ArmA can't be killed by task manager

[as-33 0]

Hi,

when I try to join a multiplayer game, ArmA hangs with the message "Wait for host". Since nobody thought it necessary to add a cancel button, I hat to try to kill the game from the Win XP task manager, but it just won't die and I need a hard reset to get rid of it. How is that even possible? I never had this problem with any other program.

Thanks

[andy-uk 0]

will 'End Process' not work? it does for me if arma hangs.

andy

[wex-q 0]

Hi,

when I try to join a multiplayer game, ArmA hangs with the message "Wait for host". Since nobody thought it necessary to add a cancel button, I hat to try to kill the game from the Win XP task manager, but it just won't die and I need a hard reset to get rid of it. How is that even possible? I never had this problem with any other program.

Thanks

Are you sure?

Ending the process is the way to kill it, so the only thing stopping that would be some sort of virus not letting you kill it, or that you don't have permission to end processes via taskmanager.

Always works for me when stuff hangs.

[Messiah 2]

Hi,

when I try to join a multiplayer game, ArmA hangs with the message "Wait for host". Since nobody thought it necessary to add a cancel button, I hat to try to kill the game from the Win XP task manager, but it just won't die and I need a hard reset to get rid of it. How is that even possible? I never had this problem with any other program.

Thanks

ermmm

just press ESC to cancel the wait for host

[Mabes 0]

I've never had this problem with ArmA, maybe a reinstall is in order?

Only game I've had this problem with was Sacred (a hack & slash RPG)

[as-33 0]

I'm sure it doesn't work with the task manager. ESC doesn't work either(I've tried esc, alt+f4, alt+tab, strg+c, alt+x, and anything else I could think of).

This is a fresh Win XP with not much more than ArmA and the ATI driver. I just installed the game and patched it, so I don't think a reinstall would help. I also disabled the WinXP firewall and AntiVir Guard...

I'm going to try Qtracker now instead of the ingame browser, maybe this will help.

[Messiah 2]

odd - esc works fine for me

which version are you running?

[as-33 0]

I'm running 1.08.

With Qtracker joining worked, and playing kind of worked, too (except for the usual lag), but after leaving the game and clicking "disconnect" ARMA hangs and I have exactly the same problem again.

[kegetys 2]

Not being able to kill the process propably means it has hung in some low level system call. Could be because of firewall/network card driver or something similar doing it.

[walker 0]

Hi all

Possible Cause

The waiting for host thing is something I have seen when logging on to a server that has been running for a while, usually days, it then takes a long time for all the dynamic data on the island to be loaded, all those knocked down trees, road marker bollards, buildings blown to rubble, sign posts and walls run over by tanks, wrecked vehicles, AI dead and alive etc.

Just stick it out till the download is finished.

Zaphod did a lot of work on Berzerk to reduce things like dead boddies and vehicles to optimise how it plays. Maybe the Island needs some civilian road crews, builders and national parks guard teams, tow trucks, undertakers, going round to do the repairs, replant the bushes and trees, tow away the dead vehicles for scrap and bury the bodies.   Seriously mission makers a script can do this.

Evolution, RTS4 and even the odd 36 hour berzerk match are prone to this. It also lags the game as the server is feeding all that data to the person jipping in. As game terrain become more dynamic this is going to be more common. It is time to be thinking about server farm architecture. ArmA is the first ever game with this degree of dynamic clutter/detail so inevitably it is discovering the problems that all future game engines will have to cope with.

Long term solution for BIS

The answer here is a second sub server with its own bandwidth that can record the game terrain changes from the main server as a client and to then hold and stream the data to players who jip in before handing the new player off to the game server once they are synced up. I hope Suma and Marek read this.

Quck solution: Have you tried Alt Tabbing?

As to not being able to escape the game. I think a cancel button at that point would be beneficial. Escape works for me 99% of the time even in this case but I have always been able to alt tab out then shut down the ArmA.exe task in task manager.

Is it only happening on certain servers and certain mission types?

This should not be happening very often on lots of different servers but would happen all the time on any server that is running for days until it is reset. Especialy if there a lot of players on it. If it is happening to you on lots of different servers running short games then this may not be the problem.

More info to solve your problem

Like Messiah said what version of ArmA have you got and where did you get it from?

Also what is the spec on your computer?

Kind Regards walker

[Guest Ti0n3r]

@as-33

Try checking your firewall settings. This sounds like something I often get with zone alarm in most games.

[kklownboy 43]

run it in window mode so you can use some utility's, like Process Explorer ect, and see the issue. Chk your Event viewer in Addmin tools., Reinstall DX9c june. Also are you using a short cut with parameters?.

[as-33 0]

Thanks for the many replies!

I'm using a regular AA shortcut without parameters. I have disabled the WinXP firewall, no other firewall software is installed (I hate those things).

I can Alt-Tab out of the game, use the start menu, task bar etc., but I can't use any other software because the foreground of the screen is taken by AA. AA doesn't use any CPU, it just sits there and won't die.

[troop 0]

Does your Desktop resolution match the ingame resolution?

(ArmA claims foreground of screen)

Maybe the gfx driver is unable to make the switch correct and

therefore gets stuck on shutdown.

Another thing to try is to temp remove your LAN cable

(or disable wireless) before you shutdown ArmA.

[DBO_ 0]

Quote[/b] ]ot being able to kill the process propably means it has hung in some low level system call. Could be because of firewall/network card driver or something similar doing it.

Had exact same problem , needed to tell router and norton that arma exe was ok to access internet and all was fine.

n.b had exact same hang and no way to exit apart from reset .

[as-33 0]

"Does your Desktop resolution match the ingame resolution?"

Yes.

Something I noticed, it doesn't hang at the "normal" wait-for-host screen (the one where the text is at the bottom left), ESC works alright there. It hangs at a different screen where "wait for host" is in the middle. Weird. I'll try the LAN cable thing next time, maybe this is enough to get ArmA to exit.

[Spectex 0]

I have this exact same problem, whenever I try to join a server it freezes at a screen with "wait for host" in the middle, and there's a constant loud clicking or buzzing noise coming through my speakers. 'Esc' doesn't work, nor do any other keys, and arma refuses to be killed by the task manager (both trying to kill by application and the 'arma.lock' process), and Windows can't seem to kill it either if I tell it to shut down or restart. I have to power cycle to kill the program.

This definitely isn't a router or firewall thing, I've had my computer set up as the DMZ from the beginning.

[Rexxenexx 0]

Hi,

when I try to join a multiplayer game, ArmA hangs with the message "Wait for host". Since nobody thought it necessary to add a cancel button, I hat to try to kill the game from the Win XP task manager, but it just won't die and I need a hard reset to get rid of it. How is that even possible? I never had this problem with any other program.

Thanks

Next time try to logout of XP. When stuff like that happens I try that or I push the sleep button and wake it back up. That usually gets it unstuck.