Can't Load The Game Anymore

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

I got this sim about a year ago and think its great..

 

But I have't been able to get it to run for the last 6 months...

 

I had to do a reinstallation of my operateing system and since then I just woun't load up...

 

When I hit the install icon the computer locks up and I have to power it down and reboot.....

 

I've been all over the place trying to get a fix for this but nothing works....

 

I've been on SimHQ, Stratagy First, and Third Wire but no one seems to have the answer....

 

I guess I should have come here first seeing as how a lot of this forum is dedicated to this sim....

 

Some one recomended that I set up a virtual hard drive and run it from there but I can't seem to get that to work....

 

 

Does anyone have any ideas, I haven't even been able to check out the lastest patch... <_<

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[Dagger 21]

thats interesting...whats your system specs? I know this is proably already been asked but if XP do you have SP1 and do you have all the latest drivers for sound video and is DX up to date and what version do you have? do you have the latest drivers for all your drives?I know this is standard questions but let us know and we'll get you up and going..

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Well I have an older system...

 

But I had S/F running on it before with out any problems...

 

But anyway this is what I'm presently running, hope to build a new one when I get more cash, but I could be sometime before that happens

 

I'm running an AMD 900 with with 512 memory, its an old vaio with Windows ME..

 

I just did a complete operating system reinstall and added the all the latest Windows upgrades from the Micro Soft Web Site, I think its super pack 6....

 

Also I moded the the stock case to accept an Antec 320 power supply (the orginal was just 100 watts)...

 

I added a nvidea fx 5200 video card and added DirectX 9 so that I could run Lockon on medium settings and I just installed the most recent drivers when they came out 56.64....

 

Also I have a Cougar with the latest patch....

 

By The way I tried to install S/F before I did all of the above, and then tried it again afterwards but I just woun't go...

 

I hope that this is enought info...

 

Thanks for your time guys

 

Blaze

[Dagger 21]

try running the install exe from the folder...just a wild stab at it...I'll be checking with TK about his ideas to help.

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

OK Dagger But I think I tried that allready....

 

But just to make sure could me a little more detail on how to do this ?

 

 

Sorry to be such a nube, but I guess in this case I am....

 

 

the last 4 or 5 times that I put the CD into the drive and tried to run the cd, My Computer froze up completly and I had to physicaly power it down, then turn on power again and reboot....

 

 

Blaze

[Dagger 21]

hey NP...we gotta get you fixed up..if it ran before it HAS to run again.it sounds like a driver,or a DX problem.what changed when you reformatted?try reinstalling DX9,even if it's ok reinstall it,then check your video and audio drivers..I'm running a FX 5700 ultra card...and DX9b sim works great.so check your drivers...even your audio drivers...and after reinstalling DX and try the drivers for your vid card that came with it..maybe that could be it...

if not don't let your system boot the CD just go to my computer and open it up go to the drive with your CD in it and then right click it and click explore...there you'll see the autorun exe. click it and see.it has to be a DX or driver problem sinse it ran before but not now...we just got to find the right combination.

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Thanx Bro I'm going to try it again in the AM.....

 

I'm Off from work finally........

 

I'll keep you posted....

 

Blaze

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Dagger:

 

I tried to run it from the file like you suggested but it just locks up just like allways...

 

Do you think it has someything to do with the copy write protection???

 

Blaze

Edited June 7, 2004 by VMF-Blaze_UG

[Dagger 21]

Blaze hang tight as I'm hoping TK will have an answer...not sure on the copy right...still sounds like a driver or DX problem...what changed when you did your reformatte?

[+SkateZilla 49]

Are You Familiar With ISO Emulating??

 

Theres 2 Easy ways to make an ISO Of the S.F. C.D.

 

1. Copy the C.D. To A Folder On Your Harddisk, Use Nero And Make an CD Image...

2. Use Clone C.D. And Make an Image Directly

 

 

After You Have Your Image.... Download and Install Daemon Tools Availible At http://www.daemon-tools.cc/dtcc/portal/portal.php

 

Install Daemon Tools... And Reboot.. After Rebooting and Setting up the Virtual CD Rom Device ... Right Click On the daemon Tools Icon.. and Load Up the CD Image.... And Then Install From the Harddisk...

 

If that Doesnt Work.. Then Its Prolly A CD Problem..

 

I Dunno If theres an "event Veiwer" in WIndows M.E. XP and 2K have it..

 

try Coping The CD to The Harddisk First... Put CD in and Open Windows Explorer and Select All te FOlders and Files on the CD Right Click Click Copy.. and Paste It To a Temporary Folder on the Harddisk... if It Copies All the Files Than The C.D. ISnt The Problem... If You Lock Up Browsing the CD Files.. Then Its 1. A CD Problem Or 2. Driver Problem

 

Also Check Your CD Drive Drivers.... IDE Drivers, Mini Port Drivers... IDE Channel Settings ETC ETC ETC..

 

But Juding From the LOCKUP when You Click Install Shounds Like Either a C.D. CRC Problem Or Theres A Locked TEMP install Folder Some Where,

Edited June 7, 2004 by Digital-Overload

[Guest Sony Tuckson]

it seems your only problem is a bad CD....

[Dagger 21]

theres a thought...take your beloved CD to a friends and try to load it on their system..if it loads ok then you know it's NOT a bad CD.

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Sorry but its not that.....

 

I actually bought the game from EB games here in NY....

 

 

After the problem initially started I took the CD back to EB and they gave me a fresh copy which was really cool....

 

I work at CompUSA so I then went back to work and installed it into a Sony Media Center, one of the RZ models a 3.02 GIG machine with a 19" Sony flat panel and it acually ran extermley well , without any patches, right out of the box....

 

Well then I brought it home and tried and it just wount install....

 

No matter what I do to install it just freezes up my system.....

 

I had contacted Third Wire and managed to get a Tech to reply which he stated that I was fortunate to contact him directly as they weren't supporting S/F any longer..... he then e-mailed me instructions from the Micro Soft Technical website that coved a lot of highly complicated instructions for tweaking my CD player, which by the way didn't work and caused me to have to do a fresh install of my operating system again.....

 

I then contacted Strategy First which asked me a lot of very sophistcated questions concering my system and asked me to fax over my current DxDiag readings which I did....

 

So anyway after several days of communications with T/W I recieved an e-mail stateing that they didn't know what the problem is......

 

So now after 6 months of trying (this is how bad I want to go back to this simulator) I'm still not able to open up the CD without my system crashing.....

:(

Some of the guys over at Simhq think that the best way to overcome this issue is to create a virtual hard drive and run it off of there, but honestly I don't have a clue as to how to accomplish this.......

 

Does any one else have any ideas concerning this problem????

 

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

OH wait I just saw that post about Dameon Tools let me try this as I'm off again tomorrow....

 

 

Ok I'm going to work on it thanks Guys

 

 

 

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[+SkateZilla 49]

Ok.. Since You Can Rule Out its Not The C.D.

 

If you Try And Copy the CD and It Gives You a CRC Error, or If it wont Make an ISO On the Drive, Then You KNow its the CD Driver Or the Drive Itself..

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Ok I've down loaded Dameon but I'm not sure how to get it to work...

 

Can one of you experts please walk me through this thing one time???

 

 

Thanks guys for all of the attention and help that you've provided....

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[Guest Sony Tuckson]

just create an image of the cd with any cd burner software (nero does it fine for this use)

 

then, load this image with daemon tools

 

windows will see a new cd drive with sfp1 disc inserted....

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

I tried to get this to happen allday, And I just cant seem to get it right...

 

I have Adaptic CD Burner installed in my system which I think has some issues with Damon....

 

Well anyway I tried to create an image on my harddrive with Adaptic....

 

It copied S/F ok but after that the only thing that I could do was copy to a blank CD...

 

I can't access the image on the H/D, and I can't open up Damon tools at all...

 

And of course the copy that I made of S/F just freezes up and it wount let me install just like the original...

 

I tried to run it from the file as well (not the Autorun) but no dice..... <_<

 

Does any one know what I should try next or should I wait for 4 or 5 more months untill I maybe have enough cash to build my next machine..... :(

 

Oh well !!!

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[Dagger 21]

what sound card do you have?I still,for some reason think it's driver related.

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Dagger:

 

Thanks for getting back to me......

 

I'm just useing the onboard, I'm not really interested in investing too much into this putter, but I guess if its going to help to reinstall S/F..... Cool

 

I can allways move it to the new system later... :D

 

Initally I did install S/F before with just the onboard and it ran quite well.....

 

After the crash I reinstalled the operating system exactly the way it was originally but S/F wouldn't run and since that time I've added a directx compatable video card with the lastest drivers as well as a larger power supply.....

 

But yes again you're probably right about it being a driver issue, but I'm going to need some direction on how to check these out if possible.....

 

Thanks !!!!

 

Blaze

[+SkateZilla 49]

Check For Hardware Conflicts...

 

Theres No Enduser Options Unless Your Running An NT Core (2000, XP or 2003 Or XP 64-Bit) To Look Directly and See if somethign isnt Working right...

 

try updating drivers for IDE devices etc etc...

 

Take Out Every thing But the Video Card and the CD-ROM..

 

Disable the Sound Device in teh Bios if its onboard, take out any Net work Cards or Modems.. Boot Up with Just the Harddisks and CD-ROM, The Less Hardware the Better,

 

If It works After That... Start Adding Stuff Back One By One.. Until the Problem Re-occurs.. then you'll know what the prob is..

 

Sounds Like an IDE MIni Port Driver is Poofted or something..

 

my system is wierd too..

 

It wont run correctly unless i have the "Via Latency Patch" installed and the "Compaq Special Purpose SBLive!" Drivers.. If ONe Or Both arent Installed I Get Lock ups and Random reboots..

 

Also..

 

If You Can RUN WITH "ACPI" Disabled, Which WOuld Require You To Turn It off in the Bios then Re-Install Windows.. Unless you know how to do it manually, which microsoft says not to do but i did it with no problems on 2 systems back in 2001, and they are fine... though i dont remember the exact procedure, it can be foun on the net,

 

Personally ACPI = Unstable System, Regardless of Windows.. Windows M.E. Was installed for 20 Minutes on my system then I Wiped it out...

 

If Your Running ACPI Winows Throws Everything oN the Same IRQ...

 

Lemme KNow If Running In A "bare Bones" Situatiuon Helps..

Also, When You Run It With Just the Video Card HDD and CD_ROm, Uninstall those Before you reboot Via Device Manager, that way it re-freshes the drivers... and loads them in teh optimal settings (irq dma etc etc..) also make sure DMA is enabled...

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Digital Overload:

 

I just want to say thanks for taking the time to give me what seems to be the answer to my problem....

 

This is something that I'm going to have to spend some time on and since the patch for Lock on has finally be released I've been busy trying it out.. You can't blame me for that can you...

 

So I'll have the whole day off on Sunday and I'm going to work on your very clear and precise instructions....

 

Thanks Again Guy

 

 

~S~

 

Blaze

[VMF-Blaze_UG 0]

Ok....

 

I've just purcased an AMD 64 3200 and I'm building a whole new system around this.....

 

 

So I'm going to wait untill thats completed and then I'll install Strike Fighters...

 

 

Thanks for all your time I'll keep you posted...

 

~S~

 

 

Blaze