Screen Goes Black Computer Restarts

[ishmael2]

Well, I am just playing the game and the screen goes black and the computer
restarts itself, I've tried reinstalling the game, installing new graphics
and audo drivers, and doing a chkdsk.

Specs:
Epox 8rda+ (Onboard sound and lan)
2500+ OC'd (volts at 1.7 if that might affect stability)
9800 non pro
1gig pc3200 corsair
350w Fortron PSU
(2) 120mm panaflo fans
(1) 92mm vantec tornado

I'm using the latest audio drivers for nforce 2 chipset from nvidias site.
I'm also using the latest omega drivers.

2k had no idea how to help, they gave me a list of things to try and none worked
so I sent them my dxdiag and I don't know what they are doing now.

 

[ishmael2]

Ah heres the whole dxdiag.

 

[Neon Deon]

Well, I am just playing the game and the screen goes black and the computer
restarts itself, I've tried reinstalling the game, installing new graphics
and audo drivers, and doing a chkdsk.

Specs:
Epox 8rda+ (Onboard sound and lan)
2500+ OC'd (volts at 1.7 if that might affect stability)
9800 non pro
1gig pc3200 corsair

I'm using the latest audio drivers for nforce 2 chipset from nvidias site.
I'm also using the latest omega drivers.

2k had no idea how to help, they gave me a list of things to try and none worked
so I sent them my dxdiag and I don't know what they are doing now.

So you adjusted the multiplier and the voltage of your cpu?

If so, try running the game at factory spec.

I am suprised that tech didnt say that first off.

 

[ishmael2]

He didn't know that, my computer was homebuilt. My 2500+ is only at 2.14Ghz
right now and I have run it stable at 2.4Ghz, I stepped it down a while back
and nothing has ever crashed until this game. Battlefield 2 runs fine, ah well,
I'll check back tomorrow here, time to sleep for school then I'll come try some
setting the cpu back and any other suggestions put up.

The only info the tech guy asked was, graphics card and date of drivers.

 

[Neon Deon]

He didn't know that, my computer was homebuilt. My 2500+ is only at 2.14Ghz
right now and I have run it stable at 2.4Ghz, I stepped it down a while back
and nothing has ever crashed until this game. Battlefield 2 runs fine, ah well,
I'll check back tomorrow here, time to sleep for school then I'll come try some
setting the cpu back and any other suggestions put up.

The only info the tech guy asked was, graphics card and date of drivers.

Well all those extra services running in the background might not help either.

If you are playing single player try turning off all non ms services and startup programs thru dxdiag.

After you have done that your page file should be between 120 and 150 as opposed to the 300 plus it is running at now.

You will have to un do it when running email and internet as it will shut down any antivirus programs you have lurking in the background.

BTW

screen going black and computer shuting down is usually a hardware hiccup with the computer saying something like hay i cant take this anymore.

 

[ishmael2]

Well all those extra services running in the background might not help either.

If you are playing single player try turning off all non ms services and startup programs thru dxdiag.

After you have done that your page file should be between 120 and 150 as opposed to the 300 plus it is running at now.

You will have to un do it when running email and internet as it will shut down any antivirus programs you have lurking in the background.

BTW

screen going black and computer shuting down is usually a hardware hiccup with the computer saying something like hay i cant take this anymore.

I've already tried it with all the services/processes shut down, the dxdiag I just did
while surfing the web.

 

[Neon Deon]

I've already tried it with all the services/processes shut down, the dxdiag I just did
while surfing the web.

So have you tried running with no overclock and no services/programs yet?

 

[Lahdoz]

I had a motherbard that did that (with Civ 4 only) when it was running the memory in dual channel mode, but when I changed it over to single channel, the game ran perfectly.

 

[ishmael2]

So have you tried running with no overclock and no services/programs yet?

Yea still crashed.

I had a motherbard that did that (with Civ 4 only) when it was running the memory in dual channel mode, but when I changed it over to single channel, the game ran perfectly.

Hrm, I'm in dual channel mode right now, two 512's, if I crash again this game (most likely will) I'll try single channeling it.

 

[ishmael2]

Switching around the ram to disable dual channeling didn't work.
So far I've only finished one game straight through, played another after and it restarted...

 

[Neon Deon]

Well shoot.

You might try turning off fastwrites,writecombining,and vsync.

Also in the civ iv ini turn off screenshots.

The vsync will go off if you set 3d and open gl to performance from the omega advanced settings.

 

[Zydor]

I dont know your setup as such, but to put a thought in your mind. Many discovered that rolling back video drivers to earlier versions has produced results (classic being the Omega 4.12 Radeon drivers for the 9800Pro). The reasoning behind it, is that when the game is Beta tested they will freeze the software base. That will have been a few months ago, later driver releases can, and have, caused hassles dueto the newer less stable drivers (drivers have just the same problem as "version 1 " releases in games - they are not always stable as such for similar commercial reasons). If you can get drivers circa 6 months old vis Civ IV's release date, it may work. Worth a go once you checked the hardware as advised.

Dont forget Harkys patch, it does address the acknowledged memory issue.

Regards
Zy

 

[Fremen]

My guess is that it's your ati driver, and not the hardware that's at fault here. I have a somewhat similar setup (nforce2, athlon 2700+, ati 9800, 1 gig of ram) and the computer reboots once every 20 minutes once the civ4 memory leak kicks in (terrible slowness when reaching ~1950AD). I guess it's a problem with ATI that is triggered when the system is is low on memory. I can play perfectly other games. Civ4 only start crashing late in the game. Otherwise I can easily manage to do 5 hours sessions. HTH.

 

[ishmael2]

ok thanks I'll try some of these fixes.

 

[nuclear305]

Having the same problem...none of the fixes work. I managed to get up around 1900AD but at that point the game crashes after about a minute and resets the computer.

1gb ram, 9800 AIW, and strangely also an Epox board... 4PCA3+

(Also tried the ATI 4.12 drivers)

 

[ishmael2]

Hrm, I haven't crashed in awhile. Currently played a game to around 1200
had to stop though, 2 and a half hours of play and time to do other stuff.
It was multiplayer though, I'm trying to see if these errors are limited
to single player only.

 

[Natronomonas]

I have an overclocked machine and CivIV caused reboots. I never bothered going back to factory defaults; it's been prime95, memtest86, 3dmark03&05 tested to death, and -never- had any errors at the settings I have it at.

Software can cause reboot behaviour - how do you think your computer restarts when you click the "restart" button in Windows?

The problem causing your reboots is CivIV, but the good news is that the INI file changes described in the "unofficial tech support FAQ" under "CTD fix" (crash to desktop, but it also helps other crashes) should help you, they did the trick for me.

As Zydor has mentioned, Harkonnen's patch may also do the trick. Firaxis are soon releasing a patch for the memory problems, and this may also help your reboots.

 

[ishmael2]

I have an overclocked machine and CivIV caused reboots. I never bothered going back to factory defaults; it's been prime95, memtest86, 3dmark03&05 tested to death, and -never- had any errors at the settings I have it at.

Software can cause reboot behaviour - how do you think your computer restarts when you click the "restart" button in Windows?

The problem causing your reboots is CivIV, but the good news is that the INI file changes described in the "unofficial tech support FAQ" under "CTD fix" (crash to desktop, but it also helps other crashes) should help you, they did the trick for me.

As Zydor has mentioned, Harkonnen's patch may also do the trick. Firaxis are soon releasing a patch for the memory problems, and this may also help your reboots.

That would be quite nice, I did some of the fixes in the unofficial tech guide
it seems good. I haven't played much longer than 2-3 hours though, though
that is a long time and it use to be crashing at 30-45minutes so it is
a ton better.