BattleField 1942 Freezing HELP!!!???

[Sava700]

Ok I've posted about this problem several times already with great reponse so thanks guys already! However I've contacted Adelphia Cable whom is my ISP about the issue.. first they came up with a Provision problem..which was corrected but didn't take care of the problem. The Problem is that when in game play on ANY server at ANY time the game locks up for around 5 seconds while I look at modem and activity lights go from full blown activity or always on to to a flicker while frozen. I come back from that freeze and as anyone knows in that game you can't stop for one second or your dead which is very aggrivating! Ok I've contacted Adelphia again and the girl is as dumb as rocks wanting me to do the normal check your modem junk which doesn't do any good. I call again NEXT day and the guy sends me to next level support.. which they see a signal problem. I had at that time a motorola signal booster on the line which I told him of and he suggested I remove it so I did...still NOLUCK! Ok I call again and ask for a tech to come to the house and check the signal which was yesterday and I have perfect "0" at which the guy said +2, -2 or in the middle was Awsome for signal ratio. OK WELL WHERE IS THE PROBLEM I ASK?? I told them on the phone each time I played the game in Single player and it doesn't do it. I play the game on different servers and it will do it regardless sometimes several times in one min. There has to be a cause??!?!
Can anyone help I'm getting to the point where my game play is about over due to this problem. :(

[UOD]

Welcome to our misery lol!

There have been numerous problems for azll of us dude.

With all the releases/patches/PB updates/etc., it's difficult to determine a root cause for any of our problems. The latest seems to be a Gamespy exploit which is what the DC servers use as their communications engine.

It may not be you at all.


Just an FYI....single player mode is just you on your own computer so there would be no net activity whatsoever.

To cover your own butt, I would do a virus/trojan/spyware scan...defrag, and recheck. You can also drop your ingame connection settings to ISDN or 56K and see if that rectifies your problem. Don't worry...you won't actually play at those speeds.;)

[wicked1burnt]

welcome to my misery of bf 42 & connection probs....wish I could help ..... I finally raised enough hell with my ISP (which is also dumb as rocks) for them to come out again :thumb:

[YeOldeStonecat]

Some things to look at....

Latest drivers for your NIC? Quality NIC?

If using a router, latest firmware on the router? Is MTU set on the router?

No home-made patch cables...get quality patch cables. DSL line to modem? Nice heavy duty new one?

Modem/Router/cables not near anything that gives off interference? I've seen someone complain about their DSL connection that was flakey, not consistant. I checked out their setup, they had their router sitting right on top of their subwoofer! :rofl:

A long time ago, I learned to have the phone company run a new line in from the street to wherever I had my computer, going back to the dial up days. Yes costs a bit of money, really not THAT expensive though, but since even in the dial up dates...online gaming was VERY important to me, so I always had this done...even in apartments I'd only be living in for a year or two. Call it a waste of money? Hey, I sat back and enjoyed good reliable performance while watching others complain about their connection. So when I had my house rebuilt...I had the phone company run in brand new CAT3 lines in from the street to my house, and I installed brand new CAT5e and CAT6 wiring all throughout the house.

Windows updates
Antivirus update and scan
Spbot Search and Destroy, update, and scan/remove junk.

I don't know what antivirus app you are using, but (as long as you enable it again once you're done playing...before you check e-mail or go on the web)...disable your antivirus realtime protection while you play. Just to see what it does.

Network protocols properly configured and leaned out? Not loading any other un-necessary protocols?

Do any other online games exhibit this? Not that that would be a good indicator...since Battlefield 1942 is so "next gen" as far as gameplay and stuff, no other game that I know of pushes your connection as hard as bf does. Most games use under 20KB/s of client connection, Unreal Tournament based games around 28KB/s, but bf'42, depending upon how you configure your client, takes from 50 - 80KB/s. That's pushing your connection hard...so if anything is "flakey" with your ISP connection, this game might find it. Try lowering your settings...from DSL to say..ISDN...or even dial up if there is such a setting.

[Grimson]

Mine was doing that, freeze for 3 or 4 seconds then start up again, was driving me batty b/c like you said everything stops. Then I did this like YOSC said:

I don't know what antivirus app you are using, but (as long as you enable it again once you're done playing...before you check e-mail or go on the web)...disable your antivirus realtime protection while you play. Just to see what it does.


Turn off auto protect while playing then when you're done playing turn it back on.

Solved my problem.

[Sava700]

Ok Guys I've done all that in which you said and what Yeole said I completely disable everything and reenable it directly after I finish playing I've run every scan I can think about including several defrags and what not. I did however put the game on a new system but slower than this one and it ran fine cept the fact that I felt like I was playing Doom again on a ole pent 1 with 64ram LOL. But it never froze??? I'm running the other computer through ICS right through this one which is the host. SO this leads me to think its in the computer somewhere but where is the big question? I'm going to go back through everything YeOle said again and double check but knowing this yal might be able to think of something.

[Sava700]

Ok running newest version of Mcafee..fully updated and scanned 3 times to make sure..also ran stinger and a few other scans. Did another Defrag,adaware scan and software updated. Shut everything off before running game. It froze up several times a min after the first 10mins of game play to the point I just had to quit playing. I checked the fps while on it and it showed a complete drop after the freeze down to about 11-14 then once gameplay started back up it came up to around 60-80 on average.
So not sure what other info I can give but like I said I can play it on other computer and it doesn't do it...its connected via ICS through this one which acts as the host so they are both going through the same modem.

[Randy]

are you running a nvidea geforce 2 mx400?

[Sava700]

Nivida Geforce 3 ...all that should be at my sig line at the bottom of all my posts.

[Grimson]

Have you tried a diff. NIC ??

[Sava700]

I haven't tried another nic cause its working on everything else cept game play on battlefield. I have two nics on the comp.. one from modem which is 3com and another cheapo running other computer on ICS..which before I get asked I've already disabled that and tried and didn't work..so I don't think that has anything to do with it. I'm thinking its in the modem however when I play the game on other computer which runs through this one "the host" it works fine minus the lack of ram which makes it look like a old Doom game played on a 486 LOL. Play the game on this main computer in single player and works fine.. soon as I log on to any server it freezes during game play.

[Grimson]

I'm just grasping at straws, lol.

:)

[TrevGlas]

Have you tried running it without Mcafee? I hate Mcafee.... dont pay for it when you can get AVG for free.

[sito]

Just a shot in the dark...

EA Support.

Question
The game Locks up randomly during gameplay. What can I do to avoid this?

Answer


Lock ups can often be sound related. Make sure that the correct device is selected for Audio Playback:
Make sure your sound card is configured properly:
1) Go to the control panel and double click on the Multimedia icon.
2) Click on the Audio tab. Change the Playback Preferred Device to <Your Sound Card>.
3) Click on the MIDI tab. Change the highlighted item to either FM Synth, MIDI Synth, or Music Synth (whichever is available).
4) Click on Apply, the OK or Close.
After this try lowering sound acceleration on the computer.
To lower sound acceleration follow these steps:
1) Left Click on START
2) Left Click on RUN
3) Type "dxdiag" in the box
4) Left Click on OK - This will launch the directX diagnostic tool.
5) Left Click on the SOUND tab
6) Locate "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" under directX features.
7) Move slider to the second notch from the left. It should read "basic acceleration" after doing so.
8) Left Click on EXIT to return to the desktop

If the trouble continues, adjust the graphic options in the game to reduce the demand on the computer hardware. Also, lowering the number of Bots and CPU Time given to Bots will help as well.


Maybe a pcpitstop (http://pcpitstop.com/) .

[Kyle]

Originally posted by sitosterol
Lock ups can often be sound related. Make sure that the correct device is selected for Audio Playback:

:nod: Usually the last thing you think of with a 3D game, I recommend you disable all the sound and music in game and see what happens.

Kyler1

[Sava700]

I've tried all those guys..still no luck.. the lock ups are internet related..only does it when I'm playing online..not when I play single player.. any other ideas or things to check that might be from online play?
Thanks for the help so far.. I'm trying everything

[TrevGlas]

Run a tracert to the servers IP......

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by Sava700
its connected via ICS through this one which acts as the host so they are both going through the same modem.

Ack....software connection sharing. I notice a high ratio of "gaming performance problems"...with any sort of software internet connection sharing, esp WinICS.

And don't forget, just because other games may play OK...Battlefield 1942 is probably the heaviest hitting game bandwidth wise...because of all the features it has in online game play. It's a solid 50 - 80 KB/s per client...varies according to settings. Compare to other games, like Q2, around 20KB/s, or games on the Unreal Tournament game engine, around 28KB/s.

[Sava700]

Well here is another twist in this problem... I've been playing Battlefield on this same system.. no changes as far as I can remember for over 4months maybe longer. Then all of a Sudden BAM! it started freezing up as I've stated earlier. I cant' find anything that might have done it cept something gone bad?

[Sava700]

I reckon everyone has ran out of ideas?? LOL I still can't figure out what it is doing and why its doing it. Doesn't do it on single player so I reckon I'll just have to keep playing the ******* bots LMAO!

[Kyle]

What patch versions are you using?

[Sava700]

I'm using the latest 1.6.. but this problem started a few weeks before new patch came out.. so its not that but good try :(
I tell ya I'm about feed up with it I can't play I mean I try but the frustration of freezin and getting killled makes me wanna slam the monitor into a hundred pcs for the hell of it. I'm sure that might make me feel a little better till I have to fork out another 700$ for another monitor lol

[Grimson]

Have you tried reinstalling BF ?? I know it's a pain to do but it's worth a shot.

:)

[Kyle]

If it works on the other machine, all I can guess is a format and reinstall... one time my brother's BF1942 got messed up, for some reason all the text anywhere in the game was jumbled pieces of letters, reinstalled, repatched, tried everything but it never cleared up until a format... :(

Kyler1

[Sava700]

I've reinstalled BF1942 twice on here.. once before the patch came out and once after the new patch just trying everything. As for Format that would be a major pain the butt! LOL its just odd that it doesn't disrupt anything else on the system....making it as if its something in a setting somewhere. I'm still looking and thanks for the ideas guys keep shotting them out.. I'll keep the format one in the mind till I run out of ideas :D

[mountainman]

Check your refresh rate.

It may be too high.

That is the only problem I've had that I can remember.

[Sava700]

The refresh rate appears to be normal around 60-80 I guess that would be considered normal.. but I never changed it higher or what not.. it just started one day without me doing anything?

[Sava700]

I have 3 of these running on my system when I check for running tasks.. could this be the problem???

[sito]

What's your motherboards make, I've read VIA has problems and a patch.

Try completely uninstalling sound on your system (remove the software and card) and then try running bf.

Everywhere I've looked, a lot of peoples troubles are soundcard related, and the 1.6 patch which is something we have no choice but to deal with.

Did you use incremental bf 1.6 and DC 0.7 patches or both full installs?






I have been playing bf42 since it came out. i upgraded to a better pc with a geforce 4 ti 4200. it worked fine throught all patches of bf and desert combat. now recentlly with new patch, ingame i would be playing and my screen would feeze up for about 10 seconds then unfreeeze and repeat randomly it would seem. The freezing got worse and worse now it freezes every 4 seconds. the weird thing is when it done freezing the screen flashes then unfreezes. all drivers r updated by microsoft and directx 9.0 or whatever the newest one it.so i really think im updated as far as that goes.i then uninstalled bc and reinstaled it and freezes the same way so that tells me its not the patches. im not understanding y i would get a heating problem now cause i been playing the game so long with this pc. other games r fine like cs and enter the matrix. bf42 has become unplayable for some reason. if anyone know y or any idea please let me know. hehe its my fav game.

Your not alone. :D

[Sava700]

This started Before new patch..and I used full 1.6 both times I reinstalled the game. I didn't change no settings when it started to the game or computer that I can remember. The sound card performs good from what I can tell running any and all applications That I have. But its odd the game does NOT freeze during single player only multiplayer so it appears to be somewhere in that area when the net comes into play. Does that help?

[Sava700]

The computer is a Dell 8200 Dem if that helps but again why would it not lock up during single player mode and only when I'm online with it? It just appears tobe a internet problem either with communication to the net from computer or beyond the help of GOD and Adelphia! :D

[Sava700]

I replaced and rerouted a new Cat5 cable from the modem to the computer.. it looked like it was working for a little but soon it started up again which for some reason it doesn't start freezing up for about the first 5-10mins of game play. No clue why?
I strongly believe its somewhere from the computer to the modem cause Adelphia says the signal and server is fine and lines are fine to house. The computer now I've checked over everything I know to check and scan and no problems so its something I'm missing between those two things. Remember only does it on MULTI player and NOT single player. And I've had guys watch me play with ping showing and they say the ping doesn't change..now I find that hard to believe it doesn't shoot sky high when that happenes cause modem activity light goes crazy during that time.

[Sava700]

thinkin of change out a modem..they are pretty cheap and its worth a shot since I can't think of anything else to do?!? then I guess next would be the ethernet card or vis versa..?

[Mytflyguy]

Originally posted by Sava700
for some reason it doesn't start freezing up for about the first 5-10mins of game play. No clue why?
I


This tells me either 1 - Heat ( but it would most likely do it in single player as well

or 2 Memory leak or memory error ...


Now I'm not sure if the Online version uses more memory of maybe in a different way and different addresses or what ...

Doens't matter which map ? Which server ? anything ??


( BTW if these questions have been addressed previously I apologize for not reading the entire thread ahead of time )

[Sava700]

Yea any map,server or whatever..but again only online play not during single player. I have 1.5 RDRAM and 1 fan for processor 1 fan for power supply and 2 fans for push and pull throughout the system...Kinda a all of a sudden thing too so it wasn't due to a upgrade of patch or whatever.. already reloaded the game twice also.

[Sava700]

Going to install Vietnam when I get it and I hope it doesn't do the same... Here is more info though... I start off game and the more I play the more it does so heat might be a factor!? any ideas to test that?