Sc 4 Deluxe

[ibc1983 0]

I just got a copy of sc4 and installed the game without any problems but now when i try to play nothing happens.

[rweather5 22]

What do you mean by nothing happens? Does the game not start up or do you zone and nothing happens? Please be more specific.

[ibc1983 0]

the game does not start up. Also i am running windonws 7 64 bit

[ibc1983 0]

I defraged the hard drive, and scanned the computer for viruses as well. The screen below is as far as i get after nothing loads.

[ibc1983 0]

this is the picture and as far as the game goes

  Edited February 25, 2012 by ibc1983  

[rweather5 22]

You might want to run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP, that's what I did to mine.

[ibc1983 0]

You might want to run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP, that's what I did to mine.

just installed compatibilty mode and the game and there was a hardware driver error that says it could not intialize direct draw

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You might want to run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP, that's what I did to mine.

just installed compatibilty mode and the game and there was a hardware driver error that says it could not intialize direct draw

Try downloading directx 9.0c. It can be concurrently present with directx 11.

Also, the game will not run if there is anything wrong with your multimedia system. Run dxdiag from your run box, and make sure your system is running OK. The usual cause of this kind of failure is a bad setup for accelerated sound.

[ibc1983 0]

I have directx 9.0c installed but a test of direct draw failed at step 17. It says to change the display mode to 640 x 480 x 16 bits but i cant change it from 1920 x 1280. Also direct3d is unavailable. I am begining to wonder if it will even be possiable to get working on my computer. The monitor is a samsung a 550, and the video card is amd radeon hd 6850.

You might want to run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP, that's what I did to mine.

just installed compatibilty mode and the game and there was a hardware driver error that says it could not intialize direct draw

Try downloading directx 9.0c. It can be concurrently present with directx 11.

Also, the game will not run if there is anything wrong with your multimedia system. Run dxdiag from your run box, and make sure your system is running OK. The usual cause of this kind of failure is a bad setup for accelerated sound.

  Edited February 25, 2012 by ibc1983  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

So you have a Catalyst Control Center on your operating system. Open it in Administrator mode and you can change anything you like. However, what you need to do is change all the 3D controls so they are 'application selected' or words to that effect.

You might also check to see if there is an updated driver. What operating system are you on, anyway, and what is its update status. People don't have this problem with windows 7, and you don't need any compatibility settings.

It is possible but unlikely that your system does not have the minimum requirements to run this game, but I doubt it.

The next question is what is the build level of your game? To find this use windows explorer to navigate through Program Files to the game residency and find the executable for the game SimCity 4.exe. Hover your mouse over this and it should tell you your version/build level. If it is less than 1,1,638 you need the published EP 1 patch from here to fix known bugs in the game. Be sure you get the right version of the update for your game. Also, if later on, you need the fix for custom content night lighting you will need to look at some of the other threads having to do with new member need. They are in SC4 General Discussion.

Have you done a virus scan lately? Is might be that your system has been stepped on.

To control the resolution and color density of the game you need the option -rwwwxhhhxcc on your command line where:

www is the width of your display in pixels (PX)

hhh is the height of your display

cc is either 16 or 32 for color depth.

If your display is not one of the choices normal for the game, you will also need -CustomResolution:enabled

Here is my command line. The backslashes allow it to be broken up into multiple lines. I run from a script, you see.

"C:/Program Files/Maxis/SimCity 4 Deluxe/Apps/SimCity 4.exe" \

-intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -d:software \

-CPUcount:1

About the only thing we haven't discussed is that I force the system into software rendering mode. This is due to a hiccup in my software that disallows running with my full graphics system and reduces it to being just a frame buffer. Oh yes, and the -intro:off turns of the EA advertising movie. If this looks a little odd, be aware that it won't run on Windows. I am on Linux you see. However, the game is happy with this because my software converts my command line into windows format.

[ibc1983 0]

Not really sure what to change with the catalsyt control center. I checked my video card driver and it was up to date. My operating system is windows 7 and is up to date. My system has 18 gigs of ram, intel core i7 3.07. The cd that i have is sim city 4 deluxe edition classic. Neither of the patches will go through for me it says old file not found however a file of the same name was found no update was done since contents dont match . I ran a virus scan. do i eneter the command line at C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe or on the target line

So you have a Catalyst Control Center on your operating system. Open it in Administrator mode and you can change anything you like. However, what you need to do is change all the 3D controls so they are 'application selected' or words to that effect.

You might also check to see if there is an updated driver. What operating system are you on, anyway, and what is its update status. People don't have this problem with windows 7, and you don't need any compatibility settings.

It is possible but unlikely that your system does not have the minimum requirements to run this game, but I doubt it.

The next question is what is the build level of your game? To find this use windows explorer to navigate through Program Files to the game residency and find the executable for the game SimCity 4.exe. Hover your mouse over this and it should tell you your version/build level. If it is less than 1,1,638 you need the published EP 1 patch from here to fix known bugs in the game. Be sure you get the right version of the update for your game. Also, if later on, you need the fix for custom content night lighting you will need to look at some of the other threads having to do with new member need. They are in SC4 General Discussion.

Have you done a virus scan lately? Is might be that your system has been stepped on.

To control the resolution and color density of the game you need the option -rwwwxhhhxcc on your command line where:

www is the width of your display in pixels (PX)

hhh is the height of your display

cc is either 16 or 32 for color depth.

If your display is not one of the choices normal for the game, you will also need -CustomResolution:enabled

Here is my command line. The backslashes allow it to be broken up into multiple lines. I run from a script, you see.

"C:/Program Files/Maxis/SimCity 4 Deluxe/Apps/SimCity 4.exe" \

-intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -d:software \

-CPUcount:1

About the only thing we haven't discussed is that I force the system into software rendering mode. This is due to a hiccup in my software that disallows running with my full graphics system and reduces it to being just a frame buffer. Oh yes, and the -intro:off turns of the EA advertising movie. If this looks a little odd, be aware that it won't run on Windows. I am on Linux you see. However, the game is happy with this because my software converts my command line into windows format.

  Edited February 28, 2012 by ibc1983  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

We probably don't have the same version of the catalyst control center but on mine you open the 3D options tree and make sure that all the boxes on each page that says "Override application setting" are unchecked. This allows the program that is loading to set these if it needs it. SimCity 4 won't set any of them.

If you have the original Deluxe, use windows explorer to navigate to C:\program files\maxis\simcity 4 deluxe\apps\SimCity 4.exe and hover your mouse over the file. Report what version information you get.

If you have applied any unofficial patches, you have spoiled the .exe and cannot patch. You will have to reinstall to put in the official patches.

If you installed from disk, the play disk (disk 2) must be in the DVD/CD drive to play.

The other possibility trying to install the EP1 patch is that you have the wrong one. There are several, and you must choose the one that matches your Stock Keeping Unit number (SKU). This can be found in the Program Files ... SimCity 4 Deluxe folder on your disk. The official EP1 patches are found on this site.

[sonar1313 1]

I am getting the same or similar problem with my game.....it will load up through the intro screens and go through the intro animation (if I let it) or let me click through it, and then at the point where it would normally go to the region view, it just crashes to desktop. My last session ended with a CTD, and now I can't get back in.

Some system info:

OS: Vista

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processor 5000+, 2.6 gHz

RAM: 2 GB

Video card: NVidia GeForce 8300 GS, 882 MB

DirectX version 11

I haven't made any changes to the computer since last time I played the game. Have tried a few things suggested in this and other threads:

- Ran checkdisk, nothing.

- Ran dxdiag, nothing.

- Tried to apply the suggested patch. It did not "take." I got a bunch of errors that read: "warning wpt0036: Old File not found. However, a file of the same name was found. No update done since file contents do not match." The version of the game is still 1.1.610.0. I can provide the entire patch log if necessary but it is mostly that quote, repeated.

Don't know what the hell else to do.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I am getting the same or similar problem with my game.....it will load up through the intro screens and go through the intro animation (if I let it) or let me click through it, and then at the point where it would normally go to the region view, it just crashes to desktop. My last session ended with a CTD, and now I can't get back in.

Some system info:

OS: Vista

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processor 5000+, 2.6 gHz

RAM: 2 GB

Video card: NVidia GeForce 8300 GS, 882 MB

DirectX version 11

I haven't made any changes to the computer since last time I played the game. Have tried a few things suggested in this and other threads:

- Ran checkdisk, nothing.

- Ran dxdiag, nothing.

- Tried to apply the suggested patch. It did not "take." I got a bunch of errors that read: "warning wpt0036: Old File not found. However, a file of the same name was found. No update done since file contents do not match." The version of the game is still 1.1.610.0. I can provide the entire patch log if necessary but it is mostly that quote, repeated.

Don't know what the hell else to do.

See my post immediately above yours.

There is also a possibility that you have a stuck (zombie) process in your task list. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL open the task manager and see if SimCity 4.exe is hanging around. If it is, kill it.

I hope we don't have to ask if you have applied any illegal patches. They prevent the legal ones from working.

Since you ran dxdiag and its tests, we are kind of stuck otherwise. Please open your latest .txt version of your exception report and post the first 20 only lines of the file. We may spot something in the dump prefix that will help. The rest of the dump is garbage because we don't have the load map and the source.

[sonar1313 1]

Here is the exception report from the latest attempt to load (about two minutes ago):

Exception time: 03/30/2012, at 11:51:29.

Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION.

Current thread ID: 5568 (0x000015c0).

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: 1.1.610.0

System version: Windows NT 6.0

System memory: 2048 Megabytes total, 520 Megabytes free.

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

Exception address: 0x007ab881. Section:Offset: 0x01:0x003a4881.

Registers

EAX: 00008001

EBX: 05204014

ECX: 05204014

EDX: 00008080

ESI: 00000204

EDI: 0c6918d0

CS:EIP: 001b:007ab881

SS:ESP: 0023:0012fad8 EBP:00000000

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

Flags: 00210202

I had forgotten that I added the NAM mod some time ago.....it's been so long since I did that I forgot what the game was like without it. I suppose that is why the patch doesn't work.

[Mister Giggles 310]

Application/module version: 1.1.610.0

The latest update for the physical version is 1.1.640.0...go here, read and accept the terms. Goes to the "RH update page", download the 1.1.638.0 update for your region, and install it. It shouldn't throw any errors.

If you want nightlights, back up a page and go to the "BAT download" page, and click the "Sim City 4 Buildings Update 14.4 MB" link to download the 1.1.640.0 update. Install it.

These updates are cumulative, and must be installed in order.

I had forgotten that I added the NAM mod some time ago

This is likely the reason for the crashes...the NAM was designed with the 1.1.638.0 update in mind.

  Edited March 30, 2012 by Mister Giggles  

[sonar1313 1]

Patch update worked alright, so thanks for that. The game is now updated to 1.1.638. But unfortunately it didn't fix the overarching problem. Still can't actually play it.

[Mister Giggles 310]

Remove all plugins. All of 'em. If you can load the region and a (Preferably empty) city tile, your crashes are likely due to a bad plugin.

Put half of the plugins back in. If there are no crashes, remove them and put in the other half. If there's a crash, you know it's a plugin in the half you just put in.

Keep dividing that half in half using the same method until you find the culprit.

If that does not work, un-install the game, install CCleaner, and run its registry cleaner to clear out all traces the game ever existed. Do note, this is an advanced tool so be careful and read the instructions before using it. Axes are useful tools, but you can also cut off your arm. Re-install the game and patches, see if you can load the game.

If it still doesn't work, there could be viruses/spyware at work. MalwareBytes is a quick solution for dealing with viruses, although if you don't have an active virus scanner, Microsoft Security Essentials will work well enough. Spybot will deal with everything else.

If nothing I've just recommended works, well...we'll cross that bridge when we come it it. <_<;

  Edited March 31, 2012 by Mister Giggles  

[sonar1313 1]

OK, I've done the following. Just to spoil the joke, I still can't play the game.

- Removed plugins. No luck.

- Uninstalled the game (following which I also uninstalled the NAM plugins, leaving no "outside" mods) and applied the CCleaner tool as suggested.

- Double-checked in RegEdit to make sure registry traces of the game were gone. They were. (No, I didn't futz with anything while there.)

- I am currently running my AVG virus scanner, and updated it specially for this scan, which takes ages, but I don't suspect a virus. I haven't noticed anything else on this machine that's out of kilter, so I feel like any virus would have be specifically targeting SC4 and only SC4. Nevertheless we'll see what happens.

I can't yet apply the 1.1.638 patch, the site gave me a bandwidth exceeded error message so I'll have to wait. I do have a whole bundle of new exception reports if anyone wants to see those!

I confess I did not remove the SC4 folder in My Documents (where the regions, albums, plugins, and exception reports are stored) other than to uninstall the NAM mod. I didn't want to lose my current region, nor the exception reports. Could there be a problem with the region files that it loads upon starting up the game? I don't know how to read the exception report, so I don't know what it's telling me.

Let's say for a minute that a virus is not causing the problem, what would be the next bridge to cross? I hope there is not a bridge labeled "reinstall Windows."

[Mister Giggles 310]

I can't yet apply the 1.1.638 patch,

Get it installed, then check.

You may consider removing both plugins AND any of the regions you've played/created. This will force SC4 to load a Maxis default region.

  Edited April 1, 2012 by Mister Giggles  

[sonar1313 1]

OK. I applied the patch. But the real story is what happened when I pulled my region from the folder where they're kept: the game loaded. I can play any of the default regions and load a city and everything. So I tried putting the region back in its folder, loaded the game into a default region, and then loaded up my region: crash. Something ain't right with that region's files.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

OK. I applied the patch. But the real story is what happened when I pulled my region from the folder where they're kept: the game loaded. I can play any of the default regions and load a city and everything. So I tried putting the region back in its folder, loaded the game into a default region, and then loaded up my region: crash. Something ain't right with that region's files.

Too bad its been such a long row to hoe, but all this experience is good for you. Seems your region is corrupted, so I am afraid that you'll have to start over on it. If it was a custom region, just re-render it and away you go. If it was the Timbuktu region, don't play on it. It is for tutorial use only.

Cities get corrupted sometimes during a save if you play in windowed mode and switch to another program while the save is in progress. Quite often the least effect here is to lose the thumbnail of the city from the region map and get just a blank (green) area. This can be opened and all is usually well. If you ever get an empty hole in a region, that city has had it. Great expertise is needed to even attempt a recovery in that case.

When someone suggests removing your plugins, it is easy to do so by simply renaming the Plugins folder to Plugins.old. The game won't see it and will create a new one. If you want to restart the game from scratch, you can do the same thing with the SimCity 4 folder, and the game will create the whole user area. You don't need to reinstall unless you suspect something has stepped on the game residency in Program Files [(x86)].

I found a problem in the default New York region, but it may be local to me. I found a replacement for it on the STEX.

Enjoy the game.

[Mister Giggles 310]

Something ain't right with that region's files.

My recommendation at this stage is to remove the last city you saved in the last region of yours you played. See if the game loads it then.

Nonny:

If you ever get an empty hole in a region, that city has had it

It's possible to save a blanked city tile using Terraformer, assuming the city information itself still exists in the region folder.

  Edited April 1, 2012 by Mister Giggles