Game closes down - no error msg.

[fugazi]

Since Tuesday, when Windows 7 got its first Service Pack update, I've had the pleasure of EQ closing down by itself twice. It simply closes down immediately without any error messages. Oddly enough this has only happened while I was AoE kiting with my bard and had quite a large amount of mobs on me.

So, no error messages and a 'clean' shutdown. No stutters, no jumps in music I'm playing, no connection loss whatsoever. I can log straight back in (to a naked bard).

[Humerox]

Happened to me a couple times lately too. Once today as soon as I pulled my first mob lol.

[Rhodes]

This started happening to me a lot today out of nowhere. It loves to happen right when I pull something while soloing. It's like the game is trolling me...

[Malrubius]

This is an old bug with the client, which some people get and some people don't. Welcome to the "get" side.

Still no known fix I am aware of...

http://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21628

My client dies about once a day. Tends to happen soon after logging on and during a pull (of course :/ ).

[Thetan]

Try changing your EQClient.ini to EQClient.ini.BU,

This will force the client to make a new EQClient.ini file and reset all the settings used by that client while preserving your old EQClient.ini file if this doesn't help so you can revert back to it.

Don't know if this is a fix, but it's someplace to start.

[Lazortag]

I get this problem very rarely. Maybe once a month. It's extremely annoying.

[JayDee]

My client dies about once a day. Tends to happen soon after logging on and during a pull (of course :/ ).

Same shit happens to me and always during a pull.

Never happens when I don't have aggro (medding, grouped, raids, afk, etc) if that gives any clues.

[Drowed]

Glad (somewhat) that i'm not the only one that gets this!! It ALWAYS happens when I am soloing as stated by others. Never ever had this happen in a normal group setting. Which leads me to believe it has something to do with having aggro, OR with constantly moving/looking around while i'm kiting.

Random client disappear while kiting a mob that will beat my ass is sadface irl :(

[Thetan]

Well it's a largely unique issue with p99. Never seen this issue being reported on PEQ.

Are you guys using WinEQ2? I think it sets the CPU affinity for the EQ client and that might reduce issues with the TItanium client which I think came out prior to multi-core CPUs.

[fugazi]

No, I'm using the standard Titanium client and I'm running it on a intel quadcore. I never had any problems whatsoever, until this week. The only noticeable change is that I downed the new Service Pack for Windows 7.

[Thetan]

No, I'm using the standard Titanium client and I'm running it on a intel quadcore. I never had any problems whatsoever, until this week. The only noticeable change is that I downed the new Service Pack for Windows 7.Leave it to MS to screw up to OSs in the same week.

They messed up Windows Mobile updates this week too.

Here's a link to DL WinEQ2: http://www.lavishsoft.com/downloads.php?p=wineq2

Give it a try and see if it helps.

[fugazi]

Thanks, installed it and I'll try it out for a little. I'm sick and tired like shit, so it's a time as good as any to play some EQ.

[mwatt]

Just adding another data point to the pot, if you will pardon my mixed metaphor. I too am having this problem - it happens about 0 to 2 times per play session. Normally it happens when I have engaged a mob and am running for distance, or else kiting with my Necro. Rathe Mtns has been the zone I've experienced this in.

I run Windows 7 with SP1. If I remember right, I did crash to desktop once or twice in South Karana with a Druid or Shammy, but it truly does seem to be more frequent after the service pack.

One last point of possible interest. I used to use the SoF client. The problem never happened for me with SoF, only Titanium. I should also note however, that when I was running SoF, it was before the Windows 7 SP1 was installed.

[Rasah]

Normally it happens when I have engaged a mob and am running for distance, or else kiting with my Necro. I have noticed it in the following activities:

Running while kiting a DoT'ed mob.
Casting DoTs on a rooted mob.
Watching a pet beat on a mob.
Looting a corpse.

So moving isn't a requirement, nor is having DoTs on something.

I used to believe that if it happened once after opening up my laptop, it wouldn't happen again for that session, but 2 nights ago I dropped twice. So that theory is out the window.

I have WinEQ2, and that hasn't solved the issue.

[Omnimorph]

I had this happen to me on a draco pull. I was all ready to cure people's diseases, then boom, desktop.

Oh well XD

[Funkyguru]

I used to be a 67 pound assling, then I tried this solution!

1. Locate your EQ folder
2. Open your EQ folder then create a new text doc within it
3. Open the text doc you just created and copy/paste in the following line:

c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /C start /affinity 1 eqgame.exe patchme

3. Save the text doc then right-click it and rename as eqgame.bat
4. Run the eqgame.bat file you just created (Or make a shortcut on your desktop, whatever tickles your fancy)

This issue was haunting me for ages and was totally random; some days it would happen several times in short span and then not again for several days. I also tried lowering the frame rate to ~30 fps which 'appeared' to lessen the frequency of the issue to some degree (Pretty hard to tell considering how random it had been) but did not resolve the issue completely.

After some investigation I found out that the issue might stem from the fact that EQ, at least the Titanium version I am using, can have some kind of conflict with multiple cores as it was never designed specifically with them in mind. The .bat basically forces EQ to run on 1 processor (/affinity 1 being CPU 0). After trying this solution I've not had the issue occur and it's now been ~8 weeks (I would of posted sooner but really wanted to be sure that the problem wasn't occurring anymore). No guarantees, of course, but I feel confident that this should resolve the issue at least for some (assuming it was resulting from the same cause as mine).


No more desktop sand kicked in this assling's face!


Adding my system info for comparison if that helps anyone.

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/6/2011, 00:56:03
Machine name: KELLY-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_rtm.101119-1850)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/27/10 17:41:31 Ver: 08.00.15
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 870 @ 2.93GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.7GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 8190MB RAM
Page File: 3484MB used, 12894MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
------------------


Cheers!

Bottom - Assling Drood - lvl 50 - Project 1999 Server

[Rasah]

Thanks Funky. I have been following this issue in the *multiple* threads on the topic. I have seen corrections similar to this, as well as people suggesting to use WinEQ, and a number of other ideas. When I installed WinEQ, that helped a little, but didn't fully fix it.

I thought I read that some people didn't get the success they hoped for with your solution. I will try it, simply because my gameplay has been overly cautious due to the fear of dropping.

Thanks for the detailed fix.

[aggresor223]

I used to get it some times, then it stopped. Now every time I log my rogue in it crashes about a minute later. I logged my bard in and sat in the same zone for hours and no crash. So Weird.

[mwatt]

Funky,

I have done as you suggested. So far so good, though obviously this will take some time to prove out. Still, this solution has "the ring of truth". I fully expect this to solve the problem and encourage others to try the same solution.

[mwatt]

Well, ring of truth was a bit premature. I crashed again.

GOOD NEWS however. There is a patch for issues with games crashing if they are using DirectX 9.

I downloaded and installed, so far so good. You can probably find it under your optional downloads.

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2488113

[Funkyguru]

Sorry to hear that Mwatt.

Hopefully that patch sorts the issue out for you. I can totally relate as to how frustrating this issue can be especially with the potential death/xp loss componant:(

I've added my System to my original post for comparison if that helps anyone in any way.


Cheers!

Bottom - Assling Drood - lvl 50 - Project 1999 Server

[Kumoga]

This started happening to me today and I don't get what is causing it. I leveled yesterday for literally 12 hours straight solo and did not have one crash but then today have crashed twice. It crashes me sporadically whenever I cast an initial dot on a mob. Very frustrating as I get no error message either.

[mwatt]

Since at least one person is still having an issue I'll update this thread with my ongoing experience, which is almost entirely positive. I have had no crashes on our standard server since I made a few adjustments to my settings, used the /affinity batch file mentioned in a previous post and installed the patch I mentioned in one of my own previous posts.

Since my last post, I have had only one crash to desktop and that was in Kunark beta, while backing up from a mob in a fight, while leved. After that, I disabled texture caching on a hunch. I have not gone back to beta yet, but the rest of my game play as I said, has been fine with zero crashes. Granted I have been avoiding lev with the character that has been most prone (go figure) to these crashes.

I think most of the people that have begun to suffer this problem are probably running Windows 7 with SP1. The patch to the Windows 7 SP1 I mentioned (do read the full Knowledge Base article) is probably the key fix here. I think the batch file that applies affinity to a particular processor is also important - particulary if you have this problem and are not running Windows 7 SP1. I have no idea if my settings adjustments have helped, but to reiterate what might have been effective among those, they were:
* frame rate to 50
* version 1.1 shaders only
* texture caching off
* dynamic lighting off
* changed sky reflecction update to only every 10 seconds
I made a few other changes to gama and the amount of distance one can see, but I doubt these would have had a beneficial effect.

[Averalis]

It's happened to me twice the last couple days. Giving the windows patch a shot now.

[Zxar]

Haven't had this issue in awhile, now 3 times in consecutive pulls. Of course the third finally got me killed :(

[Rael]

Just had it today after installing the windows update, making the batch file and changing all settings as above. Was while kiting in TD.

[mwatt]

Rael and those who have applied the aformentioned patch to Windows 7 SP1,

After many more hours of play I too find that even after the patch that I at first thought was the complete solution, I very rarely crash to desktop with no error message.

So I did some more reading. It seems that IE is somehow involved. So, I have recently taken the stop of NEVER having IE open in the background when I am fighting (I don't even like to open it while playing, though this can be damnably inconvenient). Since I have taken this step, I have had zero crashes so far.

Obviously, this work around is not completely acceptable. I expect the boys in Redmond will right this eventually, but for now I can live with this. Another thought I had is to download Firefox 4, which I use at work and seems quite fast.

Good luck guys. I know it's a pain but it is worth some effort.

[Rael]

It seems that IE is somehow involved.

I can confirm that this is definitely not the cause, as I wouldn't be seen dead with IE running :P

[Ozudin]

I can confirm that this is definitely not the cause, as I wouldn't be seen dead with IE running :P

Same here.

[Rael]

Has anyone tried using the SoF client? I'm guessing this issue doesn't affect it although other compatibility issues will. Is p99 even playable on SoF?

[apio]

for me this problem only occurs when i log into the game and start exping / whatever else WITHOUT zoning once. I have never had the game close itself on my after i have done 1 "safety zone".

Just try zoning 1 time / switching characters, before you start playing. It should fix the issue. PS: If you crash for another reason (ie: reset device failed, etc.), and have to restart the client, don't forget to zone after that, because the bug WILL reappear

[Rael]

The problem with most of these "fixes" are that the crashes are so random and sometime have such a large gap in between them it can seem like something has worked when it in fact hasn't.

[mwatt]

I have posted probable fixes for this problem twice before, just because as the last poster says, it is possible to go days between incidences (though I have also crashed 3X in one sitting). Well here is another probable fix.

I set the launching short cut's compatibility to XP SP2. So far so good. I have had 2 instances since I did this where the screen goes black for a micro second. Never saw this before. However, I have not crashed to desktop. I am thinking those quick black screens would have been crashes before my latest change. Give it a try.

[apio]

The problem with most of these "fixes" are that the crashes are so random and sometime have such a large gap in between them it can seem like something has worked when it in fact hasn't.

i started zoning before i exp and this bug hasn't happened again. The only instance where i actually crashed was when i "forgot" to zone and just logged in in a zone and started fighting. Just try it out, if it doesn't solve your problem, please report it here.