[PoP] Freeze every 5 minutes, please help

Hi everyone,


First, thanks for this awesome mod.


I just can't play it for a long time, without having problems:
When I enter a large battle, I'm almost sure the game will freeze.
Only solution then is to alt + tab, to be able to continue to play, for a few minutes, then it'll freeze again.
Also happens when I enter a tavern and sometimes when I upgrade troops.


My system:
Windows XP
Edit: Pentium(R) Dual-Core @ 2.50 GHz
3 Go RAM
ATI 4850, drivers updated
DirectX 9
Don't know if important: I used steam to play it


I searched a lot, to find a solution and tried this:

-I formated and freshly reinstalled everything.
-I set all settings to low
-I checked "Load textures on demand" in Configuration settings
-I Have "Force Single Threading" checked in the advanced settings.
-Battle size set to 100
-Ragdolls and corpses disabled
-Anti-aliasing disabled
-No background program running
-I tried to play with directX 7
-I Set max frame rate to 80
-I tried old drivers for my graphic card (10.5 and 10.6)

-I used the solutions of this thread.
Adding "/3GB /USERVA=2990" to my boot.ini prevents the game from launching.

Changed memory usage like specified.

I seriously can't find a solution to this problem, please help.
Thanks.

Fawzia dokhtar-i-Sanjar said:

We are aware that there is a problem for some Steam version users - switch to the CD or download Warband versions.

Click to expand...

Also, you forgot to post your CPU 

Danath said:

Fawzia dokhtar-i-Sanjar said:

We are aware that there is a problem for some Steam version users - switch to the CD or download Warband versions.

Click to expand...

Also, you forgot to post your CPU 

Click to expand...

Thanks for this first answer
I don't have the CD, since I downloaded it via steam.

What means "download warband versions"?
Must I find an old patch and apply it to the game?
I believe steam automatically updates a game when launched, can it work anyway?

Dreamerr said:

Danath said:

Fawzia dokhtar-i-Sanjar said:

We are aware that there is a problem for some Steam version users - switch to the CD or download Warband versions.

Click to expand...

Also, you forgot to post your CPU 

Click to expand...

Thanks for this first answer
I don't have the CD, since I downloaded it via steam.

What means "download warband versions"?
Must I find an old patch and apply it to the game?
I believe steam automatically updates a game when launched, can it work anyway?

Click to expand...

I use version 1.134 and it works just fine

Check you did everything about the memory fix correctly, I had that problem and really worked

Danath said:

Check you did everything about the memory fix correctly, I had that problem and really worked

Click to expand...

When I edit boot.ini to add "/3GB /USERVA=2990", I get an error when launching the game: "Error on creating shaders, out of video memory".
Do you know what I'm doing wrong?

Seems to be the last thing I can't test.

Dreamerr said:

Danath said:

Check you did everything about the memory fix correctly, I had that problem and really worked

Click to expand...

When I edit boot.ini to add "/3GB /USERVA=2990", I get an error when launching the game: "Error on creating shaders, out of video memory".
Do you know what I'm doing wrong?

Seems to be the last thing I can't test.

Click to expand...

All is correct but you also need to do the following if you have out of memory error at "Loading settings data":
Go to pre-launch menu then Configure then Video then tick Load Textures on Demand.

(If that doesn't help you'll need to disable sounds or somehow try to free up more memory by going through your processes in task manager and exit anything that eats memory and that is not necessary .... except the warband process .. even though that one is the main memory eater

Hey all.  Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am a systems programmer and have adapted software that I use for application debugging for use with Warband.  I originally created it just for personal use but have decided to share it.  See spoilers for details.
Edit: Updated Version (1.2)

Was written in C using Visual Studio 2010.  No reversing techniques were used in the development of this software.
Please note that if you have an old/poor AV then the upx compression on the executable may be detected as being viral (false positive).  This program is to be considered finished
as I am not interested in adding features.  I will look into bugs, though.  Just thought to share in hopes that someone might find it useful.

To the mod creators:  This is hands-down the best mod available for M&B and the only reason that I have made this game my favorite electronic diversion.  That is why I chose to share this here.  Thanks!!

JatuWrangler said:

Hey all.  Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am a systems programmer and have adapted software that I use for application debugging for use with Warband.  I originally created it just for personal use but have decided to share it.  See spoilers for details.

Spoiler

Copy of the readme that comes with the distribution:

This software was written to help tame the huge hunger for memory
that Warband has.  The requirements for this program are:

-Your OS must be Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 (32bit or 64bit does not matter).
-Must reside in the same directory with mb_warband.exe.
-Must be ran with administrative priviledges.
-Your PC must meet all of the requirements for Warband otherwise.

To use:

-Probably most convenient to create a shortcut to desktop and
assign the MB icon to it using the shortcut properties.
-Right-click -> run as administrator.
-Utilize the 2 hotkeys defined for the program which are:
ALT + HOME:  Purge warband memory.
ALT + END:  Shutdown this software.

Note that you MUST launch Warband with Warband Tamer.  Doing it
the other way around will not yield good results.

It is not advised to purge during a battle.  Instead, do it the
next time you are sitting on the world map.

This is not a "pc booster"-type software, and no amazing promises
are being made.  This program will lower the memory consumption of
warband and that is all.

Don't forget to kill the process after you are finished playing
with either ALT + END or using the task manager!

This software was tested for many hours against Warband 1.134
without any problems.

Enjoy!

Link:

Spoiler

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=21FD9F9W

Was written in C using Visual Studio 2010.  No reversing techniques were used in the development of this software.
Please note that if you have an old/poor AV then the upx compression on the executable may be detected as being viral (false positive).  This program is to be considered finished
as I am not interested in adding features.  I will look into bugs, though.  Just thought to share in hopes that someone might find it useful.

To the mod creators:  This is hands-down the best mod available for M&B and the only reason that I have made this game my favorite electronic diversion.  That is why I chose to share this here.  Thanks!!

Click to expand...

Thank you kindly for the utility. I hope it will come in handy for anyone who is suffering crashes with PoP3.3 for WB.

(If Saxondragon approves and if I get your permission I'd like to post your link on the first page in the support page)

Just ensure to get the source crosschecked by anyone independent before you do that. You don´t know wether or not the thing´s genuine or if somone tries to hack your pc.

I´m not pointing this to offend you, JatuWrangler, I´m merely pointing this out because I don´t allow the www to install any sh!t on my pc either because I like it to stay my pc and not some zombiebot.

It´s a memory purger? Isn´t there a way to automatically clean it everytime it hits a critical treshold and you´re on the battle map?

Apart from that, if it works well enough and is clean, you should post it at the forge as well as all the people playing the larger mods will greatly appreichiate it.

Noosers is correct. The software needs to be checked and verified before it is installed and run.

@Noosers:  No worries, no offense taken.  My post makes the assumption that the file will be scanned by an AV (hence the warning about upx and false positives).  I don't think any of the current popular AVs give those false positives any longer, though.  It is mainly the old and/or crappy ones that do it.

The software could be made to check for a threshold and automatically purge, but that opens a can of worms that I am not anxious to open.  The technical details are simple enough, but it would start a features cascade that I am not interested in supporting.

Well, you either relase and support or don´t publish at all. Naughty you for luring the donkey with your carrot onna stick.

Where´s your craftsman´s pride? Some things are simply done because they´re possible ignoring the sideeffects or the rattail of problems attached to it. Unless you freely post it at the forge and someone else picks it up coding a memory purger cleaning the problematic WB memory leaks before TW does a proper optimization for it.

But until this uncertain event somewhere in the future an automated memory purger if a certain critical treshold is hit was great, espeically if it stabilised the whole memory and crashes issue so people don´t have to meddle with the more sensible settings of their pc´s.

I'm going to release a patch for 3.3 (named 3.301) that will remove the custom D'Shar scenes for D'Shar villages. That will save resources and make PoP less prone to crashing.

ETA for this patch is about 1 week. We're also making weapon adjustments that will be included in this patch. And if there are any bugs reported before release time, such as capturing a defected companion and then not having a dialog option with that ex-companion ... those issues will be investigated and aimed to be in the patch too.

(The new version will be a full download and an incremental patch as well. For the incremental patch there will be specific instructions on how to update properly.)

So the solution here works? cause ive tried everything now and i mean Everything only happens in this mod and yea i would agree it is the best mod which is why its so frustrating;P

noosers,

I will try and respond to your points:

1) This software is supported.  I stated clearly that bugs would be looked at.
2) Craftsman's pride?  This application does everything it was designed to do in a simple, reliable, and consistent manner.  I think my pickaxe looks
    unappealing to you because you were shopping for a claymore.
3) The source code.  Releasing it is an impossibility.  As stated, I am a systems programmer and work on proprietary systems.
    Since this application shares code in common with prior works, I cannot release it under a more liberal license.  You will find that this is a common theme
    in the software development industry.  The license, in effect, is a commercial license with a zero dollar price tag.

The zip archive is 16 kilobytes, the price is right.  If you don't care for it much, then it is no loss for either of us if you toss it in the recycle bin.

Best regards.

Again, if I upset you I need to apologize. Coding´s a nightmare to me and I got no clue nor had I had a look on your work nor pondered or looked at the background/programm history.

I simply assumed, since you shared it, it was your entire work and possession and made out of personal devotion. Attached to such a devotion is usally the desire to change, accomplish and improve something. And if the aforementioned can of worms can be opened, it´s often enough tempting to actually open it, even if it´s just for seeing what´s happening.

I wasn´t shopping of ra claymore, I was rather speculation how much more effort and material it would take to forge claymores instead of pickaxes especially as the problem - as I imagine it - with your solution is the timing for cleaning the RAM.

With the manual approach you´ll either have to apply the cleanse once lag occurs (which destroys the gaming experience) or train yourself to trigger it every 30 seconds, or less if a lot of e.g trees are loaded. And you stated in your manual not to use it during battle for prolly causing weird sideeffects resulting in blackscreens or ctd´s, so it doesn´t tempt you at all to make it work during battle as well or optimise your baby?

Since I´m asking all this questions means I care pretty much for it as it seems the crutch to ease the pain for playing PoP:WB for me but I´m sensing some further possibilities with your solution.

And yes, I´ve to confess and apologize again, I didn´t read three lines under your second spoiler in your first post due to excitement! Therefore thank you for pointing it out for me.

Just tried the Tamer i think i did it correctly cause it showed up in my process in task manager.

It did help somewhat i no longer crash but it will still freeze and then and the only way to get out of the frozen screen lag is to go to window mode and back into game then its fine, i mean whats the deal with that?

Hi guys so i finally got this mod working heres what i did just incase it may help some people.

Uninstalled Warband and checked there was no files left anywhere, and reinstalled.

Re downloaded the PoP Mod(to make sure i had clean version.

Got a free registry cleaner called Registry Easy, then obvouisly cleaned my system with it and i also did a defragmentation and a scan disk just to be sure. (by doing this i eliminated the Runtime Errors)

then i  followed this amazing thread  It's from this link http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,131274.0.html
i did use it before but i guess i did not do it correctly so be sure u do it right! (and by doing this my 2 Frame Freeze Stutter lag thingy went)

I use

AMD Athlon 64x2 5000
sound blaster x-fi xtreme audio
geforce gtx 260 896mb gddr3
Abit KL9 sli motherboard
windows XP Home edition
4gb corsair Gaming RAM(but only use 3gb due to XP)

I hope this helps someone cause i know how very frustrating it is thanks.
       

JatuWrangler said:

-Probably most convenient to create a shortcut to desktop and
assign the MB icon to it using the shortcut properties.
-Right-click -> run as administrator.
-Utilize the 2 hotkeys defined for the program which are:
ALT + HOME:  Purge warband memory.
ALT + END:  Shutdown this software.

Note that you MUST launch Warband with Warband Tamer.  Doing it
the other way around will not yield good results.

It is not advised to purge during a battle.  Instead, do it the
next time you are sitting on the world map.

This is not a "pc booster"-type software, and no amazing promises
are being made.  This program will lower the memory consumption of
warband and that is all.

Click to expand...

Two quick questions on this program you made, when you say it will lower the memory consumption of warband, do you have to do that ALT + HOME thing to get it to do that, or is does it lower consumption by war band just by having it running? I'm not quite sure what purging does.

Also is there any reason I cant just leave it running rather then killing the process? Or do you need to run it again each time you run warband.


Anyways I have tried this out for a few hours and, it may be to soon to tell, but I think this may have fixed my issue where I sometimes crash on save.