PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

[MM Prophet]

Ok, this is a bit long-winded, but please bear with me...

I've been playing BF2 for about 6 months now. Recently (within the last coupler of weeks) my game has started to get very laggy in-game. I have sufficient system specs and everything has been running smooth until recently.

The symptoms are that the game will just freeze for a second, then carry on...freeze and carry on. It's fairly random, but it happens in every server I go in regardless of the ping that I have...I can have a ping of 160 in one server, 15 in another...it will still do it.

So far, I have uninstalled BF2 and re-installed, changed my router, I even did a clean format of my hard drive and re-installed everything yesterday...It seemed to be ok for a couple of times yesterday, but then I come into it today and it is back to normal.

I have removed my AV, spyware software and every other process that is not required just to test it.

I have opened up my case and removed my AGP card and cleaned it...re-inserted the card (just to make sure it was seated correctly)...it still does it.

So, here I am, and I am at my wits end...most noteably because it seemed I wasted a whole day yesterday.

PLEASE PLEASE can someone help me with this...I WILL be eternally grateful to you.

[|CBW|Simon]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

1: No matter what you think or feel on their quality, tell us your computer specs.

2: The issue you are talking of is nicknamed most often "stuttering" and there is a micro write up on the subject here:

http://www.totalbf2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85898

Problem - Slow/Stuttering performance in Battlefield 2
Cause - Several possible Causes
Fix - This can be caused by several things so here are a list of things to try and improve its performance.
1. Check that your PC can handle Battlefield 2 at your current settings. Graphical lag can often be caused by not having enough RAM to play the game.
Low Settings - 1GB Ram
Med Settings - 1.5GB Ram
High Settings - 2GB Ram
In Addition you will need a processor and graphic card capable of handling the game at the higher settings.
So try lowering your settings to see if performance improves.
2. De-frag your Hard-Drive
3. Try cleaning out your shaders and cache, to do this, go to C:\Documents and Settings\username*\My Documents\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2 and delete the shaders,
next go to C:\Documents and Settings\username*\My Documents\Battlefield 2\LogoCache and delete the cache.
Try Battlefield 2 again to see if it is better, if not, move your battlefield 2 folder from my documents to your desktop, this put the game onto default settings, as well as cleaning out its cache and shaders again.
4. Run Adware/Spyware Scans on your PC to remove unwanted software running in the background. Recommended tools for this are;
Adaware
Spyboy : Search & Destroy
Windows Defender
Spyware Blaster
5. Use this Program - PCI Latency Tool. Download and install it. Use it to try setting your graphic card latency to 64 or 128 if it is at a higher number. This can help Improve performance on some systems.
6. Use task Manger to close down unnecessary background tasks, also turn off/disable you anti-virus and firewalls to see if they are the cause of the problem.
7. Re-Install the latest version of Directx from the Microsoft Website, then move your battlefield 2 folder from my documents to your desktop, and see if it helps.
8. Use Driver Cleaner to remove your old graphic card drivers and install a new set for your graphic card, then move your battlefield 2 folder from my documents to your desktop, and see if it helps.
9. Check the bios to see if you have given the correct about of Memory to the AGP slot if on a AGP card, i.e. 256mb of Memory if its a 256MB card. On some systems this may help on others, it may not help but just use up more RAM.
10. In BF2 Audio Options, try running software mode instead of hardware mode.
11. Disable/Add BF2 to DEP
To turn it off do this
Right click on my computer
Select properties
Select the advanced tab
Select performance options
Select the data execution prevention tab
Add BF2.exe to the list of exceptions OR turn DEP off completly.
Reboot

other good optimizing ideas can be found here:

http://www.tweakguides.com/BF2_1.html

[MM Prophet]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

Thanks for the post..

System Specs are as follows:

ASRock Pv4m800 Mobo, running P4 3.0ghz processor
1.5Ghz PC2700 (333Mhz) Ram
Leadtek 7600GT 8x AGP card
Audigy 4 Soundcard
2 x HDDs - 1 x 80gb (Primary) 1 x 20gb (secondary)

I think thats it's!

To be honest, I've done most of what you have suggested over the last couple of days. I've downloaded the latency software, so I'll give that a go...anything else that be suggested would be greatfully received

[|CBW|Simon]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

Drivers are most often the culprit. You are using a Leadtek version of Nvidia. My personal advise for the future is to avoid them. Use BFG as they have a lifetime warranty and use the Nvidia name brand drivers. Leadtek used to (and may still) use their own version of the drivers. Go to the Leadtek site and download the current drivers and reinstall for the hell of it. Also do the same with creative labs at

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/

then remove all the files in your
C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\My Documents\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\cache
and
C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\My Documents\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\cache

and let the system redo the vid optimization.

It can be an errant sound card or vid cache.

if that doesn't work, you can try removing the BF2 folder from your my documents and letting the game create a new one. You will need to know all your logins and passwords, but there may be another file with an issue. This will find out if that is the case.

best of luck,

Simon

[MM Prophet]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

Hi Simon,

I have already tried different drivers...old ones, new ones, ledteak, nvidia and omage tweaked drivers. I have moved the main bf2 folder onto my desktop..all to no avail

With regard to removing files from my documents, I had the stuttering problem before my clean reformat of Hard Drive and re-install, and I still have the problem now, so I'm not so sure the problem lies there.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that on SP everything is fine...not sure whether the issue is still graphics related or connection related.

Is there any way to test my connection in-game? I know about where it shows my ping, but that does not shoot up when the game stutters!

[|CBW|Simon]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

With SP being fine, and your already trying the driver senario to no avail, I switch my opinion to router or nic. Can you tell me what both of these are? If you are running a motherboard NIC, try an easy reinstallation. Just go to your control panel and go to system. Select the hardware tab and then the device button. Expand your Network Adapter area and rightclick uninstall anything that looks like it is specifically your NIC. Then go to the ACTION pulldown menu and select SCAN FOR HARDWARE CHANGES. It should reinstall the NIC but possibly without any corrupted files (if there are any).

This could also just be either your router needs rebooting, or isn't setup for fast gaming. Some people suggest router port forwarding to your specific computer. The game ports have been written about in many areas on this forum but I don't have a copy of them. If you want to try that and you cannot find the ports, let me know.

Check your routers firmware for possible updates available. ESPECIALLY if it is Linksys or DLink.

If you are Wireless, it very well could be latency from the wireless. I suggest hardwire test to verify this. If you were wireless and hardwire works, then that is your issue.

Sorry to have so many possibilities, but without Dr. House to make fun of my assumptions, you just gotta try em all.

Hope this helps,

Simon

[MM Prophet]

Re: PLEASE PLEASE Help my lag problem

Thanks for that! Anyway, the strangest thing.

I uninstalled everything but BF2 from my machine and defragged the HDD...rebooted and everything is smooth.

I think, therefore, that the stuttering MUST be being caused by some software. Now i have the tedious process of installing my software one by one and trying bf2 after each install!