turn it back off again by removing the 'VerifyData=True" statement from your shortcut... lest you get to sit through another patience testing session...

Arms Of Dirt
Post Wed Apr 24, 2002 1:51 pm
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Markoff
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Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 4
   

I have totally given up. This game is terrible under Win98 - crashes the system as soon as it is installed. Wins are now working great, but I just cannot complete a good installation.
The only strange thing is: it ran perfectly well on Win2000, no errors, no crashes, nothing. BUT, for some twisted and strange reason, my win2k refuses to dual-boot, claiming some strange errors of files being corrupt on the CD (Untrue; ran it fromdisk also and from 2 different Win2k sources). Now this is not a DS issue, moreover, I cannot seem to find help for this anywhere on the web (am I the only one on the planet with this problem?), so if anyone's got an insight, please do share it with me. Until then, I'm thinking about trying XP,but still just thinking...
Post Sun Apr 28, 2002 7:11 am
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Danicek
The Old One
The Old One




Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic
   

I am running XP and I had not single problem with any game, I also had no problem with DS. But I can not ofcourse say if it will work also for you.
Post Sun Apr 28, 2002 7:29 am
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