Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

[Jofaba]

I'm sure there's tons of new people here that have no idea who I am, but to those who I do know, hi; how ya been?

So basically, two months ago I switched over to Linux just for a change of pace and to see what Ubuntu plus Beryl was like. It's great, but buggy. I didn't leave buggy Windows to play with buggy linux (minus games and hardware support like my sound card and voice recorder), so, and mostly out of a severe heartache for Battlefield 2, I reinstalled Windows and here I am.

But where am I? Okay first, I swapped my XFI back from the cheaper linux friendly sound card I had, and it's true... my once gorgeous computer isn't looking so well put together these days. I removed one of the videocards while in linux mode, so I'm a card down and there's a dangling waterblock inside the case (it's not touching anything metal though). Also, I've removed the voltmod on that card.

I finally got the CTD's to stop, but I now know that they're a known issue with this patch. Well, that's a problem that's always existed really. So it's just an unresolved problem.

Fine, but the real problem here is that I can't seem to get the game to OPEN. The shortcut times out, as does the direct .exe in the game folder. Usually, I can the game to start up without a problem if I reboot. But once I'm in Windows environment or have closed out of the game, I have a hell of a time getting back in.

And mods don't work for me anymore. I downloaded ModJive but every one I download either won't load (same issue as with vanilla) or gives me errors on the install or launch.

I'm not looking for help initially with this thread. I just got done doing some research and haven't noticed the level of complaints that I'd expect if what I am experiencing was "normal".

So, do you think it's a problem with my computer? That's vague I know, and yes I know you'd need more info to say for sure, but I mean, are a lot of people having issues like this? I'm pretty computer savvy and know how to optimize and address hardware/software issues. I just don't want to dive into all the work if it turns out that it's just a fugly patch.

Sorry if this thread should have been replaced by more research, but what's common knowledge to you from being around the past couple of months can answer my question in minutes instead of me spending hours trying to reconfigure my system and hunt down imaginary problems.

All apprecition up front; thanks a million!

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

I finally got the CTD's to stop, but I now know that they're a known issue with this patch. Well, that's a problem that's always existed really. So it's just an unresolved problem.

Hmmm...I knew that CTD's were once-every-couple-of-hours (especially on the server side) under a previous patch (1.4 I believe) but it's been rock-steady (well, "rocksolid by EA standards", anyway) for most folks under 1.41 afaik.

I'd be tempted to say it sounds like a directx problem, but do other games work? Other potentials off the top of my head:

bad patch d/l--did you try re-d/l'ing the patch, from a different source?

your voltmod--is it new, did it work before? i know pants about nvidia drivers, but ati drivers can get buggy when they expect something out of an environment and the card returns a different value.

Fine, but the real problem here is that I can't seem to get the game to OPEN. The shortcut times out, as does the direct .exe in the game folder. Usually, I can the game to start up without a problem if I reboot. But once I'm in Windows environment or have closed out of the game, I have a hell of a time getting back in.

Now that ^ sounds like a memory issue to me. First thing I'd do is find out what programs, processes, and services are running in the background, how much of your pagefile is being consumed, etc. If you can't find a buggy culprit, memory-leaking culprit, I don't think running memtest86 would be out of line, just to make sure your sticks are healthy.

Malware could also cause stuff like this to happen...

[Jofaba]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

Hmmm...I knew that CTD's were once-every-couple-of-hours (especially on the server side) under a previous patch (1.4 I believe) but it's been rock-steady (well, "rocksolid by EA standards", anyway) for most folks under 1.41 afaik.

Well that's just the feeling I was getting while researching this. Lot's of "CTD" threads, so I figured it was just the same old problem that people simply rename (update?) with every new patch.

I'd be tempted to say it sounds like a directx problem, but do other games work?

No other games are installed yet. I didn't want to spend hours installing a bunch of games then find out that something quirked up during my Windows install and have to reformat. You have to remember that I installed over a Linux "grub". Combining windows boot and linux grub is probably what killed my raptor drive when I was dual booting on the same drive =(
[/quote]

Other potentials off the top of my head:

bad patch d/l--did you try re-d/l'ing the patch, from a different source?

Yeah, I actually just got done downloading the patch through LINK (downloaded from a different location before suggested through the ea site). I ran the diag program and after doing those two things I actually got into a mod for the first time, and while it was loading shaders and such I went to make myself a sandwich and came back to a BF2 free screen. Now it wont launch again.

your voltmod--is it new, did it work before? i know pants about nvidia drivers, but ati drivers can get buggy when they expect something out of an environment and the card returns a different value.

No no, I removed the voltmod when I went to Linux. I didn't see a reason to run the card hotter than default (even though it's water cooled), and had planned on sticking with linux for a lot longer than 2 months.

Now that ^ sounds like a memory issue to me. First thing I'd do is find out what programs, processes, and services are running in the background, how much of your pagefile is being consumed, etc. If you can't find a buggy culprit, memory-leaking culprit, I don't think running memtest86 would be out of line, just to make sure your sticks are healthy.

Yeah my ram's fine. My motherboard actually comes with memtest built into it and I run it fairly regularly. I'll admit though, I haven't optimized my page file yet. It's at the default settings, hasn't been defragged and reset to a static number etc. I'm sharing a few IRQ's, but my videocard has it's own. I also haven't optimized windows yet. Same deal as with installing games, I don't want to go through all that if it turns out I have to reinstall Windows.

Malware could also cause stuff like this to happen...

One thing that I'm absolutely positive about is that I'm running a clean system. Here's a list of what I've downloaded so far and I've only visted 10 sites since installing Windows, and they're all trusted:

CPUZ
ITE Smart Guardian
FireFox
Trillian
DAP
ModJive
Quicktime Alternative
Realtime Alternative
WinRar
Nvidia Chipset Drivers
Nvidia Graphic Drivers
Creative XFI Drivers

BTW thanks for the quick reply. I hope I don't come off as a know it all or someone who doesn't appreciate all the help I can get. I'm absolutely rusty with Windows and you've already reminded me of a few things.

Plus, apparently, you haven't experienced any of these problems, so maybe it is my computer. shame =( fixing problems like this is like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

Well, I can tell you this is as stable of a patch as we've been gifted with yet for our $50 donation to EA/Dice.

No other games are installed yet. I didn't want to spend hours installing a bunch of games then find out that something quirked up during my Windows install and have to reformat.

Ok, how about 3dMark05. Shouldn't take hours; should tell you whether or not you've got general issues or BF2 issues.

I'd also check to make sure you're running the current DX 9.0c revision. Maybe even re-d/l it (fairly small, very fast from MS).

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Directx/default.mspx

As far as putting windows back on after having running linux, my understanding from your statement that you're installing Windows over Grub is that you've removed linux, reformatted, and now are running under Windows XP NTFS. If so, then your provious OS choice is moot, because the old linuxy-flavored sectors/partitions are not being seen under NTFS. Now, if by "installing Windows over grub" you mean you're running a virtual instance of windows from within Linux...well, trying to run a large program under one OS within another OS on a desktop can definitely hog alot of resources to the point of crippling a machine, especially depending on the linux distro you're using.

edit: might also consider uninstalling BF2 + all mods, then reinstalling BF2 w/no mods. I haven't heard a lot of yelling about "ur mod cr4pped my PC", but when troubleshooting, you are always better off by starting with the fewest variables and then adding them incrementally.

[Jofaba]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll reinstall directx and run 3dmark later today and see how things are going. If that doesn't work, then I think I'll start from dead scratch.

Reinstall my second videocard, clean any dust out of the computer, change the water in my loop, flash the bios, zero out the drive, play all my installations by the book.


Still, I feel better about my $50 donation to EA than the one I gave Activision for MOH Vanguard for the Wii!

[Kodakk]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

Idk how to fix your problem,
But I remember you from way back lol, so hey

[Jofaba]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

After spending some time with the computer I've come to the conclusion that it's the computer. I can't even get a 2142 map loaded without BSOD-ing. I'm going to set the computer up right (both cards in, make sure all the volt mods are cleaned off, get some compressed air etc). Then reinstall everything and check my bios settings.

I can't wait until the day when all (or at least most) games can be played in linux.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

I can't wait until the day when all (or at least most) games can be played in linux.

Sorry, my guess is that economics will prevent this from ever happening in our lifetimes. People pay $$$$$$$ for entertainment, current situation dictates that entertainment software is OS dependent, which dictates that OS implementation of entertainment software is dependent on a huge lab of people turning out a prefab environment (Direct X) to make the entertainment programmers jobs (relatively) more easy.

Just my $.02, and I might be wrong--i.e., if you're releasing an open source game in the next couple of week, lets mes knows...I'll surely buck the trend and try it. :)

edit, crap, I sound like a debbie downer. Don't get me wrong--I use linux for DNA sequence analysis programs, open office for documents/presentations, and Ubuntu will be my "working OS" for as long as "we" (the community) can sustain it's support. Games are different. Everyone needs productivity software that can be run on a $200 lappy. Not so many people "need" an OS that will two-gen back games during working hours. :)

[Jofaba]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

Well there's a lot of work being done on getting games to work on linux. Of course it's all duct tape and wax drippings holding it together, but in time a decent emulation is almost inevitable.

Who would have thought even a year ago that a major prefab company like Dell would even consider offering a linux os on some of their computers to the consumer market?

I don't think gaming on linux is that far down the road.

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Been on hiatus - Has BF2 been destroyed? Having lots of odd problems

This may be a long shot, but do you have daemon tools installed and running when you launch the game?

Oh, and welcome back, things might have changed a bit around here since you left. :)