Game keeps freezing during launch at Updating Environmental Map

[cn6]

<p>Okay this is really driving me nuts. I did not have this problem before. Ever since reactivating my account 3 days ago, I have been getting computer lockups when I launch the game almost exactly at the Updating Environmental Maps phase during launch. The game locks up my entire computer and the only way to get out is to hard-reboot the system. I have noticed that deleting the ui settings file for my character inside the Sony/Everquest II folder allows me to successfully load the game, so I am guessing this is an UI issue of some sort. However, I do not use any UI mods, and my entire UI is the default UI with elements moved around for more convenient access. I certainly don't believe I am doing anything so terrible to my UI that the game refuses to load with it. The strange thing is, once I delete the ui settings file and load the game, I am able to quit and log back in almost indefinitely--until I reboot my computer. As soon as I reboot, I get the same problem again and have to delete my ui file again. My question is whether or not the game generates any sort of log during loading that I can use to help me troubleshoot this. </p>

[TSR-DanielH]

<p>Greetings,</p><p>It sounds like there might be a corrupt settings file in your game directory.  I know that you deleted the UI folder, but lets clear out all the UI/settings files and let the game redownload those. </p><p>You may want to delete the following files and folders:cache foldereq2_recent.inieq2_default.iniEverQuest2.exee q2.iniAs well as the character specific files, these will appear as such:Servername_CharacterName_EQ2_uisettings.iniSt ationname_characters.iniTo do this, please follow these directions:1. First look for your EverQuest II directory. You can find the default directory in: C:Program FilesSonyEverQuest II2. Click on MY COMPUTER and then proceed into local disk C:3. Navigate your way to the default directory, or your chosen installation directory.4. Next look for any files explained above and delete them. 5. Afterwards, please start EverQuest II to have these files re-downloaded by the patcher.</p>

[cn6]

<p>hello, I just uninstalled EQ2 and removed the entire Sony folder. I reinstalled from scratch and ran into the exact same problem upon first login; I did not have any existing character profiles at all since it was a clean reinstall. This is really disappointing because I haven't been able to play the game much at all since I reactivated my account 3 days ago.</p>

[cn6]

<p>I see the game generated an alertlog.txt file. This is the most recently modified file in the EQ2 directory after recovering from my last freeze. Inside seems to be a lot of "file not found" errors that look like this:</p><p>build="SOEBuild=5426L" version="SOEVersionString=2009/2/12 10:16:51" build_type="USER OPTIMIZED" ls_address="none" zone="ZoneScene::onOpen" loc="  0.00   0.00   0.00" performance="5" alert="E:liveeq2frameworkvdlsrcVdlErr.cpp(85): (VDL Parser) *buffer*(0) : Error, File not found: clientvdl/spellvisuals/any/fireworks_flower_burst_overhead.vdl</p><p>There are also a lot of entries for berserkers. I am really stumped and I don't even know where to begin troubleshooting this. The game worked without problems up until the day before yesterday (2/11). That is when I had my first freeze. The game ALWAYS freezes right as the load progress indicator switches to "Updating Environment Maps", while the progress bar itself is empty after loading everything before that point. What exactly happens at this stage? I will have a better idea of what I need to look into if I know what the game is trying to do when the status says Updating Environment Maps.</p>

[TSR-DanielH]

<p><cite>cn617 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I see the game generated an alertlog.txt file. This is the most recently modified file in the EQ2 directory after recovering from my last freeze. Inside seems to be a lot of "file not found" errors that look like this:</p><p>build="SOEBuild=5426L" version="SOEVersionString=2009/2/12 10:16:51" build_type="USER OPTIMIZED" ls_address="none" zone="ZoneScene::onOpen" loc="  0.00   0.00   0.00" performance="5" alert="E:liveeq2frameworkvdlsrcVdlErr.cpp(85): (VDL Parser) *buffer*(0) : Error, File not found: clientvdl/spellvisuals/any/fireworks_flower_burst_overhead.vdl</p><p>There are also a lot of entries for berserkers. I am really stumped and I don't even know where to begin troubleshooting this. The game worked without problems up until the day before yesterday (2/11). That is when I had my first freeze. The game ALWAYS freezes right as the load progress indicator switches to "Updating Environment Maps", while the progress bar itself is empty after loading everything before that point. What exactly happens at this stage? I will have a better idea of what I need to look into if I know what the game is trying to do when the status says Updating Environment Maps.</p></blockquote><p>I believe the updating environment maps phase loads the geometry for the zone and the location/orientation of players in the area.  The error log you posted seems to indicate that the launchpad isn't downloading all of the necessary files for some reason.  Are you running any type of security software like Norton or Mcafee?</p>

[cn6]

<p>I do have norton 2009 installed, but I have tried starting the game with it disabled and I run into the same problem.</p><p>I can hear the kelethin music play for a split second before upating environment map appears in the bar and the game locks up my computer. It certainly feels like the game is hanging because a resource it's trying to access is inaccessible. What I don't understand is how this is related to me restarting my computer--if I do manage to get the game to load, I can log in and out at my leisure, without running into this problem again until I restart/shutdown my computer. As soon as my computer reboots however, the game will lockup at updating environment maps again.</p><p>I seem to only get this problem with certain characters. I have 2 accounts, and this problem persists on both of them. I also have new characters on both accounts that seem to be completely unaffected; I can log in to them, restart computer, and log back in to them without any problems whatsoever. The only relationship I can draw between the characters having this problem is that they are all camped out in cities (FP, Qeynos, Kelethin). This is as strange as it is annoying. </p><p>UPDATE: Seems like the problem has gotten worse. I am now completely unable to log in to the affected characters now, even after deleting the uisettings file. In fact, when I open the uisettings file of the affected characters, they seem to be truncated, or completely blank. </p>

[cn6]

<p>I think I may have a clue as to why I am having this problem now. I suspect this is a network problem of some sort, where the client is waiting for certain bits of info from the server, and is hanging because it isn't getting it. As far as I know, my network should not have any problems. However, I have run into a problem similar to this before with Media Center, the symptoms being exactly the same (computer locking up at a very specific point during a network process). This was when I tried to add a media center extender to media center. It froze my computer at the exact same spot every time I tried to do it.</p><p>I googled around, and found a similar case; the similarity seems to be the RALink wireless adapter we're using. The other person solved their (media center) problem by using a different NIC. I tried connecting to EQ2 using the airport express bridge I</p><p>for my xbox, and sure enough I can get in without any problems.</p><p>This is definintely a network issue, however, I am sure this is something that can be fixed on server side. My xbox problem magically disappeared, without any intervention on my part. It went away after one of the updates I downloaded recently for my xbox. I have made no changes windows-side. </p><p>What I don't understand is why this problem happens intermitted, but when it does occur,  it occurs at the exact same spot during the loading phase. I suppose the most logical solution at this point is for me to buy a new NIC to play EQ2, but I'd still like to figure out a fix for this problem if other people run into the same issue. NIC buying is particularly difficult for me because I am using a 64bit install of vista, and finding drivers for it is a PITA. I already broke 2 Linksys USB adapters because I used unsupported 64bit drivers for them. </p>

[Raychel]

<p>I am having this very same issue,  I don't play much as it is and when I try to get in it crashes every time..right at <span >Updating Environmental Map...any siggestions? I tried deleteing all the files that were suggested in an earlier post but didn't fix it.</span></p><p>Thanks!</p>

[TSR-JamesM]

<p>This could be several issues. Please contact us at SOE and we will work with you to isolate and remove the cause of the issue. You can reach us  Monday through Friday from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm PST, except holidays, at 1-858-537-0898. Or you can go to <a href="http://www.station.sony.com/en/support/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.station.sony.com/en/support/</a> and click on the <a href="https://help.station.sony.com/cgi-bin/soe.cfg/php/enduser/myovr.php" target="_new">View Your Service History</a> link under the orange sprocket on the right hand side. Once on that page select the chat support tab. Or you could write a petition. We can find the issue. </p><div><a href="https://help.station.sony.com/cgi-bin/soe.cfg/php/enduser/myovr.php" target="_new"></a></div>

[Wizrock]

<p>I've had the same problem before.. only happens once ina  while though.. do you think it could have anything to do with running the EQ2Map Updater program in the backround?? Idk myself so just wondering</p>

[Mybrid]

<p>I just had this problem with x64 Windows 7. The latest Windows Update I installed I included Windows Live! Given this is what changed then I went in and killed OSD and other Windows Live! processes until I was able to launch the game.</p>

[ArtyTink]

<p>Of the last 4 days that I've attempted to play I've had to do this 2x. </p><p>Terrible.</p>

[Jrral]

<p>I've had this happen occasionally. One thing I notice: when it happens, the hard-drive light on my computer always lights up almost solid, indicating a huge amount of read/write activity. It also seems to happen most often when I've spent a long time in one zone (eg. raiding) and port directly back to an object-heavy zone (eg. a guild hall). It's also commonly followed, once I do get zoned in, by an extended period of jerky rendering and objects taking a long time to render in a zone where they normally wouldn't.</p>

[Dread Quixadhal]

<p>I've also had this happen, most frequently on a character that's in timerous deep on the butcherblock server.  Most of my characers are on unrest.</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>Dread Quixadhal wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I've also had this happen, most frequently on a character that's in timerous deep on the butcherblock server.  Most of my characers are on unrest.</p></blockquote><p>We do have some reported issues with Timorous Deep that are being worked on.  Are you using the streaming LaunchPad or any other?</p>

[Solax]

<p>Exact same issue here.</p><p>Timorous Deep, either launchpad. Usually happens if I log out to character select then try to log back in.</p>