-TG- Houdini

Well, I've got a new and unusual problem: My Armed Assault DVD (505 games, UK version) is no longer recognized in Windows, it won't autostart when I reinsert the disk...and basically just sits there like a lump of coal. I've restarted the system...if I leave the DVD in the tray, the computer will not fully boot (presumably because it can't read the DVD). I've tested 2 other DVDs: GRAW, and BF2...both work in the same player. I've got a Lite-On LH-20A1L Lightscribe SATA DVD drive, with standard XP drivers but updated Lightscribe software just in case. There is no updated firmware for the Lite-On LH-20A1L yet. Brand new computer build and Windows XP Pro installation (2 weeks old)...no junk on this baby! I've even tried changing the DVD region, but I can't change it unless the DVD is in properly...and I can't do anything with it because its unresponsive with the ArmA DVD in. The DVD is brand spanking new...no visible scratches or smudges. I tried inserting the disk in a second computer...works like a champ. GGRRRR! It was working fine yesterday. Any ideas? I've searched the forums already, but couldn't find anything similar. It looks, smells, and feels like a Securom issue, but I'm not 100% sure. Could sure use some help here. Specs: OS: WinXP SP2 Processor: Intel E6700 C2D (no overclock) Motherboard:ASUS P5N32-E SLI Memory: 2GB RAM Video Card: EVGA 8800GTS (no overclock) Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22" Wide Screen Sound Card: SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio

Actually, it didn't. I'm not sure why the new .exe would have helped, since it's the DVD that's not being recognized. The DVD works in another computer, so it has to be some setting that's changed on my new computer regarding the DVD drive, but I can't figure it out. I've uninstalled / reinstalled the drive itself, but that didn't work. Again, the drive is working for other titles, no problem...so I'm stumped. I've got some leads on a possible spyware issue and interference with securom...I'll let you guys know how it turns out. EDIT: Armed Assault patched to latest 1.05 version. Currently playing with the latest 1.7 beta version.

Amazing! Securom actually responded to my e-mail!

Hello all. Just a quick note to describe the changes I've made to my setup that have prevented the frequent CTDs I was getting in Armed Assault. For me it was a sound card issue. I normally run two sound cards, my on-board sound card for Teamspeak and a Soundblaster Audigy 4 for game sound. I know this probably sounds weird, but I like running teamspeak through a separate headset so I can "isolate" voice comms a little better over game sound. Teamspeak allows you to select which soundcard is producing voice comms. This has worked perfectly for other games in the past, including OFP and Armed Assault beta. I just disabled the on-board sound in the BIOS, rerouted the mic setup through the audigy...then disabled sound hardware acceleration in game. No CTDs for about 4 hours of game play...which is a record for my setup. I'm not sure if disabling hardware acceleration helped or hurt, so I'm going to do a little more testing over the next couple of days. Hope this helps *someone* out there. Later. Specs: CPU: P4 3.4 Ghz (Intel D865 PERL motherboard with onboard sound) Graphics card ATI x1650 Catalyst 7.4 Sound card Soundblaster Audigy 4 (latest drivers), onboard SoundMAX (disabled) RAM 2GB ArmA version UK version (latest) DirectX version 9.0c (latest)

Hey 4 IN 1 Thanks for the input! Yeah, I was careful to make sure the input and output settings under the control panel-->sounds and audio devices were set correctly. Again, this setup was used in a variety of other games, like OFP, BF2, and Armed Assault Beta without issues. I guess its kind of a tricky setup, using two sound cards at once...I liked having the ability to hear teamspeak separately, and distinctly, in my ear with the game sound blaring in all its gusto on my surround sound setup. I'll play with it some more, but I'm happy to have Armed Assault working without CTDs. By the way, those CTDs/instant reboots normally came when I switched to map view. After I disabled the auto reboot feature, the BSOD text gave me an IRQ warning which instantly led me to a conflict with the soundcard. Perhaps someone with a similar 2 sound card setup can give me a few pointers to make it work? I'm fairly literate with technical stuff, but not enough to start messing around with IRQ assignments without some guidance. Thanks in advance.

Just FYI: We weren't able to get the demo server to launch with players until we went back to our OFP roots. #Vote admin (somebody) admin issues command: #missions picks the mission...and off you go. Hope this helps someone!