Solution for XML problems (German or (EU) version on US Windows)

[gabe]

you guys #$%kin rock!!!!
i've spent HOURS and HOURS and HOURS working on fixing this bug. i've talked to 2k half a dozen times and spent hours on hold. i've spent hours tryin to mess with my xml (downloading service packs, logging the problem, switching files in hidden folders, etc.). i messed with the hardware acceleration, display defaults, ati drivers, etc.

and it wasn't even an xml problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i went to compaq and dwonloaded the new drivers ( which i thought i already did because i always keep them current [apparently not]) and the game started flawlessly. for anyone else, i have a presario pentium 4 2.66 with an ati radeon 9000 igp (128 megs), 512 megs ram, and soundmax audio.
here's what the init log we are all familiar with looked like:
[1526.703] DBG: FILE Cat Init
[1526.906] DBG: NOT Using XML cache, failed to find crc.dat file
[1526.921] DBG: Game Init
[1526.921] DBG: Multiplayer Init
again, i cannot thank you guys and gals enough!!!!! civilization is the best game franchise ever, i have been playing it since i was ten years old on my dad's 286.

 

[Graun]

Hi,gabe!

what drivers have you updated?

Cause i have onboard SondMAX audio system too but there is no driver update available!

Latest driver i hav installedriver Version: 5.12.0001.3663 (English)

thx

 

[Zombiejaeger]

I'm becoming very frustrated about this.

After spending a good half an hour trying to figure out what audio card I have, I finally figured it to be an SiS 7012 or something like that. I downloaded the drivers, then try to install them, only to get a lame error along the lines of "-5788230239" a quarter of the way through installation, followed by another error stating the drivers could not be installed. So basically, I can't update my drivers.

So I figured I'd try that XML update you said... That didn't fix it. Tried registering the XML through the run prompt, that didn't fix it.

Tried deleting all the files in my temp cache, that didn't fix it.

And just got an e-mail from the tech support team. The new drivers probably wouldn't help, anyway, because the drivers need to be "released by at least October '05". Yeah, that helps, since the latest drivers from the manufacturer were released in July. Great!

EDIT again... I installed new audio drivers... And now it stops loading at the "Checking XML" stage and not the "Init Audio" stage.

I'll reread the post again just to see if there was anything I missed or could try again but I don't know.

 

[costastal]

Hi

could not make my civ run. As soon as the loading screen came up and said "check XML" the game crashes and prompts me to restart.

I have already tried changing the language settings in the control panel with no effect.

please help

 

[supaklutz]

I tried all of the fixes here to no avail, when I stumbled on what seems to be a fix (more like a workaround). I noticed looking at the log file sample on the Civ official site that the next item after the first 4 that had been displaying should be audio initialization. I tried updating my driver, but that didn't fix it.

Then I realized after hours of tinkering that if my computer is playing audio when I try to launch Civ, then everything initializes properly. Try this if you're stumped... see if it helps you too or if my case is just a really weird one.

Good luck

 

[Strange]

Start>- Control Panel>- Language and Regional Settings.
Thanx to "Da Eazt" for finding it first
Change Settings to English(USA) and then something a little
different, on the next tab change both to decimal points!
forget about the comma and make sure you hit apply

 

[nady09]

Well this what I had to do, the problem I had was where the game booted me back to desktop and the log said

[32526.062] DBG: FILE Cat Init
[32526.734] DBG: NOT Using XML cache, failed to find crc.dat file
[32526.734] DBG: Game Init
[32526.734] DBG: Multiplayer Init


I forgot I had a soundcard on my mother board too! I installed the drivers for that even though I don't use it and civ4 works fine now!

 

[ronclon]

I registered to tell you guys how i got around this problem(using xml cache, failed to find crc.dat file). After hours of trying different sound drivers and dling ms parser I went into start -control panel-sounds speech and audio devices-sounds and audio devices-click advanced and turned my microphone to mute, afterwards I went back to the sounds and audio devices and click the audio tab and voice tab and set everything to use my soundcard. I really think it was the muting the microphone that did it though.

 

[nomster]

It does, actually, help to update your audio driver..

I've got a realtek c97 or something, and updating its drivers really fixed this problem for me.. I know it doesn't make sense at first, but the the issue wasnt xml-related, but when the exe tries to init audio, it for some reason looks like an xml error, probably because it was the last thing it managed to do..

So, those of you not getting rid of what seems like an xml error, try updating your audio driver.

Just wanted to add to this... If you're having problems with is stopping at the xml check, AND you've done all the fixes listed regarding to the XML bit - then it is indeed the audio who's the purp here...

the tricky bit is that audio is initialized right after the xml check, and thus if it crashes there all you get to see is the last bit before that which is the xml check... update your audio drivers - OR, if you have an onboard audio card - specifically if you have an ac97 onboard card (which most boards with onboard audio use) - try enabling/disabling it in the bios, or get the latest drivers for it (http://www.sis.com/download/agreement.php?id=155808)... I've double-checked this on my PC to confirm that the audio was indeed the problem in my case

 

[parachute4u]

Well this what I had to do, the problem I had was where the game booted me back to desktop and the log said

[32526.062] DBG: FILE Cat Init
[32526.734] DBG: NOT Using XML cache, failed to find crc.dat file
[32526.734] DBG: Game Init
[32526.734] DBG: Multiplayer Init


I forgot I had a soundcard on my mother board too! I installed the drivers for that even though I don't use it and civ4 works fine now!

soundcard hardware acceleration OFF (not windows soundcard acc, the soundcard's 3D mode!)! -- or try to use a fake soundcard (that you do not actually have and set is as standard windows recording device)

I got exactly the same error the very first time I started CIV, but I fixed it (first using method 1, and then: because I like to have my soundcard's 3D mode on, by method 2 (well, I use my onboard sound for window's recording device now, haven't tried a fake one)

edit:
Got my help from here

 

[Blackthorn27]

Mellisa's tracking down of this problem to the voice recording device has been the biggest help for me. I've done all of the above and more to get this XML problem fixed - working all through two days and nights in a row without success and contacting technical support trying to get the damn thing to load up. Now it's sorted (for me anyway) the least I can say is THANKS MELISSA!!!

 

[JudgeDeath]

Agreed. It seems that for some reason Windows can get confused here. I found my recording settings were set to modem, despite the fact that no modem is installed. Clearly Civ4 does something here that no other games do which causes the failure. OTOH I've had the odd glitch in Media Player, and I'm hoping that this was the cause!

 

[Hellpig]

Civilization IV will not load past the XML check screen

I am getting the following read out:

[32526.062] DBG: FILE Cat Init
[32526.734] DBG: NOT Using XML cache, failed to find crc.dat file
[32526.734] DBG: Game Init
[32526.734] DBG: Multiplayer Init

Please let me know if there is a solution to this

Well, I get the "initiate XML" then nothing happens except the loading screen disapears. If I check the error log in windows I get two unknown errors eac time I try to run Civ4. Have tried all suggestions here at the forums - no luck!
So... from where do you get the above information? I will probably reinstall Windows to see if that fixes the problems. Tried checking out the support site for CiV4 but it seems they havent even acknowledged this error. And no contact for EU players either!

 

[parachute4u]

Well, I get the "initiate XML" then nothing happens except the loading screen disapears. If I check the error log in windows I get two unknown errors eac time I try to run Civ4. Have tried all suggestions here at the forums - no luck!
So... from where do you get the above information? I will probably reinstall Windows to see if that fixes the problems. Tried checking out the support site for CiV4 but it seems they havent even acknowledged this error. And no contact for EU players either!

First of all open your civ4config file and change

; Enable the logging system
LoggingEnabled = 1

After this start the programm. Then take look at the init.log file in ...\_civ4Logs

If you get exactly the same error as quoted, it will be your sound card bugging you. The quote is taken from the civ-logfile not the windows cryptics.

hope it helps you to analyze the error.

Changing your windows language setting to "english" or your Civ-Versions country might help too.

Ah, just remembered another error I had: If it seems to start (takes 10 seconds the first time and gives you an error then and after that 1st error takes only about 2 seconds to start and fail and quit) it can be something in the language settings of your windows system. I tried to get the game to run on a chinese language windows 98 system. Got that error there and fixed it by changing to german language settings (system/control panel) and clearing the game-cache (D:\WINDOWS\Application Data\My Games\SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION 4\cache on my machine) (and disabling sound acc of course)

 

[Hellpig]

Actually... I obviously hadn't tried it all. The solution by Melissa helped me too (thanx a lot!). What I had to do was to make this thing work. When I pressed "test" (not sure that is the exact text on the buttom) I got an reply that my setup did not support this and that. So what I did was to change the "Play" and "Record" to different setups. That is as I have two different sound cards, I used one for Play and the other one for Record... worked. Very happy now!

 

[sgb]

Had the exact same problems and got it working finally. The solution in my case was to exit out of the realtec sound manager program that runs at startup. How a utility that sets speaker settings prevents Civ 4 from working while everything else it fine is beyond me. For those who updated drivers and still can't get it to go, you need to literally close ANYTHING to do with your sound card.

 

[chrissicom]

LMFAO !!!! How ridiculous is that. I disregarded the first post because I have a US Windows and a US version of Civ IV so I thought I am not affected by this problem. Well I am. Although I have my regional settings set to United States I use the European , and . digit grouping where , and . is switched compared to the US system because I use a German MS Office. Civ IV now loads but it crashes after a few minutes of playing with the same errors as before (sound locked up red bar in upper left corner). Well at least I got my game loading again. I think this is ridiculous though I use a lot of other XML applications and even program some myself, why does only Civ IV have loading problems when I switch . and , ???

 

[Litany]

I'm having problems with certain XML files not loading.

[1335.580] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos.xml
[1337.092] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos.xml FAILED
[1337.663] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_concepts.xml
[1339.205] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_concepts.xml FAILED
[1339.706] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_help.xml
[1339.746] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_help.xml FAILED
[1339.776] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4diplomacytext.xml
[1339.816] Load XML file xml\text\civ4diplomacytext.xml FAILED
[1339.846] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_buildingsprojects.xml
[1339.876] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_buildingsprojects.xml FAILED
[1339.916] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_units.xml
[1339.946] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_units.xml FAILED
[1339.976] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_bonuses.xml
[1340.016] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_bonuses.xml FAILED
[1340.046] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_cities.xml
[1340.076] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_cities.xml FAILED
[1340.116] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_objects.xml
[1340.147] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_objects.xml FAILED
[1340.187] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_strategy.xml
[1340.217] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_strategy.xml FAILED
[1340.247] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_techs.xml
[1340.287] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_techs.xml FAILED
[1340.317] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_misc1.xml
[1340.347] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_misc1.xml FAILED
[1340.387] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_greatpeople.xml
[1340.417] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametextinfos_greatpeople.xml FAILED
[1340.457] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_civicsreligion.xml
[1340.487] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_civicsreligion.xml FAILED
[1340.517] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_new.xml
[1340.547] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_new.xml FAILED
[1340.587] Loading XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_civleaders.xml
[1340.617] Load XML file xml\text\civ4gametext_civilopedia_civleaders.xml FAILED

Essentially all the text in my game is replaced with a string of characters like "TXT_KEY_MAIN_MENU_SINGLE_PLAYER" in lieu of "Single Player". I've tried updating all of my drivers, and double checked that my regional settings aren't causing the issue. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the game, restarted my computer several times, and tried the game under a different Windows user. Any thoughts?

edit: Of course, two minutes after posting I got it to work. The Microsoft XML Parser that was in the Fix-It List did the trick.

 

[Trewaveneth]

Had the same problem.
Try the link and download
Success, brill
Thanks a lot.

 

[rick_moreno]

Man i just can't my head around this message which is as followed

"caught unhandled exeption creating XML parser object Current XML file:"

Others have solved this problem, but for some reason i cannot. why? please help.

It's the u.k edition if that helps.