SimCity 4 (Steam) On Windows 8 crashes at the Region screen

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Hi,

I had been playing SC4 since start of Nov 2020.

But it crashes each it reaches the region screen, nothing changed since yesterday. 

I can't understand why it started to crash. I played it fine yesterday.

So far I've re-installed it. Removed Mods but still no luck.

[rsc204 21,857]

If something starts behaving differently, you must ask yourself what has changed?

If nothing obvious comes to mind, check for updates to your Graphic Card drivers or OS, these can install silently without your knowledge. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Update: Suddenly it has started to work again. Don't know what caused the issue.

 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Hi,
It has started to crash again. I'm just confused what causes it. There weren't updates.

It crashes on the Region screen.

Again I've tried to re-install the game but still no luck.

Could anyone please advice what steps shall I take?

I have -CustomResolution:enabled -r1024x786x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High in Launch Options

[rsc204 21,857]

If you are suffering from general instability, even before the game properly loads, this suggests either a general compatibility issue with your hardware or perhaps a lack of system resources to run the game.

Find where the game is installed (somewhere inside Program Files (x86)\SteamApps) and the open the Apps folder. Inside should be a file MYCOMPUTERNAME-config-log.txt. If you copy/paste the contents of this file into a reply, it will allow us to spot any obvious problems with your current setup.

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Log generated on 1/29/2021, 11:43

Flags
-----
hardwareDriver = false
DXT = true
fullscreen = true
MMX = true
FPU = true
backingStore = true
forcedFSAA = false

Strings
-------
userName = saqib2020
appName = SimCity 4
version = 1.1.641.0
osVersion = Windows NT 5.1
computerName = SAQIB
CPU = GenuineIntel
sglDriverName = Software
sglDriverVersion = 1.0
driverName = aticfx32.dll
driverVersion = 8.17.10.1404, GUID: D7B71EE2-2438-11CF-D277-9394AFC2CD35
cardName = AMD Radeon HD 8470
cardVersion = Vendor: 1002, Device: 6778, Board: b4931462, Chipset: 0000
cardIdentity = AMD Radeon HD 8470
soundDriverName = 
soundCardName = Primary Sound Driver
buildType = Release

Numbers
-------
cpuSpeed = 3392
memory = 1024
freeMemory = 1024
screenWidth = 1024
screenHeight = 768
screenBPP = 16
videoMemory = 1008
textureMemory = 1008
textureStages = 1
bogoFPS = 0
bogoMPPS = 0

Rules
-----
applying Sound
applying high sound detail
applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings
applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings>
applying high computer power
  option 9 = 3

[rsc204 21,857]

So the first question that comes up is, how much RAM or system memory does your computer have? The log shows SC4 only detects 1GB, which is actually probably the bear minimum to run Windows 8. If this is correct, whilst you can possibly run the game, you won’t be able to use mods like the NAM. Running out of memory, would lead to CTDs. Did you perhaps set SC4 to use Compatibility Mode for Windows XP, an oft repeated ‘fix’, which in fact does more harm than good and is rarely necessary, the game runs natively on Windows systems, even Win 10, usually without issue. In other words, if you have set this, disable it once more. To do this, you must find the SimCity 4.exe, right click/Properties, then untick the option in the compatibility tab. Run the game once more and check the Log again, does this info change?:

1 hour ago, Saqib.hussain2603 said:

memory = 1024
freeMemory = 1024

At this point we also need to establish whether or not you are running the 64-Bit version of Windows and how much actual RAM your system has.

I note too, you are playing the game in Software Rendering mode, another performance killer and again an oft touted fix, when the reality is, you should ONLY use this, if all else fails and it’s completely necessary. I’d switch back to Hardware mode.

Because you have an ATI GPU, it’s unlikely the game will correctly detect it as a decent GPU, you’ll need to edit two files to manually add your card to the Fast Card profile, following the instructions here. Assuming your system isn’t limited by having very little RAM, those two changes should better optimise the game for your hardware and hopefully prevent the problems you are seeing. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Update Game is started to work again without any intervention. But I went ahead applied below: 

I disabled the Compatibility mode off and now the number have changed:

memory = 4096
freeMemory = 4096

How do I set the game to Hardware mode instead of software ?

[rsc204 21,857]

From the region view, go to the Graphics Options and you can select this there. Be warned, if SC4 set this it may have detected it was necessary. If your game fails to start thereafter, adding -d:software to launch options will revert the change.

Also consider, the amount of memory the OS uses fluctuates, but is commonly highest just after booting your PC. Which may explain the intermittent nature of your problems. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

@rsc204

Sorry to moan again the game is crashing again at the region screen.

My Current system is WIN8

Graphic Card is AMD Radeon HD 8470

I have -CustomResolution:enabled -r1024x786x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High in Launch Options

Do you think that OS upgrade to WIN10 will fix the issue?

[twalsh102 1,601]

If you are not suffering from problems in any other program you are running, changing to a newer OS will not solve the problem.

If you haven't already tried this, I would suggest trying to start the game with an empty Plugins folder, and nothing in the Regions folder except the original Maxis Regions. Your system resources should be more than enough to support the base game. If the game starts properly, this would establish that the base game works, and that something that was added between November and January is causing the problems. If it doesn't, then we're back to possible hardware/resource issues as @rsc204 suggested.

Some other things to consider.

1. You are using an 8-yr old video card that has been marked as end of life by the manufacturer. This means that there will not be further updates for the drivers.

2. The latest driver release for Windows 8 64-bit version was Revision 14.4, released 4/25/2014. Make sure you're updated to this version.

The next thing I would look at is your Event Viewer to see if that might shed some light in what's going on. This should be done immediately after the game game crashes. Make note of the time it crashes and then search the Application and System logs for any error or warning events that occur around that time. There may be nothing, but in the absence of any other info, it's worth a shot.

If nothing else, there are some monitoring things we can watch as the game starts to try and determine what's going on.

 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

@twalsh102

I have uninstalled SC4 and re-installed but still same issue.

I have checked the logs in Event Viewer but there is nothing related to SC4.

As suggested above PC does have enough resources to support this game but can't thing anything which is causing the issue.

I play other games fine e.g. Cities:Skylines

-CustomResolution:enabled -r1024x786x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High -d:software ::: Is This correct?

 

[rivit 3,402]

7 hours ago, Saqib.hussain2603 said:

-r1024x786x32

should that be -r1024x768x32  ?    and is that the size of your desktop screen?

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Sorry I meant -r1024x768x32.

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

On 19/02/2021 at 10:19 PM, rivit said:

should that be -r1024x768x32  ?    and is that the size of your desktop screen?

19 inch

[rsc204 21,857]

I think what Rivit is asking is for the resolution of your display in Windows. Just right click the desktop and select Desktop Resolution or something like that and then match the settings there for SC4. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

My Resolution is currently set to 1280x1024

 

and this is what I have -CustomResolution:enabled -1280x1024x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High -d:software.

 

But still crashing at the Region screen.

Any more ideas?

 

Thanks for you support.

 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Here is log:

Spoiler

 

Flags
-----
hardwareDriver = false
DXT = true
fullscreen = true
MMX = true
FPU = true
backingStore = true
forcedFSAA = false

Strings
-------
userName = saqib2020
appName = SimCity 4
version = 1.1.641.0
osVersion = Windows NT 6.2
computerName = SAQIB
CPU = GenuineIntel
sglDriverName = Software
sglDriverVersion = 1.0
driverName = aticfx32.dll
driverVersion = 8.17.10.1404, GUID: D7B71EE2-2438-11CF-D277-9394AFC2CD35
cardName = AMD Radeon HD 8470
cardVersion = Vendor: 1002, Device: 6778, Board: b4931462, Chipset: 0000
cardIdentity = AMD Radeon HD 8470
soundDriverName = 
soundCardName = Primary Sound Driver
buildType = Release

Numbers
-------
cpuSpeed = 3392
memory = 4096
freeMemory = 4096
screenWidth = 1024
screenHeight = 768
screenBPP = 16
videoMemory = 1008
textureMemory = 1008
textureStages = 1
bogoFPS = 0
bogoMPPS = 0

Rules
-----
applying Sound
applying high sound detail
applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings
applying low computer power>
applying high computer power
  option 9 = 3
  option 13 = 1
  option 15 = 3
applying Texture Quality and Building Variety Settings
applying low memory>
applying high memory
  option 3 = 3
  option 14 = 3
applying Variable Speed Automata
applying default
  option 10 = 1
applying Standard software
  option 0 = 1
  option 1 = 1
  option 2 = 1
  option 4 = 0
  option 5 = 0
  option 8 = 1
  option 7 = 0
  option 6 = 0
  option 11 = 0
  option 12 = 0
applying Standard software>
  option 0 = 2
applying Standard software>>
  option 4 = 1

Options
-------
Visual Effects       current:   2 recommended:   2
Cars/Sims            current:   1 recommended:   1
Shadows              current:   1 recommended:   1
Atmospheric effects  current:   1 recommended:   1
Water effects        current:   0 recommended:   0
Software/Hardware    current:   0 recommended:   0
Cursor               current:   0 recommended:   0
VariableSpeedAutomata current:   1 recommended:   1
Translucent UI       current:   1 recommended:   1
Graphic Detail       current:   3 recommended:   3
Building Load Speed  current:   3 recommended:   3
Texture Quality      current:   3 recommended:   3

Properties
-------
forcesoftwaredriver = false
renderdynamicview = true
renderstaticview = true
renderwatereffects = true
rendercloudsandfog = true
forcepointsampling = false
forcebilinear = false
forcenoalphablend = false
forcenoalphatest = false
rendershadows = true
renderdecals = true
usesecondstage = false
forcedebugtexture = false
renderparticleeffects = true
renderflorashadows = true
renderterrain = true
showupdateregions = false
usecursoreffects = true
drawlottextures = true
drawlotfoundations = true
drawlotwalls = true
forcetexturerepeat = false
usescreenshake = true
renderui = true
useupdaterectclipping = true
usevertexbuffers = true
showboundingboxes = false
useoverlayculling = true
rendersnapshot = false
noaddsigned = false
nopartialbackingstorecopies = false
usescreenflash = true
renderautomata = true
preferopaque = false
displayalertborders = true
drawlotopaquetextures = true
useviewcleanup = false
doautozoomandrotationchanges = true

viewoffsety = 0
viewoffsetx = 0
texturebits = 32
lodoffset = 0
shadowdebug = 0
maxparticlestarget = 10000
particlelodoffset = 0
effectprioritylevel = 5
backingstoremaxzoomall = 5
backingstoremaxzoombuildingsprops = 5
backingstoremaxzoomterrain = 5
backingstoremaxzoomflora = 5
shadowquality = 2
minvehiclezoom = 3
minpedzoom = 4
cursortype = 1
depthoffset = 2
debugtexture = 0
dirtyrectmergeframes = 1
sounddetail = 2
buildingvariety = 2
buildingloaderspeed = 1
modellodoffset = 0
stringtexturecachesize = 1024

particleeffectslod = 5
splattexturescale = 50
texbindmaxfree = 4
particledensity = 1
particledamping = 0
particlescale = 1
lightingupdatedelta = 0.0001
shadowmodelthreshold = 12
demolishmodelthreshold = 12
rendermodelthreshold = 6
rendermodelthresholdscroll = 40
particlesizethreshold = 300
maxvehiclepct = 1
maxpedpct = 1
opaqueuialphavalue = 0.55

 

 

[rsc204 21,857]

2 hours ago, Saqib.hussain2603 said:

and this is what I have -CustomResolution:enabled -1280x1024x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High -d:software.

Your game is still trying to run at 1024x768:

1 hour ago, Saqib.hussain2603 said:

screenWidth = 1024
screenHeight = 768

It looks like you are missing the r from the resolution command, it should be:

-CustomResolution:enabled -r1280x1024x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High -d:software

Basically the command is missing the r, so is read as invalid, i.e. ignored. If your display couldn't support 1024x768, that's probably why the game is crashing, it can't display the graphics at the currently set resolution.

[rivit 3,402]

6 hours ago, rsc204 said:

you are missing the r

nice catch.

Also I notice you are trying to use software rendering d:software but you have a graphics card AMD/ATI 8470 which is more than capable of displaying SimCity. Its a legacy card now but you do look to have the last drivers. This is the last version made for win8,10. You state above that you can play Skylines OK so what resolution do you play that at? You should be able to play SimCity at the same resolution as SC4 is much less demanding of the graphics. To use hardware graphics change -d:software to  -d:directx. If you can get it running show us the new log - then we can see if it recognises those resources properly.

Finally the CPU priority tweak isn't really necessary and probably just complicates things at present. -CPUCount:1 is much more important. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Thanks for coming back to me.

Plot deepens: Yesterday after I posted above SC4 started to work with the same code.  So I must have closed re-opened it to test for at least 5 times and for each time it didn't crash.

It isn't opening now. 

Then I made the changes as suggested but still not opening. 

Difference was that yesterday I used the PC for some other tasks then tried it worked.

I'm very near to giving up, lol

 

Here is the log :

Spoiler

Log generated on 2/26/2021, 14:56

Flags
-----
hardwareDriver = false
DXT = true
fullscreen = true
MMX = true
FPU = true
backingStore = true
forcedFSAA = false

Strings
-------
userName = saqib2020
appName = SimCity 4
version = 1.1.641.0
osVersion = Windows NT 6.2
computerName = SAQIB
CPU = GenuineIntel
sglDriverName = Software
sglDriverVersion = 1.0
driverName = aticfx32.dll
driverVersion = 8.17.10.1404, GUID: D7B71EE2-2438-11CF-D277-9394AFC2CD35
cardName = AMD Radeon HD 8470
cardVersion = Vendor: 1002, Device: 6778, Board: b4931462, Chipset: 0000
cardIdentity = AMD Radeon HD 8470
soundDriverName = 
soundCardName = Primary Sound Driver
buildType = Release

Numbers
-------
cpuSpeed = 3392
memory = 4096
freeMemory = 4096
screenWidth = 1280
screenHeight = 1024
screenBPP = 32
videoMemory = 1008
textureMemory = 1008
textureStages = 1
bogoFPS = 0
bogoMPPS = 0

Rules
-----
applying Sound
applying high sound detail
applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings
applying low computer power>
applying high computer power
  option 9 = 3
  option 13 = 1
  option 15 = 3
applying Texture Quality and Building Variety Settings
applying low memory>
applying high memory
  option 3 = 3
  option 14 = 3
applying Variable Speed Automata
applying default
  option 10 = 1
applying Standard software
  option 0 = 1
  option 1 = 1
  option 2 = 1
  option 4 = 0
  option 5 = 0
  option 8 = 1
  option 7 = 0
  option 6 = 0
  option 11 = 0
  option 12 = 0
applying Standard software>
  option 0 = 2
applying Standard software>>
  option 4 = 1

Options
-------
Visual Effects       current:   2 recommended:   2
Cars/Sims            current:   2 recommended:   1
Shadows              current:   2 recommended:   1
Atmospheric effects  current:   1 recommended:   1
Water effects        current:   1 recommended:   0
Software/Hardware    current:   0 recommended:   0
Cursor               current:   1 recommended:   0
VariableSpeedAutomata current:   1 recommended:   1
Translucent UI       current:   1 recommended:   1
Graphic Detail       current:   3 recommended:   3
Building Load Speed  current:   3 recommended:   3
Texture Quality      current:   3 recommended:   3

Properties
-------
forcesoftwaredriver = false
renderdynamicview = true
renderstaticview = true
renderwatereffects = true
rendercloudsandfog = true
forcepointsampling = false
forcebilinear = false
forcenoalphablend = false
forcenoalphatest = false
rendershadows = true
renderdecals = true
usesecondstage = false
forcedebugtexture = false
renderparticleeffects = true
renderflorashadows = true
renderterrain = true
showupdateregions = false
usecursoreffects = true
drawlottextures = true
drawlotfoundations = true
drawlotwalls = true
forcetexturerepeat = false
usescreenshake = true
renderui = true
useupdaterectclipping = true
usevertexbuffers = true
showboundingboxes = false
useoverlayculling = true
rendersnapshot = false
noaddsigned = false
nopartialbackingstorecopies = false
usescreenflash = true
renderautomata = true
preferopaque = false
displayalertborders = true
drawlotopaquetextures = true
useviewcleanup = false
doautozoomandrotationchanges = true

viewoffsety = 0
viewoffsetx = 0
texturebits = 32
lodoffset = 0
shadowdebug = 0
maxparticlestarget = 10000
particlelodoffset = 0
effectprioritylevel = 5
backingstoremaxzoomall = 5
backingstoremaxzoombuildingsprops = 5
backingstoremaxzoomterrain = 5
backingstoremaxzoomflora = 5
shadowquality = 2
minvehiclezoom = 3
minpedzoom = 4
cursortype = 1
depthoffset = 2
debugtexture = 0
dirtyrectmergeframes = 1
sounddetail = 2
buildingvariety = 2
buildingloaderspeed = 1
modellodoffset = 0
stringtexturecachesize = 1024

particleeffectslod = 5
splattexturescale = 50
texbindmaxfree = 4
particledensity = 1
particledamping = 0
particlescale = 1
lightingupdatedelta = 0.0001
shadowmodelthreshold = 12
demolishmodelthreshold = 12
rendermodelthreshold = 6
rendermodelthresholdscroll = 40
particlesizethreshold = 300
maxvehiclepct = 1
maxpedpct = 1
opaqueuialphavalue = 0.55

 

I really appreciate everyone's help and guidance they have provided.

[rsc204 21,857]

Try changing to Hardware (directX) as Rivit suggested. Otherwise try changing -f to -W, one combination of tender/screen mode should work, so try all four possibilities to see if any work for you. 

[Saqib.hussain2603 7]

Just to update:

The game isn't crashing atm with:-CustomResolution:enabled -r1280x1024x32 -F -CPUCount:1 -intro:off -CPUPriority:High 

And within the game 'Software' is preselected.

 

Shall I continue to use or are there further settings are required?

 

[rsc204 21,857]

There is no right or wrong answer that works for everyone.

But software rendering is software rendering and problems don't fix themselves. So whatever is happening that seems to coerce SC4 into loading, when it otherwise won't, is just masking the problem. Not to mention, DirectX is just better than software rendering, which only exists for when you can't run the game optimally.

Somewhere between the use of -d:software / -d:DirectX and -f / -w, should be a combination that works reliably.

One other thought that comes to mind, on some systems, if the Headphone Socket is empty, SC4 will CTD trying to play audio. If that were behind this, you can either use the additional -Audio:off command, or simply make sure something is plugged into the active audio output when you run the game.