gwalshaw

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.

Thanks rsc204. I'm not sure about taz and Tarkus, but I only have one version (the steam version) installed as there is no need for two. My problem is that EA wants to update the Steam install (while Steam does not). It's not an issue with running the game as the Steam version works just fine with the mods and plugins I want to use with it. It just bugs my brain that the EA app populated the game into itself. The struggle to not press the update buttons is real! (But it's only when the EA app has to open for other games that I see it...) When I switched (after learning about the Origin/EA problem), I uninstalled the EA version, made sure all folders everywhere were gone (that I knew about...), and then installed steam and then the steam version. I didn't, however, turn off the computer in the middle. I might try an experiment and uninstall the Steam version and see what the EA app does with that... EDIT/UPDATE: I uninstalled the Steam version. Game disappeared from EA app. Deleted folders from My Documents and C:/program... Emptied recycle bin, and turned computer off. Turned it back on. SC4 not in EA app. Installed fresh from Steam. Not in EA app. Turned off computer, and back on. SC4 now repopulated into EA app, and it wants to update it...

I have asked EA about it, but don't know how responsive they are, either in terms of promptness or accuracy. Steam does not want to update their version. I would have to think they wouldn't like a third party trying to update their version any more than me.

But what's weird is I did uninstall the EA version. From the EA app, it points to the steam folders as the program location. Yet good that they finally fixed it? I paid $3 for the EA version that didn't work, then $25-ish for the Steam version - but it worked!

When I learned about the EA/Origin version problem, I uninstalled the EA version, and bought and installed the Steam version. A couple of days later, SimCity 4 reappeared as an installed game in the EA desktop app. I thought that was odd, but a couple days ago, the EA app says there is an update required for SC4. (Like, no?) I'm not going to press that button, but does anyone else have this? How can I remove SimCity4 from the EA launcher? There is the option to uninstall, but it points to the Steam folder and I don't want to uninstall the game. SC4 is working just fine (I only ever launch it from the desktop shortcut), so this is an EA app issue. But neither my EA account, the EA app or Steam have any settings anywhere that link from one to the other. It's weird.

It had been so long since I did a reload on a new machine, I had forgotten the 4GB patch. It's in now, so hopefully things will work better. I'll try for a few days at least and see if the problem pops up again or not. Thanks a ton!

Hi rsc204, thanks for the response. CTRL+SHIFT+ESC does not work for me (I've tried) as while the option to choose the task manager from the list is available, the window for the task manager itself cannot be accessed. When the option is chosen, I just get sent back to SC4 full screen and stuck. The task manager is open behind it, but I can't use it. I've never seen this on an earlier system, and it has not yet happened on my current system with another program. I don't use custom resolution, but I do use intro:off and CPUcount:1. I haven't tried compatibility modes, mostly because I've never had much luck with them with any program. I tried on my Windows 7 machine early on before I found out about the single processor issue. Around 2017 or 18, I stopped looking for new plugins. I was content with what I had, trusted them to work, and my only CTD issues were from accidentally hovering puzzle pieces over transit-enabled lots. When encountering CTD issues on Windows 11, I came back here and learned about the Origin/EA version problem. But then, since I was back here (and couldn't remember username/password, thus new account) I picked up a couple new things from the last few years. And then a few more. And why not just add a few extra nice-looking things? So, it could be a plugin conflict, but I would expect either CTD or texture-only lots instead of freezing. I might go back to my old plugin set and try a different region. If the issue still happens, it's not the new plugins

Hi All, I've encountered a strange problem I have not encountered on earlier machines/operating systems. Currently running the Steam version on Windows11. Instead of a CTD, the game freezes and is stuck. In-game music will continue to play, but might only be a small section of the music file. (I thought of it just now, but I cannot remember if automata continued to move or not...) It is not possible to use shortcuts or access the task manager to close the application. Physically turning off the computer just puts it to sleep, but when it comes back on, I get returned to my stuck city. It has happened three times, all in different cities. In the first one, I was testing a bunch of items by plopping them. I started to scroll the screen down a row, and it got stuck. The second one, about a week ago, happened when I zoomed out after plopping a park of some kind (I think a re-lot of a Maxis park). The latest one, today, happened after a save - the save did happen properly, but the game froze on the pop-up box telling me that. The solution is that if I press the Windows key on my keyboard, I can access the power options and restart the system - closing all programs in the process. Prior to windows 11 machines, I was running CD copies of the deluxe version on Windows 7 for years. I couldn't find anything similar, but apologies if this is an issue everybody has seen since Windows 8 and I'm just late to the party...

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...)

My power-sharing strategy: build some of the large nuclear power plants in strategic places. These power cities (often with large landfills as well) will send power to immediate neighbours, maybe 3-5, avoiding the challenges of chaining deals from City 1 to City 2 to City 3. Typically, I initiate a power deal from the supply city to empty neighbours, and then start building those empty neighbours. The problem: One city on a large tile has demand (can't build without more power), but can't increase the power deal beyond 3,000 MWh even though the supply city has capacity to sell in the 10s of thousands. A different large tile can happily buy 30k off of a different supply city in the same region. Anybody else encounter this quirk and have a way to get around it?

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.