Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 3

Heeeelllp!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi all,

I'm new to the board and to TBP mod, although not to FS2, and as you can tell am also a hardcore B5 fan(atic) :-) I have a frustrating problem with TBP mod and I was hoping you good people could help.
I downloaded and installed all files for TBP incl. the patch and hi-res upgrade and it works fine if I just play the practice mission but if I try to load the campaign (Earth/Minbari War) it crashes FS2 and I get the following error message:

Error: Out of memory. Try closing down other applications, increasing your
virtual memory size, or installing more physical RAM.

File:C:\projects\freespace2\code\GlobalIncs\WinDeb
ug.cpp
Line: 1121

Call stack:
------------------------------------------------------------------
FS2.EXE 0040688e()
FS2.EXE 005e4889()
KERNEL32.DLL bff8b537()
KERNEL32.DLL bff8b3e9()
KERNEL32.DLL bff89dac()
------------------------------------------------------------------

I have 64 megs of ram which is supposed to be the min. requirement.
I have about 530 megs of free HD space. First time I tried it I had only 300 mb free so I deleted some files and got up to my present 530 mb and it still does the same thing. I would think it should be fine, although I could be wrong, because FS2 runs fine with this much free HD space. I didn't want to mess w/my virtual mem. because it says I might not be able to reboot my puter if I do, so i left it alone (set as default so Windoze manages it) and besides it looks like the default Windoze setting is for the full amount of free space.
Oh, also I had nothing else running at the time.
Exactly what happens is that the campaign never finishes loading (the "meter bar" across the screen gets about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up , that is, the "lights" lit) and then the error mess. pops up and my screen goes back to my normal desktop, with FS2 icon minimized to the taskbar. If I try to click right or left on the FS2 icon, the screen goes dark, the computer just sits there and does nothing and I have to hit the reset button.
So what's the problem? Can anybody help me? (besides telling me I need to buy more RAM, hah!) Please help, I'm desperate!!!!!!!!

Mr. Morden, peeling his radiation-burned skin off in large flakes in frustration...

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 77

The models are quite big. Try a lower level of detail or resolution.
You can´t put the ship models into virtual ram.
Or just buy more RAM, it´s realy cheap at the moment

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Finland
Posts: 3194

I have never encountered this problem, so I'm not sure what causes it and what is the solution.

But yes, try to lower your FS2 graphic details.
Defragment your hard drive.
If the problem still exists, try reinstalling FS2 and TBP.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Sheffield UK
Posts: 1913

yep try all of mr fury's tips, whats your graphics card btw?

it sounds like some more ram and/or a new graphics card is needed if you ask me, but dont ask me i am just speculating

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Finland
Posts: 3194

quote:

---

Originally posted by CptWhite
it sounds like some more ram and/or a new graphics card is needed if you ask me, but dont ask me i am just speculating

---

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[URL=http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/]The Babylon Project homepage[/URL] <> [URL=http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/faq.php]The Babylon Project FAQ[/URL] <> [URL=http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/fsscp/]Please support FreeSpace Source Code Project[/URL]

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 1470

A couple of people have had similar problems, being caused by video card old drivers. Updating your video card drivers might be worth a try.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Posts: 1218

that and the fact he installed the Hi-res pack wich includes textures that take up 2x or more memory than normal ones. Specialy in such old systems like that. Reintsll Fs2 but leave Hi-res out. It should work with the amount of ram you have. (64mB?? do you know RAM is quite cheap now?)

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-No money, no wife, no car, NO PROBLEMS!!!!

Member of Babylon5 to FS2 MOD
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/

Member of Wing commander to FS2 MOD
http://www.scifi3d.de/wcsaga/

Last edited by haderak on 01-01-2002 at 09:46 PM

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 3

Thanks everyone...

I will try your suggestions. Yes, this is an ooooold rig in terms of computer-years (ca. 1998). And you're right, I can get, according to the latest Comp USA flyer, 384 megs of sync DRAM for $35!!!
Time to upgrade!! :-)
How easy is it to install? (You can tell I've not done this before.) That's 'cuz I wasn't feeling the hurt before, now I am!
BTW video card is STB Velocity 128 3D AGP (Nvidia Riva 128) according to sys. info.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Posts: 1218

Damm STB velocity??? thats even older than 1998!! It doesnt support any of the hi-res texutres for sure. if you cliked on the reg tweak file fot the hi-res pack you're telling direct X to load unsupported texture sizes to your card. I really think this is the cause of your problems. Even with 256 MB of ram dont expect it to run smoothly. your card is old and wasnt even the among the fastest at time of release!!
Installing ram is quite easy just open your case and check out how many slots are empty (those black thin racks with white hooks at the edges) Buy a known brand of memory expantion cards (some are quite famous, if you live on earth) be aware that some memory block sizes might not work like 256 or 512 MB memory modules. PC's in 1998 used 66MHz SDRAM, but 100MHZ or 133MHZ should work just fine as well (respectively PC100 and PC133 compliant modules) Be aware not to confuse with DDR ram or RAmBUS_RAM they are completely incompatible with your system. Buy yourself a cheapo 3d card some TNT2 models are almost as cheap as memory modules!!

you might have to aply a considerable amount of pressure to place te memory correctly into the slots. Align the small round borders on the memory card pins to the round bumps on the slot, press it untill the white hooks rise and latch to the saliences on the edges of the memory cards. aply whatever pressure necessary, the motherboard is quite resilient. just be carefull in not bending the memory cards lenghtwise and break all its pins!!
Apply pression but control your hands and arms movements well.

If you find any stabilities issues (not expected) go to bios and edit memory control mode to SPD, not manual (latence timings)

__________________
-Weep for us Na'toth, weep for us all, I've seen the darkness, you cannot do that and be the same again... [G'kar, in Revelations]

-No money, no wife, no car, NO PROBLEMS!!!!

Member of Babylon5 to FS2 MOD
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/

Member of Wing commander to FS2 MOD
http://www.scifi3d.de/wcsaga/

Last edited by haderak on 01-01-2002 at 11:45 PM

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Stevensville, MT
Posts: 142

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mr. Morden
384 megs of sync DRAM for $35!!!

---

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 2894

crucial.com
Best company EVER. Extremely high-quality stuff.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 1470

For most computers I would recommend upgrading the video card but doing so is entirely dependent on budget and whether the new card will do justice to the rest of your computer and to your wallet. Unfortunately this being the case video cards in this category can be quite expensive. In your price range, depending on your existing video card and rest of system, the RAM would seems to be a better choice.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Bracknell, England
Posts: 71

I too would say that memory is the first choice for your system. As far as Freespace 2 goes it does support Glide which is the Voodoo only graphics thingy. A banshe should be ok for running things like this.
When I only had 64 meg of RAM I had to run everything in low detail. Windows ran like crap (I think the reason being that the main memory had been filled and it had to use virtual memory on the HD). Anyway, when I upgraded my RAM to 320 my system was able to run most things flat out. I was using a 16 meg Diamond Speedstar A90 Savage 4 graphics card at the time on a Pentium 3 500 MHz.
So yes. I'd say memory first.

As to Alphakiller's comment about Crucial Technology, he is right. Their memory is much more reliable and no more expensive (In the UK anyway). My brother works for Micron who own Crucial and I can get a 15% discount on all memory.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Joutsa, Finland
Posts: 564

Memory is very important. I have 288 megs of it but processor is only a Pentium 400 MHz. (oh, and VooDoo 4) But I can play games that require far more powerful processor what I've got with no serious problens at all.
Besides. Menory is easy to install yourself. Processor is not that easy anymore... (depends how accessable the location is...) And with craphics cards is that software (I HATE it! )

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Oh ****! Those idiots did it.

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Charlottesville, VA, USA
Posts: 169

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alphakiller
crucial.com
Best company EVER. Extremely high-quality stuff.

---

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Stevensville, MT
Posts: 142

Thanky you all for your input. I will take it all into consideration before making my choice.

__________________
Understanding is a three edged sword: your side, there side, and the truth.
-Cap. John Sheridan

Where ever you go there you are.

There will be an answer. Let it be.- John Lenon

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Registered: Jun 2001
Location: England
Posts: 2275

I think this problem is probably caused your graphics card not having enough memory for the hi-res textures.. check to see if it works if you don't install the hi-res pack.

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Registered: Dec 2001
Location: GTD Haydon
Posts: 357

ok, this may sound really stupid, but which campaign are you running? if you're running the regular fs2 campaign and not the bab5 campaign, that'll crash you, they aint compatable.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Posts: 1218

you're right... in tha sounding stupid

__________________
-Weep for us Na'toth, weep for us all, I've seen the darkness, you cannot do that and be the same again... [G'kar, in Revelations]

-No money, no wife, no car, NO PROBLEMS!!!!

Member of Babylon5 to FS2 MOD
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/babylon/

Member of Wing commander to FS2 MOD
http://www.scifi3d.de/wcsaga/

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 3

Thanks again

Thanks again everybody for all your suggestions and advice.
I will install a TNT2 along with my new RAM since it appears my Riva is too old. Geez, pretty soon looks like I will just have to get a whole new rig! :-)
Good nooz is that for now, until I do the latter I got it to work so I can play TBP Campaigns just not in hires mode- I uninstalled/reinstalled TBP entirely but this time w/out installing the hires packs, which I will do only after the upgrade.
But at least now it does work fine for the time being, in "low res" mode and I love it!!!!!!!!!! Great work, guys!!
And damn, those nials are vicious!!! I've died many a death at their hands.... :-)

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