Game CTD

[4th Texas 0]

I've seen a few other folks post with this issue but the post were old and no solution was given. The CTD is quite random and will occasionally lock up on a game save.

I'm running a AMD X4 9950, Win XP SP3, 4 Gig Ram,  AMD 4850 Vid Card.

Here is the latest Exception Report:

Exception time: 12/29/2008, at 11:35:21.
Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION.
Current thread ID: 2500 (0x000009c4).
Version information:
Application/module path: C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe
Application/module version name: SimCity 4
Application/module version: 1.1.638.0
System version: Windows NT 5.1
System memory: 2048 Megabytes total, 2048 Megabytes free.

Exception module:  C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe.
Exception address: 0x0096d918. Sectionffset: 0x01:0x00566918.

Registers
   EAX: 00000000
   EBX: 0251973c
   ECX: 000000a0
   EDX: 02de0a78
   ESI: 025196ec
   EDI: 027b1814
   CS:EIP: 001b:0096d918
   SS:ESP: 0023:0012fa20  EBP:0012fa24
   DS:0023  ES:0023  FS:003b  GS:0000
   Flags: 00010246

Loaded Modules
   Address          Size Module             Path
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   0x00400000    8187904 SimCity 4.exe      C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe
   0x7c900000     716800 ntdll.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\ntdll.dll
   0x7c800000    1007616 kernel32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\kernel32.dll
   0x7e410000     593920 USER32.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\USER32.dll
   0x77f10000     299008 GDI32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\GDI32.dll
   0x77dd0000     634880 ADVAPI32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\ADVAPI32.dll
   0x77e70000     598016 RPCRT4.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\RPCRT4.dll
   0x77fe0000      69632 Secur32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\Secur32.dll
   0x71ad0000      36864 WSOCK32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\WSOCK32.dll
   0x71ab0000      94208 WS2_32.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\WS2_32.dll
   0x77c10000     360448 msvcrt.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll
   0x71aa0000      32768 WS2HELP.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\WS2HELP.dll
   0x78050000     851968 WININET.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\WININET.dll
   0x77f60000     483328 SHLWAPI.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHLWAPI.dll
   0x00330000      36864 Normaliz.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\Normaliz.dll
   0x78000000     282624 iertutil.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\iertutil.dll
   0x7c9c0000    8482816 SHELL32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll
   0x73f10000     376832 DSOUND.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\DSOUND.dll
   0x774e0000    1298432 ole32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\ole32.dll
   0x77c00000      32768 VERSION.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\VERSION.dll
   0x76b40000     184320 WINMM.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINMM.dll
   0x5ed00000     835584 OPENGL32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\OPENGL32.dll
   0x68b20000     131072 GLU32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\GLU32.dll
   0x73760000     307200 DDRAW.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\DDRAW.dll
   0x73bc0000      24576 DCIMAN32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\DCIMAN32.dll
   0x75a70000     135168 MSVFW32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSVFW32.dll
   0x5d090000     630784 COMCTL32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMCTL32.dll
   0x76390000     118784 IMM32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\IMM32.dll
   0x10000000      20480 avgrsstx.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\avgrsstx.dll
   0x773d0000    1060864 comctl32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.2600.5512_x-ww_35d4ce83\comctl32.dll
   0x77b40000     139264 Apphelp.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\Apphelp.dll
   0x02580000     638976 ~df394b.tmp        C:\DOCUME~1\JOSEPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\~ef53f7\~df394b.tmp
   0x74720000     311296 MSCTF.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSCTF.dll
   0x755c0000     188416 msctfime.ime       C:\WINDOWS\system32\msctfime.ime
   0x02b60000      24576 ctagent.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctagent.dll
   0x76bf0000      45056 psapi.dll          C:\WINDOWS\system32\psapi.dll
   0x76ee0000     245760 rasapi32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\rasapi32.dll
   0x76e90000      73728 rasman.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\rasman.dll
   0x5b860000     348160 NETAPI32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\NETAPI32.dll
   0x76eb0000     192512 TAPI32.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\TAPI32.dll
   0x76e80000      57344 rtutils.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\rtutils.dll
   0x76c30000     188416 WINTRUST.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINTRUST.dll
   0x77a80000     610304 CRYPT32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\CRYPT32.dll
   0x77b20000      73728 MSASN1.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSASN1.dll
   0x76c90000     163840 IMAGEHLP.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\IMAGEHLP.dll
   0x03390000    2904064 xpsp2res.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\xpsp2res.dll
   0x68000000     221184 rsaenh.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\rsaenh.dll
   0x769c0000     737280 userenv.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\userenv.dll
   0x75e60000      77824 cryptnet.dll       C:\WINDOWS\system32\cryptnet.dll
   0x722b0000      20480 SensApi.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\SensApi.dll
   0x4d4f0000     364544 WINHTTP.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINHTTP.dll
   0x76f60000     180224 WLDAP32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\WLDAP32.dll
   0x72d20000      36864 wdmaud.drv         C:\WINDOWS\system32\wdmaud.drv
   0x72d10000      32768 msacm32.drv        C:\WINDOWS\system32\msacm32.drv
   0x77be0000      86016 MSACM32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\MSACM32.dll
   0x77bd0000      28672 midimap.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\midimap.dll
   0x73ee0000      16384 KsUser.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\KsUser.dll
   0x77120000     569344 OLEAUT32.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\system32\OLEAUT32.DLL
   0x6d510000     507904 DbgHelp.dll        C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\DbgHelp.dll

Call stack:
GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 391870

GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 402464

GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 424448

GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 413888

GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 413828

GZDllGetGZCOMDirector() + 414912

0x0001:0x001e1bca C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe.

Stack data: (ESP is 0x0012fa20)
0x0012f8a0   00000000 001580ab 01400000 00000000 00000000 000000c8 03400000 00000000
0x0012f8c0   00000000 0000f03f 00000000 00000000 00000000 00004640 00000000 00000000
0x0012f8e0   2f000000 00000000 33040000 00000000 00000000 00c04540 00000000 00000000
0x0012f900   00000000 0303917c 88642b00 02000000 00002800 f8002800 02000000 d02ae400
0x0012f920   d0fcf900 1000e700 02000000 01020000 00000000 00c04540 00000000 00000000
0x0012f940   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012f960   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012f980   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012f9a0   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012f9c0   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012f9e0   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012fa00   00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
0x0012fa20   00000000 60fa1200 7a029700 00000000 a0000000 58fb1200 14187b02 01000000
0x0012fa40   00000000 0421a902 18187b02 ec187b02 af0b9300 780ade02 af0b9300 780ade02
0x0012fa60   84fa1200 5a589700 58fb1200 a0fa1200 01000000 18187b02 00000000 20eda800
0x0012fa80   20187b02 a4fa1200 1a2f9700 58fb1200 a0fa1200 01000000 14887a02 00237a02
0x0012faa0   00000000 d8fa1200 de2e9700 58fb1200 942a7a02 18187b02 1d8f6b45 08fb1200
0x0012fac0   00000000 00000000 14887a02 94237a02 942a7a02 18187b02 10fb1200 1a339700
0x0012fae0   58fb1200 1d8f6b45 08fb1200 00000000 00000000 a415a910 141c230c 00000000
0x0012fb00   20eda800 94887a02 00000000 4da45b00 00200000 ca8b5e00 58fb1200 f56021a5
0x0012fb20   30fb1200 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 6b4b7000 58fb1200 00200000
0x0012fb40   0000bb05 00000000 84dc4c12 f8fb1200 f4b3b310 19000040 4a283465 12dfbd47
0x0012fb60   0000bb05 84dc4c12 f8fb1200 019c7000 2c9d7000 0000bb05 14f6a319 14f6a319
0x0012fb80   141c230c 8440d908 14f6a319 00000000 141c230c ace1dc0f 00000000 0000bb05

Instruction data: (EIP is 0x0096d918)
0x0096d898   00 84 c0 74 07 01 7e 48 b0 01 eb 02 32 c0 5f 5e c2 08 00 56 8b f1 8b 4e 18 66 83 66 0a 00 85 c9
0x0096d8b8   74 09 8b 01 ff 50 08 83 66 18 00 83 66 48 00 5e c3 55 8b ec 8b 45 14 56 ff 75 18 8b f1 8b c8 83
0x0096d8d8   c0 04 f7 d9 1b c9 23 c8 51 ff 75 10 8b ce 6a 02 e8 64 fe ff ff 8b 45 08 8b 4d 0c 83 66 48 00 89
0x0096d8f8   46 44 c7 06 30 83 ad 00 c7 46 04 f0 82 ad 00 c7 46 1c 90 82 ad 00 c7 46 2c 30 82 ad 00 89 4e 4c
0x0096d918   ff 40 04 66 c7 46 0a 01 00 8b c6 5e 5d c2 14 00 55 8b ec 8b 45 14 56 ff 75 18 8b f1 8b c8 83 c0
0x0096d938   04 f7 d9 1b c9 23 c8 51 ff 75 10 8b ce 6a 02 e8 05 fe ff ff 6a 08 c7 06 30 83 ad 00 c7 46 04 f0
0x0096d958   82 ad 00 c7 46 1c 90 82 ad 00 c7 46 2c 30 82 ad 00 e8 f2 77 c7 ff 85 c0 59 74 0b 8b 4d 08 83 60
0x0096d978   04 00 89 08 eb 02 33 c0 8b 4d 0c 83 66 48 00 89 46 44 89 4e 4c ff 40 04 66 c7 46 0a 01 00 8b c6 

Any help?

[Superchan 23]

did you try to update your video drivers? are you running in programs in the background such as anti-virus or anti-spyware?, do you have any plugins?

[screamingman12 30]

SP3 shouldn't be a problem, I have it and it runs fine. Do you have your CPU optimized for SC4? It can only use one core at a time.

[candyman13 0]

i have this prob, but everyday is diff i can play for hours and hours with no prob or the next day i may crash 2+ times, maybe the game is too old for my comp but i love the game so i just quicksave after anything i add to my city that i want to stay there.

[Schlesien84 0]

I also have the problem of many crash free hours along with a ten minute span of crashes the next day. How do you optimize your CPU? I don't know much about the tricks that help improve gaming, let alone computers. How would I limit the number of crashes, and does city size and number have anything to do with crashing? It seems everytime i try to build a bridge in a particular city, it crashes.

[4th Texas 0]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been trying them all along with some others I've found, but my problem is usually in a long session. Then after that first CTD it becomes more frequent.

I haven't had a chance for a really good test, but increasing the size of my "swap file" (despite having over 3 gig of ram) and setting the core & priority seem to have done the trick. The fact that it happens in a long session, then increasing frequency seems like a memory thing to me. But we will see...

Thanks again.

[elbertocampo 0]

hi, i have a pc, with core 2 quad, 2gb ram, 512 mb video card, but simcity 4 would not even start?