Started a new game, got to the crypt, went back to add a rogue to do some disarming. Well, now the game freezes every time I try to disarm something! I then have to ctrl+esc to windows and close the game. Most frustrating! Anyone else had this problem? Running win2k with
dx8.1... But there´s no other problem with the game, except the talk´s missing but I can live with that...

well gee - I don't know. It might be DirectX 8 is causing your problems. It has been the source of problems for many players (I'm not one of them though)
There are posts in Saz' techie help desk thread on how to downgrade to DirectX 7. You could try that and see if it helps.
It's simple enough to reload DX8 if/when needed.

If that doesn't help, come on back and tell us a LOT more about your computer hardware and whether you are running the patch (I don't like it myself but it has helped many)

Wyv

Well, I don´t think the version of dx really matters so long as ones drivers are up to date and fully compatible, which mine are ( I think, better check that out, lol). Otherwise I´m running:
P3 1GHz
448MB RAM
12Gb Harddrive
Creative Geforce 2mx
-"- Soundblaster Live! Value
win2k
directx8.1
BUT I think I´ve got an automatic swap-file size... Could that be it?!? But I haven´t got a clue how to change that on win2k! OK, I´m using 128Mb as swap with 925Mb available whatever that means... The game requres 300Mb right? Wyv?? Do you know how to change the size of the swapfile?

Oh, and I´m currently not runnung the patch. Don´t like that one either, If I find a dagger I like to use it, lol...

No :( I don't but there might be something in Saz' thread on that. I'll try a search. Otherwise I will have to wait until my hubby makes it over to the office and I can ask him. (I've made a point of surrounding myself with experts so I don't have to know, just have to know who to ask! ;) )

Wyv

Quoting Saz:

To set this, right-click on "My Computer" and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. When the dialog box appears, click on the Properties Tab. Now click the "Virtual Memory" button. Click the radio button next to "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings." In the minimum box, type 300 (or a higher number, depending on your system). Click OK, then OK again. Let Windows restart your computer.

Hope that helps!!

(I am an expert at searching)

Wyv

No problem Wyv! I found it, now I´ll just have to remember where, lol. And I second about experts! That´s one reason why I love this place! I´ll try increasing the swap and start anew!

I'll keep my wings cross that that will fix the problem!!

Do let us know!!

Wyv

Didn´t work! But I got the entire error message: "The instruction at 0042548d referenced memory at 04411000. The memory could not be read". Anyone know how to fix this?

Eeegghhh.. errr... mmmmm.... not really.

Those kinds of errors are not typically ones that end users can do something about. In my experience, they're usually corrected by later versions of the software.

Am I reading this right, that it used to work, but now doesn't?

If that's the case, then I'll ask what's been installed or done between the last time it worked and the first time it didn't. That's where I'd start looking for critters to be the source of the problem.

If it never worked, then the first thing I'd try is shutting down all the extraneous programs (a full list of what to leave is either in the techie thread or the best tips thread, IIRC). Then see if it works in that stripped-down mode.

The next thing I'd try is applying the patch, to see if that corrects the problem. You give up a little, but IMHO, what you give up doesn't add much to the gameplay. YMMV. DSMIHNMA.

The third thing I'd try is the downgrade to DirectX7. Since you probably installed DirectX 8.1 for a reason, you probably will still need it, sadly...

You might also check for an upgrade to DirectX. Maybe the issue is fixed in a later version.

If that doesn't work, let us know and we'll scratch more heads.

Lol, I guess the thread was a bit confusing... The error messages stopped appearing when I logged in as administrator. The spells are working and it was the rat pie that froze the game (dropped it and let Rethpian starve...) I still can´t disarm chests though! Sometimes it works but most often I get a system sound, the game freezes and I get bumped to windows, lockpicks are working though! I tried to bust back my diretx to 7.0a but that didn´t work (and I need dx8 for M&MIX and Max Payne)! As for cancelling processes, i shut down my antivirus, firewall, cdrw sofware and scheduler. But then there´s still 20+ processes on and I have no idea which to shutdown (got win2k)! I´ll try and apply the patch ,my rogue to be assassin won´t like it though (lol), but then again I think he feels he´s getting discriminated by not being able to disarm locks or chests... Any other tips will be extremely appreciated!! Can´t get enough of this game!

And the patch didn´t solve it either...

Yikes!!

Have you tried running the game in SOFTWARE mode?? Not really sure if that is related to this problem or not but it's the only thing I (a non techie) can think of at the moment.

Come on, techie gurus, show your stuff!!!!

Wyv

Close this thread, lol!!! The game is working again!!! Thanks all!!! Now I´ll just find all those chests and disarm them! Woohooo!!!!

Do you know which fix corrected your problem?

Detah

I sure do! I just ran this:
"C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\regsvr32.exe c:\windows\apppatch\slayerui.dll" which will give win95 compatability! It´s in the helpdesk page 7!

i've got exactly the same problem with another instruction at another memory location, but i'm using windows xp sp1. yes, i've gone through all steps posted in this forum, but with no luck. i can actually watch the intro movie and i get a start screen if i don't have play-cd ready in the drive, but only to be prompted to insert the cd. i've tried all possible compatibility mode settings. please help me, i really want to try out this game, for i'm a big wizadry 7 fan.

I am fighting with crap2000, too :mad: and I am getting similar crashes as well [img]graemlins/madhell.gif[/img]

My current hardware is the following:

Motherboard: K7N2 Delta L
CPU: Athlon XP 2200+
RAM 1 GB (That's why I cannot run w98. I am not about to pull a memory chip out of my computer whenever the windows crashes such a way that a reinstallation is necessary).
HD Caviar 40 GB
Video: GeForce Ti 4200 TD 8x
Sound: SB Live 512
CD, CDRW, Zip, etc.
Operating system: eCS and, well, crap2000 with sp2 [img]graemlins/confused5.gif[/img]

Here is my current experience:

1. Be an administrator. You cannot play as a user. Don't forget that a "user" under Neanderthal Technology is a being which cannot be trusted at all and which must not be allowed to install or run anything, not even a printer driver. All games are "near kernel" applications that try to compensate inefficiency of windows by using "low level" APIs. Such applications cannot be run at the user level successfuly.

2. Unpack the .avi files by means of Virtual Dub. Otherwise, you cannot play at all.

At this moment, I was able of ALMOST everything - except using items on another objects (using keys on locks or using the Bauble Stick on the crystal) but I was able to use potions on myself or cast spells on myself. I was also able to pick items from the ground, disarming chests, entering all houses in Valeia and so on. I was also able to insert crystals into receptacles.

3. Activate the compatibility layer and play using the w95 layer.

This seems to solve the problems with the keys and similar items. Well, the result is still unsatisfactory:
a) The game crashes significantly more often than it did under w98.
b) Once the game crashes, I get a permanent false white cursor in the middle of the action window. Quititng the game and restarting it does not help, the cursor is there again! Only restarting crap2000 helps!
c) The Save Game screen is extremely jerky.
Nevertheless, I am able to run the game somehow.

Note: I have removed DirectX and replaced it with DirectX comming with W&W.

Therefore, I see the following possible sources of Willow's problems:
1. sp2 at least is needed.
2. some application thread is guilty, the system threads should not be guilty.
3. incompatibility between DirectX and crap2000.

ah please. some tech guru help us? ist this "memory-thingy-instruction" error, merly part of a greater conspiracy against "the user" so that i have to log in as admin??? i'm still using win xp.

Welcome to the boards, eNTi. May your journeys in the Gael Serran bring you glory, honor, and wealth.

As for the admin login, I suspect so. There are certain things which just have to be installed as administrator to work properly, and others that have to be run as administrator. If you're running into problems and can't find other ways around them (have you checked the Tech Tips thread?), try the patch or administrator.

But don't blame us, eh? Some of our more senior posters were the ones who found a way to get the game to run on Win2k and XP when the publishers said it couldn't be done (and may still say so, for all I know).

If there's another way around it, we can help ferret it out.

oh well, you're welcome [img]smile.gif[/img] .

no i don't blame anyone. i'm stupid myself for not reading befor buying, even though i thought that it can't be that big of a problem to play a game under winxp, that can be played on win95/98 only. so one might think.

Okay, you've now confused me. What OS are you running?

There are specific things that need to be done to get W&W to run under Win2k or XP. If that's the OS, you can look at those.

If you're on Win98, I'd look again at drivers, directX, and a W&W reinstall. That may be enough to do the trick. I run under Win98 on this machine, and have no problems.

We can get you there, believe me. It can be done, and you can play [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

yeah. hopefully i can play this game.

i use windows xp professional sp1. i've tried the win95/98 comp mode without success. i'll always get that error:

The instruction at 00423dba referenced memory at 10060000
The memory could not be written

eNTI,

That's roughly the exact same error message I got when I first started W&W. I had at that time:
P3-866 Gateway
XP Home edition (sp1)
128MB ram
I think DirectX was 8.something.
My vid card was a Riva(I think) 8MB.

As soon as I did the VirtualDub fix and purchased a new vid card: GeForce 3xxxTI I had no other distinct error messages. So, my expectation is there is something happening with your vid card (as in driver)...otherwise there's a distinct need to simply reinstall W&W.

I did install the patch as well since I was having problems picking up the crystal with the bauble stick in the crypt as Wyv has stated in this thread.

ok, maybe it's time to post my sys-specs as well, though i'm not sure that helps much :/

AMD AthlonXP 2000+ (1666Mhz / 133[266]FSB)
Epox 8KHAL (VIA KT266A)
786MB Infineon RAM
Asus V8460 Ultra GeForce 4 Ti4600 128MB (Detonator 45.23?)
IBM 80GB 7200rpm / Segate 40GB 5400rpm
Logitech MX700

WinXP Prof. SP1

SP2 is a must have. You won't be able to enable compatibility mode without it. If you have trouble with it, try SP3 (be sure to backup while installing!). There are some new adjustments and improvements to the compatibility mode in that upgrade. But there are a few things you can't get rid off. For instance the game WILL crash more often when using Win2000. What I experienced was the constant crashes when trying to cast a spell, opening a chest, using/giving an item etc. Running the game in compatibility mode will solve those crashes but the game will still crash. (And Iplay logged in as a user with administrative priviligies).

OK, I doubt that your graphics problems is due to Win2000 (well it probably is but not in the same way as above). Which graphics driver are you using? The most stable Nvidia driver is 30.82. Try using that to check your driver since you don't need the Detonator FX drivers for your card (lucky you ;) ). 41.09 is also a pretty good one.

There are several known problems using DirectX 8 on windows 2000 (or any other OS for that matter). However the DX8.1 has several bug fixes and runs smooth on most machines. I'm guessing you were using 8.1. But the 8.1 is fully compatible with the DX7 on most machines.

BTW, what crashes do you experience with Win98? 1Gb Ram shouldn't be a problem (win95 could recognize up to 2Gb RAM). The only thing about that is that Win 98 will never use that much.

But this "constant" crashing is probably due to video programming. I'm not quite sure how W&W is programmed but I'm guessing there could be some movie "files" in there to open chests, animate spells etc. Unless a patch to correct these errors is presented I doubt W&W will be completely compatible with WIndows 2000.

OK Macoati gave you some pointers. Try downgrading your drivers. As I stated to Radek, you don't need the detonator FX drivers. And IIRC the latest drivers offer DX9 support which you definitely do not need! The 41.09 driver is optimized for dx 8.1 so try that one. Also try the latest VIA drivers. I doubt they will help you much but the 4 in 1 is somewhat better than the earlier version although the VIA chipset generally sucks.

But since you are using Windows XP you can try the compatibility tools or the wizard. They are way better than the compatibility mode (still the same thing though but with lots more settings and options).

1. I am unable to install w98. I have been told that I cannot install w98 because the memory above 512 MB prevents me from installing. The only possibility is removing memory chips from the computer so that no more than 512 MB remain in it, installing w98, and putting the chips back.
This corresponds to my experience. The installation starts and runs up to the first restart. Immediately before the restart, the installation says that it is checking the hardware but it checks nothing (the check lasts a small fraction of a second), it restarts the computer and starts from scratch. The Czechs have a funny song that is sung in circles again and again, until all singers get unconscious :D - and the installation behaves exactly like the song. You can install until the hell freezes. The problem can be solved by leaving no more than 512 MB of memory in the computer.
2. The drivers. I am a militant fanatic/2 so that I don't know which versions of drivers I am using under windows [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] It's the driver that comes with the video card. Because the card is rather new, the driver should not be old. I will check.
3. DirectX. I am using DX7 that comes with the game. I have the best experience with this version of DirectX as far as W&W is considered. Perhaps, the w2000 isn't compatible with it. I don't know.
4. The crashes. I don't think that the game is the only one that is guilty. Example:
I can open almost all chests in the Valeia region, in the Crypt, and in the Serpent Temple. But I cannot open even a single chest west of Ishad N'Ha, in the Shurugeon Temple, in the Mines and in the Prison. The game crashes immediately on every attempt to pick the lock. I don't think I'll be able to open some chest later in the game. In fact, I've already given up and I am opening all chests by means of the Disarm Traps spell. It works. Now, why is it possible to open chests in Valeia and why is it unpossible to open chests later in the game? We can be sure that the "chest interface" haven't changed. The problem cannot consist in the interface alone.

Oh you can't even install it. You haven't got a ghost lying around do you? That would probably take care of it. ;)

Check the drivers and downgrade them to test a little. My favorite is the 41.09 (since it has better dx8 support than 30.xx).

Hmm I'm not suer if there was a special DX7 for windows 2000. If you used a installer from a game it could be that you are using a dx version for windows 9x. Try downloading the DX 8.1 for windows 2000, there is a special one. I never had any problems with that version.

But Radek, your line of reasoning about the chests hold true the other way around as well. If nothing in the interface or the system has changed, why shouldn't you be able to open the chests? But the mapping can, and probably do change in the game. All that's necessary is one tiny map of a small piece of a stonewall that isn't compatible. The question is; what is it that the mapping isn't compatible with? But I was able to open chests in the entire Serran. Strange...

<font color=deeppink>Edit: NOTE that according to Microsoft, directx 7.0a is NOT compatible with Windows 2000! So when installing DX from the W&W installer you get an incompatible version of DirectX.</font>

[ 08-12-2003, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: WillowIX ]

1. DirectX. Good. I have run DxDiag from w2000 of course. DxDiag has told me that everything is okay, everything is installed correctly, no conflicts or other problems has been found and so on and so on... It isn't, as we can see. But is anything okay with windows at all? I don't think so... [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]
Thanks. I think MM8 contains DX8. I will try it.
2. The chests. I think it's a matter of pointers and, perhaps, timing. As we proceed from chest to chest, the pointers change. West of Ishad N'Ha, the pointers can point somewhere into hell for some unknown reason. It can be a result of joint effort of w2000, DX7, and W&W. But it is not all.
The game behaves strangely west of Ishad N'Ha. Examples:
a) I have seen packs of trollie taka taka west of Ishad N'Ha. I've never seen so low level creatures there before. The lowest level troll west of Ishad N'ha was Troll Haju Li so far. I am playing "hard - often - hard" as I always did.
b) When I entered Shurugeon Castle, I got the Sinister Sentry immediately instead of getting it after returning from the D'Soto's room. The game seems to lose control over ordering of events. Is it caused by the (effectively) 2.2 GHz CPU? I guess it can. Can it be a reason for pointers poining into hell? It can - if the game tries to use a pointer not set so far.

Sounds like W&W is having a good time on your computer. :D I don't think your CPU causes it, I run a P4 2.6 GHz without having such troubles. Of course if W&W is a pure CPU dependant game the CPU speed will have a huge impact on performance but not on the programming. You could try this (if you've got the time): 1) Uninstall W&W. 2) Run a complete checkdisk. 3) Reinstall W&W. 4) Run a defrag, or better yet Speed disk (if that option is avaialbe to you [img]smile.gif[/img] ). Perhaps that could clear something up. After all Windows 2000 is very good at damaging files. ;) Also update/change your mouse drivers, I'm ashamed to admit it but the Microsoft mouse drivers are way better than the manufacturer's (for instance Logitech etc.)

Oh and see if you can download DX 8.1 from Microsoft instead of installing it from a game disc. There is a special DX for Win 2000 and I doubt that is the one on the MM CD. [img]smile.gif[/img]

OK that's all I can come up with at the moment. BTW, did you know that Activision has updated their support for W&W? Perhaps we could send them a question and see if they respond. (And I think they have a spy on our forum, since it seems they get their answers from us :D )

Of course they get their answers from us, Willow... who else knows this game better? [img]smile.gif[/img]

(edit... it WOULD be nice to see some credit, however...)

[ 08-12-2003, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: macoati ]