Vista Crash to Desktop

[angel0fmars 0]

I've tried basically everything..removing everything in the plugins folder, setting affinity to only one CPU, changing acceleration to software instead of hardware, and nothing solves it. I get to region view, pick the city, and after it loads it crashes. Specs are:

Windows Vista 32bit (<--ruining my life)

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz)

Intel Integrated chipset G33/G31 (<--ruining my life too)

3GB RAM

Any solutions...? Other than change my graphics card.

EDIT: Oh and I've also toyed with the admin and compatibility settings.

[tungston 19]

My guess would be that you have plopped something in the city that is causing the CTD.  If the is true, then just removing the plugins won't fix the problem. 

With out the plugins, start a new city in a new region to see if you still have the crashes.

I have run the game on a similar setup with no problems, all cores, without comparability mode, etc.

[WillR116 60]

I just got my computer and it crashed when I saved, it seems fine now but it destroyed my first incarnation of Hillsburgh (the one in my CJ is the third, I scrapped the second) I'm not sure how much exactly but I heard that Vista takes alot of RAM to operate, maybe look at that? it could do it I guess I'm not really a computer saavy person.

[adamspalmer 2]

Okay it's not Vista I promise you. I run Vista Ultimate 64 bit and also had a Vista premium 32 bit. 9 out of 10 times it's not the Vista thou it gets blamed all the damn time but anyhow. What kind of graphics card do you have? And you said you had no plugins yet because that is usually 9 out of 10 times the culprit with a CTD in simcity. Graphics after plugins after that you have got to have a corrupt disc because your OS and RAM are optimal for simcity sorry m8.

[Autokratao 0]

That happens to me too. It even does that when i start a new city

[pilotdaryl 25]

I'm pretty sure it's a problem with the city file. Manchester (the city that was one of my original CJs) does not load anymore and SC4 just crashes to desktop, I believe it's related to changing my plugins a lot and not accessing this city since then. Try loading another city, preferably another built-up one.

[Coopdog 0]

I just had the very same problem angel0fmars. Turned out that it was a mod that I had installed (one that gave landmarks jobs.

All I can suggest is move all plugins and downloaded content to another file (e.g. on your desk top) and then re start SC4. Play the tutorial cities for a while. If you still get a crash, try remove/installing the SC4 game. If the tutorials work okay, then one by one re install your plugin folders on at a time, starting and playing the game after each folder is placed back.

Hopefully you'll find a folder that causes the game to crash. Once you've found that, remove the folders contents (back to desktop again) and this time bring back one filer at a time to try and find the problem file.

Hope this helps, it certainly got my problems fixed.

[angel0fmars 0]

I don't have anything in my plugins folder. It works for the first time and the first time only. It meets all the minimum system requirements. And yes, it's not Vista's issue. The same happened to XP when I installed it. Works the first time, then crashes to desktop upon loading a city. It happens to any city, even when I start a new one. I doubt SC4 would take up that much RAM. Vista usually uses about 1.2GB (which is still a lot), and I have 3GB.

SC4 works on my old, old computer too. Specs:

Pentium 4 2.4GHz

512MB RAM

ATI 9600

[tungston 19]

Have you installed the game update patch, to version 1.1.628.0?

[BlackStar 0]

Well don't forget SC4 is a very old game by now. It came out in 2003. If you are working on a fresh region with no plugins, there could be the chance that your hardware setup (maybe graphics card) is just not compatible.

One thing I might say though, if it IS your graphics card being incompatible, have you tried to run SC4 with the software rendering command line? 

(And further to the previous comment, your OS is completely irrelevant. It would be unlikely for an OS to cause CTD of SC4 in the first instance. But nevertheless SC4 is fully compatible with it and wouldn't be causing your problems imo)

[A-Traxx 0]

There is also another way to try.. Had a simular problem, cause you have to many CPU for SC4 it will crash.

This how I solved it:

Run SC4, then press 'alt' & 'tab' to go to desktop. Open your Task manager. Right click and press 'go to proces'.

Then you will see the proces with the name 'simcity4.exe' Right click on it and select 'Set affinity' and select 1 or 2 CPU's.

This solved my prob. You have to do this every time when you start it.

Hopes it helped