HELP! Something messed up my game

[Gogf]

Well, what does this mean (anyone?):

"This program has preformed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

If the probelm persists, contact the program vendor."

Options given: "Close", and "Details>>"

Click "Details", and you get the following message below:

"CIVILIZATION3 caused an invalid page fault in
module WINMM.DLL at 017f:bfdf6633.
Registers:
EAX=00000000 CS=017f EIP=bfdf6633 EFLGS=00210a87
EBX=ff061767 SS=0187 ESP=00abfcec EBP=bff76ec4
ECX=bffa1df0 DS=0187 ESI=00000000 FS=4d7f
EDX=00000000 ES=0187 EDI=00000001 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
89 58 04 8b f0 a1 38 a1 df bf 6a 00 6a 00 89 06
Stack dump:
00000000 000004b0 02040c30 00000010 bfdf6883 00000000 00000002 00abfd28 00000004 00abfd20 018f8d67 0000001e ffffffff 018f128a 02040c30 00000001"

I first expierenced this problem trying to run Conquests, I then tried vanilla civ3 (to see if the problem was here), and boom, I got hit with this message. Anyone know what is wrong?

Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Padma]

We need a *lot* more details about the problem. When did it happen? At startup? What were you doing? What Button(s) did you click? What keys did you press? etc.

 

[Goober]

Sounds like a typical Microsoft error. For me, C3C always dies at the end of an MP game. Very annoying. But yes, more details please, but I'm gonna say it was Microsoft for now.

 

[Krayzeenbk]

Why would it be a "Microsoft error"?? If the Civ3 programmers failed to properly use the interfaces Microsoft provided, it's their fault, and not Microsoft's. It is obviously Civ3........ And therefore we need the details so we can help you figure out what's wrong with your Civ3 and whether or not it is indeed the programmer's fault, or the fault of some modder.

 

[Gogf]

Okay, sorry for the lack of details.

When I open either civ3, or conquests (I tried it first with conquests, and then check civ3 to see if that was the error), I get that standard "illegal operation" message. When I click on "details", it gives the ones I gave you. Once I click close (the only other option), it quits civ3. If I try to open it again later, I get the screenshot provided (as usual), and then the civ3 image disappears (as usual), but rather than launching the game, nothing happens, and it just dies. Oddly, when I did it this time, for the screenshot, I got the same illegal opertion message a second time. Any ideas?

 

[Gogf]

Sorry, forgot the screenshot.

 

[Moonsinger]

Gogf,

Have you been able to play Civ3 before? Is this the first time that you try Civ3 and get these error? Or you got these errors after upgrading your system or after installing new patches, etc?

 

[Gogf]

Well, I have been able to play both civ3, and conquests for a long time. I recently had my computer "cleaned." It isolated a file called "AV," and we removed some things relating to my printer. We also defragmented, but I got this error before defragmenting. On my desktop, there is a file called "Shorcut to CEC", that when I click on it, it says it can't find CEC, and I need to manually browse for it. I also installed the 1.12 patch, but I have been able to open it with the patch before. Is there a file I need called CEC? I tried reinstalling civ3, and it did nothing.

 

[Gogf]

No ideas?

 

[SuperBettaFish]

What OS are you running? Did you do any Microsoft update? I think when you had your system cleaned you have removed some vital DLL. Try to unintsall C3C, and then uninstall C3 and see if that will work. Make sure you save the games that you want first.

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Gogf
No ideas?

Don't be silly! People are full of ideas but you have to give them time to respond because most of us don't sit at this forum waiting for someone to respond to our messages.

Anyway, I think the fast and quick way to get your game back to running is to re-install vanilla Civ3 again from the beginning, then PTW/Conquests, then whatever patches you like. Obviously, your system registry may have been damage or some civ3 files or drivers are missing.

 

[Gogf]

Oh, sorry for being somewhat impatient. I tried reinstalling civ3, and conquests. Neither work now. I'll call Atari live support soon though, and post the results, in case anyone is wondering. Thanks everyone.

SuperBettaFish: Windows98

 

[Moonsinger]

Does any of your other games (that requires DirectX driver) work? If nothing is working now, you may as well reinstalling Windows, but that would be a lot of works and I do not recommend that until you have tried everything else first.

 

[Padma]

Did you do a *successful* uninstall before re-installing? That is sometimes a vital step that people forget. Uninstall C3C, then uninstall PTW (if present), then uninstall Civ3. Uninstall any patches for each version before uninstalling that version. If need be, manually delete any Civ3 file/directory structures, and clean your Registry if there were any problems uninstalling.

When your system is *totally* clean of any Civ3 stuff, then try re-installing the files and patches.

 

[Gogf]

I called in to live support, and found out my video card is too old to support DirectX9. What I don't get is how it used to work...

 

[SuperBettaFish]

What brand is your video card? How much memory and chipset? AGP or PCI?

I would say go for an ATI if you can. Only about 100 US$.

 

[Gogf]

Thanks. Well, I was actually thinking of buying a new computer, as I really need one. I have a 500 mega-hertz Windows 98. I can actually download an unsupported voodoo file from http://www.voodoofiles.com, but they're quite complicated, and unsupported, and I'd rather get a new computer anyway.

 

[Padma]

Yeah, a new comp isn't *too* terribly expensive, especially if you cando it yourself.

 

[Krayzeenbk]

Your video card being too old wouldn't cause this problem. But a new computer is always a good thing, if it's a good computer

 

[Gogf]

I have an old driver on my video card. It's a voodoo3. The company went out of business, so the only driver updates are unsupported random downloads, and I can't find any ones that are what I need. But, as everyone has said, getting a new computer is not bad.