new terran.exe problem thread...just because

[ClamBoy]

Mostly because I just want to whine about it, I started another "can't get it to run thread". I get the good 'ol "terran.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." message.

I've done fresh installs, patching, the 2000/XP compatabilty patch. Can't get it to run so there's nothing in the .ini file to edit. Searched all over, tried the apolyton solutions and others. Brand new laptop running Civ IV just fine. Bummer.

What's worse is that SMAC taunts me... it runs on my desktop downstairs which is on XP SP2. Sigh. I sooooo want it to run.

 

[Maitreya]

Hi,
unfortunatly i don't have a solution to your problem since i am having a similar issue
Last year i was playing SMAC on this very laptop, with the same drivers (with SP1 though) and now, i can't get it to run. It installs fines, gives me the same error i can't read as it used to do, clicking left button crashes terran.exe, right button exits. I use the win2k/xp patch, run it again, i get the CPU not supported crap, click ok, it dies to generic windows error as Sir above me mentioned. The Vexel algo switched to 1 in the ini file also doesn't fix this, i get the very same results with/without. Forcing the video mode in the ini to 1024 (same as desktop) doesn't work either. Setting desktop to 16bit color didn't work either. Trying a shortcut with compability mode to WIN98/ME failed as well (does this even work at times?) This is getting annoying, such a good game... used to run on the same pc too ...

Only difference i see with when it was working a year ago, was that i use SP2 now instead of SP1.....

 

[ClamBoy]

Hi,
unfortunatly i don't have a solution to your problem since i am having a similar issue
Last year i was playing SMAC on this very laptop, with the same drivers (with SP1 though) and now, i can't get it to run. It installs fines, gives me the same error i can't read as it used to do, clicking left button crashes terran.exe, right button exits. I use the win2k/xp patch, run it again, i get the CPU not supported crap, click ok, it dies to generic windows error as Sir above me mentioned. The Vexel algo switched to 1 in the ini file also doesn't fix this, i get the very same results with/without. Forcing the video mode in the ini to 1024 (same as desktop) doesn't work either. Setting desktop to 16bit color didn't work either. Trying a shortcut with compability mode to WIN98/ME failed as well (does this even work at times?) This is getting annoying, such a good game... used to run on the same pc too ...

Only difference i see with when it was working a year ago, was that i use SP2 now instead of SP1.....

On my desktop, SMAC was installed before I updated to SP2. Perhaps all that's needed is tweak to the 2000/XP compatability patch. Might have to send an e-mail to Firaxis, just to see if there's anything else to try. I did do the "send error report" thing and I'm going to keep doing that. Not that I really expect anything from Microsoft in this case. I recall one time I did that and was presented with a solution page. Fingers crossed.

Who knows... perhaps, there's some hope yet.

 

[Maitreya]

On my desktop, SMAC was installed before I updated to SP2. Perhaps all that's needed is tweak to the 2000/XP compatability patch. Might have to send an e-mail to Firaxis, just to see if there's anything else to try. I did do the "send error report" thing and I'm going to keep doing that. Not that I really expect anything from Microsoft in this case. I recall one time I did that and was presented with a solution page. Fingers crossed.

Who knows... perhaps, there's some hope yet.

Unfortunatly, i doubt microsoft or firaxis will do anything. This game is already 6 years old. My drivers on my notebook were always pretty dodgy and my video card is rather crappy (Radeon Mobility 7500). I've had quite a few problems with her under linux... I'm due for a clean format soon, might want to do that and keep SP1 for a while? I'll keep an eye up.

 

[Maitreya]

Bad news, i reinstalled winxp, it also fails with my most latest drivers on SP1. I now have _NO_ idea what my box setup was when i had SMAC working >_<

I tried everything again, all the hooks and loops. Even tried setting desktop resolution to 640x480x8bit (256 colors) in vain...

It appears we have no hope.

 

[Meatbuster]

You're wrong. There is something in the ini file to edit.

Hi,

Look in the folder C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (default install path), you'll see a file called 'Alpha Centauri.ini'. Open this with Notepad or whatever and change the line that says 'ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=0' to ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1 then save the newly modded file.

You should then find that the game will work. It's a well known 'bug'.

Incidentally you'll probably find that despite changing this line, you'll still get the message but click OK and the game should start.

There's more details in the FAQ over at Apolyton here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143989

You may also need to set the line EAX=1 to EAX=0 if you have a Soundblaster card to prevent other crashes (I did).

HTH

 

[The Person]

Strange that SP2 should be the cause. I run SP2 and play SMAC without any trouble (except that damn "CPU not supported error", which I just ignore).

 

[ClamBoy]

You're wrong. There is something in the ini file to edit.

Not wrong. The file is empty. I've even tried adding the line based on the install on my desktop, but that didn't work either.

 

[ClamBoy]

Strange that SP2 should be the cause. I run SP2 and play SMAC without any trouble (except that damn "CPU not supported error", which I just ignore).

That's what has me baffled. Must be a hardware or driver thing.

 

[The Person]

Not wrong. The file is empty. I've even tried adding the line based on the install on my desktop, but that didn't work either.

What line have you tried to add?

 

[ClamBoy]

What line have you tried to add?

The:

"[PREFERENCES]
ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1"

section.

I've even tried backing up the .ini file from my working install on my desktop (with the change above). No joy. The game is still active on the EA support site. Today I e-mail them.

 

[The Person]

You haven't tried this?

You may also need to set the line EAX=1 to EAX=0 if you have a Soundblaster card to prevent other crashes (I did).

 

[ClamBoy]

You haven't tried this?

Tried that and the DS3D (or whatever that line is) = 0.

It's a brand new laptop which leads me to the hardware conclusion. I still haven't contacted EA yet. But since they still have it available in retail bundles, support should still exist.

 

[The Person]

Well, I can't help you any further, as my game runs fine (even on my laptop) with just the "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1" line. Sorry.

 

[ClamBoy]

Well, I can't help you any further, as my game runs fine (even on my laptop) with just the "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1" line. Sorry.

I appreciate it just the same. Thanks.

I've e-mailed EA for support as it still shows on their support site. We'll see how that goes. I'll post their reply.

 

[MisterAdo]

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=157764

 

[Pauss]

hello

i encouter a similar problem. after 200 turns or so the ai makes some move that crashes the game in the very well known 'terran.exe has encountered problems'. the most recent is a peacekeeper needlejet attack on my rover.

i've read the forum and did all the alphacentauri.ini changes, installed both the xp compatibility 1.03 and the 4.0 patch, i have just the regular smac.

win xp pro, pentium m (laptop) 1300 mhz, radeon 7500.

what i've done is edited the alpha.txt as i like my planet to be big. i've edited the worldbuilder like this

http://www.geocities.com/pauss_it/world.html

and increased the planet size first to 190x200 and later to 120x200. i like huge spaces with lots of land. if this is the problem is there any way to make the biggest planet possible with as much land possible without it crashing?

also a funny thing happens. all the other factions are just the way i like them. expansionistic, militaristic agressive pricks, morgan seems to be dumb. he builds a base which is constantly at size 1. even after 100 or so turns, and it's always building a colony pod. which never gets out to make another base. is there any way of handling this? i like more live opponents

thank you.

 

[Pauss]

reduced the world size to 120x160
and this time it was a gaian needlejet attack on my former.
still the same glitch. is there a problem with needlejets? should i disable them in the game to prevent this?

 

[Petek]

Are interceptors near the Needlejets? If yes, then you have run into a known bug (scrambling interceptors can cause the game to crash). One possible cause is old mouse wheel drivers (named point32, or something similar). If you "end task" this driver before starting the game, you might avoid the crash. However, the interceptor bug shows up in other situations not involving a wheel mouse driver. In that case, you might be able to avoid a crash by moving the interceptor so that it no longer scrambles to attack the Needlejet.

 

[Aabraxan]

This may or may not be of any use, but as far as editing the alphacentauri.ini file, mine didn't appear to have any "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm" line to edit at first, either. I patched the game and tried to make the suggested change, only to find that no such line existed. I then tried to run the game, only to get the "CPU not supported" message. Game crashed, and I decided to try to edit it again. It was only after patching and trying to run the game on my computer that ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=0 appeared in my .ini file. At that point I made the change to "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=1," and the game has run fine. I still get the "CPU not supported" message every time I try to play, but it runs fine after that.