AJE new computer crashes. HELP!!!

[Jagger2013]

Bought a new computer a couple months back because my old computer was dying-still alive but dying. RUS and ROP run beautifully and very fast on my new computer as long as I don't use the winter map for RUS. Finally I decided I needed a break from RUS and went back to my other current favorite, AJE. Loaded up and starts fine but crashes almost every turn.

What is weird is that AJE runs very slow with my old Vista computer but doesn't crash. It is stable with the old computer but not my powerful new computer with Windows 7 Pro. Both have internal integrated graphics rather than a separate graphics card. Just found out that my new computer's internal graphics appears weaker than my old computer's internal graphics.

Here is the last couple lines from the main log report for the latest crash (which is basically same as several previous crashes):

12:54:28 PM (Reporting) Renderer unexpected exception Violation d'accès à l'adresse 058B4ED4 dans le module 'igdumd32.dll'. Ecriture de l'adresse 00000000 try: 97 Prep'ing Thing Roads_Moesia_Sup_Dalmatia.png
12:54:28 PM (Reporting) Renderer unexpected exception Violation d'accès à l'adresse 058B4ED4 dans le module 'igdumd32.dll'. Ecriture de l'adresse 00000000 try: 98 Prep'ing Thing Roads_Moesia_Sup_Dalmatia.png
12:54:28 PM (Reporting) Renderer unexpected exception Violation d'accès à l'adresse 058B4ED4 dans le module 'igdumd32.dll'. Ecriture de l'adresse 00000000 try: 99 Prep'ing Thing Roads_Moesia_Sup_Dalmatia.png

Here is the main log from the latest crash:

[ATTACH]26534[/ATTACH]


Here are my new computer stats:

Pentium (R) Dual Core CPU E5200 @ 2.5GHZ 2.5GHZ
RAM 4GB
System 64 bit OS
Windows 7 PRO Service Pack 1
Internal Graphics
Intel (R) GMA 3100
Total Available Graphics Memory 256MB
Dedicated Video Memory 0MB
System Video Memory 64 MB
Shared System Memory 192MB


Old Computer stats

HP-Pavilion
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual CPU E2180 @ 2.0GHz (2 CPUs), 2.0GHz
RAM 2GB Ram
System 64 but OS
Windows Vista
Internal Graphics
NVIDIA GEForce 7100/NVidiaForce630i
Integrated RAMDAC
Total Available Graphics Memory 830MB
Dedicated Video Memory 128MB
System Video Memory 0 MB
Shared System Memory 702MB
DirectX version 11

I have set the game system to 1. No winter map 2. 50% computer resources 3. 2nd lowest texture display. Also turned off UAC, using admin and game installed into C:/games/AJE.

Help please!! AJE and RUS are my favorite AGEOD games. I will be very unhappy if I can't play AJE on my new computer!!!

[Franciscus]

Hi

I think just 256 Mb of Video RAM is probably insuficient...

Try to put all graphics options to the minimum (textures, etc) and also try with various settings of % usage of computer memory...

Hope it helps...

[Jagger2013]

I will try it. Although I was surprised that I am having problems with AJE when RUS works fine with winter map off on my new computer. RUS has greater system requirements than AJE. RUS requires- Video: 512 Mb V-RAM or better/while AJE requires- Video card: 128 MB. If I understand properly, AJE has less video requirements than RUS and should work fine if RUS works fine.

I am not an expert but the error recorded in the mainlog suggests an inability to access a specific location. It trys a 100 times without success to write to that address without success. Is that a video memory problem? Again I am not an expert.

I probably should get a video card for the computer but it is a HP slimline computer. I wonder if there is much choice for the small slim line computers.

[Jagger2013]

Ummm...I may not have got what I ordered on my new computer.

The sales specs for video memory are:

--Graphics Intel® GMA 3100 Type of graphics (video) adapter (usually built into the motherboard), identified by manufacturer and model.
--Video Memory 1631MB (shared) Manages display functions, including screen refresh rates, resolution and color. The more video memory a computer has, the better graphics and video will look.

This is what I actually have according to Dxdiag...

Internal Graphics
Intel (R) GMA 3100
Total Available Graphics Memory 256MB
Dedicated Video Memory 0MB
System Video Memory 64 MB
Shared System Memory 192MB

I am no expert but did I get shorted on video memory? The total on dxdiag is around 250MB rather than 1631MB as listed by the sales data. Although it is a GMA 3100...So did I get shorted on video memory????

[Jagger2013]

OK, did some research. Apparently the Intel GMA 3100 has 256MB of memory and can grab the remaining 1431MB from RAM as needed. So if the intel graphics grabs max memory from my 4 MB of RAM, video will use 1.4 Gig of Ram leaving 2.6 Gig to play the game.

Theoretically 1.4Gig for video should be far more video memory than necessary to run AJE and explains why RUS runs fine as long as I don't use the winter map. AJE only needs 128MB for video performance. So shouldn't be a video problem--correct?

[Pocus]

The problem here is that the texture for Moesia Road is too long for your integrated chipset. Each chipset has a different limit on the maximum texture size it can handle, and this is only loosely correlated to the amount of RAM or VRAM you get. Plus what directX reports as max texture size is the theoretical limits, generally video cards die much before reaching this limit.

So here the solutions would be:
a) change your video card for a game compatible one
b) remove the moesia roads file (the game will run fine, just with a warning in the log)

[Jagger2013]

Looks like I can get a low profile 1Gig video card for about $30. Not bad. In the meantime, I will temporarily remove the moesia roads file. And with a new video card, I should be able to use the winter map again. Thanks Pocus and Franciscus!

[Jagger2013]

BTW, before deleting any files, I decided to try Franciscus suggestion of putting all graphics options on minimum, everything and it works beautifully. No crashes at all. And I guess I am low maintenance but the game still looks good. So I can play. I still need to get a graphics card though if I want winter textures. But for the moment, I am good to go! Thanks all!

[Pocus]

Minimum texture might also skip the longer roads. Do you still see the Moesia ones?

[Jagger2013]

Pocus, the roads are there. I noticed some don't completely connect.

I started with everything minimized: memory useage minimized, no texture initialized, max texture size minimized and display borders off. So far, I have maxed out memory useage, texture initialized on and display borders on and have had no crashes. Later I will start increasing texture size to see if/when crashes return.

[Jagger2013]

Pocus, I started getting crashes again once I increased texture size to medium. So medium texture size pushes my computer beyond its graphic limits.

[Pocus]

This is the maximum you can get from the onboard chipset... To you to decide if that's worth an investment or not, others games would benefit from it as well.