[Solved] Seemingly random CTD issue

[BugeyedDragon 412]

Hi, recently (the past about 3 or so cities recently) I have been having an oddly specific issue when loading up a city with a started simulation on the second go.

Usually, when building, I play for maybe 1 or 2 sessions before actually starting the simulation on any given city. If all goes well, I typically have zero problems with crashes as long as I don't rapidly zoom out or in, or just do erratic, intensive actions in general. However, the game becomes REALLY sensitive after I play for a second session after the simulation's started. It'll crash randomly when querying, sometimes opening menus, placing buildings, etc. I ran a litany of tests, the following being:

1. Checked if querying a specific lot was crashing it. I queried every single lot in my city (it being very small at the moment), with traffic query and regular, and that's not the issue.
2. Checked if running the simulation too long, or if the game was on a "timer" until a crash. This wasn't the case, as sometimes it'd crash within 3 mins on a paused or running simulation, or it'd stay running for the length of two ingame years on cheetah speed. I have crashed while paused and on other time speeds, so time doesn't seem to be the problem (I have gotten 10 mins without incident).

I have no clue what the issues could be else, either a memory issue or something else along those lines. I will stick an exception report in a spoiler, as I think that's likely the issue. It may be relevant to mention I have a 9.09 gig plugins folder with 45,067 files within it. I heavily doubt it's a problem with a plugin, as my tests have helped me conclude, but I do suspect that 45,000 might actually be touching upon a hard limit for plugin files. I do need to clean up my plugins folder

I run a Windows 10, and run SimCity 4 Deluxe through Steam. Using task manager to figure out how much CPU/Memory that SimCity 4 is using is almost impossible, since despite all attempts to force it to run windowed, it continues to open in full screen.

Spoiler

Exception time: 09/02/2019, at 23:28:09.
Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION.
Current thread ID: 7884 (0x00001ecc).
Version information:
Application/module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe
Application/module version name: SimCity 4
Application/module version: 1.1.641.0
System version: Windows NT 6.2
System memory: 4096 Megabytes total, 4096 Megabytes free.

Exception module:  .
Exception address: 0x25783020. Section:Offset: 0x00:0x00000000.

Registers
   EAX: 00000009
   EBX: 2ddb7024
   ECX: 451ce1b8
   EDX: 00a9d488
   ESI: 451ce1b8
   EDI: 00004216
   CS:EIP: 0023:25783020
   SS:ESP: 002b:0019f8d8  EBP:03000103
   DS:002b  ES:002b  FS:0053  GS:002b
   Flags: 00210293

Loaded Modules
   Address          Size Module             Path
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   0x00400000    8511488 SimCity 4.exe      C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe
   0x77760000    1638400 ntdll.dll          C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
   0x75350000     917504 KERNEL32.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNEL32.DLL
   0x74930000    1982464 KERNELBASE.dll     C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
   0x72830000     643072 apphelp.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\apphelp.dll
   0x74c70000     491520 ADVAPI32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\ADVAPI32.dll
   0x74750000     782336 msvcrt.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\msvcrt.dll
   0x76a60000     278528 sechost.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\sechost.dll
   0x76b00000     786432 RPCRT4.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\RPCRT4.dll
   0x74020000     131072 SspiCli.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\SspiCli.dll
   0x74010000      40960 CRYPTBASE.dll      C:\WINDOWS\System32\CRYPTBASE.dll
   0x746f0000     356352 bcryptPrimitives.d C:\WINDOWS\System32\bcryptPrimitives.dll
   0x744f0000    1626112 USER32.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\USER32.dll
   0x76a40000      94208 win32u.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\win32u.dll
   0x74900000     139264 GDI32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\System32\GDI32.dll
   0x74300000    1458176 gdi32full.dll      C:\WINDOWS\System32\gdi32full.dll
   0x74470000     512000 msvcp_win.dll      C:\WINDOWS\System32\msvcp_win.dll
   0x69360000      32768 WSOCK32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WSOCK32.dll
   0x76920000    1167360 ucrtbase.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\ucrtbase.dll
   0x74680000     421888 WS2_32.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\WS2_32.dll
   0x6b2d0000    4538368 WININET.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WININET.dll
   0x75460000   20226048 SHELL32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\SHELL32.dll
   0x772c0000     233472 cfgmgr32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\cfgmgr32.dll
   0x77370000     557056 shcore.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\shcore.dll
   0x77400000    2473984 combase.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\combase.dll
   0x74d90000    6004736 windows.storage.dl C:\WINDOWS\System32\windows.storage.dll
   0x74810000     282624 shlwapi.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\shlwapi.dll
   0x75430000      61440 kernel.appcore.dll C:\WINDOWS\System32\kernel.appcore.dll
   0x77100000      98304 profapi.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\profapi.dll
   0x76ab0000     282624 powrprof.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\powrprof.dll
   0x748f0000      32768 FLTLIB.DLL         C:\WINDOWS\System32\FLTLIB.DLL
   0x748c0000     155648 IMM32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\System32\IMM32.dll
   0x62f10000     528384 DSOUND.dll         C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DSOUND.dll
   0x733d0000     147456 WINMM.dll          C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WINMM.dll
   0x738f0000      32768 VERSION.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\VERSION.dll
   0x652b0000     888832 OPENGL32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\OPENGL32.dll
   0x5db70000     143360 MSVFW32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSVFW32.dll
   0x73330000     143360 winmmbase.dll      C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\winmmbase.dll
   0x6a9c0000     258048 GLU32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\GLU32.dll
   0x726f0000     585728 COMCTL32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.17134.950_none_4100edf0451088e7\COMCTL32.dll
   0x5a9f0000    1470464 gameoverlayrendere C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\gameoverlayrenderer.dll
   0x76bc0000    1032192 ole32.dll          C:\WINDOWS\System32\ole32.dll
   0x770f0000      24576 PSAPI.DLL          C:\WINDOWS\System32\PSAPI.DLL
   0x6d920000     352256 MSWSOCK.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\MSWSOCK.dll
   0x72670000     507904 uxtheme.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\uxtheme.dll
   0x67f20000     204800 Nahimic2DevProps.d C:\Program Files\Nahimic\Nahimic2\UserInterface\Nahimic2DevProps.dll
   0x68040000     282624 Nahimic2OSD.dll    C:\Program Files\Nahimic\Nahimic2\UserInterface\Nahimic2OSD.dll
   0x74190000     536576 clbcatq.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\clbcatq.dll
   0x74cf0000     614400 OLEAUT32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\OLEAUT32.dll
   0x68860000     376832 MMDevApi.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\MMDevApi.dll
   0x709f0000     139264 DEVOBJ.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\DEVOBJ.dll
   0x731b0000    1572864 PROPSYS.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\PROPSYS.dll
   0x68760000    1028096 AUDIOSES.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AUDIOSES.DLL
   0x68540000     876544 wintypes.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\wintypes.dll
   0x6ab10000      32768 AVRT.dll           C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\AVRT.dll
   0x64cc0000     884736 rasapi32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\rasapi32.dll
   0x64c90000     172032 rasman.dll         C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\rasman.dll
   0x5db40000     139264 gzcom2.dll         C:\Users\owner\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\gzcom2.dll
   0x5c210000     118784 SC4Fix.dll         C:\Users\owner\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\SC4Fix.dll
   0x03f80000     294912 SimCity 4 Extra Ch C:\Users\owner\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\SimCity 4 Extra Cheats Plugin.dll
   0x77120000    1662976 crypt32.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\crypt32.dll
   0x75440000      57344 MSASN1.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32\MSASN1.dll
   0x77300000     290816 WINTRUST.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\System32\WINTRUST.DLL
   0x77350000     102400 imagehlp.dll       C:\WINDOWS\System32\imagehlp.dll
   0x708c0000      77824 CRYPTSP.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CRYPTSP.dll
   0x70890000     192512 rsaenh.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\rsaenh.dll
   0x73770000     102400 bcrypt.dll         C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\bcrypt.dll
   0x67c70000    1593344 nvspcap.dll        C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvspcap.dll
   0x72800000     167936 ntmarta.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntmarta.dll
   0x6d630000     122880 gpapi.dll          C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\gpapi.dll
   0x71f00000     155648 cryptnet.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\cryptnet.dll
   0x74040000    1323008 MSCTF.dll          C:\WINDOWS\System32\MSCTF.dll
   0x725b0000     143360 dwmapi.dll         C:\WINDOWS\system32\dwmapi.dll
   0x683e0000     512000 TextInputFramework C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\TextInputFramework.dll
   0x68180000    2478080 CoreUIComponents.d C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CoreUIComponents.dll
   0x68090000     569344 CoreMessaging.dll  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CoreMessaging.dll
   0x724c0000     958464 DDRAW.DLL          C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DDRAW.DLL
   0x70a30000     622592 dxgi.dll           C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\dxgi.dll
   0x70a20000      28672 DCIMAN32.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DCIMAN32.dll
   0x67e00000     811008 nvldumd.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nvmi.inf_amd64_9cd951c47b0da577\nvldumd.dll
   0x59af0000   15712256 nvd3dum.dll        C:\WINDOWS\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\nvmi.inf_amd64_9cd951c47b0da577\nvd3dum.dll
   0x5bb90000     458752 D3DIM700.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\D3DIM700.DLL
   0x68460000     888832 Windows.UI.dll     C:\Windows\System32\Windows.UI.dll
   0x68120000     368640 InputHost.dll      C:\Windows\System32\InputHost.dll
   0x67260000    2265088 iertutil.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\iertutil.dll
   0x5c190000      69632 ondemandconnrouteh C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ondemandconnroutehelper.dll
   0x73620000     196608 IPHLPAPI.DLL       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\IPHLPAPI.DLL
   0x736c0000     720896 winhttp.dll        C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\winhttp.dll
   0x6a9a0000      32768 WINNSI.DLL         C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WINNSI.DLL
   0x77660000      28672 NSI.dll            C:\WINDOWS\System32\NSI.dll
   0x64760000      45056 LINKINFO.dll       C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\LINKINFO.dll
   0x6d510000     507904 DbgHelp.dll        C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\DbgHelp.dll

Call stack:
(Debug information (.pdb files) appears to be absent).
0x0000:0x00000000 .

Stack data: (ESP is 0x0019f8d8)
0x0019f758   a48f2a35 1ee14a00 a9000000 f7000000 b8e11c45 3051a939 a9000000 4ffc5400 
0x0019f778   6ffc5400 b8e11c45 00000300 031c4b00 03000000 00000000 0049dd3a 031c4b00 
0x0019f798   03000000 f6000000 005c2945 ee248343 00007645 cc1d5500 ffff7f7f ff010003 
0x0019f7b8   00ff000f 00ff000f a48f2a35 b8e11c45 00000000 00000000 031c4b00 00000000 
0x0019f7d8   03000000 a48f2a35 b8e11c45 00000000 a48f2a35 b8e11c45 00000000 02000000 
0x0019f7f8   d3539700 281e0d55 ffffffff b8e11c45 1ce41c45 8041cd43 f4d35300 e5d45300 
0x0019f818   40f81900 50f81900 40f81900 48f81900 584fa939 1ce41c45 0170db2d 03000000 
0x0019f838   00000000 00008043 005c2945 00007645 005c2945 00007745 005c2945 00007645 
0x0019f858   8bdd2845 00007645 75da2945 00007645 00000000 007620c0 00008041 2470db2d 
0x0019f878   ee248343 00007645 2470db2d 18e41c45 84d55500 1ce41c45 7c48cd43 03010003 
0x0019f898   b8e11c45 2470db2d ff8d5e00 c8e11c45 ffffffff 2470db2d b8e11c45 d4535000 
0x0019f8b8   d7e65400 dfb35000 01000000 68e31c45 84b35000 584fa939 b8e11c45 ccf25400 
0x0019f8d8   a8f35400 09000000 2470db2d acf91900 02902a35 c0f91900 00000100 2470db2d 
0x0019f8f8   201e0d55 16420000 17e8d05a f157dbba 00007911 005c2945 ee248343 00007645 
0x0019f918   a9000000 f6000000 a9000000 f6000000 e31b5500 584fa939 1841dd3a 05000000 
0x0019f938   4413bc45 01000000 f9000000 00000040 e17a843f 0000b040 2470db2d 1841dd3a 
0x0019f958   c07adb2d 2e1c0101 03c97b77 03000000 02902a35 acf91900 cd96c040 0ad7233c 
0x0019f978   00000000 cd96e040 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 
0x0019f998   00000000 00002040 00000000 00000000 00000000 0000b040 00000000 00000000 
0x0019f9b8   00000000 00000000 28fa1900 7c235500 584fa939 1841dd3a 05000000 a9000000 
0x0019f9d8   f6000000 0000003f 7e14aeff 51b86e3f 00809142 2470db2d 2e1c0100 01f37a00 
0x0019f9f8   05000000 04902a35 0000003f 1521133e 7e14aeff 51b86e3f 04000000 dc7adb2d 
0x0019fa18   06f37acd 45000000 00000000 00000000 18fb1900 3c335500 00809142 00809142 
0x0019fa38   2470db2d 13b65500 2e1c0100 00809142 3070db2d d4805d06 1a6b5000 2e1c0100 

Instruction data: (EIP is 0x25783020)
0x25782fa0   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25782fc0   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25782fe0   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25783000   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 03 00 07 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25783020   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25783040   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25783060   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
0x25783080   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 

 

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

Does your startup configuration set the -CPUCount:1 parameter?

You have to get to it differently than with GoG or the Disc based game, so I'm unsure where you go to check, but we do have Steam experts who'll pop in sooner or later with that info if you cannot verify that switch is in place.

[BugeyedDragon 412]

17 hours ago, CorinaMarie said:

Does your startup configuration set the -CPUCount:1 parameter?

You have to get to it differently than with GoG or the Disc based game, so I'm unsure where you go to check, but we do have Steam experts who'll pop in sooner or later with that info if you cannot verify that switch is in place.

It should be running on a single core. I have it set in the steam parameters to do so. I tried running it again (last night I actually went on and built some NWM roads with turning lanes and such while the simulation was paused.) and it's actually now crashing as soon as I start the simulation, which is odd.

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

2 minutes ago, BugeyedDragon said:

and it's actually now crashing as soon as I start the simulation, which is odd.

Well, phooey.

Hopefully the experts will arrive with some ideas. I presume if you play a test city in pure vanilla (nothing in plugins) it doesn't crash?

[BugeyedDragon 412]

Just now, CorinaMarie said:

Well, phooey.

Hopefully the experts will arrive with some ideas. I presume if you play a test city in pure vanilla (nothing in plugins) it doesn't crash?

It doesn't seem to, no. Later when I get the chance I'll clear out some files in my plugins until it hits under 45000 and see if there's just a file limit I need to heed.

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

Do you have multiple custom seaport mods? Or both airport and seaport mods? You're allowed only one seaport controller, and installing two can lead to CTD problems.

[BugeyedDragon 412]

5 hours ago, jeffryfisher said:

Do you have multiple custom seaport mods? Or both airport and seaport mods? You're allowed only one seaport controller, and installing two can lead to CTD problems.

That is an incredibly good point, I actually built a small seaport (Forgot which one it was specifically, but it was a rural set.) I'm gonna investigate my plugins for duplicate controllers and see if I do have two (I probably do)

[BugeyedDragon 412]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:27 PM, jeffryfisher said:

Do you have multiple custom seaport mods? Or both airport and seaport mods? You're allowed only one seaport controller, and installing two can lead to CTD problems.

Update!

I haven't been able to conclude anything on the seaport controller front. I don't seem to have the PEG_Master-Seaport controller despite having a lot of their seaport stuff (I downloaded the file and cross-referenced the name and found nothing except two unrelated readmes that popped up). I do have the WMP Rural Docklands built into my city, however. After a lot of prodding, I finally figured out what it was, RAILS.

After some extensive testing, I figured out there was a very specific area that CTD'd me. 

This section right here was always the culprit, but for a short while I couldn't figure out why. And then, I remembered this strange tactic I used to make a rail over street intersection work.

This fiend right here. Left to right, it was rail bridge, elevated rail puzzle piece, elevated rail over street, and elevated rail. I assume the puzzle piece right next to the bridge caused the commotion, because when I destroyed the bridge my game froze for a split second, even cutting off the music for that small moment aswell.

Thankfully, I needed not uninstall any dock mods. The nuclear option was avoided. I thank you two for helping me out, as it prodded me to continue investigating. Let this be a cautionary tale!