Save / Crash to Desktop

[daderic888 216]

Today, I go to save my city, but it has started to crash to desktop without saving. I'm running it on hardware mode, no setting has been changed. The only thing I did was to add some new tunes to the mayor folder in the program files in C Drive, then I deleted some of them. Any other tips while I'm doing some reading up?

[rsc204 21,866]

There is an issue whereupon a save file can become corrupted in such a way, that simply exiting the city (without saving) causes the game to crash. In those cases, typically you can still save the file by using the regular save (CTRL + S) function, but using Save and Exit or Save and Quit will trigger the CTD.

One known cause is simply the use of Save and Exit to Region or Save and quit in the first place, if save files get particularly large, it sometimes can't finish saving before the game tries to return to region view or shut down. In these cases, it's typically the image used for display in Region View that gets corrupted. Although I've also see it happen when such functions aren't used, in those cases it would appear to be related to changing things in your Plugins folder that exist in that city. Generally speaking it's safe to add new content, but certain types of properties being changed can have adverse effects. Even worse is removing items from Plugins that cities make use of.

The full effects of all this is not really well understood, which doesn't help, but the four most important bits of info here are:

• Don't use the Save and Exit to Region or Save and Quit functions, this mod helpfully disables them so you can't accidentally do so.
• Never switch focus from SC4 whilst saving is in progress, the game was not designed to support app switching.
• Never remove content from Plugins that is needed for a save file.
• It's best to avoid modifying existing Plugins that are already placed in your cities.

If you must do one of the last two, you should remove all instances of the affected content before you do anything in Plugins.

Sadly, once a savefile is corrupted, there is no way at present to repair it, so if you don't have a backup, this city might be have to be throw away.

[daderic888 216]

Hi rsc204,

Thanks for the info.

I forgot to mention that this happens when I click the save button without clicking Save and Exit to Region / Save and Quit, although rarely I do the latter.

I'll install the model which you suggested and choose Option A. Thankfully I backed up everything (including my city tiles) so I lose nothing.

Should I do a C Drive disc cleanup and/or defrag? Or should I uninstall the whole game and reinstall it?

[rsc204 21,866]

4 hours ago, daderic888 said:

Should I do a C Drive disc cleanup and/or defrag? Or should I uninstall the whole game and reinstall it?

Drive cleanup only frees space. This is only useful if your hard drive is getting full. Windows defrags drives automatically, you don’t ever need to manually run one any more. Reinstalling the game just means you’ll have to configure anything again and is very unlikely to change anything in relation on n to this problem  If you have a backup, then I’d restore from a working copy and hopefully that’s the end of the matter. 

[daderic888 216]

Hi rsc204,

Thanks for that.

One thing I noticed while playing SimCity 4 Deluxe is that when I click the Save icon (and not Save and Exit / Save and Quit), the music sounds as though it jumps back and repeats a part of the music (like a broken record) and it looks like the game freezes. The save is then not successful. This does not happen every time. Other times, it saves okay without hassle.

Would that be the savefile you're mentioning? Could it be corrupted?

I'm thinking of deleting the custom music which I put into the Program File/Maxis/Stations/Mayor folder in C Drive. The game started doing this once I put the new custom music into that folder, then putting the mod which you mentioned earlier into the Plugins folder.

Hopefully this will get rid of the problem.

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

9 hours ago, daderic888 said:

The game started doing this once I put the new custom music into that folder,

Disclaimer first: I may not know what I'm talking about.

What I wonder, however, could it be that the sample rate / data quality of the music you added is a million times better than that included with the vanilla game such that playing yours overburdens the game in a way that the original music does not?

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

@CorinaMarie makes a good point there too about the music. I know from my experience working with audio files for custom queries how they need to be set with a certain bit rate, or they play like they're in slow motion. I do notice how the standard game music is 128kbps and in MP3 format if that might be needed.

[daderic888 216]

Thanks CorinaMarie @ Cyclone Boom.

I checked the custom music and it all seems okay. The format is 128kbps in mp3 format.

The crashing still continues.

I had to uninstall SimCity 4 Deluxe and I reinstalled the same.

I copied my Plugins (exactly the same as before the crash to desktop started in the first place) which I backed up into the Documents folder on Windows 7.

The renderer is set in hardware mode. The resolution is set at 1024 x 768. The colour quality is set at 16-bit. The graphic options are set at high.

Now I can't load a single city tile from any region as it keeps crashing to desktop from the region view.

I selected the software mode, the game still crashes.

I have the 4GB patch in the plugins.

I have 8GB of RAM.

Sorry, I'm not tech savvy. What on earth do I need to do?

Any tips please?

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

For the 4GB patch, this is different than regular content. What the file does is adds a special toggle to the game's executable file, which allows it to make use of more memory than it otherwise can use. It shouldn't actually be placed in Plugins, but instead to run it and then browse to where SC4 is installed.

I found this topic which explains a bit more about it.

Also a nice short video here I came across.

Hopefully this might help prevent the crashing, but otherwise we'll have to try and narrow down the issue. For instance, it might help to test without any Plugins installed, and also another thought is with the game's command line options which might be worth experimenting with (especially the -CPUcount:1 command). No worries about not being too savvy with technical things either, and we'll take this slowly to go through with what can be worth trying next.

[daderic888 216]

Thanks Cyclone Boom.

I just binned everything that's in the Plugins folder and I ran the game. No crash to desktop took place.

There's something in the Plugins folder that's causing the crash to desktop. It's weird that the game crashes now and not before, considering that I haven't changed anything at all.

Stay tuned...........

 

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

5 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

There's something in the Plugins folder that's causing the crash to desktop.

That, ofc, is a good possibility. However, if NAM is part of what's in the temporarily removed plugins and you have the full package with RHW installed, it absolutely must have the 4 GB Patch executed properly so the game has enough available memory.

So, do the 4 GB bit then try with your plugins again.

[daderic888 216]

6 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

That, ofc, is a good possibility. However, if NAM is part of what's in the temporarily removed plugins and you have the full package with RHW installed, it absolutely must have the 4 GB Patch executed properly so the game has enough available memory.

So, do the 4 GB bit then try with your plugins again.

Thanks CorinaMarie,

I can't remember, is the 4GB patch included in the Network Addod Mod? Or is that separate?

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

1 minute ago, daderic888 said:

I can't remember, is the 4GB patch included in the Network Addod Mod? or is that separate?

It is.

And if you run the Batch file rather than the .jar file, it'll handle the process automatically (or tell you why it got upset).

[daderic888 216]

I reinstalled the latest Network Addon Mod and I included the z_NAM Controller_LHD_4GB Full.

The game is still crashing to desktop.

There's a 4gb_patch application in the NAM Auxilliary Files folder. I double click the application, my computer couldn't open executable.

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

Grrrr.

Hopefully the NAM experts will be along with useful advice.

[daderic888 216]

I'm going to try downloading the 4GB Patch and putting it into the Plugins.

Fingers crossed.......

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

3 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

putting it into the Plugins

This part I know won't help. It's not a plugin, but a program to be run.

[daderic888 216]

2 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

This part I know won't help. It's not a plugin, but a program to be run.

Oh okay, I've just downloaded it. Now to run it.

[daderic888 216]

It says Executable successfully patched. I hope that means good news.

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

5 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

It says Executable successfully patched. I hope that means good news.

That is encouraging indeed. One thing to check is the executable file (SimCity 4.exe) has a newly updated modified time. If so, it'll confirm with certainty how the patch has been correctly applied to allow the game to use more memory. There will also be a .Backup file which is a copy of the executable before the patching was attempted.

[daderic888 216]

Well, I ran the 4GB Patch, then I ran the game. It still crashes.

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

Grrrr again.

Yeah, it does sound like something in Plugins then. Btw, are you testing going into existing cities or creating a brand new one? I ask because if existing crashes and new does not, that indicates a conflict rather than a borked plugin.

[daderic888 216]

2 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

Grrrr again.

Yeah, it does sound like something in Plugins then. Btw, are you testing going into existing cities or creating a brand new one? I ask because if existing crashes and new does not, that indicates a conflict rather than a borked plugin.

I've been doing both, but it still crashes.

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

The good news is you managed to prevent crashing without Plugins installed, so the points to an issue with custom content than the game or your computer. At this stage a useful strategy is to use the binary method for identifying plugin conflicts. See the post that @A Nonny Moose wrote here for info on this. The method basically involves splitting your Plugins into halves each time. Testing the game to rule out each half, and narrowing down to identify the culprit(s) responsible.

Just a word of caution...

It's good you confirmed previously how you've made backups (which is always a wise idea). When testing using the binary search method though, it's best not saving any loaded tile in game. This can cause additional issues and corrupt city data internally, since the game doesn't index everything properly when not loading up what it expects.

[daderic888 216]

Would changing anything in the Compatibility tab in the Properties window make a difference?

[CorinaMarie 29,895]

11 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

Would changing anything in the Compatibility tab in the Properties window make a difference?

Most likely not.

Unless there is some known specific issue with your hardware, it won't help and in some cases it can make problems worse. Be leery of posts (and there are several) saying to change compatibility settings unless they explain what exact difficulty it solves. (Peeps tend to think of compatibility mode as a silver bullet and it's not.)

[daderic888 216]

Okay thanks.

I'm going through my Plugins one by one. I put everything into the Recycling Bin except for Network Addon Mod 42. Will see what's causing it. Wish me luck.

[daderic888 216]

Well, guess what. It crashed again! And it's saying SimCity 4 has stopped working.

Wow.........

Restarting my computer.........

[daderic888 216]

I've deleted everything in the Plugins folder and slowly, a few at a time, I'm putting the backup Plugins folders (say 2 or 3 at a time) into the Documents folder. So far, so good. No crashing.

[daderic888 216]

Found the culprit!

It's the Network Addon Mod 42.

Should I start a new city (I decided to get rid of the previous city in case the city save bug was still there and also I thought it was, well, okay, so I said "Meh, here goes: KABOOOOM!!!!) and I need to install the Network Addon Mod, should I start the new city and drag a road or 2, then install it? Should I install it and not select the 4GB Patch part of the installation (I think that's where the issue is)?

What's your tip?