One semi major problem with game freezing after playing

[Avliden 0]

Ok, Ive seen this issue posted about before. But the circumstances of the issue seem to differ.

 

Its a lock up problem. I'll play the game for a random amount of time and all of a sudden it will just freeze and I'll have to Ctl+Alt+Del it.

 

Now I'll get a few things out of the way right away.

 

-I'm not using PhysX.

-I read somewhere that AA was a problem so no AA (Didnt make a difference.)

-The crash happens in game, Loading a new area, or running around. Standing still or in a epic battle. It doesn't discriminate.

 

I have read that it could be a compatibility issue on Windows 7, so Ive tryed running it in compatibility mode under XP SP3 with no luck.

I'm not running 64 bit either.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems to this?

[locolagarto 15]

Ok, Ive seen this issue posted about before. But the circumstances of the issue seem to differ.

 

Its a lock up problem. I'll play the game for a random amount of time and all of a sudden it will just freeze and I'll have to Ctl+Alt+Del it.

 

Now I'll get a few things out of the way right away.

 

-I'm not using PhysX.

-I read somewhere that AA was a problem so no AA (Didnt make a difference.)

-The crash happens in game, Loading a new area, or running around. Standing still or in a epic battle. It doesn't discriminate.

 

I have read that it could be a compatibility issue on Windows 7, so Ive tryed running it in compatibility mode under XP SP3 with no luck.

I'm not running 64 bit either.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems to this?

 

Did you disable physx in the Nvidia control panel? Also I experienced a problem running at full detail settings on 1080 res. if I back off to 720 and use High settings I don't have a problem except rare occasions.

 

I have to reinstall the vid driver, disable physx in control panel, then start sacred2 for it to work correctly.

[Avliden 0]

I'm running a ATI 4870 so no nVidia control panel. There aint likely to be any option for that in the ATI Control panel. So, lowering the res may help?

I'm runnin at 1680x1050 Should I back it off from that?

 

EDIT: Scrach that, I totaly forgot. Ive been running it at a low res in windowed mode and had the same problem.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Avliden

[locolagarto 15]

I'm running a ATI 4870 so no nVidia control panel. There aint likely to be any option for that in the ATI Control panel. So, lowering the res may help?

I'm runnin at 1680x1050 Should I back it off from that?

 

EDIT: Scrach that, I totaly forgot. Ive been running it at a low res in windowed mode and had the same problem.

 

np, I will need to go back and revisit my old post to see how I overcame that problem. Furian and I both had it for a while. Watch your task manager sometime after you've been in game for a bit. if the sacred2.exe is approaching 1 Gb or more your crash is coming soon. Sacred2 has a memory problem in Win7. it was optimized to run in XP. but this is fixable, give me a while to re-read my old posts.

 

I did a few things to lower the mem usage. I set my graphics on high, then lowered the grass all the way to zero. it doesn't look as nice, but grass uses a ton of ram.

 

Edit: are you patched to at least 2.65.1 ?

[Avliden 0]

Oh that sucks Needs to be pretty! hah. Patch version 2.65.2

[locolagarto 15]

Oh that sucks Needs to be pretty! hah. Patch version 2.65.2

 

Knuckles had the same issues and He took to quick fix and created a dual boot with windows XP. he uses Win 7 for everything else and plays Sacred in XP he has no issues and can run in highest quality.

 

I took the tough root and dissected my system until I got it to run well in Win7 64.

 

1.Disabling Phys X was a huge one for me since I has a dual GTX 260 running in SLi set-up

2. I run as administrator

3. I disabled UAC(User account control)

4. my shortcut to Sacred2.exe has -nocpubinding at the end so it uses multiple cores for faster processing and the ability to run multiple sacred2 account simultaneously.

5. I do try not to over RAM my system. I have 8 Gb and never use over 3 Gb but as I said when Saced2.exe get to 1 Gb a lock-up is coming. those areas of the map were it has to load more map textures is usually were hit dumps.

6. I think Mad_Max has a thread in here I am trying to find

[Avliden 0]

Yeah I used pretty much all the same settings as you, no luck there. Does it have the same 'over 1GB' ram issue under XP? I'm building a Lite XP install for a dual boot.

[locolagarto 15]

Yeah I used pretty much all the same settings as you, no luck there. Does it have the same 'over 1GB' ram issue under XP? I'm building a Lite XP install for a dual boot.

 

From all I have read XP will allow you to run full tilt! no limits.

 

I have considered this a few times myself, I was just too stubborn to give up on Win7. I have 2 640Gb hard drives with 100Gb partition for Win7 and the rest is for programs and storage. so I could easily set up a dual boot if I had the XP to install. I think I can get it on Newegg for cheap. I may try it one of these days so I can see what Elite textures with full detail on a 1080p monitor look like.

[Avliden 0]

From what I have seen the elite tex are not a major improvement. Ive seen screens aswell and the difference is noticable but wouldnt be while the game is actualy running. Untill you stood still and had a good look. I think the hit to FPS would negate the worth of the pack. Dont get me wrong I'm all for improvement but I think it could be done in other areas. The game is already sexy.

 

(Posting from a Custom XP Partition)

 

PS: Should I leave the game at version... what was it.. 2.65.1? Vanilla Gold Edition that is. Or should I patch up to 2.65.2 ?

Edited April 20, 2010 by Avliden

[locolagarto 15]

From what I have seen the elite tex are not a major improvement. Ive seen screens aswell and the difference is noticable but wouldnt be while the game is actualy running. Untill you stood still and had a good look. I think the hit to FPS would negate the worth of the pack. Dont get me wrong I'm all for improvement but I think it could be done in other areas. The game is already sexy.

 

(Posting from a Custom XP Partition)

 

Ah but is your lockup problem gone?

[Avliden 0]

Haven't tryed yet. Installing. See edit.

[locolagarto 15]

Haven't tryed yet. Installing. See edit.

2.65.2 fixes a bug with the chat box. I recommend it. otherwise the chat box steals the mouse/game focus everytime it pops up.

[Avliden 0]

I'll give the game a good play through later on. See if its all sorted.

[Yusha 0]

I have also experienced this issue consistently; I get 1-2 hours, and then the freeze. Sometimes there is a flickering in the graphics and a hitch in the frame rate prior to the freeze. But here is the interesting part: If I am located in 1 of the 2 Ice&Blood areas, I get longer b4 freezing. 3-4 hrs in those spots(if I don't abuse the map-which shortens my time drastically, and often causes the freeze-I FEAR the map-lol) The task manager always has the same RAM usage(approx 1.4G more than what Win 7 needs). I have read thru every post on this site, as well as the official site, and many others. I have tried countless variations of the graphics card(Nvidia 260) including the disabling of PhsyX of course, optimizing the OS for performance, -nocpubinding extension, every idea you fine folks have suggested. Resolutions, grass, and any other settings do not affect the time I can play b4 freezing. However, I am stubborn, and would rather not dual boot XP to fix if possible. Any other insights would be most welcome!

 

Thank you in advance!

[locolagarto 15]

I have also experienced this issue consistently; I get 1-2 hours, and then the freeze. Sometimes there is a flickering in the graphics and a hitch in the frame rate prior to the freeze. But here is the interesting part: If I am located in 1 of the 2 Ice&Blood areas, I get longer b4 freezing. 3-4 hrs in those spots(if I don't abuse the map-which shortens my time drastically, and often causes the freeze-I FEAR the map-lol) The task manager always has the same RAM usage(approx 1.4G more than what Win 7 needs). I have read thru every post on this site, as well as the official site, and many others. I have tried countless variations of the graphics card(Nvidia 260) including the disabling of PhsyX of course, optimizing the OS for performance, -nocpubinding extension, every idea you fine folks have suggested. Resolutions, grass, and any other settings do not affect the time I can play b4 freezing. However, I am stubborn, and would rather not dual boot XP to fix if possible. Any other insights would be most welcome!

 

Thank you in advance!

 

I am with you, brother!

 

BTW I did a dual boot with Win XP Pro 64 and it freezes more than my win 7 64 set-up.

 

so I think I have my Win7 pretty much as good as its gonna get. If I get 1-2 hours between lockups I am happy. its the 5-30 minute lock ups that really bug the heck out of me. I don't think I have noticed an area that is better or worse, or empty server vs full server etc. But I do know that no matter what PhysX and Elite Graphics will lock it up really quick.

[Yusha 0]

Thank u 4 your quick reply! Tho, perhaps there is a solution, SOMEHOW... a reference to isolating 2 of the available 4 processors to work on Sacred 2 only, leaving the other 2 for the hoggish Win 7? Would a gazillion RAM help? A program called RamIdle to optimize mem usage? Is there a Dryad Witch Doctor? (that Black Panther in the Jungle crossed me path too many times, the filthy, demon-fish-breathed beast) >_<

[locolagarto 15]

Thank u 4 your quick reply! Tho, perhaps there is a solution, SOMEHOW... a reference to isolating 2 of the available 4 processors to work on Sacred 2 only, leaving the other 2 for the hoggish Win 7? Would a gazillion RAM help? A program called RamIdle to optimize mem usage? Is there a Dryad Witch Doctor? (that Black Panther in the Jungle crossed me path too many times, the filthy, demon-fish-breathed beast) >_<

 

Hey check to post from crisisdog, he says he disabled Hyperthreading technology on his uber Intel i7 CPU and his crashing problems got better. You didn't mention what processor you have, but it may do the trick for you if yours had hyperthreading enabled.

[Yusha 0]

I'm not sure if my processor is uber, , but it is a quad-core. I hesitate to mess with the HTT if that is done in BIOS (please forgive my ignorance if wrong). I would like to learn how and where to assign each CPU, but my amateurish knowledge is VERY likely to land me in more trouble. Thank you loco for all your suggestions, and Feliz Cinco de Mayo to everyone!]

[Yusha 0]

To amend my previous post, I did go into BIOS and found where to turn off the hyperthreading. I chickened out, mainly because turning off thread optimization on the graphics card, for Sacred 2 only, seemed like a better direct solution instead (maybe less likely to screw up in other cataclysmic ways ). Unfortunately, same freezing result. I then revisited an old post where Loco had painstakingly detailed every setting for the 260 card. Still no luck. I've been most recently checking all applicable drivers, and all seem to be up-to-date, but I wonder about the compatibility of a more recent DirectX. 11 is listed on my dxdiag, but I clearly remember 9 being part of the game install. An earlier post recommends 9.0c runtimes; is this not included with more recent versions? There's a stern warning that it cannot be removed, and to backup your system.

 

Would it help to go with another HD (maybe a SSD?) for the game install? And, is the DirectX version the real culprit here, not necessarily the OS?

 

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

Cheers,

 

Buzz

[Schot 407]

Hey there Yusha.

 

If you'd like to set CPU's to sacred 2 it's not too hard to do and perfectly safe. You can set it in Task Manager and here's how:

 

1. Start Sacred 2
   
2. Open Task Manager (CTRL-ALT-DEL in XP or CTRL-SHIFT-ESC in Vista/Win 7)
   
3. Click the Processes tab
   
4. Find Sacred 2 in the list and right click it
   
5. Click on Set Affinity...
   
6. Checkmark the CPU's you want Sacred 2 to use
   
7. Click OK and you're done!
   

 

That will set the CPU usage but only for the present session. The next time you start sacred 2 you will need to do the above again. It's not a long term solution but it's the perfect test for your suspicions. If you find that it helps then there are some options to make the setting more permanent. I talked a bit about the problem you're suspecting some time ago on the SIF. Hyperthreading/Dual Core got you down? My own opinion is that it isn't likely the cause of your crashing trouble.

 

loco mentioned that "If I get 1-2 hours between lockups I am happy." and I agree. Sacred 2 does tend to crash regularly. I've gotten used to it I think and the fact that it loads much faster after an initial load reduces the annoyance somewhat. Granted there are days where I won't have a single crash and others where I'm crashing every 30 minutes.

 

Yusha, you mentioned that you are able to play longer in the new areas as opposed to the old. That suggests to me the possibility of a faulty install. Sometimes a faulty install will mean that some game assets were not installed. This could mean a missing ground texture for example. So when you come to an area where that missing texture is needed it could cause an instability and eventual crash. Or simply outright crash. Have you considered re-installing? It's a pain but sometimes it helps. Oh and installing Sacred 2 should be done without other applications, anti-virus or firewalls active to reduce interference.

 

For Directx you can feel free to run a fresh install of Directx9. It will just overwrite the existing Directx9 if it's present. The game does contain it for install but still worth a try.

 

As for ram, how much do you have? Personally I wouldn't want to play Sacred 2 with less than 4GB. I played in the beta with 4GB and sometime during upgraded to 8GB. I noticed a substantial improvement from 4GB to 8GB so there's no doubt in my mind that upgrading from 2GB to 4GB would provide a very nice improvement.

 

If you do have 4GB of RAM already, or more even, you might consider using NTcore's "4gb_patch.exe". I could explain what it does but the 4gb_patch.exe page expains it very well. I've used it myself on sacred 2.exe and even talked to the creator about who assured me it's still a valid tool. I didn't notice a great improvement but maybe others would.

 

That said... I think a general rule that could be used in this case is that if there is an immediate problem with Sacred 2 upon launching then the cause will often be a configuration issue. If the problem occurs long after launch then lifely a resource problem. Resource in this case could also involve how optimized your pc is. Defrag, clean registry, empty recycle bin, deleted windows temp files, Sacred 2 File Cleaner Utility, ensuring a moderate number of processes and so on...

 

 

Can you tell us a bit about your set up Yusha? What pc specs do you have?

 

 

P.s.

Thanx for the heads up on this topic loco.

[locolagarto 15]

If you do have 4GB of RAM already, or more even, you might consider using NTcore's "4gb_patch.exe". I could explain what it does but the 4gb_patch.exe page expains it very well. I've used it myself on sacred 2.exe and even talked to the creator about who assured me it's still a valid tool. I didn't notice a great improvement but maybe others would.

 

You know I have posted dozen of times with things that I tryed and tested to make my sacred2 work better. Many of them turned out to be nothing. Turning off PhysX is really the one that I can say without a doubt I have tested repeatedly and PhysX causes crashes.

 

I also use the 4gb_patch.exe. This is another one that I honestly think helps. But I can be as certain as with PhysX. I did a dual boot install of XP Pro 64 recently and reinstalled Sacred 2 into the same folder as my Win 7 install. the XP was crashing badly. so I went back to Win7. first I noticed the 2.65.2 patch was gone. no problem I also experience some wierd graphics issues and some lock ups.

 

I couldn't patch my Win 7 again. so I returned to XP and installed the 2.65.2 patch then the 4gb_patch.exe and now both installs Win 7 and XP are running great again. So was it the 2.65.2 patch or the 4gb_patch? I always get in a hurry and do too many things at once. lol

[Yusha 0]

That is a lovely plethora of ideas, thank you! I am very happy to report that I have made definite progress.

 

First, I downloaded and installed the WinUtilities program, ran most of the cleanups except for the RegKey and disk defrags. I was particularly interested in the Mem Optimizer, so tweaked the settings to create maximum free RAM.

Second, I went to the nVidia control panel, and changed all settings to concentrate specifically on performance. Would be happy to type out the specs, but don't want to bore everyone to pieces. The notables are:

 

Threaded Optimization=Auto

Texture Filtering-Anisotropic Sample Optimization=ON

Maximum Pre-rendered Frames=1

Antialiasing Transparency=multisampling

PhysX=disabled

 

In game options are set to high, with major changes as shadows off, grass @ 3/4, Vsync On, AA off, and sound quality at low (all of these options were present when the game crashed every hour as well)

 

Basic PC specs are i7 920 quad(2.67GHz), 6 GB 1066 DDR3, GTX 260, integrated HD audio (again, don't want to overinflate the post with an entire dxdiag-lol)

 

I agree Schot that this must be a resource issue. One, or both, of the aforementioned techniques have improved the game stability dramatically, allowing me two 4 hour sessions with liberal use of the map and cave hopping (most freezes occurred with these).

 

I am intrigued by the 4GB patch and the Sacred Cleaning Utility...I will try and hope to report more positive results. Thanks for all your input!

 

Cheers,

 

Buzz

[locolagarto 15]

That is a lovely plethora of ideas, thank you! I am very happy to report that I have made definite progress.

 

First, I downloaded and installed the WinUtilities program, ran most of the cleanups except for the RegKey and disk defrags. I was particularly interested in the Mem Optimizer, so tweaked the settings to create maximum free RAM.

Second, I went to the nVidia control panel, and changed all settings to concentrate specifically on performance. Would be happy to type out the specs, but don't want to bore everyone to pieces. The notables are:

 

Threaded Optimization=Auto

Texture Filtering-Anisotropic Sample Optimization=ON

Maximum Pre-rendered Frames=1

Antialiasing Transparency=multisampling

PhysX=disabled

 

In game options are set to high, with major changes as shadows off, grass @ 3/4, Vsync On, AA off, and sound quality at low (all of these options were present when the game crashed every hour as well)

 

Basic PC specs are i7 920 quad(2.67GHz), 6 GB 1066 DDR3, GTX 260, integrated HD audio (again, don't want to overinflate the post with an entire dxdiag-lol)

 

I agree Schot that this must be a resource issue. One, or both, of the aforementioned techniques have improved the game stability dramatically, allowing me two 4 hour sessions with liberal use of the map and cave hopping (most freezes occurred with these).

 

I am intrigued by the 4GB patch and the Sacred Cleaning Utility...I will try and hope to report more positive results. Thanks for all your input!

 

Cheers,

 

Buzz

 

everything you have done are exactly the same as I have tried, and with success I might add.

 

the only exception is the pre=rendered frames. after reading up on the nvidia section at 3dguru.com I learned that raising the pre-rendered frames is preferred unless you have a very slow processor. You have plenty of processor and ram, although 64-bit would make use of more of it.

 

My 8 Gb Win 7 64 system commonly pegs out at about 3.1 to 3.2 Gb of ram used. Which is the max for 32-bit windows. so the resource lower techniques you have taken sound excellent.