Drop to Desktop, Errors in the Event Log

[Anjeon 0]

I recently started playing SC4 again after 6 months or so, but periodically the game crashes to the desktop, no error message.  Some system information:

• 3.2GHz Pentium 4
• 1GB memory, pagefile set to 4GB fixed
• GeForce 6800GT, 97.92 drivers
• Audigy 2 ZS sound card

When a crash happens 2 items appear in the event log, but they don't give much information.

The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source (   ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: 6.quote>

The second message is identical except it says 7 at the end instead of 6.

Some other information:

• Tried video drivers 84.56, 93.71, and 97.92
• Removed all plugins
• Defragmented the drive and pagefile
• Does not create an Exception Report in My Documents\SimCity 4\Exception Reports
• Tried various ingame options
• Average of 30 minutes between crashes
• Occurs even if I pause the game and walk away from the computer
• Happened at the region view once as well
• US version of SC4 and Rush Hour, newest update installed

Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Try running in software mode.  If this works, the problem is in your graphics stuff.

[Anjeon 0]

It happens when using software rendering as well.  I also updated my sound card drivers, still crashes.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Since it happens with fixed frequency, I wonder if some other task pops up at that time and steps on the game.  What other applications are you running in the background?

[Anjeon 0]

The 30 minutes was an average.  It has been as little as 10 minutes, as long as 2 hours.  I shutdown everything in the background except Windows services and such.

I'm not sure if it is related, but the -w option to run in a window also doesn't work for me.  It generates an exception report if I use it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

here is a line with the window option present.  It does need a space in front of it.

"D:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -w -r800x600

This is my line with the EA movie turned off, windowed, and resolution set to 800 x 600

[Anjeon 0]

Odd, windowed mode is working now.  However, even running windowed it still crashes to the desktop after a while.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

check all your drivers.  Especially your sound driver.  Run dxdiag from the run box and run all the tests.

[TheGoogleNinja 0]

My system crashes as well and I get no error messages whatsoever.

Gateway

AMD Athalon X2

GE Force 6100

Etc...

Crashes with no specific time frame or reason????? HELP!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Welcome to Simtropolis.

Your post is irrelevant to this thread, since it is about errors showing in the Event Log.  If you had event log errors, please list them.  Otherwise, please raise a new thread with more detail of your crashes.  What version of SC4 are you running?  What updates have been applied?  What operating system are you using?  What service packs have been applied to it?  etc.

Please see the bug reporting sticky above, and do a search for your conditions.  Hope you find your solution, but if not, please post correctly.