Windower or PoL Instant DC/Crash

[Scorp]

I've been suffering from crashes for the past 3 days. I can't tell if it is POL or Windower causing/actually crashing. I get the vista "program has stopped working" window with no warning or in game dc.

The thing is, there is no pattern to this, its not timed based, it isn't zone based or when zoning, or when idle, or in busy areas. It has happened whilst fighting and whilst running through areas across different expansions etc.

I've recently built a new computer, it seemed fine for a few days.

Phenom II tri core
Sapphire Radeon hd4670
Vista 64bit (legit)

I'm using windower 3.3 (base download without chatmon / silence)
I've disabled UAC after first setting PoL etc to run as admin.
I've disabled windows firewall. (using my routers in built, which is fine for xbox and laptop).
I'm using AVG free version.
No infra red receiver issue, disabled fully etc.

Having searched here and windower forums I'm not finding any similar issues reported. Is there something on vista I'm missing. Is there a way to get some report on the crashes or do you just get the vista pop up?

[Mafai]

Happened after the latest update ?

Could be a bad dat from one of the things u have installed.

If you were using UI mods or any type of dat swap, reinstall them using this.

http://windower.net/patches/ffxi.patch.4.8.2009.exe

[Scorp]

Sorry to clarify, no UI mods outside base windower.

Yes it started since latest patch but I've only played on this pc since the latest patch.

[Aksannyi]

I've had this problem on my laptop since I've owned it. Certain zones are worse than others, and I've confirmed some effects also trigger it. Dynamis - San d'Oria is the worst, I can't even stay in that zone for more than 15 minutes on this laptop before being kicked. Enblizzard, Ice Spikes, Ice Elementals all confirmed to crash my game.

I'm pretty sure it's a graphics issue, but there's nothing I can do with it that I'm aware of. The laptop won't allow me to download drivers except for the "Nvidia recommended" ones, which don't fix the problem. I've learned to deal by filtering all effects. :/

So, I too, would like a fix to this problem if anyone can ever find it. The crashes are random and frustrating.

[Scorp]

Read the wrong part of file properties, windower version is 3.41

I'm not sure we are having the same issue, my list of crashes to memory;

Mnk fighting 6fl Chariot in Zhay Remnants. ~ dishcarge animations etc.
Pld ~ stood in BD 29.4 fps between windows.
Sauromagne C [S] just walking to ANNM pop spot.
South Sandy [S] walking back to mog house having spent 1hr tanking DI

Not dc'ing during DI with 40 ppl around, then dc'ing whilst walking past a couple of npcs etc doesn't seem graphics or any component being overworked.

[Knyghtmayre]

I get kicked in campaigns if a ton of NPCs are around me. I used to get kicked ALL THE TIME when I ran EXPwatch, and since I stopped using it, I crash less. So maybe it's just placebo or maybe it was part of the problem. I have been kicked whenever a ton of effects go off at once though, regardless of what they are. I'm running a 9600GT on a Athlon X2 PC that was also built. Sometimes when a ton of action is going on, my PC will freeze every couple of seconds before I crash.

[Kohan]

I get kicked in campaigns if a ton of NPCs are around me. I used to get kicked ALL THE TIME when I ran EXPwatch, and since I stopped using it, I crash less. So maybe it's just placebo or maybe it was part of the problem. I have been kicked whenever a ton of effects go off at once though, regardless of what they are. I'm running a 9600GT on a Athlon X2 PC that was also built. Sometimes when a ton of action is going on, my PC will freeze every couple of seconds before I crash.

EXPWatch is known to cause crashes in its current state, and it will also conflict with old versions of SpellCast, so there's a very fair chance you have in fact reduced your amount of lock-ups.

I'm pretty sure it's a graphics issue, but there's nothing I can do with it that I'm aware of. The laptop won't allow me to download drivers except for the "Nvidia recommended" ones, which don't fix the problem. I've learned to deal by filtering all effects. :/

When you say your laptop won't allow you to "download" drivers, what are you referring to? Are you getting drivers directly from a site like nVidia's and attempting to run them, or are you downloading third-party driver packs?

Read the wrong part of file properties, windower version is 3.41

I'm not sure we are having the same issue, my list of crashes to memory;

Mnk fighting 6fl Chariot in Zhay Remnants. ~ dishcarge animations etc.
Pld ~ stood in BD 29.4 fps between windows.
Sauromagne C [S] just walking to ANNM pop spot.
South Sandy [S] walking back to mog house having spent 1hr tanking DI

Not dc'ing during DI with 40 ppl around, then dc'ing whilst walking past a couple of npcs etc doesn't seem graphics or any component being overworked.

Have you already tried using Windower without any plug-ins running whatsoever?

Completely turn off the sound in FFXI (not by turning it down in-game, but disabling it completely either in the FFXI Configuration or the Windows Registry). Does it still crash?

Do any of your other 3D applications crash (and if you don't have any to test with, download some game demos from FilePlanet)?

[Scorp]

Kohan, I haven't tried those yet. Thanks for the advice.

[Aksannyi]

When you say your laptop won't allow you to "download" drivers, what are you referring to? Are you getting drivers directly from a site like nVidia's and attempting to run them, or are you downloading third-party driver packs?

I can download the nVidia ones np. It's when I attempt to use forceware or other things that claim to fix the incompatibility issues with Vista/graphics/etc. that my laptop rejects the drivers saying they are "not compatible" when they should be compatible with my system, according to the specs, unless I'm missing something.

I've actually given up.

Amazingly, as I type this post, I crashed in Stellar Fulcrum while doing ACP.

[Kohan]

You may have given up, but as long as you keep responding, I'm going to keep trying to troubleshoot. Deal with it. So, questions:

What version of Vista are you using (both flavor and 32-bit or 64-bit)?

What graphics chipset does your laptop have?

What model laptop is it?

Do you have the Vista service pack installed on your computer?

Did you try updating/replacing DirectX?

[Aksannyi]

Windows Vista Home Premium, 32 bit, with SP1 installed. Compaq Presario F700 Notebook PC. Nvidia GeForce 7000M / nForce 610m (if you need more info on graphics, tell me where to find it, this is from Device Manager). I have not attempted to upgrade DirectX. Where might I do that?

[Kohan]

A few recommendations.

First, since you're trying to run 3D apps on a laptop (and OS) which isn't customized for it, we should change that. Click the Start button, then in the "Start Search" field, type in "Power" and hit Enter. The power management window should come up. Change it to "High Performance," and save the settings.

Now, in relation to the driver error you're getting, is it within the nVidia installer -- saying your chipset is incompatible -- or is Windows Vista telling you the driver isn't signed, and it won't let you install it? You shouldn't be getting the latter error on a 32-bit version of Vista, so it would be curious if you are.

Do you know the driver version you currently have? The info from the executable would probably be fine.

Have you ever checked your laptop's internal temperatures? If you don't have an application for this, EVEREST Free Edition is a good choice. Install it, run the program, then expand the list under "Computer," and click on "Sensor." It'll be blank for a little bit, but eventually, the temperatures for most of the devices in your laptop should appear. What do the numbers look like while you're running FFXI?

Finally, to update/replace DirectX, download it here: Download DirectX Redistributable March 2009 9.26.1590 - A very useful application for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements - Softpedia

[Scorp]

Ok, having tried the no plugins etc, there are two things on my computer I think this could be;

1) I have 2 monitors showing in device manager, a non Plug n Play generic monitor and a xerox digital one. In catalyst control centre this shows as the xerox, and a 2nd monitor disabled.

I tried to repeat the steps used to disable the IR devices to get rid of the 2nd monitor but it keeps coming back.

2) Network discovery, which I have now turned off after the last crash. My PC found my xbox and tried to install a few things to get it to run. They are all linked via a BT home hub (wired + wireless router).

[brisk]

Happened after the latest update ?

Could be a bad dat from one of the things u have installed.

If you were using UI mods or any type of dat swap, reinstall them using this.

http://windower.net/patches/ffxi.patch.4.8.2009.exe

I've been having the same problem where POL decides to crash everytime in the same CS (Gentle Tiger for Bastok quests). I used that link, file repair, but it still freezes.

[Kohan]

Ok, having tried the no plugins etc, there are two things on my computer I think this could be;

Not to dismiss everything else, but this means that muting the sound (eliminating the sound card as a potential culprit), running without plug-ins, and trying a completely different 3D application didn't work?

Have you tried updating DirectX? Even if it doesn't fix the problem, it won't hurt anything to do it.

1) I have 2 monitors showing in device manager, a non Plug n Play generic monitor and a xerox digital one. In catalyst control centre this shows as the xerox, and a 2nd monitor disabled.

I tried to repeat the steps used to disable the IR devices to get rid of the 2nd monitor but it keeps coming back.

Do you actually know what brand of monitor you have? It could be a re-labeled Xerox.

2) Network discovery, which I have now turned off after the last crash. My PC found my xbox and tried to install a few things to get it to run. They are all linked via a BT home hub (wired + wireless router).

Unfortunately, I don't believe this will have an effect on it, either. Nonetheless, has it actually made a difference for you?

You may also want to try installing EVEREST as mentioned above, and check your operating temperatures.

[Scorp]

Thanks for the reply,

I've been running speed fan since building the comp and core temps generally range from 30-40c, though 90% of the time sit at the lower end of that.

I've updated direct X.

Monitor is xerox XA7-17i. Catalyst picks this up correctly but vista fails to, even if I give it the correct drivers.

Network discovery didn't change anything. I've kept it off anyway, but still crashing.

The only progress I've made today is to learn that if I log out and log back in through the day at convenient times I can avoid dc'ing at the inconvenient times. I did still dc once though after over 2hrs without logging etc.

[Scorp]

Sorry didn't try completely removing the sound element. I'll give that a go tomorrow (zz time now).

[Scorp]

Not to dismiss everything else, but this means that muting the sound (eliminating the sound card as a potential culprit), running without plug-ins, and trying a completely different 3D application didn't work?

Hi again.

I've done some testing with set ups and the issue persists.

Windower with no plugins and sound disabled = still crashing.
SE Windowed mode with no plugins and sound = still crashing.
SE Full screen mode = still crashing.

This is rather depressing

[Day]

I'm going to go with Bad dats as well, I've been through this before.

My suggestion is to use Process Explorer from Sysinternals, (free HQ Taskmanager). With this you can highlight POL.exe and make sure you veiw the bottom pane. This will often tell you what file was being read when the game crapped out. Find that .dat and delete it. Then run the file check again.

This also works really well if anyone has ever had their file check lock up on them, which happens to me a lot if a .dat file has gotten fucked up. If the file check locks up and you use Process explorer you can see exactly which .dat is causing the issue.

Should note that I do no .dat swaps but ever since Vista I've had some serious issue with this. Everything from the cursed armor npc not showing up, not being able to target runic portal, or instant crashes like you describe whenever a sam would ws.

[Scorp]

I'd thought about this because of the "dead zone" and aura steel updates. The sheer variety of areas and activities when crashing though made me think it was something else.

Thanks for the tip, will try.