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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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'Fallen Enchantress has stopped working' - every time I load the game?

February 28, 2013 5:33:47 AM from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Hi,

My little brother pointed me in the direction of the FE 66% off sale. He plays FE regularly but I hadn't tried it till now.

Installed it via Steam, no worries. First time I fired it up it did the usual VC++ runtime install, then I registered my account, then loads into the game.

Half way through the intro video, the game locked up with "Fallen Enchantress has stopped working" popup. No worries, I figured, this stuff happens. Reloaded, got to menu just fine, then about 10 seconds into looking at the Options menu it did the same.

Every time I get to the intro menu, within 10-30 seconds of doing whatever, the game just dies with the above message. I've got no graphical corruption, no slowdowns, no anything - it's just a genuine replicable CTD.

Any ideas? FYI I run substantial numbers of other games with regularity on my machine, and do not have any similar occurances.

Machine is an Asus G74SX laptop with NVidia 560M 3GB video, 16GB ram, running Win8 64 Pro, only mod of any description is Start8, no overclocking etc etc etc.

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BlackrazorNZ
willie sanderson
Join Date 05/2003
+6
Reply #1 February 28, 2013 5:43:05 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

There's your problem NVidia. Get an ATI RADEON video card and you'll become a happy camper.

Oh you have other issues I see as well Win8...64bit OS so many things to go wrong with that system.

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BlackrazorNZ
Dakaa
Join Date 02/2013
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Reply #2 February 28, 2013 6:50:39 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Start up Steam as Administrator, then run the game.

 

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
+309 sdemployee
Reply #3 February 28, 2013 10:11:33 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Sorry you are running into issues, please check out the following: http://screencast.com/t/qaaMJAkUCy

That lays out the steps for getting the debug file and crash information, I'd love to take a look at it and get this issue fixed so you can play.

 

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BlackrazorNZ
Kongdej
Join Date 01/2012
+58
Reply #4 February 28, 2013 12:53:22 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Derek Paxton,
reply 3
Sorry you are running into issues, please check out the following: http://screencast.com/t/qaaMJAkUCy

That lays out the steps for getting the debug file and crash information, I'd love to take a look at it and get this issue fixed so you can play.

He might be referring to https://forums.elementalgame.com/415301 which helps people find the debug.err and the crash-zip file

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
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Reply #5 February 28, 2013 1:29:40 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Thanks Kongdej.  At least that wasn't something too embarasing in my copy buffer.

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #6 March 1, 2013 12:19:25 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting willie sanderson,
reply 1

There's your problem NVidia. Get an ATI RADEON video card and you'll become a happy camper.

Oh you have other issues I see as well Win8...64bit OS so many things to go wrong with that system.
I've owned an ATI card a grand total of twice, never again. Hideous architecture, clunky software, constant problems. As opposed to NVidia cards which have given me a grand total of zero significant problems in over 24 years of PC gaming (although to be fair some of the early part of that was on Cirrus Logic and then Matrox lol)

 

As for Win8 64, it's been brilliant - this is my first stability issue of any kind.

Quoting Derek Paxton,
reply 3
Sorry you are running into issues, please check out the following: http://screencast.com/t/qaaMJAkUCy
That lays out the steps for getting the debug file and crash information, I'd love to take a look at it and get this issue fixed so you can play.
 
.zip file on Dropbox here https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk9s5jin2tyhgdp/FallenEnchantress1_30-2013-02-28T23-24-19_187.zip

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BlackrazorNZ
Pontosaurus
Join Date 04/2007
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Reply #7 March 1, 2013 12:52:37 AM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

I am having the same problem, and alot of other people to bought this on the deal offered by Steam yesterday.  I thought I'd drop my crash information as well:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9002539/FallenEnchantress1_30-2013-02-27T21-42-20_405.zip  

 

 

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
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Reply #8 March 1, 2013 4:02:22 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting BlackrazorNZ,
reply 6

 .zip file on Dropbox here https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk9s5jin2tyhgdp/FallenEnchantress1_30-2013-02-28T23-24-19_187.zip[/quote]

Unfortunatly this crash is corrupt, please elt us know if you get another and we will check it out.

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
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Reply #9 March 1, 2013 4:05:06 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Pontosaurus,
reply 7

I am having the same problem, and alot of other people to bought this on the deal offered by Steam yesterday.  I thought I'd drop my crash information as well:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9002539/FallenEnchantress1_30-2013-02-27T21-42-20_405.zip  

This is a crash happening outside of the game (it's fairer to say that it is an interaction of the game and some outside app).  We had another player that was running EVGA Precision X with a similar symptom.  Try disabling anything that may be trying to control or capture the interface.  Fraps or other video recording software are likely candidates.

Please let us know if this doesnt fix it for you, and if it does fix it for you which app it was.

Thanks.

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #10 March 1, 2013 4:49:55 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Derek Paxton,
reply 8
Unfortunatly this crash is corrupt, please elt us know if you get another and we will check it out.

No problem, it happens every time I load the game about 20-30 seconds in, even while just looking at the menu.

Here's one from 5 minutes ago : https://www.dropbox.com/s/j2avtalahrmypwr/FallenEnchantress1_31-2013-03-02T10-41-59_823.zip

 

And here's a screenshot of it doing it's thing. It's pretty much the 'cleanest' crash I've seen in a game - no warning, no graphic corruption, no audio stutter, nothing, just a nice clean quick crash.

 

Gotta hand it to you, when your games crash they crash in a high quality manner

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
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Reply #11 March 1, 2013 4:54:21 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting BlackrazorNZ,
reply 10


Quoting Derek Paxton, reply 8Unfortunatly this crash is corrupt, please elt us know if you get another and we will check it out.

No problem, it happens every time I load the game about 20-30 seconds in, even while just looking at the menu.

Here's one from 5 minutes ago : https://www.dropbox.com/s/j2avtalahrmypwr/FallenEnchantress1_31-2013-03-02T10-41-59_823.zip

And here's a screenshot of it doing it's thing. It's pretty much the 'cleanest' crash I've seen in a game - no warning, no graphic corruption, no audio stutter, nothing, just a nice clean quick crash.

Thanks we are checking it out now.

Quoting BlackrazorNZ,
reply 10
Gotta hand it to you, when your games crash they crash in a high quality manner

Thanks, but marketing says we can't use this quote in our promotional material.

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #12 March 1, 2013 4:55:45 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Derek Paxton,
reply 11

Thanks, but marketing says we can't use this quote in our promotional material.

"Our crashes make other games crashes look like rank amateurs."?

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BlackrazorNZ
DerekPaxton
Join Date 03/2003
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Reply #13 March 1, 2013 5:02:34 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

It is unusual to crash at the point you are at.  Can you see if you are running any interface software?  Video recording or graphic modifying stuff like fraps.  Some customers have reported issues with EVGA Precision X.

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #14 March 1, 2013 5:08:49 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Quoting Derek Paxton,
reply 13

It is unusual to crash at the point you are at.  Can you see if you are running any interface software?  Video recording or graphic modifying stuff like fraps.  Some customers have reported issues with EVGA Precision X.

Nope, none. This happens on a clean boot, with no overlay software running other than Steam, and the only utilities I've got running in the background are my Dropbox client, the ASUS Bluetooth app, and the ASUS USB Fast Charger app. Neither of the latter two do anything unless I connect or plug in the relevant device.

 

 

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #15 March 1, 2013 9:00:02 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums


FYI todays update release hasn't resolved this

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #16 March 2, 2013 6:08:40 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums


Any update? ATM I'm stuck with a game that I can't play at all, which is a shame because I've had it talked up pretty majorly by my bro.

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BlackrazorNZ
CharlesLentz
Join Date 08/2006
+39 sdemployee
Reply #17 March 4, 2013 1:40:20 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Your notebook comes with a technology called Nvidia Optimus:
http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/optimus/technology

In a nutshell, it's meant to give you a gfx-processing boost when needed, or conserve battery power when possible.  It switches for you automatically.  It's possible that it's deciding to switch back and forth while you are running the game.  This could be the cause of the crash.

Please find out how to turn Optimus off, or add Fallen Enchantress to any such list where it stops making the decision and stays in gfx boost mode while the game runs.  Then, let us know your findings.

 

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BlackrazorNZ
BlackrazorNZ
Join Date 07/2004
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Reply #18 March 5, 2013 3:40:15 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums


Thanks, this issue is now resolved.

 

I couldn't find the switch for Optimus etc, but I decided as a last ditch effort to do the following :

 

1) Uninstall the game.

2) Reinstall it to the default directory instead of my nominal Steam directory.

3) Completely uninstall my NVidia drivers

4) Reinstall a fresh copy of the latest drivers.

5) Run a registry clean to remove all references to the old drivers and install location.

 

Something in the above fixed it. Not sure which step specifically.

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BlackrazorNZ
CharlesLentz
Join Date 08/2006
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Reply #19 March 5, 2013 10:36:01 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Awesome!  We're glad you're up and running.

If I had to guess, given the list of things you did, uninstalling nVidia drivers and then installing just the newest ones may have been the steps that fixed it.  I'm thinking that by doing so, Optimus is probably turned off now, or fixed in an update.  I've heard the Optimus drivers have been buggy in the past.

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