Curse

wonderworm · May 18, 2005, 05:55 PM // 17:55

Wel that's weird, since your problem description exactly fits mine. Let your brother switch to windowed mode when the problems occur again. Then just keep the game running. It probably will take some more time but finally it will crash, too. That's when i got a real bluescreen instead of a blank one.

Are you sure the files aren't hidden maybe ?

Draikin · May 18, 2005, 06:13 PM // 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderworm

Are you sure the files aren't hidden maybe ?

Yes, I'm sure

He's always been playing in full screen though, we'll see what happens in windowed mode. Did you also get .dmp files when you got the blank screen? I just installed the new ATI 5.5 drivers that have been released, I don't expect that to solve the problem but you never know.

Raul · May 19, 2005, 06:47 AM // 06:47

Hi guys, same problem here, with no sound just 1 minut before the BSOD

I can say that I got this problem only after the last patch, before it I NEVER had a problem a crash to desktop or an error. I NEVER have a BSOD in any games

My PC

Asus K8V Deluxe
Athlon64 3200+
3DProphet 9800Pro
SB Audigy2 ZS

I think it is not our problem but the client

Mysk · May 19, 2005, 08:36 AM // 08:36

I've received this too. I'm currently hedging bets that it's these background stress tests that are causing the problems for me.

Like most here I am able to play any of my other titles without worrying about the BSoD or random reset. With GW, on the other hand, it's a ticking time bomb.

That's not to say that my system is flawless. The RAM does have issues and every great now and then I'll get a BSoD while playing something else. The issue, with me, is that it's guranteed to occur within about the first 20 minutes with Guild Wars where as with other titles I can spend a literally a whole day and experience maybe one.

~Me

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojofilter

I crashed last night(as usual), and I got redirected to a webpage on the GW support site telling me that I had one of four problems with my hardware that was causing the game to crash.

1. Bad memory
2. Heat
3. Over Clocked
4. Power Supply

It specifically states that there is nothing wrong with the game and it can ONLY be a problem with the users hardware.

What is NCSoft doing with their code that makes this game so "CPU intensive"? The page claims that the software runs alogrithms to verify the system running it isnt malfunctioning, and if it gets an error it will shut down. Is this common? Can I turn it off? If the reason this game runs at 100% cpu is because its verifying my sys for the millionth time in 5 min is it really necessary? Are there any other games that use this method of error checking?

I would have given up on this by now, but I paid 50 bucks for this game and I at least want to get my money's worth out of it. :/

BTW, this page i was redirected to gives me the distinct impression that the support team is washing its hands of this mess and if it works for you great, if not youre S.O.L.

none · May 19, 2005, 08:52 AM // 08:52

Just to add one more:

I got the same problem as most seem to have (at least it's the only problem I have with GW). Every now and then, my PC reboots - most of the times, the sound is gone like 1 minute before that happens, and I can usually delay the reboot by minimizing and maximizing GW (I'm running it in windowed mode). If I switch back to Windows for a second, the sound is back and everything is normal for maybe another minute. This doesn't really solve the problem though, it just delays the inevitable. Fortunately, this only happens, if I run the game for like 10h+, which is why I do restart manually before I enter important missions or want to go for a longer hunt.

What I can't believe though, is that this should be due to bad hardware. If so, then why should it take so many hours until it happens. It looks more as if some code is (slowly) messing up either my RAM or something else that is able to force a restart.

Raul · May 19, 2005, 09:02 AM // 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by none

Just to add one more:

I got the same problem as most seem to have (at least it's the only problem I have with GW). Every now and then, my PC reboots - most of the times, the sound is gone like 1 minute before that happens, and I can usually delay the reboot by minimizing and maximizing GW (I'm running it in windowed mode). If I switch back to Windows for a second, the sound is back and everything is normal for maybe another minute. This doesn't really solve the problem though, it just delays the inevitable. Fortunately, this only happens, if I run the game for like 10h+, which is why I do restart manually before I enter important missions or want to go for a longer hunt.

What I can't believe though, is that this should be due to bad hardware. If so, then why should it take so many hours until it happens. It looks more as if some code is (slowly) messing up either my RAM or something else that is able to force a restart.

exactly same problem but for me is more like 5hours

RAxous · May 19, 2005, 10:41 AM // 10:41

Same here people.

Additional info.

1. Have completely disabled onboard sound card. There is NO sound on my system anywhere.

2. My CPU only ever gets to about 60% utilisation and 66 degrees.

3. My 6600GT only gets to about 68 degrees.

4. Have re-loaded;
i) Display Drivers
ii) Motherboard Drivers
iii) Direct X
iv) GuildWars

5. Defragged Hard Disk.

6. Tested Memory.

7. Tried GW RPG and PvP.

8. Ran GW with "--nosound".

9. Ran GW with lowest possible graphics.

I tried these in many orders and none of these have made any difference. My system still hangs / reboots / auto-reboots every 25 mins of GW play.

Most tellingly, I do not have these problems with HL2, D3, FarCry, Painkiller, Pariah, etc.

I do get 'lag' / freezes every now and then and the system will sometimes recover, often compressing all actions between freeze and unfreeze. It does this with a constant 60% max CPU usage & 68 deg temp (so not maxing out CPU) a constant display temp (68 deg) and constant RAM usage (440MB physical RAM free).

Have
Display: 6600GT 128MB
CPU: Pentium 3.06Ghz (Dual Core)
RAM: 1GB
OS: XP PRO

Hope something comes up. Love the game, hate the bugs...

Raul · May 19, 2005, 10:50 AM // 10:50

I think that now there is no doubt that the problem is GW and not our PC, infact before the last patch i never had a problem

Emperor Mordred · May 19, 2005, 11:11 AM // 11:11

i used to have such problems with my old motherboard/old PSU

i had a Asus 9600XT at the time, Asus 8P400-E motherboard (or something like that, can't remember the right type) and a 350W PSU

in almost all games the sound disappeared after some time, when i got back to windows the sound was back.

when i got my Asus 9800 pro 256 mb back, my pc had powerdowns all the time.

2 theories:
*PSU was too light (maybe the onboard soundcard disabled itself if it didn't had enough power and a 9800 needs alot more power than a 9600XT
*the asus motherboard was crap

i place my bets on the PSU

i tested it with 2 PSU (third one, a 550w fixed it, my second PSU was still not strong enough), 2 motherboards (2 asus, now i got a gigabyte with no problems), 3 gfx cards (2x asus 9800 pro 256mb, still uses one and a 9600xt (didn't had power downs with this one, only sound problems), 2 hard disks
guess what, no problems when the retailer tested my pc, guess he had a safer power net... (i tested it at the shop, one reason more to believe it's the PSU)

and for the last time: it isn't Guild Wars it's fault, PC retailers just sell cheap PSU's these days that aren't made for next gen graphics cards.
(ignore the latest statement if my 2 (!) asus motherboards were crap)

just want to help you guys

wonderworm · May 19, 2005, 11:52 AM // 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draikin

Yes, I'm sure

He's always been playing in full screen though, we'll see what happens in windowed mode. Did you also get .dmp files when you got the blank screen? I just installed the new ATI 5.5 drivers that have been released, I don't expect that to solve the problem but you never know.

Yes they did appear when the bluescreen was blank, too. Maybe it's possible to disable the logging of bluescreens, you should try to investigate on that

I'm really clueless on that problem. I've never had a similar thing in any other game before (as most people posting about BSODs here). That's why i seriously doubt there is a problem with my system. I wonder why people always come up with that "it's the PSU" stuff. That would cause instabilty with many newer games and about every single stress test utilty.
I won't start switching components or changing every single driver in my system just because of one game that isn't programmed properly.

Overheating ... CPU and board - no, graphics card - i really don't know since i have no temperature sensor on that. While white textures or other artifacts can appear when your card is overheating, the problems in GW don't look like that, and additionally there's the sounds bugs.
If i had to guess i would say it's somehow memory related. The problem get's worse and worse if the game continues to run when the problems occur.

Raul · May 19, 2005, 11:58 AM // 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderworm

Yes they did appear when the bluescreen was blank, too. Maybe it's possible to disable the logging of bluescreens, you should try to investigate on that

I'm really clueless on that problem. I've never had a similar thing in any other game before (as most people posting about BSODs here). That's why i seriously doubt there is a problem with my system. I wonder why people always come up with that "it's the PSU" stuff. That would cause instabilty with many newer games and about every single stress test utilty.
I won't start switching components or changing every single driver in my system just because of one game that isn't programmed properly.

Overheating ... CPU and board - no, graphics card - i really don't know since i have no temperature sensor on that. While white textures or other artifacts can appear when your card is overheating, the problems in GW don't look like that, and additionally there's the sounds bugs.
If i had to guess i would say it's somehow memory related. The problem get's worse and worse if the game continues to run when the problems occur.

I agree with you, I have a 480W PSU and my system is ok, no other games or program made my system reboot ! It's absurd that i change part of my system cuz 1 game have problem.... IMHO

Emperor Mordred · May 19, 2005, 12:06 PM // 12:06

my pc survived all the stress tests at the PC shop and worked there all the time.

it also worked perfectly for 3 (intensive) weeks at home, still don't have an explanation for this.

a crappy motherboard is still an option

Beyond · May 19, 2005, 06:17 PM // 18:17

Am having this same issue. Running an Intel P4 3Gb, 2Gb RAM, a GeForce 6560 Ultra 256Mb card,loads of HD space, a page file of 2Gb on a seperate partition so it doesn't fragment.A PSU of 550W.

Idle my CPU temp is 56C and my CPU runs at 4% utilisation. Start GWs up and immediately the CPU utlisation jumps to 100% and stays there ( I have disabled all non essential services and all AV and spyware software using KillItAll) and the temp rises quickly. I have removed the side and put a floor fan into the side and keep the temp down to a constant 85.5 ( high I know), but since I have done that I suffered no crashes this afternoon, though I suffered on immediately before hand prior to using the fan.

lucky? I don't know, but it seemed to make a difference.

added, also run with an external Audgy 2 USB sound card. All drivers are relatively recent.

Beyond · May 19, 2005, 06:34 PM // 18:34

ah Bollox, finished righting the above, started up GW, and it froze at the login screen whilst at 73.5C and 100% CPU after less than 5 minutes.

Svenn · May 19, 2005, 07:07 PM // 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beyond

added, also run with an external Audgy 2 USB sound card. All drivers are relatively recent.

I have an internal Audigy 2 Platinum and had problems with the latest drivers. If interested, please see my post here.

Attelim · May 19, 2005, 07:33 PM // 19:33

heres the response i recieved from the GW support.

"Brandon,

Thank you for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team! It sounds like your video card could be overheating. We've been contacted by several customer's with the same issue (despite other games they play not causing the card to overheat). Please try removing the side of the computer case and point a house fan in the general direction of the case. If this does not resolve the issue, try going into the Guild Wars Options and slide the visual quality all the way down to the left, in addition go into Advanced and turn off Post Process Effects. You may also want to make sure the fans on the motherboard and video card are running properly and clean of dust. Please let me know if this has any impact on the issue.

Regards,
The Guild Wars Support Team"

ShadeZeRO · May 19, 2005, 09:09 PM // 21:09

I have a little different situation now...when i run GW at stock CPU speeds...it crashes right of way..and takes me to the site ..cuz of some hardware malfunction....but

when i OC my computer by about 100mhz...i can play the game for a few hours...which is odd..but when i do freeze...its a complete bsod...bull **** of death...and since i have no AGP/PCI lock on my mobo (chipset dont support it)...im risking fking all the stuff in my comp up...
i want to turn of that algorithem

Mojofilter · May 19, 2005, 10:34 PM // 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Attelim

heres the response i recieved from the GW support.

"Brandon,

Thank you for contacting the Guild Wars Support Team! It sounds like your video card could be overheating. We've been contacted by several customer's with the same issue (despite other games they play not causing the card to overheat). Please try removing the side of the computer case and point a house fan in the general direction of the case. If this does not resolve the issue, try going into the Guild Wars Options and slide the visual quality all the way down to the left, in addition go into Advanced and turn off Post Process Effects. You may also want to make sure the fans on the motherboard and video card are running properly and clean of dust. Please let me know if this has any impact on the issue.

Regards,
The Guild Wars Support Team"

What a bunch of crap that response is! My card gets no hotter playing GW than it does playing Doom3 or HL2, and they dont reboot my PC so WTF??!!!

Well I've had enough. This is BS. I'm going to consider my wasted $50 the price of the lesson I learned. Dont buy NCSoft.

I am also going to make it my personal mission to tell my family, friends, clan members, and anyone I see at the store even looking in the general direction of a GW box to save their money, time, and sanity by staying away from this POS title.

LifeInfusion · May 20, 2005, 02:02 AM // 02:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by reality

it seems obvious that SOMETHING they did between the beta and retail caused this problem for most, if not all, of us.

Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1800+ 1.5 GHz
Memory: 1024 MB DDR PC2100
Video: 1024 x 768 in 32-Bit Color, RADEON 9600 SERIES Ver. 6.14 (latest drivers)

Windows XP SP2 (all latest patches)
Western Digital 40GB hard Drive

Crashes to desktop roughly every 5 minutes - 30 minutes
It worked perfect with beta though.

-Tried w/o sound & all effects at lowest settings

Beyond · May 20, 2005, 08:26 AM // 08:26

After my crash last night, found a way of upping the speed on CPU fan, racked it up to max, idle temp dropped to 42c though it did sound like a jet taking off, kept the desk fan pointed at the side and managed to play for a couple of hours, with the temp not getting above 65c.

Will test it hard tonight and see what happens, but it is starting to look like a heating issue at the moment.