CTD Access violation

[Goit 0]

How do fix such CTDs?

[Cockatoo 2,256]

Why you not explain problem? What access violation mean? Many causes for CTD...

[Goit 0]

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=99210&enterthread=y

[Cockatoo 2,256]

Okay, you found a thread that might help you with your mysterious CTD issue. Well done, problem solved.

[tungston 19]

Access violation usually means a program tries to write data to a memory address that is already occupied. When SC4 does that, rather that cause more of a fuss, it just politely bows out and shuts down.

Knowing that an access violation has occured will not help you find the reason for the CTD. They are usually, but not always, caused by resource hogging, or conflicting custom content [plugins].

[Goit 0]

Originally posted by: tungston Access violation usually means a program tries to write data to a memory address that is already occupied. When SC4 does that, rather that cause more of a fuss, it just politely bows out and shuts down.

Knowing that an access violation has occured will not help you find the reason for the CTD. They are usually, but not always, caused by resource hogging, or conflicting custom content [plugins].quote>

Do you know what his original proposed solution was?

[tungston 19]

No I don', but you might try the "How to: Identify faulty plugins" stickie in the Bugs and Technical Issures forum.

It would also help if you listed your computer system, and details of the CTD you are experiencing.

[Goit 0]

Originally posted by: tungston No I don', but you might try the "How to: Identify faulty plugins" stickie in the Bugs and Technical Issures forum.

It would also help if you listed your computer system, and details of the CTD you are experiencing.quote>

Do you know what happend to that thread? Why was his answers chopped off.

I use 

Intel E6600

Gigabyte motherboard

EVGA 8800GTX

2GB ram

Intel and Nvidia should be 100% compatible with the game.

I have these "access violations" posted in the error logs, and they happen whether with or without any plugins. But otherwise I use only PEG's plugins.

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: Goit  Do you know what happend to that thread? Why was his answers chopped off.

I use 

Intel E6600

Gigabyte motherboard

EVGA 8800GTX

2GB ram

Intel and Nvidia should be 100% compatible with the game.

I have these "access violations" posted in the error logs, and they happen whether with or without any plugins. But otherwise I use only PEG's plugins.quote>

 

The posting was truncated when ST caught a bug, or was hacked a few months ago.

nVidia is compatible with the game, but there have been reports of trouble either with the 8xxx series, or the nVidia drivers.  It might be in the settings for graphics card itself.

What OS are you using?

Please copy, and paste the first part [20 lines] of the latest exception [error] report.

[Goit 0]

I use XP home SP3.

Exception time: 01/04/2009, at 21:38:08.

Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION.

Current thread ID: 3180 (0x00000c6c).

Version information:

Application/module path: C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe

Application/module version name: SimCity 4

Application/module version: 1.1.640.0

System version: Windows NT 5.1

System memory: 2048 Megabytes total, 1168 Megabytes free.

Exception module: C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe.

Exception address: 0x00605065. Section: offset: 0x01:0x001fe065.

Registers

EAX: 440a0000

EBX: 107243e4

ECX: 016d8000

EDX: 01372488

ESI: 00b2354c

EDI: 000000e8

CS:EIP: 001b:00605065

SS:ESP: 0023:0012f7f0 EBP:00000000

DS:0023 ES:0023 FS:003b GS:0000

Flags: 00010206

[diamon 0]

Incidentally having devil of a job formatting this post - sorry.

Years ago I used to play SC4 on a relatively lowly spec machine with little or no problems. Got on with real life for a while and recently built a much more powerful rig and thought I'd give SC4 another try - it's a terrific waste of my life.

Current spec is:

Athlon 64 X2 6000+

4Gb SLI-compliant RAM (OCZ) - due to 32-bit OS only 3.2 Gb useable by Windows.

NVidia 9800 GT (only 1 so far - SLI to come in the future) - Uses latest driver

OS - Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3 (only 32 bit - sadly 64-bit XP is bugged to death, and I'll NEVER install Vista, maybe Windows 7 in the future).

2 X 320 Gb 10000 rpm Maxtor (Raid 1).

Page file: Maximum usage I've ever seen is 558 Mbytes even when system is heavily loaded.

So, I expected that SC4 would fly on this machine. And it does, however it is really prone to CTD in SC4. Almost never have a problem with any other application - aside from a really buggy application thats supposed to scan Media directories for changes - bloody sony crap (note to self: must buy a new MP3 player).

The CTD occurs almost exclusively when I click the ... button that expands the UI to allow me to save/exit to region/whatever the other buttons do/ on the bottom of the screen.

The Exception Report shows:

Exception time: 03/06/2009, at 21:16:00.

Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION.

Current thread ID: 2128 (0x00000850).

Version information:

Application/module path: F:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe

Application/module version name: SimCity 4

Application/module version: 1.1.640.0

System version: Windows NT 5.1

System memory: 2048 Megabytes total, 2048 Megabytes free.

Exception module:  F:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe.

Exception address: 0x0096d938. Sectionffset: 0x01:0x00566938.

Notice: System memory - 2048 Megabytes total, 2048 Megabytes free How can that be? Windows XP Task Manager says Memory available 3406252 (+3Gb). Does SC4 have a limit to the amount of memory it will use?

Well, nevermind that, how can there be as much memory free as there is memory available?

I've read in other thread about using DATPACKER to compress Plugins folder (~1.2Gb - I love this extra content that makes the game come alive for me), so I'm going to try that

I've already used Cleanitol to remove un-necessary files, and use it whenever I add new content.

I've also read about altering the priority of SC4.exe and forcing it to use CPU1 leaving CPU0 free for other stuff. I'm not completely convinced about this but willing to give it a go.

Has anyone got any idea about this memory report in Exception Report please?

Anyone got any other ideas how to make this more stable? Any advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[diamon 0]

Wasn't so impressed with DatPacker - reduced my Plugin folder from 1.21 Gb to 1.14 Gb.

I suspect this is because I have installed recent STEX/LEX/PLEX stuff that is already packed.

Going to try again now. Wish me luck

[diamon 0]

I've been monitoring CPU0 and CPU1 during the last hour while running SC4. Both cores are running ~50% (CPU0 is usually about 60% and CPU1 is about 40%). This is just standard priority.

I'm not change this priority.

However, maybe I was a bit premature in my disappointment with DatPacker. In this last hour I've had NO CTD's

Compare this to CTD's about every 15 minutes or so. Maybe compression is the answer?

More testing required though.

[slystone2 20]

Diamon -

just stumbled on this thread, so i'd figure I'd give my two cents as someone that also had CTDs on a dual core.

as you've found out, yes, DatPacker does indeed work. It's a must-have for plugin users.

It's my understanding that what it actually does to prevent CTD's is reduce the amount of folders/files that the game has to "pick" through. So although at first glance the actual compression seems minimal, it's really the reduction of the number of actual files that cures the CTD disease.

It's not completely foolproof, though - one tip: I usually turn off my DSL and my anti-vrus. That, in conjunction with DatPacker, does the trick. Still get the occasional CTD, but they're few and far between.

[diamon 0]

slystone2 - Thanks for the clarification about DatPacker. Makes sense.

In the last 4 hours no CTD's

So, I'm going to conclude that:

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CTD's (due to plugins) TRY DATPACKER!!

[LReyome254 6]

Now is there a solution to this when you have a system set up to dual boot? My dual boot configuration is:

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit on the 1TB drive that came with the system (Dell XPS 8300)

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 32-bit on the secondary 240GB drive that came with my old system (Dell XPS 410) - This OS was kept intact specifically for SimCity 4 and other older games I have

I copied the entire contents of "/Larry Reyome/My Documents/SimCity 4" from my Windows 7 drive, including custom regions and all plugins, over to "/Larry Reyome/My Documents/SimCity 4" on the XP drive. The game started fine, except when I go into my Regions folder on the Region display, the game CTDs with the famous Access_Violation error.

Since my XP drive currently has no net access, I cannot just go over there and post while on that OS. The lack of net access is caused mainly by the fact that my network card was in production 6 years after XP, and it's now in the list of discontinued support thanks to MicroCrap's decision to stop supporting XP, which led these companies to no longer produce XP drivers.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The question that leaps to mind is "Did you install the game on both machines?" There are necessary registry entries. Merely copying files doesn't quite do the trick.