fifth_business
asked on
Game works on WinXP one day, but not next!?
I'm running WinXP PRO SP1. Outcast (by Infogrames) was working one day but the next day it generated that annoying error "appcompat.txt". I did a system restore to the day before and everything worked fine again.
Now the same thing has happened only the system restore isn't fixing the problem. Nothing was installed or updated between when it was working and when it stopped working. This is very frustrating. I've since tried updating all drivers and getting all the latest critical updates yet still nothing is working. I've also re-installed Outcast and made sure I was running it with the latest patches.
Similarly I installed System Shock 2 and patched it, which is reported to work on many game sites and I've personally run it on other Win XP systems. However I installed it since Outcast has ceased to run and now it too is generating appcompat.txt error files.
This is similar to the guy with the counterstrike problem, but I thought I should ask specificaly regarding these two games. However I doubt it has anything to do with the games.
Now the same thing has happened only the system restore isn't fixing the problem. Nothing was installed or updated between when it was working and when it stopped working. This is very frustrating. I've since tried updating all drivers and getting all the latest critical updates yet still nothing is working. I've also re-installed Outcast and made sure I was running it with the latest patches.
Similarly I installed System Shock 2 and patched it, which is reported to work on many game sites and I've personally run it on other Win XP systems. However I installed it since Outcast has ceased to run and now it too is generating appcompat.txt error files.
This is similar to the guy with the counterstrike problem, but I thought I should ask specificaly regarding these two games. However I doubt it has anything to do with the games.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Is this Jedi Knight II: Outcast? I have that game and it is also running on windows XP prof. and I haven't got any problems with it. You said it must not be the games and I think you're right. Check to see if you have a virus on your machine, get the latest virus files from the web and scan your system.
If that doesn't work, try reinstalling your system. I know that's alot to do and sometimes painfull, but it's a last resort and always seems to work. I know for a fact that Outcast uses the Quake 3 engine and if this other game doesn't use the same engine, then it must be a problem with the system or a virus in the system.
See if it works
Cheers
Lomi
If that doesn't work, try reinstalling your system. I know that's alot to do and sometimes painfull, but it's a last resort and always seems to work. I know for a fact that Outcast uses the Quake 3 engine and if this other game doesn't use the same engine, then it must be a problem with the system or a virus in the system.
See if it works
Cheers
Lomi
ASKER
i actually solved this myself. i just wanted to get rid of email notifications telling me people were responding. it's annoying that one can't withdraw one's question if they've solved it themselves.
oh well. enjoy the points.
oh well. enjoy the points.
er, thanx.
While you don't want the eMails, I still would like to do at least a little more to warrant the points.
a) Recovery: The CD should also allow it to be installed to hard drive as a selectable menu option when powering up. It displays then on multi-boot menu. This can save time for a repeat of the above by your not having to get up to get the CD. If not intuitive, an <F1> help option should help to fill in any blanks.
b) Event Logs I mentioned led me to identify a nagging outlook virus that messed my game behavior. I do not use outlook, and have not run attachments. I killed it by complete OS install. (Gave up to go get all clean)
c) Games crash on timers. VGA vs HD autosave. My defense includes removal of all powersave features, hibernation, etc. Definitely no realtime virus scan, disk defrag or other activity.
d) Selected programs, including a couple games, demonstrate to this user that the mouse action is not managed correctly inside OS. A generalization for a couple games is that there is a little bleed through, the click just happens to get applied to something 'else'. Probable separate issure, is screen location. I have noticed >50% XP mouse problems are when it is on right side of screen, and a decision to scroll screen or not is involved.
e) SpyWare. Too much of that. Some of mine is OEM. I use ZoneAlarm to identify and stop. Most people go for the killers, with ad-aware being most commonly mentioned. I haven't needed it yet, or tried, but it is on my list.
f) VGA. I am sure you know, but I'll validate, chopping it up can help without losing gaming experience. And it will also improve game behavior. I mean to refer to using a less than max for refresh, # colors, and resolution.
1) appcompat.txt error files - well, what can I say, I have been meaning to look more into them but have not. I had them aplenty, never allowing a send. Through other techniques getting a game to run, or, realizing I'd rather run another game instead of putting up with them. My HE is so much more friendly. It more often kills game by simple return to the XP window screen with no message whatsoever. Nothing else running. For most such error messages popping up or not, the most common factor is uptime. Namely, the more often I reboot, the less the problem. Usually letting it run about a week straight I can get away with, and I have found this to be a general rule for all MS OS, XP still doing it, just not crashing as hard as frequently as the former ones.
My position may vary depending on results of looking at any remaining appcompat.txt files I have. Since I feel your arm twisting me there, I'll give you 50 pts for answering that way for a question of mine if you like. You'd have to add a comment to the question for the process to work.
g) VGA. Just to be sure on what updates you referred to above. Updating Video driver is supposed to be #1 fixer for game problems. Rarely mentioned is audio, which should be done as well. But I don't see many claims of it fixing anything. Still, Microsoft is continually releasing patches for its quirks of multimedia. Today mention was made of another one for the sound system, but only for XP and only if they have IE installed.
OK, I tried to be wordy so to include enough to not make further comment after now that may send you another email. I hope this last one ok by you
Thanx, good bye, good-luck, and
+++ Happy Holiday Season +++
While you don't want the eMails, I still would like to do at least a little more to warrant the points.
a) Recovery: The CD should also allow it to be installed to hard drive as a selectable menu option when powering up. It displays then on multi-boot menu. This can save time for a repeat of the above by your not having to get up to get the CD. If not intuitive, an <F1> help option should help to fill in any blanks.
b) Event Logs I mentioned led me to identify a nagging outlook virus that messed my game behavior. I do not use outlook, and have not run attachments. I killed it by complete OS install. (Gave up to go get all clean)
c) Games crash on timers. VGA vs HD autosave. My defense includes removal of all powersave features, hibernation, etc. Definitely no realtime virus scan, disk defrag or other activity.
d) Selected programs, including a couple games, demonstrate to this user that the mouse action is not managed correctly inside OS. A generalization for a couple games is that there is a little bleed through, the click just happens to get applied to something 'else'. Probable separate issure, is screen location. I have noticed >50% XP mouse problems are when it is on right side of screen, and a decision to scroll screen or not is involved.
e) SpyWare. Too much of that. Some of mine is OEM. I use ZoneAlarm to identify and stop. Most people go for the killers, with ad-aware being most commonly mentioned. I haven't needed it yet, or tried, but it is on my list.
f) VGA. I am sure you know, but I'll validate, chopping it up can help without losing gaming experience. And it will also improve game behavior. I mean to refer to using a less than max for refresh, # colors, and resolution.
1) appcompat.txt error files - well, what can I say, I have been meaning to look more into them but have not. I had them aplenty, never allowing a send. Through other techniques getting a game to run, or, realizing I'd rather run another game instead of putting up with them. My HE is so much more friendly. It more often kills game by simple return to the XP window screen with no message whatsoever. Nothing else running. For most such error messages popping up or not, the most common factor is uptime. Namely, the more often I reboot, the less the problem. Usually letting it run about a week straight I can get away with, and I have found this to be a general rule for all MS OS, XP still doing it, just not crashing as hard as frequently as the former ones.
My position may vary depending on results of looking at any remaining appcompat.txt files I have. Since I feel your arm twisting me there, I'll give you 50 pts for answering that way for a question of mine if you like. You'd have to add a comment to the question for the process to work.
g) VGA. Just to be sure on what updates you referred to above. Updating Video driver is supposed to be #1 fixer for game problems. Rarely mentioned is audio, which should be done as well. But I don't see many claims of it fixing anything. Still, Microsoft is continually releasing patches for its quirks of multimedia. Today mention was made of another one for the sound system, but only for XP and only if they have IE installed.
OK, I tried to be wordy so to include enough to not make further comment after now that may send you another email. I hope this last one ok by you
Thanx, good bye, good-luck, and
+++ Happy Holiday Season +++
ASKER
appcompat.txt is an error file generated by the compatibility mode of windows xp when a program crashes unexpectedly. xp then asks if you'd like to send the error to microsoft, but if you click on the link that lets you look at the details it will indicate a path where the appcompat.txt file is.