Arma Repeatedly Hangs Without Error

[Danny252 0]

A few weeks back, I bought Arma. I have tried it on 2 computers:

My own, which has the lower end hardware of the 2, but it works

My dad's, with much higher end hardware, on which I hoped to play Arma with higher detail settings, but Arma crashes every time I play it.

I open up Arma on his computer, it loads fine, get into the game, and play for a bit. After 5 minutes, on any mission (or map editor, or campaign), it hangs.

The screen freezes, and the sound loops. Multicoloured patches appear on the screen, and then the computer completely fails and reboots itself, without a BSoD. I can't do anything at this point, and it seems to happen randomly.

I picked up that the arma.rpt file might be a help, and noticed something odd. The next 5 lines always appear at, or near the end (Anything after appears to be crash info):

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">No more slot to add connection at De61 (6952.9,8228.9)

No more slot to add connection at Fh71 (11466.8,6127.8)

No more slot to add connection at Fi71 (11613.7,6208.8)

No more slot to add connection at Gh57 (13524.3,8896.8)

No more slot to add connection at Hc39 (14473.8,12501.8)

Also, the following occurs sometimes after the above:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">No alive in 10000

===FROZEN====>>>>>>BEG

Version 1.04.5121

Fault address: 7C90EB94 01:0000DB94 D:\WINDOWS\system32\ntdll.dll

Prev. code bytes: 49 00 90 90 90 90 90 8B D4 0F 34 90 90 90 90 90

Fault code bytes: C3 8D A4 24 00 00 00 00 8D 64 24 00 90 90 90 90

Registers:

EAX:0958A720 EBX:00093C01

ECX:00000001 EDX:06A5054C

ESI:01B0F424 EDI:00000000

CS:EIP:001B:7C90EB94

SS:ESP:0023:01B0F3C0 EBP:01B0F410

DS:0023 ES:0023 FS:003B GS:0000

Flags:00000246

===FROZEN====>>>>>>END

This is the UK DVD version, latest patch.

System details:

Win XP 5.1 Build 2600 SP2

1024 MB RAM

Intel D955XBK Motherboard

Intel Pentium D 3.00GHz CPU

GeForce 7800 GT 256MB GPU

DirectX 9.0c

Anyone got any clues?

[BraTTy 0]

Possibly heat...you play other games on that PC?

I would check the dust from your CPU,Power Supply and Video Card.

Pentium D may have been in there a while

[Danny252 0]

I doubt it, but I'll take a look. Im rather sure the PC would warn me if it was overheating, it's not exactly sweltering in the UK, and usually it hasn't been used for a while before I try to play.

The fact that the same errors always pop up also seems to point at something else.

But I'll take a look, better safe than sorry!

EDIT: Dust would most certainly not seem to be a problem. It's a rather new case, and dust is more or less non-existent inside. The CPU has a rather large (and I mean that) heatsink, aswell. But I will keep tabs on the pc temp next time I play.

[dirtylarrygb 0]

I doubt it, but I'll take a look. Im rather sure the PC would warn me if it was overheating, it's not exactly sweltering in the UK, and usually it hasn't been used for a while before I try to play.

The fact that the same errors always pop up also seems to point at something else.

But I'll take a look, better safe than sorry!

EDIT: Dust would most certainly not seem to be a problem. It's a rather new case, and dust is more or less non-existent inside. The CPU has a rather large (and I mean that) heatsink, aswell. But I will keep tabs on the pc temp next time I play.

Danny lower all the details on your dads PC to low even the res, see if that makes a diff in runtime before BSOD.

Also do a spyware check on it, does it have a AV programme yours does not?

Also ask if anyone has installed a DVD ripper /zone change programme on that PC.

Last but not least check the sound card drivers and settings. Has your dads PC a soundblaster or is it running AC 97 onbard sound?

[Danny252 0]

Danny lower all the details on your dads PC to low even the res, see if that makes a diff in runtime before BSOD.

Also do a spyware check on it, does it have a AV programme yours does not?

Also ask if anyone has installed a DVD ripper /zone change programme on that PC.

Last but not least check the sound card drivers and settings. Has your dads PC a soundblaster or is it running AC 97 onbard sound?

The AV on his PC is the same, but I'll try it without that just to see.

The firewall he has (ZoneAlarm) is different too, but I don't see that affecting Arma. Will try without that, as well.

The slightly hard thing is the fact that my dad actually passed away a few months ago - so I'm having to go through it myself. While I'm quite familiar with it, having used it for years before I got my own, there's a fair bit that's changed. I know he did use a lot of DVDs on it, and so I will double check.

The sound appears to be on-board, and is quoted by dxdiag to be "SigmaTel Audio". There is no sound card either, so that's my assumption.

Thanks for the suggestions

EDIT: Ok, so

I tested it without the AV, and tried low details. After a while - the time seemed random before - ArmA gave out again.

Interestingly, I left the pc alone, and the screen kept changing every couple of seconds. Occasionally it showed the cockpit of the helicopter I was flying, but completely discoloured, to screens of random colour.

Eventually, the screen turned itself off - as if it had no signal - but the pc didn't reboot itself.

The pc temperature didn't change from 34*c.

[Chris Death 0]

Quote[/b] ]The firewall he has (ZoneAlarm) is different too, but I don't see that affecting Arma. Will try without that, as well.

Well, ZoneAlarm is not really the firewall for the high end gamer.

I remember the time when it has become a must to have

a firewall running if connected to the web and i've been

using a ZoneAlarm too.

With only the firewall system resources where used to 75%

free.

After changing to McAffe i noticed 93% of free system resources.

ZoneAlarm imho is for people who want to be protected

but don't want to pay money for that - the price is then

paid in performance.

~S~ CD

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Danny lower all the details on your dads PC to low even the res, see if that makes a diff in runtime before BSOD.

Also do a spyware check on it, does it have a AV programme yours does not?

Also ask if anyone has installed a DVD ripper /zone change programme on that PC.

Last but not least check the sound card drivers and settings. Has your dads PC a soundblaster or is it running AC 97 onbard sound?

The AV on his PC is the same, but I'll try it without that just to see.

The firewall he has (ZoneAlarm) is different too, but I don't see that affecting Arma. Will try without that, as well.

The slightly hard thing is the fact that my dad actually passed away a few months ago - so I'm having to go through it myself. While I'm quite familiar with it, having used it for years before I got my own, there's a fair bit that's changed. I know he did use a lot of DVDs on it, and so I will double check.

The sound appears to be on-board, and is quoted by dxdiag to be "SigmaTel Audio". There is no sound card either, so that's my assumption.

Thanks for the suggestions

EDIT: Ok, so

I tested it without the AV, and tried low details. After a while - the time seemed random before - ArmA gave out again.

Interestingly, I left the pc alone, and the screen kept changing every couple of seconds. Occasionally it showed the cockpit of the helicopter I was flying, but completely discoloured, to screens of random colour.

Eventually, the screen turned itself off - as if it had no signal - but the pc didn't reboot itself.

The pc temperature didn't change from 34*c.

I would suspect the sound card.

If you grab a cheap XIFI card for that PC you should find most games much faster. As you don't know what installed. Either grab a new Hard Drive and reinstall XP SP2 or format the current drive once you have backed of any data you might want to keep.

It's possible spyware or anti DRM software is on that machine also a windows update my have cocked up or drivers for sound and graphics have got scrambled. Its a good games PC, a fresh Xp install and driver updates should make it work like a dream.

In general people having issue with ARMA have found a fresh Xp install generally solves many issues.

If you dont want to dot hat check the windows programmes unistall panal and get rid of anything you are not going to sue this might also fix it.

And check you have the latest drivers for the GPU.

hope that helps

[Danny252 0]

I think an XP reinstall is where I was heading; this pc seems really rather messed up. I spent the whole of Saturday trying to get Call of Duty to install on it: not an easy feat!

On a side note, I reinstalled DX yesterday and checked the GPU drivers not so long ago (earlier this week)

Oh well, I don't suppose a new XP install would hurt too much

Thanks for the help, will report back after I try that.

Also, I've been trying to get ZA off the pc, but it was being annoying last night (and eating half the CPU!

[=jps=sgtrock 4]

Quote[/b] ]Well, ZoneAlarm is not really the firewall for the high end gamer.

I remember the time when it has become a must to have

a firewall running if connected to the web and i've been

using a ZoneAlarm too.

With only the firewall system resources where used to 75%

free.

After changing to McAffe i noticed 93% of free system resources.

ZoneAlarm imho is for people who want to be protected

but don't want to pay money for that - the price is then

paid in performance.

Quote[/b] ]Also, I've been trying to get ZA off the pc, but it was being annoying last night (and eating half the CPU!

Neither McAffee and Norton are very good firewalls. ZA is by far the more robust of the three. It's been my experience all software gets bloated over time. However, if you're seeing 25% system resource usage with ZA and 7% for McAffee, there's something wrong with the ZA install. I'd recommend disconnecting from the 'Net long enough to do a clean re-install of ZA.

[Danny252 0]

I have determined 2 things:

1: ZA wasn't causing it, neither was McAffee. The problem occured when these were off, and with ZA uninstalled.

2: The same error appears to happen with Call Of Duty 2 (game locks up, sound loops, pc reboots self)

[Dwarden 1124]

well if it happen in other games

could be faulty or weak PSU (e.g. if you got multiple 12V rails then maybe one is overloaded while other underused etc)

way too high overclock / unstable CPU / unstable GPU / unstable RAM

bad memory RAM module

badly coded hardware drivers

bad mainboard (i got in hands several pieces where were some components or SB faulty causing similar weird results (it crashed only under certain conditions and passed all stress tests)

bad bios settings

tons others issues i forgot

[dirtylarrygb 0]

well if it happen in other games

could be faulty or weak PSU (e.g. if you got multiple 12V rails then maybe one is overloaded while other underused etc)

way too high overclock / unstable CPU / unstable GPU / unstable RAM

bad memory RAM module

badly coded hardware drivers

bad mainboard (i got in hands several pieces where were some components or SB faulty causing similar weird results (it crashed only under certain conditions and passed all stress tests)

bad bios settings

tons others issues i forgot

I had a machine that did a similar issue and it was the RAM, one stick had gone. might be worth taking out one stick and trying a stress test.

Saying that a clean install means you can know its hardware not software.

Another user here rebuilt his machine and found suddenely ARMA was fine. he gave it a clean and replugged everything back in.

[Birgrim 0]

I have something similar occurring, the game will lock up and vehicle sounds will go on yet, my in-game cursor will keep moving and I can still alt-tab out.

Oddly enough, it only happens in multiplayer on some select servers. Never on others. I can play for hours at a time on Karillion's server, but I'll be damned if I manage to play 15 minutes without crashing on BDA's server. Same map, game version, drivers, computer, you name it, its the same. But only one causes me to crash.

Any ideas?