CTD during start up, many options tried already!

[CaesarSTL 0]

Hello everyone,

First post here, and I know it's pretty lame for your first post to be asking for help, but I can't even get the game to start.... I've done a lot of searching and see this is somewhat common for the game, and have tried a lot of rec fixes, but so far nothing...

Background: I bought the game off of Steam this past week, and after after everything installing ok I clicked on play and the steam menue says it's preparing to load. Then the screen goes black with the occasional loading icon, stays like this for half a min to a min, then back to desktop like nothing was suppose to happen at all. I am also not very tech savy, as you'll see from my last question, so please keep all responses as detailed as possible!

Things I've tried after searching:

-Create shortcut, change target so it operates on only one core (turns out I only have one though

-Edit shortcut target to open in a window

-Edit shortcut target to skip intro

-Make sure headphones are plugged in at all times (my speakers are out)

-Go into files and add my video card and sound card to the acceptables list in notepad

-Edit to open as an admin

-Tried to change compatability but it tells me it's for my version of windows... (Vista...)

-Edit shortcut target to fit my screen size

-Check update on drivers (says they're up to date for my devices but they're pretty old...)

Think that's about all of them, but again, I'm not the most tech savy and now I'm wondering if my computer actually just can't take it. I bought my laptop in late 2005 and paid a small fortune for it compared to most pricing I see, but it was more a small portability laptop than a huge game machine. It runs Civilization IV and all of the expansion packs great, which are some pretty big resource hogs of games, and seeing how my computer is a few years newer than Sim City 4 and thevprocessor is a 1.7 compared to the 500 required I thought it was no big deal; now I'm thinking it's my graphics card or something. Here are my specs from the Performance Scoring:

Vista Business 32 bit

Intel Pent M Processor 1.70 GHz

Memory RAM: .98 GB

Graphics: Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller

Gaming Graphics: Not Detected (uh....?)

Primary Hard Disk: 15GB Free (71GB total)

Total System Memory: 1008 MB Ram

1 Core

Total Size of hard disk: 71GB

For the following, under the not dedected gaming graphics, the total is 0MB

-Dedicated graphics memory

-Dedicated systems meory

-Shared system memory

(How is this possible when I play other games no problem?)

Display adapter driver version: 6.14.10.4656

Primary Monitor Res: 1280x800

Direct X 9.0 or better

Ok, that's it, anything else needed? Is it, after al that, my computer's graphical ability? Anything that can be done if it is? Thanks for all the help guys, was looking forward to joining the community, hopefully still possible!

Jared,

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Gaming Graphics: Not Detected (uh....?)

Well, perhaps. My box says the requirements for Rush Hour are:

• Windows Xp, 2000, Me, '98
  
• 500 MHz CPU or better
  
• 256 MB Ram
  
• 8X or faster Cd/DVD drive
  
• 1.6 GB Free disk space
  
• DirectX 7.0 (or better. 9.0c seems to be the best)
  
• At least 16MB memory on the Video Card
  
• Supported 3D chipset (video)
  
• Keyboard and mouse
  

I think you should try it with software rendering. Put this on your shortcut without the quotes

" -d:software"

Please note there is a space before the hyphen.

My conjecture is that you have a business laptop that is either not enabled for 3D graphics, or it is turned off. You might take a look at your hardware during startup to see if this is the case. When you boot, note which key you have to hold to enter set up. Alternately there may be a control panel you can access after booting to control the graphics hardware. Turn on your 3D option if you have one.

A way to test the capability of your box is to do a spread sheet with a bar graph and see if you can get color 3D bars.

You can also go to the Start->Run and type in dxdiag and press enter. Run the video diagnostic. If you can't get a rotating, color, 3D box, then you haven't got it.

With only a gig of memory, you will be hard pressed if you have many plugins. Of that, anon.