any simple solution to lagging?

[Snerk]

I know there are really many threads like this but whatcha gonna do...

I play the game on a pretty deacent laptop but its lagging real bad
in late-game and its real annoying. (it didn't do so a week ago)
i've downloaded some mods and maps in case that is rellevant.
Anyway as far as i can see i have the recomended system requirements to run the game smootly,
but nooooooooo
soo... any simple no-brainer stuff i can do? things to turn off or on? people to bribe?
please read my dxdial file
ANY suggestions wanted!!

 

[Zydor]

Sounds like the MODs have corrupted your installation

Do a TOTAL purge of Civ IV so that none of it remains, then do a clean install - at least then you will be certain of starting from a known clean baseline.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=152620

When thats done go to www.ati.com and download the latest drivers.

At that point you should be back up and running.

When loading non-Firaxis MODs, as a general guide, only load one at a time. It is possible to load more than one, but you need to understand from the authors of the MODs what files get changed, else you can cause corruption by one MOD over writing part of another.

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

Sounds like the MODs have corrupted your installation

Do a TOTAL purge of Civ IV so that none of it remains, then do a clean install - at least then you will be certain of starting from a known clean baseline.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=152620

When thats done go to www.ati.com and download the latest drivers.

At that point you should be back up and running.

When loading non-Firaxis MODs, as a general guide, only load one at a time. It is possible to load more than one, but you need to understand from the authors of the MODs what files get changed, else you can cause corruption by one MOD over writing part of another.

Regards
Zy

thanks i'll give that a go.
but can you tell me precisely what to download from www.ati.com?
it didnt make all that sense to me...

thank you

 

[Zydor]

No Problem, go here to download drivers
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=293
Look for: High Speed (Cable / DSL) in the Table a bit down that page & click the red word 'download'
When downloaded, note where you stored it (it should have this file name '6-1_xp-2k_dd_ccc_wdm_enu_29602.exe' if not you got the wrong one, try again)

Then,
- Start Button - click - select settings(control panel) - select add/remove programs
- scroll to the ATI driver, remove
- it will ask to reboot after remove - say 'yes'
- halfway through the boot it will ask if it can install driver because you dont have one - say NO - refuse - dont let it
- It will then settle with a very crude 640x480 VGA setloaded - looks horrible - dont worry its fine
- navigate to where the driver you downloaded is stored and double click on the file name
- sit back let it do its thing, say yes to reboot if asked
- your done new driver set loaded.

There is a process that you can use to purge other ATI stuff - leave that for now, come back to that if needed.

Should be ok - but if not, we may try another - older - set of drivers depending on what issues you might report (with older cards sometimes an older more stable driver set works better, sort that later if needed)

Post again if still issues

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

smashing! thanks again for the thural explenation. I just hope this will fix or at least help on my oh so annoying lag problems.

 

[Snerk]

these error messages apeared during the instalasion of the new driver:

1:Video driver not found

2:Setup was unable to complete the instalasion. Try to setup your adapter with a standard VGA driver befor running setup.

So, some help please. At least how to get my old driver back?
because im now stuck with a usless screen.
(update edit: it seems my screen is back to normal after rebooting, but i still want a new driver)

Thank you

 

[Zydor]

When you install the new driver it will have asked you
1. Let me look
or
2. Point me at where the driver is

You need to select the second - click browse and point windows at where you stored it after download.

Because you let it look, it didnt find it - hence the error message

Go through the routine above again,so no bits of the now loaded windows driver is left -ie deinstall whatever is now loaded.

==========

If the above confuses you, at what part of the routine I posted did you get the error message ?

- Start Button - click - select settings(control panel) - select add/remove programs
- scroll to the ATI driver, remove
- it will ask to reboot after remove - say 'yes'
- halfway through the boot it will ask if it can install driver because you dont have one - say NO - refuse - dont let it
- It will then settle with a very crude 640x480 VGA setloaded - looks horrible - dont worry its fine
- navigate to where the driver you downloaded is stored and double click on the file name
- sit back let it do its thing, say yes to reboot if asked
- your done new driver set loaded.


Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

When you install the new driver it will have asked you
1. Let me look
or
2. Point me at where the driver is

You need to select the second - click browse and point windows at where you stored it after download.

Because you let it look, it didnt find it - hence the error message

Go through the routine above again,so no bits of the now loaded windows driver is left -ie deinstall whatever is now loaded.

Regards
Zy

Ah, you see thats the snag.
It never asks me: let me look, or point me to the new driver.
All it asks me is what destination i would like to install the new driver, and i think the destination is c:/support/ati... something.. something.
In my second try i changes the destination the folder i stored the download in but the errors still occured.
The error massages appears at the very end of the driver instalation after all the extracting and such.

So should i just give up and play pacman or something, or do you have some tricks up your sleeves?
Help much appriciated.

Thank you

 

[Snerk]

okay i think i finally managed to install the driver because it now says ati catalyst control center on the add and remove programs window. plus theres a ati ikon on my descop. However there doesnt appear to be any changes in my dxdiag but maybe there isnt suppose to be? see attachment...

anyway please post reply and inform me if the driver is correctly installed now.

Thank you

 

[asmodai]

Most drivers need to extract to a temporary directory before they start their installation routine.

 

[Zydor]

The X300 was a replacement for the 9200 series, and is a low end card. You will need to pay close attention to running low textures, lower res, minimising background programs etc. The positive side is it will run better than the 9200 (fortunately ...) but keep expectations on the level, it will work hard at running Civ IV, particularly with large & huge maps.

You now have a clean installation, so no possibility of a MOD causing issues. Give the game a go now, as you said you were getting hassles in the late game. Post any problem symptoms you get.

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

Ok i've completly reinstalled the game and downloaded and installed the driver.(i think)
But now the after the game has loaded its just a black screen except for the mouse pointer wich appears in the civ iv style.
I can hear the music perfecty but i cant see a thing. This has never happend before. Should I uninstall the driver, reinstall the game or what?
(update edit. i've tried reinstalling the game but the problem is still there)
....help!

Thank you

 

[Snerk]

...Zydor? any advise?

 

[Zydor]

Try a driver reinstall - you had problems with it so it may not have loaded properly.

However do bare in mind that your setup will have limitations as mentioned above. Its the Mobility version of Radeon graphics, which does not have a dedicated video processor. The X series are better than the old IGPs, and some are running, but you have to work at it, and there is still no guarantee that it will run properly.

Once the driver load takes properly, run through the posts dealing with reducing load on the Graphics & Main system RAM, that will give more room for it to work in

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

It seems I only installed the ATI software and not the driver in my preveious installation.
I cannot install the new driver due to the error message problem i posted earlier.
Anway i uninstalled the ATI software and reinstalled the game, and now the game is up and running at lest.
I'll try to lower the graphics and see if the lag gets any better in late-game, i just started a game with a standard map.
I would ofcourse like to get the new driver installed but it appears to be impossible.
If you got any ideas or suggestion on how i may accomplice this it would be highly appriciated.

Thank you

 

[Zydor]

Go here
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=293
(Bullet point 3 under "Notes" - look at the words "Catalyst Uninstaller" in red - click that. It will download an ATIutility that wipes away any ATI software on your disc.

Once that happens, start up the driver package you downlaoded earlier.

The driver clean will make sure that there are no bits left over from previous installs/uninstalls that mat clash with a new driver install.

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

Yes, that may just be what i need to get the driver installed properly.
However, In case it still doesnt work, will i be able to continnue running
the game on my old driver in any way?
Because I dont want to take any chances wich may lead to me not playing civ...
Anywho.. can i play the game if the new driver still wount load after a
completely remove of the install of the old driver?

Thank you

 

[Zydor]

You have to have a properly working driver loaded, the version is your choice set against what you find are the results of loading different drivers.

Usually loading uptodate drivers can resolve many issues. However, uptodate ones contain features that older cards know nothing about - and can be less stable than older drivers (still a few bugs to work out of them).

If any driver set you load does not work the way you want it, deinstall it and reload the one you want.

Regards
Zy

 

[Snerk]

Well, i downloaded the file and completly removed all ati software.
Then i ran the file with the new driver and it extracted an loaded until the end
when the same old error messages appeard and aborted the installation.
Maybe ill just give up, the driver obviously dont want to get installed.
I've played a game with low graphics to about mid-game now
and its absolutelu playable but now im starting to see some clear lag tendenses.
Any last minute advise or suggestions before i wave the white flag?

Thank you

 

[Zydor]

Looks like we will not win - it needs a video card .. the only thing left to try, is minimising the graphics load & system ram load, background apps etc - however suspect you seen the multiple posts on that by now.

Regards
Zy