Application Error: Help Please

[WaldoPepper]

On Pilots Career Missions lasting longer than 45 minutes I start getting stutters and then freeze screen sometimes no Error Message or Application Error: The instruction at "0x0d8e1d8a" referenced memory at "0x0d948418". The memory could not be read. I have been plagued with this problem for over a year. Have stayed away from any type of long Missions. I can play QMBuilder for hours on end with no problems. In the meantime I have addons like Banzai, WOW, WOJ collecting dust. I'm running merged install showing 4.05 which I backed down to 4.04 file. did the il2_coreP4.ddl for Pentium Processors. Is there some further tweaking I need to do, as I'm getting desperate? My Specs are:
Pentium 4 3.2GHz
1GB DDR2 RAM @533 MHz
256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800
160GB AICQ Serial HD 7200RPM
Screen Refresh @ 75 Hz
Virtual Memory tweeked to 1580

[EURO_Snoopy]

Hi Waldopepper, welcome to the forums. This be caused by several things have a look at Techspot forums for possible solutions.

Check out your virtual RAM settings as a first step then download and run memtest to give your RAM a health check.

[MaXMhZ]

Let's first make certain what you are running. 4.04 if NOT the merged install. It MUST say 4.04 m Sorry if you already have this and know it; It's a very common mistake to mix up patches for merged (allways habe an "m") and standalone in the patching process.

The memory error has nothing to do with defect memory chips.
It can be induced by mixup of merged/standalone/dedicated-server patches and by damaged patches. The only cure I can think of is a complete re-install.
follow the Airwarfare Installation and Patching guide

run each patch after install and check it displays the right version on start.

Good luck!

[WaldoPepper]

MaXMhZ: Yes I'm using the "m" patches for the merged install. I also tried a seperate PF standalone install for the addon programs. Until about a month ago I was having the same problem except it was a Virtual Memory Error. Then I tweaked my Virtual Memory up to 1580 and downloaded the latest Video Driver from Dell, it was 77.xx something and the problem went away. Since then I have downloaded 91.21 Driver from Nvidia and the problems back with a different Error Message. Tonight I tried the mission from Cactus Diary that crashed last night, except I tried it with OpenGL instead of DirectX which I Have always used. Completed the mission with no problems, still need to fly more missions as tests. If this has been the cause of my problems for all these months, Boy will my face be red. Thanks for the help.

[MaXMhZ]

That's weird, but hey if it works - who cares
IL-2 was designed to work with OpenGL. DirectX is just a "wrapper" around OpenGL (DX commands get "translated" to OpenGL and only then they execute, so in reality you still use OpenGL, although it looks like you use DirectX...

[WaldoPepper]

MaXMhz: You were right, system froze up on next Mission, same error message. Went back to Direct X, after 3 more Error messages, called Dell Tech Support. Have been camping on the phone with them all week. Their Troubleshooting manual consist of Reinstall Software and Reinstall Windows XP. Lost a years worth of work, but they promised a new Video Card if this dosen't work. Will keep this site posted.

[MaXMhZ]

Thanks for keeping us posted.
"memory could not be read" errors are application specific and notoriously hard to trackdown. The causes can be very diverse, but I don't know of any such error ever having been caused by hardware. It allways boils down to the crappy way windows handles memory management. What happens is that a memory location gets referenced that's either not claimed/reserved or got released too soon

[WaldoPepper]

EURO_Snoopy: Trying to respond to all who offered help in my time of need. I did try the Driver Cleaner Pro and the MemTest to no avail, before I contacted Dell and did the Windows reinstall. I am happy to report that I'm completing Missions (except the ones I have to hit Ctrl E on), also seeing an inprovement in graphic details with my clean machine. Thanks again.

[WaldoPepper]

FINAL UPDATE: Went through the wringer with the Dell Techs, Tried turning off Hyper-Threading, Maxing out Virtual Memory to 2048/4096MB, deleting some file in the Windows Folder (They did it so fast I couldn't tell which one). Reinstalled the game in both the CD merged version and the DVD version and still Application Error. Broke contact with Dell. Did a reinstall of Windows. Installed an older Nvidia driver 71.84, turned off the anisotropic settings. Pulled up the "System Configuration Utility" and in Start-Up turned off ALL background programs. Now I can play all the Campaigns I want FINALLY. Hope this post helps other Flight Simmers in some way. Thanks to all!

[MaXMhZ]

Great you got it sorted!
This sort of error is one of the biggest nuisances of Windows. You can normally only put your finger on the sore spot if you have access to the source code and do a trace/single step untill the error occurs - and not even that allways works, resulting allmost allways in a complete new system setup before you're rid of it. The problem is that the error can be caused by any of the windows services, drivers and background programs or a combination of these making it allmost impossible to find.

[EURO_Snoopy]

You could, if curious enough, try turning on things one at a time to see what does actually break. Though for now after all that hassle it may be a good idea to enjoy some campaigning.

Btw several good ones went up at M4T last week

[WaldoPepper]

INTERESTING UPDATE: Managed to complete Cactus Diary Campaign with still sporadic Application Error. Dell gave in and replaced Graphic Card yesterday, after Tech left the system would not recognize my Drive D. Tech returned, open tower checked for loose connections. Could not find anything wrong. Fired it up and worked perfect. (Just like an old car I use to have) An hour later the problem was back. Tech promised to come back that evening. While waiting I thought if opening and closing was causing the problem I'd check it out. Found a sharp crease in the ribbon wire going from the Hard Drive to the Motherboard. Smoothed the crease out and everything working fine. Dell has promised to replace the ribbon wire. Note: While doing numerous reboot trying to get the Drive D on line I got a few Application Error Messages. Hummm, how long has ribbon wire been pinched. I guess I'll never know as everthing is working fine now.

[MaXMhZ]

sjeesh - well I guess this than is the first hardware fault I hear about causing a memory error...

Once they replace your drive cable, make sure (If it's an IDE drive) that the wires are individually shielded (Ultra DMA 100/133 cable) otherwise the drive will be a lot slower.
I think I'm gonne iron-out my cables tonight lol who knows...

[WaldoPepper]

PROBLEM SOLVED: Two days after Dell installed new Graphic Card, the Card locked up in a continious loop. Dell threw a third Card at the problem, after which I decided to uninstall Driver 81.98 I got from Dells Website. Installed the 66.81 Driver and followed the instructions in Graphics Setup for Nvidia 6800 from this site. I've even set forrest=2 and water=3 for the first time since I bought this game. Also all background are running. I waited several weeks to post this while I ran test Campaigns as to not jump the gun as before. Still wish there was a later Driver that would work as I would like to play other Flight Sims that are not up to par with this Driver

[MaXMhZ]

Thanks for the feedback again!
If you didn't do so you may also want to install the optimized water dll's
See this UBI thread in Oleg's Ready Room
1C:Maddox has already contacted nVidea about the drivers I believe.
It proves again "memory can't be read" error should have had a lot more attention at M$ (and that's not the only thing they didn't do right...)
Concludinf one can say with high probability it's a driver issue again.

That water does look a lot better though doesn't it
I hope it's solved now - fingers crossed
S! MaX