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Author Topic:   Bad,Bad problem

OncFellow posted 06-12-99 12:56 PM ET
I was previously running v3.0 with NO problems on my AMD K6-233/32RAM machine. I noted that sudddenly, the game started "smearing" the graphics with little vertical lines to either side of my units. It was annoying, and only occurred as the game started developing lots of units. It still played fine, just looked crummy.
I have recently been modem connecting with my friend, and I have experienced Blue Screen crashes of my computer, whether as Host or when I join him. It even crashed all on its own in the same fashion.
Undaunted, I simply played more games, but the smearing of graphics started to drive me nuts. So I uninstalled, and attempted to RE install. NOW THE INSTALL CRASHES! Locks up. Frozen.
HELP. I can't re-install.
1. What is happening?
2. Why won't it re-install?
MatFis posted 06-12-99 04:55 PM ET
Some time ago I had a bug like you. A game crashes and I got only errors in all games. Try to re-install DirectX. Try to use cleansweap to deinstall all of the game. And at last try to check your ahrddrive for physical errors.
OncFellow posted 06-13-99 10:30 AM ET
This is really bizarre. I reinstalled the program successfully into a different folder using the Wizard dialogue. It worked, the game runs. HOWEVER, two bizarre things are happening now.
First off, the install program ignored my direction to choose a new folder and installed the game in the old folder. Whatever.
Next, the game itself now gives me two error messages: 1. Bug in terran file. 2. illegal operation--then shuts down.
This is SO bizarre. I WAS running the game previously for MONTHS on my computer without these problems, then it started losing it's mind on me.
What the hell is going on? Should I still try this "cleansweep" trick, and then use some kind of disc doctor program?
Any ideas as to why a program would behave normally for a while, then get ill? Does that automatically mean that something is wrong in my machine?
cousLee posted 06-15-99 12:22 PM ET
I am not a programmer, so this is just my opinion.
Try this:
1>uninstall the game
2>make sure all related folders are deleted through windows explorer.
3>run WinDoc (not DiskDoc) (you hinted you had Norton utilities).
4>restart computer
5>close your open programs, and re-install.
SMAC make entries in the register that are not detected when running uninstall wizard from what I can see. Good luck.
OldWarrior_42 posted 06-15-99 05:52 PM ET
OncFellow....cleansweep is not a trick...it is part of a program called Norton System Works, which also includes WinDoctor that CousLee refers too. If you did not have this program prior to installing your game then there is no "cleansweep" trick to be used. You will have to manually remove all files that may have been originally left on your comp. after first install/uninstall. That also does not guarantee you will get them all either, that is why a good utilities program is a plus for any comp.Try to get a good utilities program installed then reinstall game and see what happens,and run that utilities program and probably for you to let it auto fix errors.
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-15-99 07:19 PM ET
OncFellow
The game reinstalls to the old folder since it is still there, and the install program defaults to looking for an existing directory, which it finds from the user.dat file in your windoze folder. Also, uninstall wizards, and the windoze Add/Remove programs are all notorious for failing to clean up registry items. Run cleansweep's registry sweep and/or Norton System Doctor to find and remove registry items, after you uninstall and remove the folders.
Your original problem sounds to me like a version compatibility problem between different directX components - depending on whether you are running Win95 or Win98, there are different links to the DirectX 6.1 downloads from Microsoft's site, and there are a bunch of other sites from where you can get the current downloads.
I would uninstall all directX components, and then download the current set, then try to reinstall the game.
If you are running Windoze98, there are a couple of path items from MS for K6 problems, but I don't remember what they are - you should be able to find them from Windoze update. There are no similar problems for 95, if I recall correctly.
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-15-99 09:45 PM ET
Damned typo - path items above should be "patch items"
DeVore posted 06-16-99 05:15 AM ET
The K6 patch is only for Win95 and only for K6-3s and K6-2s faster than 333Mhz.
The original problem sounds like a DX fu*kup but the install one sounds like either a virus or bad sectors on the harddisk.
It could however also be because your SMAC dir has somehow become write protected so check the attributes on the files in it.
(I've seen this before and some install programs will not warn you about it).
OncFellow that kind of problems isn't unusual at all, Some my programs will fail (Especially Glide and D3D ones) every 6 months or so depending on how much I play around with various driver versions, hack the registry etc.
You should reformat your harddisk once in a while but if this isn't possible for backup reasons then at least completely delete your windows directory and then reinstall windows.
/Dev
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Author	Topic: Bad,Bad problem
OncFellow	posted 06-12-99 12:56 PM ET I was previously running v3.0 with NO problems on my AMD K6-233/32RAM machine. I noted that sudddenly, the game started "smearing" the graphics with little vertical lines to either side of my units. It was annoying, and only occurred as the game started developing lots of units. It still played fine, just looked crummy. I have recently been modem connecting with my friend, and I have experienced Blue Screen crashes of my computer, whether as Host or when I join him. It even crashed all on its own in the same fashion. Undaunted, I simply played more games, but the smearing of graphics started to drive me nuts. So I uninstalled, and attempted to RE install. NOW THE INSTALL CRASHES! Locks up. Frozen. HELP. I can't re-install. 1. What is happening? 2. Why won't it re-install?
MatFis	posted 06-12-99 04:55 PM ET Some time ago I had a bug like you. A game crashes and I got only errors in all games. Try to re-install DirectX. Try to use cleansweap to deinstall all of the game. And at last try to check your ahrddrive for physical errors.
OncFellow	posted 06-13-99 10:30 AM ET This is really bizarre. I reinstalled the program successfully into a different folder using the Wizard dialogue. It worked, the game runs. HOWEVER, two bizarre things are happening now. First off, the install program ignored my direction to choose a new folder and installed the game in the old folder. Whatever. Next, the game itself now gives me two error messages: 1. Bug in terran file. 2. illegal operation--then shuts down. This is SO bizarre. I WAS running the game previously for MONTHS on my computer without these problems, then it started losing it's mind on me. What the hell is going on? Should I still try this "cleansweep" trick, and then use some kind of disc doctor program? Any ideas as to why a program would behave normally for a while, then get ill? Does that automatically mean that something is wrong in my machine?
cousLee	posted 06-15-99 12:22 PM ET I am not a programmer, so this is just my opinion. Try this: 1>uninstall the game 2>make sure all related folders are deleted through windows explorer. 3>run WinDoc (not DiskDoc) (you hinted you had Norton utilities). 4>restart computer 5>close your open programs, and re-install. SMAC make entries in the register that are not detected when running uninstall wizard from what I can see. Good luck.
OldWarrior_42	posted 06-15-99 05:52 PM ET OncFellow....cleansweep is not a trick...it is part of a program called Norton System Works, which also includes WinDoctor that CousLee refers too. If you did not have this program prior to installing your game then there is no "cleansweep" trick to be used. You will have to manually remove all files that may have been originally left on your comp. after first install/uninstall. That also does not guarantee you will get them all either, that is why a good utilities program is a plus for any comp.Try to get a good utilities program installed then reinstall game and see what happens,and run that utilities program and probably for you to let it auto fix errors.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-15-99 07:19 PM ET OncFellow The game reinstalls to the old folder since it is still there, and the install program defaults to looking for an existing directory, which it finds from the user.dat file in your windoze folder. Also, uninstall wizards, and the windoze Add/Remove programs are all notorious for failing to clean up registry items. Run cleansweep's registry sweep and/or Norton System Doctor to find and remove registry items, after you uninstall and remove the folders. Your original problem sounds to me like a version compatibility problem between different directX components - depending on whether you are running Win95 or Win98, there are different links to the DirectX 6.1 downloads from Microsoft's site, and there are a bunch of other sites from where you can get the current downloads. I would uninstall all directX components, and then download the current set, then try to reinstall the game. If you are running Windoze98, there are a couple of path items from MS for K6 problems, but I don't remember what they are - you should be able to find them from Windoze update. There are no similar problems for 95, if I recall correctly.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-15-99 09:45 PM ET Damned typo - path items above should be "patch items"
DeVore	posted 06-16-99 05:15 AM ET The K6 patch is only for Win95 and only for K6-3s and K6-2s faster than 333Mhz. The original problem sounds like a DX fu*kup but the install one sounds like either a virus or bad sectors on the harddisk. It could however also be because your SMAC dir has somehow become write protected so check the attributes on the files in it. (I've seen this before and some install programs will not warn you about it). OncFellow that kind of problems isn't unusual at all, Some my programs will fail (Especially Glide and D3D ones) every 6 months or so depending on how much I play around with various driver versions, hack the registry etc. You should reformat your harddisk once in a while but if this isn't possible for backup reasons then at least completely delete your windows directory and then reinstall windows. /Dev