SimCity 4 crashes and takes me to desktop

[City_Train_Lover 3]

Hello, IM new to the SimCity forums, I have an issue with SimCity 4, the game crashes back to desktop when my city starts getting cars and houses, the only way i can still play is by hitting the save button every minute.

i make the game run at 1080p and I use a launcher, and i used a no cd patch which didnt cause the issue,

I am using a RTX 3060 TI and it can run sims 3 with all expansions and city skylines, but not SimCity 4

 

I have set the CPU core to 1 in the SC4 launcher but the game likes to crash 

any help is appreciated! and God Bless the queen (since its jubilee) 

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Hi @SimCity Bus Lover and welcome to Simtropolis.

One thing to check firstly is whether you've added the -CPUcount:1 parameter to the game's launch options. Since you say about using a launcher tool, this should have the ability to enable this setting, which then allows the game to run on a single processor core. This is known to help improve stability and prevent random crashes.

Another possibility is it might be a rendering issue, and so worth toggling between Hardware and Software rendering (try each to see). Preferably the game is best run in Hardware mode which utilises the power of your GPU itself. Also make sure to apply the 4GB Patch onto your game's executable as well (as required for the NAM). No need to download this separately if installing the NAM since it comes bundled with the installation itself, and is applied when running the .bat file script.

Now just a little thing to mention on the subject of "no CD patches" and their use...

These aren't endorsed by the community, and may even cause instabilities with the game. We know you have valid intentions, so it's just we can't discuss them here at ST understandably. For this reason we recommend the GOG digital version of SC4 Deluxe as the most assured compatible version on all Windows systems.

[Ulisse Wolf 4,444]

6 hours ago, SimCity Bus Lover said:

Hello, IM new to the SimCity forums, I have an issue with SimCity 4, the game crashes back to desktop when my city starts getting cars and houses, the only way i can still play is by hitting the save button every minute.

i make the game run at 1080p and I use a launcher, and i used a no cd patch which didnt cause the issue,

I am using a RTX 3060 TI and it can run sims 3 with all expansions and city skylines, but not SimCity 4

 

I have set the CPU core to 1 in the SC4 launcher but the game likes to crash 

any help is appreciated! and God Bless the queen (since its jubilee) 

First of all, it is not recommended to use NO CD Patch as it makes things more unstable and NAM Team does not provide support for pirated versions of SC4. I recommend that you purchase the SC4 version on GOG or Steam.

 

I advise you to use this launcher to set the correct parameters of SC4 (CPU Count: 1 Directx render mode etc ...)

Since you are using a video card that did not come out when SC4 came out we have to change a few things. If you have a screen with a higher resolution at 1920x1080 we must install a wrapper. I advise you to follow this guide.

Also I noticed that we can increase stability using this program

https://www.simsnetwork.com/tools/graphics-rules-maker

This program allows you to add here vestments that increase the graphic quality and compatibility of SC4 with modern video cards. (Perform this procedure after you have installed dgvoodoo 2!)

Be sure to use the 4GB patch if you want to use NAM with the full controller. 

Anyway. Many of these problems seem to be attributable to the use of the NO CD Patch (Also because if I remember correctly with modern systems these patches do not work when Widnows 10 and 11 no longer have the support files of DRM SafeDisc and therefore these NO CD Patches do not work). I recommend you buy SC4 on GOG or Steam

[City_Train_Lover 3]

@Cyclone Boom  I understand, its not a pirated game, I bought it off, amazon

 

my question why does my game keeping crashing when the game spawns cars and buildings all at once?

 

when i save my game, it plays for a minute then dies so every second it dies, im also using a launcher

I have never ever pirated a game, i do not have the heart to do it

 

any help is appreciated 

[City_Train_Lover 3]

@ulisse i have graphics rule maker but it aborts itself because its already patched and i only need the rule maker if im installing sims 2 or 3 on a new pc which is way off into the future

 

it seems like a waste of money if the game dont work

I could use a virtual machine but im not  tech savy in that area 

I  get that you guys are against patches but I got the LEGIT game off amazon on disc and steam is not an option

[Ulisse Wolf 4,444]

3 hours ago, SimCity Bus Lover said:

@ulisse i have graphics rule maker but it aborts itself because its already patched and i only need the rule maker if im installing sims 2 or 3 on a new pc which is way off into the future

 

it seems like a waste of money if the game dont work

I could use a virtual machine but im not  tech savy in that area 

I  get that you guys are against patches but I got the LEGIT game off amazon on disc and steam is not an option

I noticed that Microsoft is combining a mess with permissions. To use the program correctly you need to launch it in "Run as administrator" mode. Once done, you can make the changes to the graphics and video card files.

Most likely these permission issues are creating problems with the 4GB patch. So I recommend that you always run it in "Run as Administrator" mode

The game works well but since you are using the CD version with an operating system that the safedisc DLL files are missing and therefore it is strongly recommended to switch to the digital version as it saves a lot of problems and using NO CD Patch which are most likely causing problems (Although there are problems on windows permissions). Obviously it is difficult to diagnose the problem as you are using the NO CD Patch which as already mentioned can cause instability. If it scares you with the price of SC4 on Steam I remind you that now on GOG SC4 it is discounted by 75% while on key sites like G2A you can find it at 2 dollars.

[City_Train_Lover 3]

@ulisse i did run as admin

[rsc204 21,857]

On 6/5/2022 at 12:43 PM, Cyclone Boom said:

Now just a little thing to mention on the subject of "no CD patches" and their use...

On 6/5/2022 at 8:30 AM, SimCity Bus Lover said:

...and i used a no cd patch which didnt cause the issue,

How can you know the No CD patch isn't part of the problem?, ultimately this is a modified .exe from an unknown source. Even with that aside, the frank reality is that if you use such a modified .exe, you may be effectively running an unpatched copy of SC4 without even realising it. There are some nasty bugs that were fixed by Maxis a long time ago, which require you have the EP1 patch installed. Likewise, I know for certain no-one using such a setup can see nitelights on custom buildings, because none of these 'patches' ever included the 1.640 or NiteLite patch. Since part of the EP1 patch (only part of it, it updates many core files), includes an updated .exe there is a good chance even if you have that, you are missing the other updates. You won't be able to install the EP1 patch either with a modified .exe present, it might look like it, but if you check the log you'll see nothing actually gets updated when it fails the security check.

If you're stuck with Windows 10/11, wait for a sale at GoG and just pay the £5 needed for a digital copy. It's the only DRM-Free edition of SC4 that was ever on sale, so it's the last time you'll ever need buy a copy of the game at least. Side-point, generally speaking I get it this all sucks and you shouldn't have to re-buy your games to keep playing them, but specifically in the case of SC4, it's just the path of least resistance. In your case you've been sold a copy that literally can not work (legitimately) under Windows 10/11, then again I doubt when you bought it, it would have stated it worked under Windows 10 in the description. If it did you are surely entitled to your money back, but essentially the last new pressing of SC4 disks was around 2012 in the run up to the launch of SimCity (2013), the game is older still. For as long as there have been PCs, when buying an older game, it will often require you to jump through some hoops to use it on new systems it was never intended to work on. But the removal of the drivers from Windows needed to validate the disc as genuine, have turned thousands of titles from around that time, not just SC4, into coasters, unless you run an older version of Windows. Note even Win7 and 8 versions were patched by MS to block the same drivers, although in those cases there are workarounds.

On 6/5/2022 at 2:59 PM, ulisse said:

I advise you to use this launcher to set the correct parameters of SC4 (CPU Count: 1 Directx render mode etc ...)

Since you are using a video card that did not come out when SC4 came out we have to change a few things. If you have a screen with a higher resolution at 1920x1080 we must install a wrapper. I advise you to follow this guide.

Also I noticed that we can increase stability using this program

https://www.simsnetwork.com/tools/graphics-rules-maker

This program allows you to add here vestments that increase the graphic quality and compatibility of SC4 with modern video cards. (Perform this procedure after you have installed dgvoodoo 2!)

Be sure to use the 4GB patch if you want to use NAM with the full controller. 

Anyway. Many of these problems seem to be attributable to the use of the NO CD Patch (Also because if I remember correctly with modern systems these patches do not work when Widnows 10 and 11 no longer have the support files of DRM SafeDisc and therefore these NO CD Patches do not work). I recommend you buy SC4 on GOG or Steam

Looking at your problem, either you've a pretty severe incompatibility issue or perhaps are suffering from a bug which patched users have long since forgotten about.

• Enable Windows XP compatibility mode for SC4.
  If switching this on doesn't solve the problem, switch it off again thereafter.
• Check if switching to Software rendering fixes the general instability.
  If it does, that tells us the problem is likely to be related to your graphics, SC4 requires legacy DX7 modes to work and that means full DX9 compatibility, something already missing with earlier NVidia cards than yours. In such cases, using a DXWrapper should resolve these issues to allow DirectX (Hardware) rendering to work for you, which is the ideal setup for playing. If this makes no difference though, you can be fairly sure your problem lies elsewhere, possibly some conflicting software.
• Make sure any security software isn't preventing the game from functioning properly
  #1 on the list of apps that prevent other apps from working is security software like Anti-Virus/Internet Safety related utilities. First step is to disable any such software and see if that fixes your problem, if this is the case you'll need to whitelist SC4 or otherwise prevent the software from interfering with the game.
• Disable as many background processes and applications as you can to ensure there are no conflicting apps/processes.
  Ideally you want to clean-boot your system, close everything in the System Tray and run the game to start with. But if you are suffering from a conflict, i.e. some other piece of software doing something that interferes with the smooth operation of SC4, you need to get progressively more drastic with how 'minimal' your OS runs. The basic idea here is to run a leaner and leaner system until the problem goes away, at which point you have to use trial and error to work out which specific apps/processes are behind the problem. This can be a bit time-consuming and requires some knowledge of Windows, you can use MSConfig to temporarily limit what starts when your machine does, this OS App includes options for Diagnostic and Selective startup. The first of those is a good catch-all to see if disabling all non-essential services resolves the issue, but it's also possible going to such an extreme might prevent the game from starting, really depends on your system. Selective Startup gives you more control here, but at least when you are done testing things, you can return to the previous settings (Normal startup) very easily.

On 6/5/2022 at 2:59 PM, ulisse said:

I advise you to use this launcher to set the correct parameters of SC4 (CPU Count: 1 Directx render mode etc ...)

Since you are using a video card that did not come out when SC4 came out we have to change a few things. If you have a screen with a higher resolution at 1920x1080 we must install a wrapper. I advise you to follow this guide.

Also I noticed that we can increase stability using this program

https://www.simsnetwork.com/tools/graphics-rules-maker

This program allows you to add here vestments that increase the graphic quality and compatibility of SC4 with modern video cards. (Perform this procedure after you have installed dgvoodoo 2!)

The launcher won't be any different than manually adding the commands, DirectX is the default rendering mode and can also be changed in-game. If you want to use a launcher, that's your business but for the most part it's just a different way of doing things, it's not aiding compatibility.

Not using a VideoCard that came out when SC4 did has nothing to do with whether or not you need to change things. In fact for many years, the game continued to correctly detect and setup most NVidia systems, less so for ATI users. You can quickly check the -Config-Log.txt file (in the Apps dir of the install folder) to see if your card has been correctly detected and usually most importantly, if 'Fast Card' mode has been activated. If you need a Wrapper for a higher resolution or to bridge compatibility, fine they are a wonderful option that didn't exist a few years ago. But if you don't explicitly need one, then I wouldn't use one because there are drawbacks not least the additional system overhead they require.

[City_Train_Lover 3]

@rsc204 Im going to give this another shot

 

so the games seems to crash everytime a city has lots of cars and sims at once (even at zero population)

 

i have built cities but they have all zero population thanks to the stupid windows updates

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

5 hours ago, SimCity Bus Lover said:

so the games seems to crash everytime a city has lots of cars and sims at once (even at zero population)

Do you by any chance have custom content automata and then also use automata blockers with them?

I ask because I was messing around with automata once and everything was fine except when I had an army base in a city tile. The blocker I was using did something odd (I forget the details as it's been long, long ago) which would only crash when said army base wanted to spawn it's military trucks.

[City_Train_Lover 3]

On 27/06/2022 at 11:01 PM, CorinaMarie said:

Do you by any chance have custom content automata and then also use automata blockers with them?

I ask because I was messing around with automata once and everything was fine except when I had an army base in a city tile. The blocker I was using did something odd (I forget the details as it's been long, long ago) which would only crash when said army base wanted to spawn it's military trucks.

no, i have not installed anything, just the deluxe edition and a launcher,  the difference is when i start getting cars in my city, the game begins to crash

 

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

4 hours ago, SimCity Bus Lover said:

no, i have not installed anything, just the deluxe edition and a launcher,  the difference is when i start getting cars in my city, the game begins to crash

Grrr. it sounds like a problem with some building having an Automata Occupant Groups entry which doesn't have the corresponding Lua code for said Automata. (I've caused that kind of CTD myself while modding and then corrected it when I realized what I messed up.)

In your case with no custom content of any kind, I'm perplexed and don't know what to suggest. Hopefully our experts will have a more useful answer.

[City_Train_Lover 3]

@CorinaMarie    I idk what to do, like i dont have enough room to have a old computer to play old windows games

[City_Train_Lover 3]

On 15/06/2022 at 4:50 PM, rsc204 said:

How can you know the No CD patch isn't part of the problem?, ultimately this is a modified .exe from an unknown source. Even with that aside, the frank reality is that if you use such a modified .exe, you may be effectively running an unpatched copy of SC4 without even realising it. There are some nasty bugs that were fixed by Maxis a long time ago, which require you have the EP1 patch installed. Likewise, I know for certain no-one using such a setup can see nitelights on custom buildings, because none of these 'patches' ever included the 1.640 or NiteLite patch. Since part of the EP1 patch (only part of it, it updates many core files), includes an updated .exe there is a good chance even if you have that, you are missing the other updates. You won't be able to install the EP1 patch either with a modified .exe present, it might look like it, but if you check the log you'll see nothing actually gets updated when it fails the security check.

If you're stuck with Windows 10/11, wait for a sale at GoG and just pay the £5 needed for a digital copy. It's the only DRM-Free edition of SC4 that was ever on sale, so it's the last time you'll ever need buy a copy of the game at least. Side-point, generally speaking I get it this all sucks and you shouldn't have to re-buy your games to keep playing them, but specifically in the case of SC4, it's just the path of least resistance. In your case you've been sold a copy that literally can not work (legitimately) under Windows 10/11, then again I doubt when you bought it, it would have stated it worked under Windows 10 in the description. If it did you are surely entitled to your money back, but essentially the last new pressing of SC4 disks was around 2012 in the run up to the launch of SimCity (2013), the game is older still. For as long as there have been PCs, when buying an older game, it will often require you to jump through some hoops to use it on new systems it was never intended to work on. But the removal of the drivers from Windows needed to validate the disc as genuine, have turned thousands of titles from around that time, not just SC4, into coasters, unless you run an older version of Windows. Note even Win7 and 8 versions were patched by MS to block the same drivers, although in those cases there are workarounds.

Looking at your problem, either you've a pretty severe incompatibility issue or perhaps are suffering from a bug which patched users have long since forgotten about.

• Enable Windows XP compatibility mode for SC4.
  If switching this on doesn't solve the problem, switch it off again thereafter.
• Check if switching to Software rendering fixes the general instability.
  If it does, that tells us the problem is likely to be related to your graphics, SC4 requires legacy DX7 modes to work and that means full DX9 compatibility, something already missing with earlier NVidia cards than yours. In such cases, using a DXWrapper should resolve these issues to allow DirectX (Hardware) rendering to work for you, which is the ideal setup for playing. If this makes no difference though, you can be fairly sure your problem lies elsewhere, possibly some conflicting software.
• Make sure any security software isn't preventing the game from functioning properly
  #1 on the list of apps that prevent other apps from working is security software like Anti-Virus/Internet Safety related utilities. First step is to disable any such software and see if that fixes your problem, if this is the case you'll need to whitelist SC4 or otherwise prevent the software from interfering with the game.
• Disable as many background processes and applications as you can to ensure there are no conflicting apps/processes.
  Ideally you want to clean-boot your system, close everything in the System Tray and run the game to start with. But if you are suffering from a conflict, i.e. some other piece of software doing something that interferes with the smooth operation of SC4, you need to get progressively more drastic with how 'minimal' your OS runs. The basic idea here is to run a leaner and leaner system until the problem goes away, at which point you have to use trial and error to work out which specific apps/processes are behind the problem. This can be a bit time-consuming and requires some knowledge of Windows, you can use MSConfig to temporarily limit what starts when your machine does, this OS App includes options for Diagnostic and Selective startup. The first of those is a good catch-all to see if disabling all non-essential services resolves the issue, but it's also possible going to such an extreme might prevent the game from starting, really depends on your system. Selective Startup gives you more control here, but at least when you are done testing things, you can return to the previous settings (Normal startup) very easily.

The launcher won't be any different than manually adding the commands, DirectX is the default rendering mode and can also be changed in-game. If you want to use a launcher, that's your business but for the most part it's just a different way of doing things, it's not aiding compatibility.

Not using a VideoCard that came out when SC4 did has nothing to do with whether or not you need to change things. In fact for many years, the game continued to correctly detect and setup most NVidia systems, less so for ATI users. You can quickly check the -Config-Log.txt file (in the Apps dir of the install folder) to see if your card has been correctly detected and usually most importantly, if 'Fast Card' mode has been activated. If you need a Wrapper for a higher resolution or to bridge compatibility, fine they are a wonderful option that didn't exist a few years ago. But if you don't explicitly need one, then I wouldn't use one because there are drawbacks not least the additional system overhead they require.

I have tried, Wrappers, Patches, downloaded every update possible and the game seems to crash every time a get a car in my city, this is getting ridiculous, steam or any digital store aint and option and its hard to find a old windows xp computer in my area with decent specs. 

[City_Train_Lover 3]

UPDATE

 

THE GAME FINALLY WORKS

 

I USED A PATCH THAT WAS COMAPTIBLE WITH MY VERSION AND IT RUNS WELL 

 

Now i gotta install a mod which gives me a big population fast 

also do u guys have city skyline mods?

[gwalshaw 6]

Hi All,

I had to start a new account as I can't remember username or even what email I originally used - let that be a lesson to others: don't go 5 or 6 years without logging in! 

Anyway, my old computer died, and getting a new one, then trying to resurrect the old one, and then getting a better new one was a year-long saga of trying to get SimCity4 to work again. 

So thankful that this site is still around and active. I had to switch from old CD version to a download version to work on Windows 11. But kept getting CTD, couldn't isolate the cause. Until someone pointed out the EA/Origin version problem. I'd spent only $3 on this, so having to buy a Steam version on top wasn't too awful. 

So far, no CTD on the Steam version, but it's early days...  However, I did notice that the -Intro:off command now works (it didn't with the EA version), which gives me some confidence that the -CPUCount:1 command is also working. 

[gwalshaw 6]

So, after getting the right download version of SC4, I've got the game working on a Windows 11 machine. Generally, things are good. I am getting some CTD now and then, so getting in the habit of saving frequently (don't have the save alarm mod, so sometimes I forget...)

But now, one city in the region is giving me a CTD when I try to save it. Not every time I save, but if it is going to crash, it does so while trying to save itself. I did get some ne plugins recently. I tested them for function and dependencies, but didn't give them a thorough test for compatibility. So, I can try deleting ones I suspect (but they're in a few cities now, can I find them all?) and remove the plugin and see if that resolves the problem. But I would think a plugin conflict is going to be more of an issue for loading or running a city rather than saving it. 

The city that crashes on save has not crashed otherwise. And other cities do not crash on save...yet. Should I be looking for something other than a plugin conflict? (I'm remembering now why I stopped getting new plugins around 2016/17...)

[noonan2112 45]

On 12/16/2022 at 11:49 AM, City_Train_Lover said:

UPDATE

 

THE GAME FINALLY WORKS

 

I USED A PATCH THAT WAS COMAPTIBLE WITH MY VERSION AND IT RUNS WELL 

 

Now i gotta install a mod which gives me a big population fast 

also do u guys have city skyline mods?

Could you share more details on the patch you found?  I am on the CTD struggle bus with SimCity 4 purchased from EA.

[noonan2112 45]

On 3/22/2023 at 6:31 AM, gwalshaw said:

So, after getting the right download version of SC4, I've got the game working on a Windows 11 machine. Generally, things are good. I am getting some CTD now and then, so getting in the habit of saving frequently (don't have the save alarm mod, so sometimes I forget...)

But now, one city in the region is giving me a CTD when I try to save it. Not every time I save, but if it is going to crash, it does so while trying to save itself. I did get some ne plugins recently. I tested them for function and dependencies, but didn't give them a thorough test for compatibility. So, I can try deleting ones I suspect (but they're in a few cities now, can I find them all?) and remove the plugin and see if that resolves the problem. But I would think a plugin conflict is going to be more of an issue for loading or running a city rather than saving it. 

The city that crashes on save has not crashed otherwise. And other cities do not crash on save...yet. Should I be looking for something other than a plugin conflict? (I'm remembering now why I stopped getting new plugins around 2016/17...)

Also on Windows 11 with a brand new PC!  SimCity 4 purchased from EA will always crash to the desktop no mater what I try.  -CPUCount:1 | Graphics Editor | 4GB Patch | NAM | SC4 Launcher, etc.  It's been a week of this and nothing works - ugh!!!  

[Ulisse Wolf 4,444]

10 hours ago, noonan2112 said:

Also on Windows 11 with a brand new PC!  SimCity 4 purchased from EA will always crash to the desktop no mater what I try.  -CPUCount:1 | Graphics Editor | 4GB Patch | NAM | SC4 Launcher, etc.  It's been a week of this and nothing works - ugh!!!  

Follow this guide on how to set SC4 correctly

 

 

[noonan2112 45]

7 hours ago, Ulisse Wolf said:

Follow this guide on how to set SC4 correctly

 

 

Thank you for the reply, I really appreciate the instructions.  After going through each step carefully, I was unsuccessful.  Still getting CTD every time I click on a city tile.

[Ulisse Wolf 4,444]

1 hour ago, noonan2112 said:

Thank you for the reply, I really appreciate the instructions.  After going through each step carefully, I was unsuccessful.  Still getting CTD every time I click on a city tile.

It seems that the 4GB patch has not been applied correctly. Apply manually

 

 

[noonan2112 45]

6 hours ago, Ulisse Wolf said:

It seems that the 4GB patch has not been applied correctly. Apply manually

 

 

This did it!  Thank you so much Ulisse Wolf!  If I could, I'd buy you a beer.  Much appreciated!!!

[gwalshaw 6]

On 7/21/2023 at 11:53 PM, noonan2112 said:

Also on Windows 11 with a brand new PC!  SimCity 4 purchased from EA will always crash to the desktop no mater what I try.  -CPUCount:1 | Graphics Editor | 4GB Patch | NAM | SC4 Launcher, etc.  It's been a week of this and nothing works - ugh!!!  

Sounds like noonan2112 got it working, but I'm not convinced that command line instructions work when launching through the EA app. The -intro:off command, for example, works on the Steam version, but on the EA version (even the new one), I still end up with the intro, which gives me doubts that it is following the CPUcount command or others.

[noonan2112 45]

On 7/25/2023 at 10:23 AM, gwalshaw said:

Sounds like noonan2112 got it working, but I'm not convinced that command line instructions work when launching through the EA app. The -intro:off command, for example, works on the Steam version, but on the EA version (even the new one), I still end up with the intro, which gives me doubts that it is following the CPUcount command or others.

Downloading the SC4 Launcher application was the key for the intro to be turned off.  I also had issues with the video playing even after inputting the -intro:off command in the EA dashboard.  The big difference for me was applying the 4GB patch to the correct game file.  I had it installed but never selected the SC4 .exe file.  In the video Ulisse Wolf posted above, it begins at the 5 minute and 39 second mark.

[cc3649 39]

I have the same issues and tried the same, but it often crashes anyway. I just save frequently and accept it until I can figure out solutions, knowing it is a 20 year old game made for Windows XP, not Windows 11.

[noonan2112 45]

On 7/29/2023 at 12:31 AM, cc3649 said:

I have the same issues and tried the same, but it often crashes anyway. I just save frequently and accept it until I can figure out solutions, knowing it is a 20 year old game made for Windows XP, not Windows 11.

Don't give up!  I know how frustrating it can be.  Mine is working like a charm after so many tries at this.  Send me a DM and we can coordinate a Zoom call to get it working for ya!

[rsc204 21,857]

Indeed, over the years many people give up assuming the game can't be reliable but the simple fact is that it's just a matter of configuring things correctly. It is imperative that SC4 be set to use only one core of your CPU via the -CPUCount:1 command, it's also super-easy to verify if this is working or not. Whilst running SC4, bring up the Task Manager window, find the SimCity4 (Application), right click on it and click Set Affinity. This brings up a box showing every available (CPU) core your system has, if more than one box here is ticked, then certainly the above command isn't being enacted correctly.

There are of course other issues that can cause random CTDs, but even those are fixable, however it requires going through a step-by-step process of checking different configuration changes. Many folks expect a simple, do X and it will fix it, but in more complex scenarios, it requires a bit of perseverance to resolve whatever compatibility issue is behind the CTDs. There is no general Windows 11 issue, just like there never was with any previous edition of Windows. More typically it's something to do with your modern hardware or other software on your machine and it's just a case of figuring out what and enacting whatever compatibility modes/settings are needed to prevent the issue.

[cc3649 39]

I'll look through all the suggestions to see if it works out well. I hadn't previously played the game since about 2009.

[kate25x 0]

Sorry to jump on a old thread... I'm looking for a bit of help getting SC4 to play for me. 

Using Windows 10 and it worked perfectly on this same PC around 2 years ago but the PC has been in storage while I moved. Recently set it back up and have tried to play SC4 but to no avail. Have tried the following things: 

- Changed the launch options on EA app 

- Downloaded SC4 installer and followed a Youtube vid to change the settings. The game now loads and gets to the first region screen but crashes after around 10/15 seconds every time, no matter what setting I try. 

- Repurchased SC4 on GOG (uninstalled EA version and replaced with new purchase)

- Downloaded NAM installer and 4G patch - also manually applied the patch using the video in the link above. Same thing is happening - game will load and open successfully with a few different settings, mouse will move and I can select a city to play (I even got one to open really quickly) but the game crashes before 30 seconds every time. 

I'm stuck! Followed all the instructions I can find.