The Dreaded Lock-UP

[169th_Ice 0]

From what I can gather this seems to be a common issue for nVidia 7800 and 8800 users.

Symptom: Playing Arma and it freezes for approximately 5 seconds, theres a Flicker then there's gawry corruptions of graphics. The only way out is to ALT F4. As you do this a magnified image of some graphic out of the game, be it a tree or a tank track or a face image. allways different. If you try to start the game again without a reboot, its extremely slow to load and the title screen text will corrupt and animate with Cyrilics. The only solution is to reboot and start again. For me, i can play one full version of Arma without a crash. If, however i start or join another session u can be sure i will get the dreaded lock-up again.

Is this issue recognised by BI, is there a solution? for 1.14?

[styxx42 0]

Standard Yada yada about current drivers for your system.

And I am going to make assumptions because you don't give any detail on your system or OS.

In Windows XP right click on my computer

Choose manage and under Event Viewer ,look at the logs for Application and System. See if there is anything in there that is happening around the time of your lockup. It might point at something other then the video card.

If it runs fine in single player but locks up in multi I would be looking at my network, router, ports and even physical media. It could also be firewalls or antivirus.

Download a temperature monitor for both GPU and for your CPU.

Make sure your temps are in spec for your system.

Sounds like your GPU is over heating based on your brief description. So I would focus on the video card first.

Those are areas to start looking in.

Styxx

I have a XFX 8800 AlphaDog, Stock-O'clock(meaning I bought it this way) 670 Ghz 512 DDR3 GPU and it runs great (with some issues of slow texture building on occasion) with stock XFX driver.

[styxx42 0]

For me, i can play one full version of Arma without a crash. If, however i start or join another session u can be sure i will get the dreaded lock-up again.

@169th_Ice

One thing to clarify as I reread your post.

Are you starting two iterations of ARMA on the same computer and then joining them in a Multi player session?

Styxx

[KeyCat 131]

@169th_Ice:

Do you ALT-TAB to desktop anytime during gameplay?

Since 1.11 Beta thats a big no-no for me and results in freezes, corrupted graphic and eventually a CTD down the line along with lots of lines in RPT-file reporting...

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c (D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY); VID: alloc 412880848, limit 2147483647, free: local 12775168, nonlocal 158719, virt. 1155854336, virt longest 105091072

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c (D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY); VID: alloc 412880848, limit 2147483647, free: local 12775168, nonlocal 158719, virt. 1155854336, virt longest 105091072

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c (D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY); VID: alloc 412880848, limit 2147483647, free: local 12775168, nonlocal 158719, virt. 1155854336, virt longest 105091072

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c (D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY); VID: alloc 412880848, limit 2147483647, free: local 12775168, nonlocal 158719, virt. 1155854336, virt longest 105091072

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c (D3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORY); VID: alloc 412880848, limit 2147483647, free: local 12775168, nonlocal 158719, virt. 1155854336, virt longest 105091072

Error: CreateVertexBuffer 8876017c

...

I'm using a GeForce 7950 GT 512 MB with driver version 94.24 (also tried 175.16)

/KC

[Crunch 0]

I also get this same issue and I know others who I play with while on Teamspeak will also get it, a corruption of graphics followed by a lockup that can only be corrected after a reboot. If you attempt to start any other 3D application after the Arma lockup without rebooting, the graphic corruption continues. I play other 3d intensive games with no such issue. Are there others with the same problem and as Ice mentioned, will it be addressed in a patch?

Using Nvidia 8800GTX (not overclocked), Windows XP

Thanks

[sparks50 0]

Crunch: i have the same Card, OS, and problem as you.

For me the game gets a lot more stable if I run it in window mode, I do not know why. You should try that.

[RangerX3X 0]

I have XP SP3 with a 8800 GTS and the same thing happens to me only after patching to 1.14. I never had this issue with 1.08 or any of the beta patches, just 1.14.

It happens whenever you are viewing something through either binos, sniper scope or Javelin scope.

Frustrating as hell because the game runs fine with 1.08. All drivers are up to date on my system.

[ModaFlanker 0]

Someone mentioned that it's caused by Battleeye somehow... and yes, a nVidia card.

I have the 8800GT and run into this problem too at odd times... I can play hours without a problem, or I can run into this problem several times on one map.

If I don't Alt-tab or Ctrl-Alt-Del or Alt-Enter, it seems to stay frozen... so I hit alt-tab and then alt-tab back into the game to fix it. [Could be wrong, I'd have to wait much much longer to test this].

[SWAT_CDN 0]

I can confirm what "sparks50" has observed.

I was having the same issues and for one resaon or another has not happened since I started running it in "Windowed Mode".

I have been running with driver version 6.14.11.6944, old I know but I am going by the saying "What is not broken leave it alone!"

[DirkGent 0]

You should try changing the graphic settings to Low and see if it solves the problem. If so - add more and more effects until it fail (reverse the latest change you did so you are back to stable settings).

This can also be done via Nvidia Control Panel.

This solved the issue for me atleast.

Running Vista x64, 8800GT 640MB, v175.19 drivers.

[Crunch 0]

Thanks for the replys. I guess I'll do some testing with graphics turned down and also try windowed mode. It still seems like some kind of bug though. This is not the kind of thing you normally have to do when running a game/sim.

Usually running a game in windowed mode means lower frames per second. Anyone notice a peformance loss when runnimg in windowed mode?

[RangerX3X 0]

You should try changing the graphic settings to Low and see if it solves the problem. If so - add more and more effects until it fail (reverse the latest change you did so you are back to stable settings).

This can also be done via Nvidia Control Panel.

This solved the issue for me atleast.

Running Vista x64, 8800GT 640MB, v175.19 drivers.

Sorry mate -

If I can play the game just fine at 1.08 and no crashes and patch to 1.14 and crash with the same graphics settins why should I have to downgrade my setting to compensate for a problematic patch released by a developer?

If Arma2 is truly the clone it is looking to be, I refuse to by it if it means I have to invest in another video card just to run the games "default" settings without crashing.

It is the new patch, not peoples machines.

[DirkGent 0]

Well, do you want to be able to play the game or not?

If it helps changing the settings, I am happy with that until BI have fixed the bug.

[Lepardi 0]

You should try changing the graphic settings to Low and see if it solves the problem. If so - add more and more effects until it fail (reverse the latest change you did so you are back to stable settings).

This can also be done via Nvidia Control Panel.

This solved the issue for me atleast.

Running Vista x64, 8800GT 640MB, v175.19 drivers.

Sorry mate -

If I can play the game just fine at 1.08 and no crashes and patch to 1.14 and crash with the same graphics settins why should I have to downgrade my setting to compensate for a problematic patch released by a developer?

If Arma2 is truly the clone it is looking to be, I refuse to by it if it means I have to invest in another video card just to run the games "default" settings without crashing.

It is the new patch, not peoples machines.

It's not the patch. It's nVidia's drivers or hardware. Many people even on this forum have got rid of this problem 100% by changing to an ati card. I had this same exact problem too, but since changing to a HD 4870 I have not experienced any of this. Even the image quality got much better.

[Tankbuster 1735]

I get this too. I have an 8800GTX running XP, but I'm convinced this is an overheating problem.

When it happened a few days ago, I ran ASUS Probe2, and that was reporting MB temperatures of 57C. The CPU (a C2DE6600 stock) was at 41. So the CPU was warm but well within constraints, but the mobo was very hot indeed.

I don't have a temperature sensor on the GPU so it's not conclusive, but nevertheless, I've sure this is an overheating problem. What else can have heated the motherboard so much?

[RangerX3X 0]

1.08 and all other games (including Crysis) not a single problem on default settings. 1.14 the games freezes and crashes.

Sure, it is the video card.

Dope.

[Crunch 0]

Well, I just had a long 5 hour session and had no crashes. I set my graphic options to lower settings and it seems to be running fine. I had acceptable frame rates with my higher settings but I guess ArmA wants me to run it on low

No worries still having fun and the image comprise isn't that bad. Plus I stay near 60 fps nearly all the time. Cheers

[rowdied 44]

RangerX3X,

What addons and Vid card drivers are you using?

I run arma on 6 different computers with 8800gt cards and no, not those 8800gts 320 or 640 mg cards (worst line of videocards nvidia produced) and have zero problems.

Zero problems all with the latest drivers (177.79 and even older 169.09), ecs, slx, dms effects,fromz sound, win xp and 1.14 ,So it can't be the game.

I do have battle eye disabled as I play mostly lan with my friends and roommates.

All machines are on C2D 8400/6750 except 2 which are amd 4800x2 and fx60 o'c @2.9 .

It's strange how one system plays it well and an identical one has fits. So far I've been lucky and only experienced problems

when I had the 8800gts 320mb card. When that went bye bye, I've had no problems.

[DirkGent 0]

I do not know exactly what is causing this issue but it started appearing when I installed v1.14. It might be the drivers or it might be the the patch... Do not really understand why because I have been running the game for a very long time without any issues until v1.14.... But, my best bet is that some Direct3d feature is used in ARMA that can be causing some problem in the driver as some people have problem running other 3d apps after a crash. Proof of that is also that the whole computer freeze up and it BSOD. This should not be the case if the cause is an application error. In that case the app should crash and CTD only...

I think the best solution until Nvidia or BI solve this is to change the 3d settings through the Nvidia Control Panel. This is what I do now and it works fine...

[Crunch 0]

...I think the best solution until Nvidia or BI solve this is to change the 3d settings through the Nvidia Control Panel. This is what I do now and it works fine...

My I ask what setting you use?

thanks

[Alex72 1]

Just adding here that i have the same problem with 1.14. For me it goes either white (whole screen) with some pink/purple big squares. And if i ESC and look in the menu it has weird colours. ALT+TAB fixes it.

Just installed the 175.19 version NVIDIA drivers and will see if this problem continues.

Running 8800GTS

[SlipperyJim 0]

I have the exact same problem as the original poster.  I have a 8800 GTS 320 meg and I am on XP with 2GB RAM Dual Core AMD.

- It definitely is not an overheat issue.  I have my vid card fan at 100% when I play arma, and the temperature does not rise more than a couple degrees over my idle temp.   I play in a nice air conditioned space.

- This problem does not happen with any other game.

The problem started for me when BIS announced their new memory management technique in Arma.   I suspect it is related to that.   If I temporarily change resolutions in a game it forces Arma to reload the textures/shaders and the graphics return to looking normal. If I am on a Battleye server the texture reload process causes me to get kicked because it reports that game stopped responding.

[Arrowhead 0]

I have the occasional crash too and I'm using an 8800GTS 640mb. Happens now in both my XP and Vista64 installs. Never had this with 1.08. Now I'm kind of turned off from even playing Arma, it's just not worth it anymore. Such a load of crap.

[kklownboy 43]

Yeah the whole NVDA CTD or full lockup/crash is lame BS. It happens for me if i have alot of settings veryhigh... i just lower a setting till i quit crashing, It happens 90% of the time on MP, due to some stupid nvidia memory handle due to some crappy BIS coding with some wacky fun mod... Single player with the same mods very rare. I NEVER had this with my 2900s in CF...after the 7.6 driver or some such year plus ago. I still see friends with SLI crash out, and some with single 8XXX gxx 512mb card, but usualy they are on high settings with big res... NVDA cant handle the uber res and uber settings beyond default. I will be all over a ,ati 47XX x2, See if the out of nowhere CTD is over. Heck to even have to flush the ram to keep from crashing on a nvda card is just stupid nvda bad drivers... "Gold Standard" my a**

But when I dont CTD or some lame lock up i am up at full 60fps smooth....

[Kubicide 0]

Head's up on the 4870x2: I just returned mine as it was dang slow and choppy compared to my 8800Ultra. We're talking about 20-25% slower frames, and choppy. Also had bad occasional interlace artifacts from the permanently enabled CrossFire on the x2. Was really hoping it would cure my woes with Nvidia and Arma but no...

UPDATED:

Got another 4780X2 and now have it working properly with ArmA. MultiGPU wasn't being enabled before - now it is, and it smokes! Also tried an overclocked 280 which still locked up at random times thanks to the 1.14 patch. But the 4870X2 is far better than both the Ultra and 280: no lock ups (so far), no Nvidia fog, no slow downs near trees, etc. Very happy now...