Game locks computer when I select a menu option

from GalCiv2 Forums
While the opening animation is running and at the initial menu screen the game seems to be hanging intermitantly. It takes a few minutes to make a menu selection with the trackball. Once I make a menu selection the game displays what looks like diagonal multicolor chains at a 15 degree angle and locks up the whole computer. Therefore I have been unable to use SmartException. DirectX is up to date(9.0c) and the video drivers are freshly reinstalled (forceware93.71). This windows installation is less than a month old. I have never been able to play this game. I have been trying to run it for a day now, about a dozen attemps. Notice that my video card has 512MB of memory, I don't know if that's a factor or not. I am not experiencing any heat problems. I did install the bonus pack, not that I expected that to make any differnce. I didn't notice any differnce with it installed, same problems, no change detectable.

(Debug.err)
Debug Message: Version v1.4x last updated on: Mon Oct 23 17:43:56 2006
Debug Message: GalCiv2 is activated.
Debug Message: Checking DX Version.
Debug Message: *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 4/14/2007, 14:34:23
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
Machine Name: 8RDA3
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: NVIDIA
System Model: AWRDACPI
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Unknown CPU Typ, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.1GHz
Physical Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 360MB used, 2100MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY1
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 XT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 6800 XT
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0048&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (72Hz)
Monitor Name: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.9371
Driver Date: 10/22/2006 12:22:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes

Display device 2:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY2
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 XT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 6800 XT
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0048&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (72Hz)
Monitor Name: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.9371
Driver Date: 10/22/2006 12:22:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes



Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Realtek AC97 Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_008A&SUBSYS_100E1695&REV_A1
Manufacturer ID: 65535
Product ID: 65535
Driver Name: ALCXWDM.SYS
Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5630
Driver Date: 7/1/2004 02:49:00
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 3
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0



Debug Message: *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message: Entering WinMain
Debug Message: ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message: Going Fullscreen
Debug Message: Preparing to change display settings.
Debug Message: Using multilsample setting: D3DMULTISAMPLE_4_SAMPLES
Debug Message: Game Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Debug Message: Running fullscreen.
Debug Message: HAL (hw vp): NVIDIA GeForce 6800 XT
Debug Message: D3DPRESENT_INTERVAL_DEFAULT
Debug Message: Refresh rate: 72
Debug Message: Bit Depth: 32 bit.
Debug Message: *********Checking D3DDevice Caps***********************
Debug Message: A full-color cursor is supported in hardware at high resolution modes.
Debug Message: RGB in format 6:6:6, Masks reported as ff0000:ff00:ff
Debug Message: Now Fullscreen
Debug Message: Shell initialization complete
Debug Message: ***** Initializing Game *****
Debug Message: Timer Frequency is 0 369e99
Debug Message: Initializing sound card.
Debug Message: initailizing bink
Debug Message: Create setup screens.
Debug Message: Clear galaxy settings.
Debug Message: Clear influence.
Debug Message: Clear up laws.
Debug Message: Clear first time events.
Debug Message: Clear wonders and trade goods.
Debug Message: Clear sector mapper.
Debug Message: Set mouse.
Debug Message: Set update timer.
Debug Message: Clear data definitions.
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Dwayne.8RDA3\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.xml
Debug Message: No files found matching mask C:\Documents and Settings\Dwayne.8RDA3\My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2\ships\*.shipcfg
Debug Message: Reading Star Names
Debug Message: Reading Star Names... Done
2,877 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Processor: Unknown CPU Typ, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.1GHz

That is strange to see, since it is the first time I have ever seen it in a debug report.

It is possible that Windows did not install quite correctly. What processor is shown in Device Manager?

The problem you are experiencing sounds like a bad video card (or it could be a faulty CPU or motherboard, considering the unknown cpu type). Can you get a screen shot of it? It might help to actually see it.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The processor is an AMD mobile athlonXP barton. It was a favorite processor of overclockers a couple of years ago. The motherboard is an Epox 8rda3+pro. I have used this processor in three different motherboards w/o problems, the BIOS and windows reported the same thing in each of them. Device Manager says the same thing "Unknown CPU type". Most AMD overclockers are quiet familiar with this, the ones with any experience anyway. While I never actually trust any windows installation, this one is running well enough that I am quiet sure that it is not the problem. As for the video card, it runs Half-Life2, Half-Life2: Lost Coast, Doom3, Homeworld: Cataclysm, Civilization3, Sid Meyer's Alpha Centauri, and StarCraft w/o any problems. Lost Coast has a lot of HDR programming and this setup runs it smoothly. I'm certain that there is nothing wrong with the video card. However, the way that the game behaves before it locks up the system does seem to indicate a video card problem, from my experience. The 512MB memory size is unusual for that series of video cards. I'm running drivers straight from the Nvidia website. The video card is a Biostar sigmagate Geforce 6800XT. Perhaps the momentary/intermittant freezing is some sign of the problem, for a fraction of a second the pointer moves then for thirty or so seconds it is unresponsive. Since it locks up the whole system, it is impossible to get a screen shot. Same reason I can't get a SmartException report. The lock ups occur as soon as I select an option on the main menu, any option, with the possible exception of "Quit", I've not tried that one yet. I want the game to run, I didn't sit through all of that to just quit the game again.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It looks as if you've already tried all the standard things, about the only exception being running in windowed mode. Go to My Documents\My Games\GalCiv2, open the file prefs.ini, and change the line Fullscreen=1 to Fullscreen=0 , then save the file and start the game.

If that doesn't do it for you, bump this thread on Monday and I'll see if Cari can think of anything.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This looks idential to the problems I had when I first purchased GalCiv2. I had an EVGA 7800GS video card with 256MB ram. Turned out after researching the problem my card only supported shader version 1.0 vice 1.1. After upgrading my system my problems went away. [The clue is the no files found messages ... ]
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Running in windowed mode has let me run the game. Strange how its done that. Maybe I'll get around to playing the game sometime, as for now its taken the fun out of it for me. I'll go back to Cataclysm & Half-Life.