Weird freezing

[Hoppkins_Wytchfinder]

Anyone else have a sporadic issue where the screen freezes (but you can still hear sounds going on like the game is continuing).

If you then press ALT ENTER to get OUT of full screen it fixes the issue and when you ALT ENTER to go BACK to full screen its fine again.

Sometimes i go hours, or DAYS without having it. Then sometimes it happens 5 times in a few mins.

Occasionally ALT ENTER doesnt fix it at all and i have to basically bomb out the game forcibly and restart.

Got the game put in XP compatibility SP3 mode.

[Kerwin 5.0]

sounds like a resolution issue if alt enter fixes it

[mcoy]

Happens to mine if anything else I'm doing on the system triggers the prompt for elevation (admin credentials). Same fix works for me - doing alt+enter twice.

-Mcoy

[Hoppkins_Wytchfinder]

Hmmm i thought the same but when i get out to the desktop nothing is waiting.

Ill try disabling everything utterly non essential.

[Xruptor]

Happens to mine if anything else I'm doing on the system triggers the prompt for elevation (admin credentials). Same fix works for me - doing alt+enter twice.

-Mcoy


This is exactly what it is. This is what I read in previous posts. Although you can fix it with alt+enter. It seems to occur when a program on your computer elevates admin privileges and asks you to confirm. When you go back to game it looks frozen.

On a side note, I read somewhere that this is a built in mechanic of p99 to stop unwanted 3rd party programs but I'm not entirely sure. Since you can bypass it with alt-enter.

[Hoppkins_Wytchfinder]

Additional to this: i've now had instances where alt enter did NOT fix it.

The solution (weirdly) was to try and forceably close EQgame.exe. I tried it from the task manager and it failed to do so BUT left me in windowed mode with it fixed. Sometimes takes a while to get to this stage.

I agree it seems a resolution issue, it only seems to happen at 1080p. I may switch down a notch and see if that helps much as i hate to.

I disabled all power options, screensavers, cortana and all that rot.

[dk0]

Ok, I'm glad you posted this, because I've been troubleshooting the exact same issue without really getting anywhere. It's recently gotten me killed a couple times because I have no other choice but to /ex and come back. I haven't tried going full screen and coming back, but I'll do that next time.

Question: are you using Nvidia video card?

If you check Windows Event Viewer, this video lockup always throws an error:
4101 Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.

Searching this led me to the common problem related to the Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) feature of your graphics card. I've increased these settings in my registry from defaults (5 and 2 seconds, respectively) to 60 seconds each. It may have helped a bit, but the hangs still happen:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SYSTEM
CurrentControlSet
Control
GraphicsDrivers
TdrDdiDelay=60
TdrDelay=60

I've also used DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) to completely clear out any artifacts related to graphics drivers. I also used to the tool to prevent Windows from automatically trying to update or change graphics drivers. Then I manually installed the latest from Nvidia.

I still get hangs.

To others saying it's related to applications asking for elevated permissions: this is 100% not true, at least for me. It appears to be the case because when Windows UAC kicks in, the fullscreen video overlay flashes on screen to ask for confirmation-- it's this fullscreen overlay that causes p99 to lockup. Change Windows so that UAC doesn't include the fullscreen overlay and this won't be a problem anymore. EQ will also lockup if you try to launch another fullscreen game while EQ is open -- it's always graphics related.

I've been playing p99 for years on an Nvidia card with no issues. I've been on my current machine since April with no issues until the last few months. Nothing has really changed on my machine over that time, except for Windows updates.

As such, I believe it's either
A) an nvidia graphics driver update sometime around September-October suddenly broke this

or

B) the p99 graphics update related to vision/dynamic lighting is leading to a conflict that's causing the lockup


I'll roll back to earlier drivers hopefully today and see if I make any progress. I'm open to any other input or ideas from other users who might have more experience here.

[Hoppkins_Wytchfinder]

I've never seen anything which makes me think elevated permissions. I know as soon as i enabled XP compatibility mode i always get a "Is this app legit" message when running the batch file but thats normal.

I'll print this off and take a look. I almost never update graphics drivers unless i have to (ESPECIALLY for a 20 year old game).

I'm going to keep testing with resolutions. Perhaps it IS a combo of the lighting with resolution.

Some days ive had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. Perhaps this lend credit to it being the lightning. I guess not all zones have the same lightning. I dont think ive had it at ALL in Oasis.

Had it for sure in Unrest, Kithikor, EC, West Commonlands and Nektlous.

[Hoppkins_Wytchfinder]

FIXED ISSUE:

WinEQ2 made all my issues go away.

If your having issues also get it.

Took me like 2 mins to setup.

[Chapelle]

Still having issues with random screen freeze without switching to another app or anything (although if I open an app that requires admin approval, when I come back the game will be locked up). I can't narrow down what the true root cause is, but I do seem to experience the freeze up when changing direction while moving/looking around or swimming. The screen just freezes, doesn't go black (although if I minimize the game window and bring it back, it will be black) and the game is still running in the background. I have to /ex out and relog.

I tried using WinEQ2 and it was still happening. I have a Nvidea RTX2080 (I know, overkill), run in windowed mode. Alt Enter does not fix this issue.

Any help?

[merzcleric]

this is happening to me all the time. Anyone got a fix?

[Beldan4]

this never happened to me until after i upgraded my Graphic card from a gt730 to a GTX1660. Now its happening all the time.

[xaix1999]

get your drivers from your manufacture's website
simply uninstalling and refreshing your devices will download Microsoft drivers
your manufacture for your gpu (or apu) actually tests and validates their driver software
with Microsoft's drivers YOU are testing and validating

or just make most of your problems go away by installing Linux and Wine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_Is_Not_an_Emulator

[Lynch]

I have been having this specifically when I'm looking in a certain direction in certain zones, an example is looking north in OT outpost and looking at the city when I get into neriak foreign quarter.

This started when I switched from an AMD card to nvidea card.

It's not consistent but in my dbg.txt sometimes I get a stream of "IDirect3DVertexBuffer::Lock() failed to lock vertex buffer for particle system" before the game crashes. And I can sort of feel the game lock up a split second before by a small drop in frames before freezing.

Tried updating my gfx drivers and direct3d version, still get it. Havent been able to Alt+Enter because the game remains froze or I get a ResetDevice failed

[xaix1999]

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=356196&highlight=dgVoodoo
-Mcoy

[frictator]

I've got this same thing going on. WinEQ does not fix the issue for me and instead of freezing it will toss up an error and crash out if I use WinEQ. I can replicate this very easily by zoning from Skyfire into OT and trying to move around in the tunnel. I've tried different resolutions, different compatibility modes, full reinstalls, updating GPU Drives MOBO Drives and making sure Windows is up to date all with the same results. I did not have this issue previously and I do not run into this issue on my laptop which uses a 1050 TI. My desktop uses a 2080 and from what I understand this is an issue that seems to happen on the newer GPUs. Some people have found that switching to the integrated graphics on their CPU fixes the issue but others have reported that they still get the same freezing.

[xaix1999]

get your drivers from your manufacture's website

you can try using wined3d
this game uses direct x 8, so there has to be actual links to direct x
run dxdiag and fix your issues that are listed in that

[tinkertailor15]

I have same problem: Screen freezes but I continue to hear game sounds, can sit and camp if it's safe. Alt+Enter gets me back two thirds of the time. If you pause to do that while kiting, you're dead. I read all the forum threads and tried some fixes like adjusting UAC settings to no effect. The freeze situation often also shuts down my monitor's wall paper, the background turns black. It ~seems~ to happen more often after logging in, if I make it to 10 minutes of play it's unlikely. Whether I open other applications, play videos, etc., or just run EQ seems not to make a difference. My GPU is Nvidia GTX 1650 Super, CPU Ryzen 2600X, I'm returning to EQ after a couple years break and this rig is new to the game. I can't say problem is particular to a location, although there some zones where it has not happened. I do not have integrated graphics to try, and have not yet tried dgVoodoo, or winned3d, not sure there is a consensus on them being a cure.

[Robersonroger38]

This just started doing this to me this week, seems to be only green server though.
I tried the control panel fix. Still doing it..

[tinkertailor15]

a week ago I swapped out my GTX 1650 Super for my old GTX 950 and have not had a screen freeze since.

[froomee]

Stability seems to be hit and miss depending on hardware and driver combination shenanigans UNLESS you run it through a wrapper. I've seen dgVoodoo2 (http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2/) recommended by others, however I've been using WineD3D on Windows (https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag) to avoid lots of random crashes and screen freezes by running it through an OpenGL/Vulkan wrapper.

[merzcleric]

Still happens to me in the following zones

Ot at sf tunnel

Skyshrine omw to scout tools

Pom at chest room

[Dustyslippers]

I've got this same thing going on. WinEQ does not fix the issue for me and instead of freezing it will toss up an error and crash out if I use WinEQ. I can replicate this very easily by zoning from Skyfire into OT and trying to move around in the tunnel. I've tried different resolutions, different compatibility modes, full reinstalls, updating GPU Drives MOBO Drives and making sure Windows is up to date all with the same results. I did not have this issue previously and I do not run into this issue on my laptop which uses a 1050 TI. My desktop uses a 2080 and from what I understand this is an issue that seems to happen on the newer GPUs. Some people have found that switching to the integrated graphics on their CPU fixes the issue but others have reported that they still get the same freezing.

I have the exact same issue, and i've repeatedly crashed in the skyfire ramp. 2070 super....

the thought of using integrated graphics to fix this issue is just annoying but i guess i'll give it a shot.

[Dustyslippers]

So i swapped to my integrated graphics card and ran strait to the OT skyfire ramp for a solid 5 minutes of camera panning and spastic mouse movements (some slow ones too, tried a variety of things to reproduce what was once very easy to reproduce).

No freezes.

Not only did i not freeze, but my game actually runs smoother now, no 'hangs' or what could be described as physical stuttering / micro stutters.

This salvaged my eq experience...

[gkmarino]

I've died so many times from these window freezes

[Merzenary]

halp, someone fix this

happening to me in thurg now

[Lynch]

I've only tried this for this evening and tried to induce a crash, nothing yet, here's my possible solution, specific to NVIDIA newer cards (since that seems to be the commonality):

Right click Desktop
NVIDIA Control Panel
Manage 3D Settings
Program Settings
Select or add Everquest (eqgame.exe)
Shader Cache Off

I'll update if I end up getting a crash again

[Lynch]

Day 2: No crashes zoning, nor looking in certain directions in zones I've been afflicted by (Neriak Foreign, Overthere Outpost)

Please repost if you've followed me and have a reduction in crashes

[Lynch]

Another update, I havent played too much but havent crashed that I recall since making the change

[Lich]

Another update, I havent played too much but havent crashed that I recall since making the change

Thanks for the update. I'm interested to see if it works long term.

[Decimator]

Has anyone yet considered that this is a highly unsupported game(Not a lot of staff, no offense). Maybe the issue isn't you but instead the game. No other games I've played I've has these problems in. I've experienced the same deal as the rest. No fix because what if it is the game. Stability can be a problem in many games, but at one point it gets fixed.

[kp99]

I've only tried this for this evening and tried to induce a crash, nothing yet, here's my possible solution, specific to NVIDIA newer cards (since that seems to be the commonality):

Right click Desktop
NVIDIA Control Panel
Manage 3D Settings
Program Settings
Select or add Everquest (eqgame.exe)
Shader Cache Off

I'll update if I end up getting a crash again
If someone wants to try it on Linux, set these environment variables in Lutris:
DXVK_STATE_CACHE=0
__GL_SHADER_DISK_CACHE=0

[kp99]

Here comes double post.
After checking that my cache have so far accumulated a whooping 377 KiB, I've found no reason for it to sit on the slow drive. I haven't experienced the crashes some of the posters here are mentioning, alas since turning it off, the freezes when something new is rendered are noticeably shorter.

[lituviel]

This maybe ?
https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388079

[Papy]

This is the same issues i am now having - may i ask if you are playing on a hotspot ??? because im leaning on perhaps its upload sync is causing it to freeze i have done like 5 different suggested things as listed up top with next to no positive outcome... went as far as reseting my Nivida VC to 60 FPS just to see if it helped - it did - the game runs smoother but still freezes...

* bangs head on wall *

[khandman]

The cause seems to be down to when the game loses the display to something that is taking exclusive control of the display. Admin prompts/UAC/Secure Desktop, does this. Also launching something else that has an exclusive full screen mode (another/different game) can do this as well. Fullscreen borderless and UWP games don't cause this from my own experiences.

[khandman]

I've only tried this for this evening and tried to induce a crash, nothing yet, here's my possible solution, specific to NVIDIA newer cards (since that seems to be the commonality):

Right click Desktop
NVIDIA Control Panel
Manage 3D Settings
Program Settings
Select or add Everquest (eqgame.exe)
Shader Cache Off

I'll update if I end up getting a crash again

With this setting set I can still force a screen freeze by invoking a Secure Desktop task by launching an application that needs admin rights.