Quote from kx_mole :

ahh bad news...((
did you use the driver cleaner ? for me it is still ok

Yes, I used it.

I just got a freeze Slightly different to before, it froze for around 20-30 seconds then I got a BSOD. It said the file causing it was nv4_disp. The message said "problem with device/driver". Hmmm. :banghead:

Ow! :ambulance:

Got the :wizard: installed. Only played for half an hour but OK so far. Sometimes I will go for 3 hours or so without a freeze though. Will keep you posted...

Quote from The Moose :

Prob not adding anything to the thread, but i just thought i'd mention that the freezing/crashing probs i had with LFS were also on a socket'A' board with the Phoenix Award v6.00PG bios.

Thanks, certainly does add something. Especially interested to hear you had the same BIOS. I will definately update mine if moley's driver doesn't do the trick, I think I have found one newer version.

EDIT: My mobo is Socket 754 though.

Last edited by Nick A, Tue 24 Jul 2007, 14:56.

Could anyone with this problem please post their BIOS name and version? I have discovered that two of us with the same problem share the same BIOS and it's just about the only thing our machines have in common. Thanks!

I meant both really. Glad to hear it's still working. I will install your magic :wizard: driver tonight and give it a good test tomorrow.

Quote from kx_mole :

Today another 3 hours (off and online too) without freeze... I can suggest to the Geforce 5- users to test the driver I linked... Maybe I am lucky that there are no freezes, but maybe not... Give it a try. (I used driver cleaner before it.)

Well that's a decent amount of running time without a freeze, but I am surprised. Keep us posted.

I just noticed that we both have the same BIOS: Phoenix Award v6.00PG. Infact your AIDA report suggests updating you AGP BIOS becuase it is old (2002). Mine is 2003 but gave no suggestion. I'll look into upgrading it. Jakg - do you have any tips on how to do it?

Could anyone else with this problem please post their BIOS make and version?

Last edited by Nick A, Tue 24 Jul 2007, 08:05. Reason : Asking JakG for help!

Quote from Jakg :

EDIT - AMD 3700 - No Problems, but then it doesn't seem to be AMD users but specifically AMD Socket A users.

True, but I don't know the socket type of most of the people who have reported it. It seems to be 2400/2800/3000's etc, mainly Athlons (but mine is a Sempron - would they all be Socket A? I haven't seen a >3000 reporting the problem.

Any luck with fixing this? I have the same problem and suspect it might be related to AMD processors only. Mike 85 and ree44u: what processor do you have?

That filename had me worried for a moment. I suggest you post the problem in a seperate thread, I can't see that it has any relevance to the problem discussed here.

But I'm also wondering what proportion of the LFS community use AMD processors? It may just be that we have a high number of AMD users anyway? Anyone know?

Another thing I've been meaning to mention for a while...

I went through my replays of the crashes and I noticed that when online the car dissappears and then reappears after the freeze (appears as a lag). When offline, the car appears to continue in a straight line. It doesn't respond to any wheel input during the freeze. I suspect that the offline replay is filling in for the period where no input was recorded.

So it made me think that during the freeze no data is sent to the master server, no controller feedback is detected and no sound or GFX output happens. Sounds like a complete I/O lockup, so it also points towards something caused by or resulting in a problem at the core in the computer, like the CPU.

AMD eh, now there's a surprise

Wow, that was quick! If you have an external soundcard, make sure you disable the onboard one (if you have one). Best to do it in the BIOS. Also, make sure you have the latest version of DirectX installed, plus latest GFX drivers. They are probably the most likely to solve the problem.

It's under Control panel>Display>Settings>Advanced>Troubleshoot

Let us know how you get on. I wouldn't be surprised if your problem is fixable because most people with this problem have AMD, but I could be wrong .

Quote from Dmt :

I got this problem for ages , you have to agree with it

What is your spec? Do you have an AMD too, and if so what type is it?

OK, thanks. That's interesting to know because you're the first Intel user who I've found who has it.

Have you tried to fix it much? There is a list of things I've tried at the top of thsi thread:

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=26541

most of which are things that I've found that other people have tried with some success.

Strange about the heli view. Maybe that uses more GFX power, in which cause it's probably worth checking for GFX CPU overheating.

Well kx_mole and I have different amounts, makes and speeds for a start.

But I do take your point, it could be anything, and without the full spec of every machine it has happened on it will be hard to be confident of the cause. But from the info we do have, it's the prime suspect.

As Mike2002 says, I think that this problem has only ever been reported with AMD processors. If anyone has had this with an Intel processor I'd be very interested to hear.

I've tried on two seperate HDs, different brands, and disconnected the other one while I tested it, so I'm pretty sure it's not the HD.

I've also tried two NVidia GFX cards, one an FX(5) series, the other a 6 series. The problem has been reported with ATI cards too though so so I don't think it's caused by the GFX card either.

The AMD has to be the prime suspect.

OK, I've just been back through all the threads I could find regarding this problem and all of the users that have specified their processor type have AMDs. Shinrar had the problem with an Intel but he managed to solve it so that may have had a different cause.

So I think I will raise this as a bug and see if the devs can look into it, maybe they will already have some idea of what the problem might be. If they can't fix it I guess I'll be buying a new mobo and an Intel CPU.

Hi Greboth.

Do you still have this problem? Do you have an AMD processor by any chance?

OK, so here's mine:

http://members.aol.com/nickaaronson/Report.htm

I don't know anything about memory timings. I tried to change my AGP to 4X in the BIOS a while ago but the option was greyed out.

I'll compare the two and edit the post if I notice anything interesting. Only thing I noticed at first glance was that we have the same Seagate hard drive, but I have tried a new XP and LFS installation on a different one, so it isn't that.

@kx_mole: Thanks. That's quite useful to know your soundcard. In which case I doubt it is my integrated sound that's the problem but I may continue testing it. Problem is it's really hard to drive properly without being able to hear the tyres squeel, so I don't gain anything from the testing!

@Albieg: That's fantastic! I will do the same tonight if I get a chance and post it here.

If anyone else with this problem could do the same that would be great. You can download Aida from the link in the post below.

At a quick glancer it looks like the thing we all have in common is AMD processors. Even then we have different speeds.

Last edited by Nick A, Wed 18 Jul 2007, 12:59. Reason : bad link! being a bit thick and forgetting which users have the problem :)

OK. So you have had the same freezes in games other than LFS?

I suggest you go down the list of things I tried at the start of this thread. I picked most of them up from other threads on this forum and some people had reported thay they fixed the problem. Most of them don't take long to do.

Then if you still have the problem we need to work out what our systems have in common, there must be something!

@kx_mole

I have a VIA IDE controller, and am using the Microsoft driver. Actually my previous GFX card was a Ti4200 - it was a pretty good card, but I can't remember if I had these freezes with it. Probably not but then that was with an earlier version of LFS before these freezes became more common.

Remember I have tried two different NVidia GFX cards, and they needed different drivers so I don't think the problem is caused by the GFX card.

Also, on further thinking from my earlier post I don't think it's my wheel because I've used it on a laptop with no problems.

kx_mole and micha1980de what sound card or integrated sound do you have? I was wondering whether the sound could be the problem because I think LFS uses synthetic sounds (mainly) where most games use only samples. Is that true? It might explain why only LFS seems to suffer from this problem.

It's interesting that we have quite different systems but the same problem.

I am still testing with/without sound at the moment, but the freezes have stopped happening so frequently, so it's really hard to tell if it makes nay difference.

My other suspicion is still the PSU or electicity supply, but I'm not sure why a problem like that that would affect LFS but nothing else.