Natural Selection Crashes At Random

Banky

<div class="IPBDescription">I tried everything I could think of...</div> Hi,

it has been for around 1 month now that I experience weird crashes while playing Natural Selection. Usually after half to one hour of normal gameplay but sometimes even just 20 seconds after a reboot, NS just crashes and leaves me with a Dr. Watson Report. I hear the sound looping when Dr. Watson pops up. Before this started to happen, NS just ran fine since 1.04. Weird thing is that DoD and other mods run just fine, only NS crashes. I own a copy of Counterstrike stand-alone.

I run Natural Selection on
AMD XP 1800+
Gigabyte 7VRXP 2.0 MB with VIA KT333 Chipset
512 MB DDR
2*80 GB Western Digital HDD in Raid 1 mode
Radeon 8500LE with 64 MB
Soundblaster Live Value
Windows 2000 pro SP4, kept up to date


Nothing is overclocked, bios settings are standard. I am connected to the internet by DSL via a linux router and a Realtek RTL8029 NIC. I have latest drivers installed for all components. NS runs in OpenGL mode at 1024*768, 16 bit.

I already tried the following things to solve my problem:

- formatted HD and reinstalled windows
- reinstalled NS
- reinstalled Steam
- disabled the sound card and used the onboard unit
- ran an 8 hour memory check
- checked if any fans are not working
- installed drivers from 2 months ago for the VIA chipset, the graphics card and the NIC
- changed to D3D
- changed to 800x600 resolution
- update the virus scanner and ran a complete virus scan
- ran a complete spybot s&d scan
- disabled the resident virus scanner

Of course, nothing helped.
I really dont know what else I could do...

lightning1

You certainly have run the list of typical fixes and suggestions.

Have you run any programs to clean the registry? I use NSW 2003 which comes with registry cleanup and you would be amazed how many problems that it found. After that first run it only finds an occasional one.

If you haven't tried, here is link to a program that looked like it got good reviews, but there are other programs. CNET.com is a good place for d-loads.

<a href='http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10238575.html' target='_blank'>http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10238575.html</a>

One very big caution!!! Be careful very careful screwing around with registry. You can make a boat anchor quickly. Make sure you have a backup of registry.

Good luck. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Banky

thanks, but it didn't help...

HotSecretary

What are your CPU/Case temps like?
Maybe it's over heating?

Just a suggestion...

JViz

Same problem here.
My first guess is that it's an always changing steam + beta NS problem.
Last time I was always crashing on exit, then steam updates and now I'm always crashing in game instead.
I assume that once both products mature some together, these types of bugs/errors will be ironed out. VALVe's lack of communication doesn't help much either. Give it a year or two.

JViz

I added -heapsize 65536 to the halflife launch options and the crashing seems to have subsided for now.

JViz

Nope, seems like the heapsize fix was a fluke.

HotSecretary

Maybe try a larger heap?
You have the RAM, shoot for 128mb of Heap maybe?

Also make sure you have the latest drivers for your sound/video...
Also, in past I've heard problems, not with NS in particular.. but with SB Live cards in general and gaming ... depending on driver versions, etc.

I don't know, I've never had a problem with NS except on the quit locking up ...
But now I do a stopsound quit...

I'm running an AMD 2500XP+ Barton w/ASUS A7N8X Deluxe + ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 and at 1600x1200 full detail/sound and NS runs smoothly and perfectly under Windows 2000 w/SP4 up2date...

I'd try a larger heapsize first, but personally I only have half a gig of RAM myself and I never have to do anything special for CS, NS, etc...

Next, I'd look at sound drivers IMO, as it's locking and looping sound?
Maybe even disable your sound and give it a run?

Banky

I tried and ran 3dmark03 today several times in a row... no crashes.
CPU/Case Temperature was 44/40 °C at most... so thats really not much.

@JViz: could you please post your specs? That way we could see if we have some device in common that could be responsible for the trouble...

btw, i also experienced those in game crashes only after the crashes at the map end didn't occur anymore...

I am going to try that heapsize thingy too, at 64 and 128 megs, as well as disabling sound.

Zhagrath84

it seems to me we have the same problem made a post about it a few days ago.. though its not only ns for me its other games aswell.. just that ns is worst as its unplayable.

and for me the crashes isnt random.. i getting crashes everytime a new map is started.. and my sound isnt looping its only very noisy!

i have been contacting support from where i bought my comp and if i get it to work thanks to them ill be sure to tell you =)

VeNeM

I find that moving the "preparing to start half life" window around a bit will crash ns when its starting up. Try not moving the mouse till it starts up fully.

pApAdOgG

hey barky i have the same problem. sept it just crashes normaly 5mins in the game with repeated sound. dunno why. i cleaned my pc and am now running it with a big fan facing in my pc to see if its heat.. i have all updated sound drivers and graphics drivers. the fan stops battlefeild from freezing and hopefully half-life and its mods i hope so <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> or im gonna buy a new pc lol.

pApAdOgG

suprise suprise the fan didnt work with natural selection or other mods <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> heh. relly anoying meas i just got steam! <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> i relly dnt know anymore i have atculy triued everything but its strange how i never used to have the problem i used to be able to play ns for hours on end! now i cant im starting to think if its a driver or something incompatible installed thats making it go rong.

lightning1

If you are running XP try this:

-right click My Computer and select properties.
-Select Advanced
-select performance options
-click on advanced tab
-click "change" in virtual memory

In the page file section select custom and set both to 3x your RAM. Example: I have 376 RAM so both Initial and Max are set to 1128.

See if that helps.

Banky

i'm running win2k but i tried it anyway... it didn't help though.

Kisan

The problem is within NS, not your computer. I see people crash sometimes and it's not just one person, it's usually multiple and it happens at the same time.

Banky

hmm when I crash Ii'm the only one to do so... im sure of that because I had those crashes in clan games <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Also, it happens that often that if all people crashed as much as I do, nobody would be playing NS anymore I think.

But I agree that I believe the problem to be within NS or rather a combination of NS and my computer, because I can run 3dmark and even DoD for hours and never experience any crash.

taberif

Okay my ns been crashing since beta 2. All random, sometimes 5 min game sometime 1 hour. First my game locks up with repeated sounds. Then this Half life launcher error comes up telling me they encountered an error and had to shut down. Anyone know how to fix this, please someone I really need to fix this. I tried virus scan, spyware scan, reinstalling.

taberif

Could we get any help here please ? I didnt give any specs of my computer but the guy that made this did. Any ideas? these crashes are happening earlier and earlier into the game. I've updated my video drivers, even my sound now.

lightning1

Ah, I had nothing but problems running ME. Upgraded to XP and many problems went away. If you got the cash get XP Home or Pro.

Banky

I run Win2k, not ME. Taberif, could you please post your specs?

update: I disabled the sound card in the hardware menu. Still crashes.

taberif

I run a question and just a question. Could ns not the steam, be crashing from the cpu being overheated as in to shutdown some programs to work the cpu less(shutdown program = cooling of cpu a little)? Someone with computer knowledge and experience please.

Banky

Why don't you just try it yourself instead of not contributing at all to a possible solution and asking for advice in such a demanding way? The people here are not getting paid by you, they help because they want to.

Concerning my crash problem, I've given up. Even changing the graphics card and RAM didn't help. Seems that's it between me and NS until I get a new computer <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

VeNeM

Take out the sound card, it may be a IRQ prob

lightning1

Go to this site and it gives a few tweeks which may help.

<a href='http://hcmotorsports.com/6/ubb.x?m=50770717&a=tpc&cdra=Y&s=19760511&f=36270416' target='_blank'>http://hcmotorsports.com/6/ubb.x?m=5077071...0511&f=36270416</a>

Dashy

It may be a memory leak in the game itself. i had this issues with plantside alot. its normally fixed by the plantside DEVS 2 days after ive spent 4 weeks fixing it though <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

so heres what i learned, <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> messing with your virtual memory can fix the issue but even so if its a leak then at any moment the game can chrash and u should hear a bleep or another sound. depending on your software u will in some way get a message "halflife has caused an error in halflife and halflife will now close" basically its some fault in the game, meaning certain players will chrash out frequently.

go to RUN, msconfig. ok and select advanced or any tab to being up a menu, in this u should see your virtual memory amount windows has set. if u screw your PC up with this a boot in safe mode should allow u to alter any thing u did wrong.

another tip is that if your pc has a sleep button slam that 10 or so times and u may become unstuck. but as halflife has chrashed u will be booted outta halflife and very confused whatching your pc power up and down for a few moments. after this u should be able to rejoin NS and keep playing.

just hope the NS team know how to find memory leaks <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Banky

Lightning1, I used the settings you suggested but I couldn't start any programs while running them.

Nevertheless, thanks to everybody who tried to help me, I appreciate your efforts.

PS: I noticed that these crashes now occur in every half-life mod, even plain vanilla half-life. Just for the record.

VeNeM

<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=69749&st=0&#' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...ic=69749&st=0&#</a>

I found a fix for what sounds like a similar problem. I hope that helps.

Banky

Thanks a lot, crashes got significantly lesser but some still occur. I had to use no acceleration at all for both mic and speakers though, and the sound is a bit choppy in NS, but that's better than nothing.

Banky

correction: with hardware acceleration for the sound card off, I dont hear looping sounds anymore, but HL (and NS) still crash without a big difference. Maybe it was just luck that allowed me to play a longer time yesterday.

VeNeM

well at least youre getting somewhere, sounds like the sound card. what card you got