Cannot create system memory surface...

[456820 0]

Well I was playing and suddenly received the following error message...

Well imageshack or my internet is being very slow so I will just type the error...

"Cannot create system memory surface DXT5,2048x2048 (size 5636096 b) Error code 8007000e"

Also forgot to mention I am using maxmem=2048

Im guessing its just an 8800 problems with ArmA but I thought I should check.

My specs are...

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3.06ghz

Abit Ip35 to support the 1333fsb speed

2gb RAM

Geforce 8800 GTS 640mb using driver 162.18

Windows XP with SP2

Running at all settings maxed out including view distance.

I ran a quick search but found nothing. Not sure if anyone has had this error before but if they had what did you do?

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

I have heard that maxmem=512 helps for gfx cards with more than 512 mb of ram

[ArmaVidz 0]

Well I was playing and suddenly received the following error message...

"Cannot create system memory surface DXT5,2048x2048 (size 5636096 b) Error code 8007000e"

My specs are...

Geforce 8800 GTS 640mb using driver 162.18

I have the same problem 456820. It started occurring just recently, right after I started using an 8800 GTS 640MB. It didn't happen right away, only after I started using ArmA more.

Not sure if it has anything to do with it, but I also alt+tab alot.

[456820 0]

Well I think Ive gotten the wrong end of the stick with the whole mamem command. I thought it was RAM and not VRAM on the GFX card. However when I started using the -maxmem=512 I was able to play ArmA for well over 20 minutes before I got bored

Normally I crash within 10 minutes at maximum so maybe it has fixed my crash problem.

Well I also alt+tab alot since I mission edit but at the time of the error I hadnt alt+tabd since ArmA booted up.

[Nonpoint 0]

The DTX errors are texture related (I think). Make sure you do not have textures set to "Default" in game

[opteryx 1562]

I got this just now and I have a 8800gts 320 mb...

[456820 0]

Well like I said all settings are maxed out so Texture detail is Very High however the problem has seemed to have gone away. Not one crash to ArmA in 2 days, that has to be a record.

[deplinenoise 0]

So, apparently BIS didn't set the large address aware flag on the executable, so the error is really that ArmA is running out of virtual memory space, not that the page pool is exhausted (i.e. out of memory).

This happens frequently because when D3D9 resources are allocated in the SYSMEM or MANAGED pools, they are shadowed in main memory. This shadowing takes a significant slice of the virtual address space, which is already fragmented by DLLs and other things.

I run Vista x64 with 4 gigs of RAM and a 768 MB 8800 GTX, and I was still getting the "Can't create surface.." crashes after upgrading to the 1.08 release. What I did was to manually enable the LARGEADDRESSAWARE PE flag of the ArmA executable. This allows D3D9 and other libraries to allocate larger, continuous ranges of virtual memory because the address space is twice as large.

BIS should enabled the LARGEADDRESSAWARE linker flag for the next patch! I believe this will solve the memory errors for most high-end graphics cards, and it is virtually harmless on older machines.

Until then you can enable it yourself.

Disclaimer: for those of you who would like to try this, please note that it might flag your executable as different and thereby make it unsuitable for online play. No warranties, and all that. Take a backup of the executable.

Download the Windows Platform SDK and install that. If you have a Visual C++ installation, that's fine too. Now run "editbin /largeaddressaware arma.exe" in the game directory, and you should be good to go. You can verify that the flag has been set by running "dumpbin /headers arma.exe".

[froggyluv 2130]

So, apparently BIS didn't set the large address aware flag on the executable, so the error is really that ArmA is running out of virtual memory space, not that the page pool is exhausted (i.e. out of memory).

This happens frequently because when D3D9 resources are allocated in the SYSMEM or MANAGED pools, they are shadowed in main memory. This shadowing takes a significant slice of the virtual address space, which is already fragmented by DLLs and other things.

I run Vista x64 with 4 gigs of RAM and a 768 MB 8800 GTX, and I was still getting the "Can't create surface.." crashes after upgrading to the 1.08 release. What I did was to manually enable the LARGEADDRESSAWARE PE flag of the ArmA executable. This allows D3D9 and other libraries to allocate larger, continuous ranges of virtual memory because the address space is twice as large.

BIS should enabled the LARGEADDRESSAWARE linker flag for the next patch! I believe this will solve the memory errors for most high-end graphics cards, and it is virtually harmless on older machines.

Until then you can enable it yourself.

Disclaimer: for those of you who would like to try this, please note that it might flag your executable as different and thereby make it unsuitable for online play. No warranties, and all that. Take a backup of the executable.

Download the Windows Platform SDK and install that. If you have a Visual C++ installation, that's fine too. Now run "editbin /largeaddressaware arma.exe" in the game directory, and you should be good to go. You can verify that the flag has been set by running "dumpbin /headers arma.exe".

I started getting this error like 2 weeks ago and now its nonstop  I've tried all of the maxmem's;no pagefile's' all settings high all settings low etc... your answer seems to make sense but it seems like something I dont wanna mess with. Would be nice if a Dev. would acknowledge this and at least let us know it will be fixed someday. It's really killing my MP fun

[ArmaVidz 0]

So, apparently BIS didn't set the large address aware flag on the executable, so the error is really that ArmA is running out of virtual memory space, not that the page pool is exhausted (i.e. out of memory).

This happens frequently because when D3D9 resources are allocated in the SYSMEM or MANAGED pools, they are shadowed in main memory. This shadowing takes a significant slice of the virtual address space, which is already fragmented by DLLs and other things.

I run Vista x64 with 4 gigs of RAM and a 768 MB 8800 GTX, and I was still getting the "Can't create surface.." crashes after upgrading to the 1.08 release. What I did was to manually enable the LARGEADDRESSAWARE PE flag of the ArmA executable. This allows D3D9 and other libraries to allocate larger, continuous ranges of virtual memory because the address space is twice as large.

BIS should enabled the LARGEADDRESSAWARE linker flag for the next patch! I believe this will solve the memory errors for most high-end graphics cards, and it is virtually harmless on older machines.

Until then you can enable it yourself.

Disclaimer: for those of you who would like to try this, please note that it might flag your executable as different and thereby make it unsuitable for online play. No warranties, and all that. Take a backup of the executable.

Download the Windows Platform SDK and install that. If you have a Visual C++ installation, that's fine too. Now run "editbin /largeaddressaware arma.exe" in the game directory, and you should be good to go. You can verify that the flag has been set by running "dumpbin /headers arma.exe".

Eh Deplinenoise

That sounds more scientific than 'it doesn't work and it's inconsistent.'

What ver of the game you got? Assuming it is not illegal( I honestly don't know) one would think that making a 'fixed' executable would save alot of issues in single player. Making one extremely thankful to the 'fixer.'

I'd love to try your executable out

[Dwarden 1124]

if i'm not wrong this is same like setting 2+GB flag

"App can handle 2+GB addresses" in CFF explorer

http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php

open ArmA.exe with CFFexplorer goto Nt Headers > File Headers > on right in section Characteristics click at "click here" and change needed flag ...

write file by File > Save / Save as...

don't forget to backup original ...

anyway i'm unsure about this tweak for machines with 2GB or less and 32b operating systems who still get this memory 8007000e surface errors

p.s. tell me why this error happens to some users on 32b XPs with 2GB RAM ... (btw this is not linked just to arma.exe but e.g. i noticed same problem with redorchestra.exe)

[Kubicide 0]

(Just an FYI this made no difference for my machine. Tried it last week and still had random CTD's.)

[kridian 33]

Changing the Arma.exe with CFF Explorer as per Dwarden suggested seems to have worked for me (4+ hours of play).

Still doing tests.

Well, unfortunately I still have the problem so.... pfft!

[[kh]jman 49]

It's worked for me.

[deplinenoise 0]

(Just an FYI this made no difference for my machine. Tried it last week and still had random CTD's.)

On 32-bit windows versions you're limited to 2 GB of virtual address space by default unless you boot with the /3GB switch.

See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791558.aspx

On 64-bit windows versions, 32-bit processes always have a 4 GB vm space if they have the LARGEADDRESSAWARE PE flag set.

[BendakBR 0]

Well, i think someone should send this Direct to a BI programmer, as i reported that this maybe the problem, tho when i used to set the flag, securerom blocked the loading with a message telling that the executable has been modified.

Link to the same problem

I used editbin, same as i did in supreme commander, TDU, STALKER, Commandos, and many others that stopped running when i migrated to Vista64 (even when i was with 2gb of ram - now I'm with 4gb).

As a matter of fact, editbin should not be considered as illegal modification as it does not reverse engineering, it just change a flag in the executable header. But anyone who tries it should do it own your own risk as it may be considered illegal by BI

[Dwarden 1124]

(Just an FYI this made no difference for my machine. Tried it last week and still had random CTD's.)

On 32-bit windows versions you're limited to 2 GB of virtual address space by default unless you boot with the /3GB switch.

See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791558.aspx

On 64-bit windows versions, 32-bit processes always have a 4 GB vm space if they have the LARGEADDRESSAWARE PE flag set.

there are various limitations like

Default OS :

Free System PTE's 251,980 (1,007,920 kb)

NonPaged Pool Max 206,848 kb

With /3GB enabled:

Free System PTE's 34,884 (139,536 kb)

NonPaged Pool Max 129,312 kb

also you need application which is able to address this way better than just use 2GB+

simply if you gunna use 3-4 or more GB memory i suggest switch to 64b XP (for new hardware is all fine since latest SP) or Vista ...

[deplinenoise 0]

there are various limitations like

Default OS :

Free System PTE's 251,980 (1,007,920 kb)

NonPaged Pool Max 206,848 kb

With /3GB enabled:

Free System PTE's 34,884 (139,536 kb)

NonPaged Pool Max 129,312 kb

also you need application which is able to address this way better than just use 2GB+

simply if you gunna use 3-4 or more GB memory i suggest switch to 64b XP (for new hardware is all fine since latest SP) or Vista ...

That's fine, but virtual address space is the real concern nowadays, especially on a game system. Virtual address space has no relation to the amount of physical memory in the machine, so the options presented to game developers are:

1. Make a 64-bit program (unfeasible, as the installed base is still mostly 32-bit)

2. Apply workarounds that solve the problem for some users such as the fix I suggested (better, but still not foolproof, can be combined with 3 & 4)

3. Apply workarounds that limit the game's internal use of virtual address space to allow other things to claim the rest (hard to get right and requires user foresight, ArmA tries to do this with the maxmem parameter)

4. Allocate DX9 resources in the DEFAULT pool (reduces virtual memory but device recreation (e.g. alt+tag recovery, screensaver) will be serveral magnitudes slower as all resources will have to be recreated from source (hitting disk).

I've found that even for 32-bit OSes it's a win to extend the virtual address space with the /3GB switch (Linux has a similar setting to alter the kernel/user split) and then let the kernel to the paging. The extra GB of virtual address space is worth it.

[D007 0]

Well, another one for the list here.. Cannot create surface error 2048x2048 CTD.. was working perfect for the longest time.. then i reinstalled x-fi and arma and the 1.08 and now this error is back again in full force.. Happens every night at least 2-3 times.

I'm suuuuree hoping their going to fix this one, cause it's a biggie.. a lot of people in general are still having a lot of ctd's playing this game. Half of those ctd's have no error codes or warnings.

Some will shut your computer down totally, power down and all.. thats not normal, or good for your computer.. I didn't spend 3 grand making a computer so ARMA could steadily destroy it and fragment the hell out of my drives etc etc etc..

please fix this guys.. and girls.. :O)..

This game still needs serious work.. Love it, but it needs a lot of work.. just way to many bugs..

[(FPC) Bacon 0]

I had the same prob as you D007 and i found that if i set terrain detail to High it stopped coming up with that error everythink else on veryhigh

[Backinthetxt 0]

BIS was supposed to fix this 8007000e error with 1.8 patch, cause on there it says,

"- Fixed: On "Cannot create system memory surface: 8007000e" error, some memory is flushed to allow game continuing."

Seems to me it wasn't fixed, don't look to BIS for any further help, they are too busy trying to beat out codemasters with ArmA2 Codemasters is gonna stomp them. Later guys.

[sprayer_faust 0]

My cure:

If you plan playing it on highest resolution (most gfx memory) don't alt-tab too much....

If you are editing a mission and need those alt-tabs, switch to lower resolution like 1024x768.

It will look worse, but it won't CTD.

[mattxr 9]

BIS was supposed to fix this 8007000e error with 1.8 patch, cause on there it says,

"- Fixed: On "Cannot create system memory surface: 8007000e" error, some memory is flushed to allow game continuing."

Seems to me it wasn't fixed, don't look to BIS for any further help, they are too busy trying to beat out codemasters with ArmA2   Codemasters is gonna stomp them. Later guys.

Yeah with this patch i got this error all the time and the only way i fixed it was with maxmem=256 which is balls imo.