Help please, Civ 4 won't start!

[GeneralMatt]

Hi, I had Civ 4 working fine, except I couldn't see the art/unit/leaderhead etc. files, so decuded to reinstall Civ 4 that I might get them.

Now It won't even load! It gets to that gray box where it is checking python files, xml filess etc, and then there is a error message! I have reinstalled it a few more time, but to no avail, Please help, thanks.

 

[ainwood]

Have you installed patch 1.52? If not, then you can download it and install it manually (ie - it doesn't need to be able to start to patch it).

Get it here.

 

[GeneralMatt]

Yeh, I have it, ans installed it, but it still says. "This program has performed a illegal operation and will shut down".

 

[Zydor]

Matt

Could you please post your Dxdiag - someone can then have a look at the setup you have

Regards
Zy

 

[GeneralMatt]

I am not that computer literate to know what 'Dxdiag' means, please explain?

I think it has to do woth the xml. I was playing around with the promotions xml file, but had never thought of backing it up. After finishing what I wanted to do, I thought "hey, what would it hurt" and trie dloading Civ 4 again.

It loaded, but it could not read the xml thing I changed, and since I had forgot to back it up I decided to reinstall and see if the problem is over. No fortune so I am back to square 1 again.

 

[Zydor]

Dxdiag

Start Button - click - select run - type dxdiag - press enter - wait a min - select "save all information" - then post using the 'go advanced' button below

Regards
Zy

 

[GeneralMatt]

K, thanks, I will try to get around to it, with it not being on the same computer and all.

 

[GeneralMatt]

Here you are...

I know this is win 98, but it was running fine, I do not think that is the prob.

 

[Zydor]

That xml problem would be resolved by a deinstall/reinstall, but thats not the main issue.

The hardware is considerably below spec.

You have a VIA on-board graphics chip setup, the game does not support on-board integrated graphics, you need a video card, this is the main issue. I suspect what happend is when you reloaded you loaded up V1.52. That version whilst containing essential memory fixes, also placed more load on the video card to save main system RAM for low RAM user's. You dont have a video card, so it exacerbated your problem. That main change in memory from main system RAM toVideoRAM is called "memsaver" in the ini file

C:\Documents and Settings\New User\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\CivilizationIV.ini

There is a setting in there "memsaver" set it to Figure 0 (not letter O) to turn off that RAM move (you still get other memory change benefits). However there are bound to be some other changes of a lesser nature that pointed the game more at the video card in V1.52, which you dont have.

The other main problem is Win 98, whilst it has worked before, the game does not support it and you will have increasing problems as the coders will ignore Win98 needs. Therefore performance will degrade over time as new Patches come out. Its highlylikely thats where the "illegal operation" came from, Civ IV expects Win 2000/XP not Win 98, cant be absolutely 100% certain re that specific message,but I am 90% sure.

Its definitely time for an upgrade of the PC, the setup cannot be supported by Civ IV. You might be able to get away with just a Video Card upgrade, but I could not track down your motherboard to check that. Even if it will take a mid-range card, frankly its a big risk with Win 98, I believe it would be throwing away dosh, and likely to end up still needing a PC upgrade.

Regards
Zy

 

[GeneralMatt]

OK, thanks and Oh well, thanks for the info.

 

[djemba]

Hello,
I am trying to run the game on a laptop with an onboard ATI Mobility Radeon 9600/9700 graphics card (with latest drivers) and Turkish Windows XP with Serivce Pack 2. The game is patched to 1.52. I have a similar problem.
When I try to start the game, I get an error just after "loading" screen disappears. I will try to modify the civlization4.ini file, but there are absolutely no files refferring to this path: "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\CivilizationIV.ini"
I thought the files could not be created during installation process due to the language of my operating system, so i created a folder named "My Documents" under "c:\documents and settings\All Users" and "c:\documents and settings\Default User" and so on...for every user. I uninstalled/reinstalled the game but it did not solve the problem.
So how can i achieve to create those files or could somebody mail me those files? (the ones under the folder: "\My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\") (i dont know how big those files are) or much better, is there any other solution?
Thanks...

The Error Signature by the way:

AppName: civilization4.exe
AppVer: 0.21.0.1674
ModName: ~df394b.tmp
ModVer: 0.0.0.0
Offset: 00084c9c

I can also send the error report but it is too damn long.


edit: I have found the files and it is working now. I may proceed to other problems now

 

[GeneralMatt]

I got mine working too, I just reinstalled the patch.

 

[Zydor]

Nice one Matt

Keep in mind the issues in post 9 above if you get future hassles, because the hardware will be an increasing problem for you as time goes by

Happy World Domination

Regards
Zy

 

[GeneralMatt]

Yes, thanks, I had to unitstall everything, and deleted the Civ 4 folder, (Where I had placed the patch and I was afraid that I had to redowlnload it which originaly took 3 hours).

But I found the patch again, and reinstalled it after reinstalling civ 4, works wonders.
But I am still having trouble with that "world domination" part...