My game is unplayable now

[Night_Star]

<p>Ok, this takes the cake on crashing out.</p><p>The story so far....</p><p>I have 11 crafters with apprentices (a lot, I know) so naturally, once a day I will log each of my characters and mentor each apprentice. The zones involved are the Lavastorm winter house and guild hall. Characters camp right next to their apprentice, log in, mentor, then take the quest, zone into the guild hall, craft the required item, then zone back into the house to turn in, log to next character.</p><p>Normally, my game client will crash at least twice during this whole operation. The crash is never consistant, it also isn't in the same place. My fix is usually to bring up the launcher, and revalidate the game. This might take a minute, but will redownload the broken files. A temporary fix, but works. </p><p>Today was different. Fortunately, I was able to complete all of the apprentice tasks, but when I switched over to a character to do some rush orders, it all ended. I was running into the crafting room in the guild hall, my game froze, then I got the message the game has crashed and Windows is looking for a solution, I always cancel that because it never finds a solution. Then I brought up the launcher to revalidate, except this time the launcher crashed and I got the solution check from Windows again. Closed the launcher, re-opened, same error. I ran the install program, to reinstall/repair, same error. Restart computer to retry, same error. Deleted the launchpad files, ran the install program to reinstall/repair, same error.</p><p>I can load the game by bypassing the launcher and opening the Everquest2.exe in the directory, but this has a problem... no patcher, which means when an update arrives, I can't download that.</p><p>As it stands right now, my launcher DOES NOT WORK!! I cannot load it, I don't know what I have to do to fix it. I'm willing to go as far as delete the required files, I just don't want to delete my graphic setting files and UI files. Anything else I'm willing to redownload. Please help!!!</p>

[MurFalad]

<p>Yep, not sure what did it although the only thing that's changed was turning off shader 3.0.</p><p>But loading up I will often (probably 1 in 3 times) have the loading screen stutter on loading zone and then EQ2 crashes (running windows 7 64).  It then thinks I still have a character in game so I have to wait some time before I can try to login again.</p><p>Zoning is unreliable too, on my 32 bit laptop this has always been a bit unreliable, but on the 8gb 64 bit desktop it is a new problem where it will sometimes just crash to desktop.  I have been worried after a few multiple crashes (from memory 2 or3 in a row) that I was not able to get back in, but it has eventually logged me in.</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>MurFalad wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yep, not sure what did it although the only thing that's changed was turning off shader 3.0.</p><p>But loading up I will often (probably 1 in 3 times) have the loading screen stutter on loading zone and then EQ2 crashes (running windows 7 64).  It then thinks I still have a character in game so I have to wait some time before I can try to login again.</p><p>Zoning is unreliable too, on my 32 bit laptop this has always been a bit unreliable, but on the 8gb 64 bit desktop it is a new problem where it will sometimes just crash to desktop.  I have been worried after a few multiple crashes (from memory 2 or3 in a row) that I was not able to get back in, but it has eventually logged me in.</p></blockquote><p>Have you gone through the 32bit game memory post?  It has some instructions that may help avoid memory issues with the system that has 8GB memory.</p><p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=506883">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=506883</a></p><p>For the original poster, please open a support ticket and include your dxdiag/msinfo files.  We're just going to review your information and check on some server side logging to see if we can make recommendations or identify an issue that needs to be resolved on our end.</p>

[MurFalad]

<p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>MurFalad wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yep, not sure what did it although the only thing that's changed was turning off shader 3.0.</p><p>But loading up I will often (probably 1 in 3 times) have the loading screen stutter on loading zone and then EQ2 crashes (running windows 7 64).  It then thinks I still have a character in game so I have to wait some time before I can try to login again.</p><p>Zoning is unreliable too, on my 32 bit laptop this has always been a bit unreliable, but on the 8gb 64 bit desktop it is a new problem where it will sometimes just crash to desktop.  I have been worried after a few multiple crashes (from memory 2 or3 in a row) that I was not able to get back in, but it has eventually logged me in.</p></blockquote><p>Have you gone through the 32bit game memory post?  It has some instructions that may help avoid memory issues with the system that has 8GB memory.</p></blockquote><p>I did on my 8Gb desktop, for what its worth I've done the same on my laptop (since it has 4Gb, although only Vista 32 bit).</p><p>Both machines are crashing on bootup, thinking about it its unrelated to shader 3.0 since I've never run it on the laptop as the graphics card in it is too slow.  The symptom is the same, it gets part way through loading a zone and then the music pauses, the music starts again and it halts with an error, this has happened several times in a row.</p><p>Whether its related to the above posters problem though I do not know, so I'll not hijack his thread any further.</p>

[Feylone]

<p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Have you gone through the 32bit game memory post?  It has some instructions that may help avoid memory issues with the system that has 8GB memory.</p><p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=506883">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=506883</a></p><p>For the original poster, please open a support ticket and include your dxdiag/msinfo files.  We're just going to review your information and check on some server side logging to see if we can make recommendations or identify an issue that needs to be resolved on our end.</p></blockquote><p>You are the first one to admit it may be on your side Joshua.  I've been having the problem of hanging at Waiting for zone server.  I finally opened a ticket the other day when 7 out of my 9 crafters got stuck zoning back into my houses.</p><p>You can see the suggestion I kept getting and my responses.  Ticket reference #120112-000455</p>

[Pathetica]

<p>No help with crashing, but a suggestion for when you are up and running again. With my dozen or so crafters, I put the simple tables in each house and load everyone with the raws and fuel so don't have to do nearly as much zoning.</p><p>Cheers!</p><p>Pathetica</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Have you gone through the 32bit game memory post?  It has some instructions that may help avoid memory issues with the system that has 8GB memory.</p><p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=506883">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=506883</a></p><p>For the original poster, please open a support ticket and include your dxdiag/msinfo files.  We're just going to review your information and check on some server side logging to see if we can make recommendations or identify an issue that needs to be resolved on our end.</p></blockquote><p>You are the first one to admit it may be on your side Joshua.  I've been having the problem of hanging at Waiting for zone server.  I finally opened a ticket the other day when 7 out of my 9 crafters got stuck zoning back into my houses.</p><p>You can see the suggestion I kept getting and my responses.  Ticket reference #120112-000455</p></blockquote><p>I have no issues admitting anything can be, or is, on our side.  I play the game just like everyone else, have been a customer longer than I've been an employee, so my loyalties lie with all of you <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>The problem here is that the issue at hand isn't entirely on our end.  Theres much we can do to reduce the memory footprint the game uses, we can optimize how we manage memory, but what we cannot do is extend limitations of 32bit operating systems.  With an ever growing game, it was just a matter of time before we hit a, or both (like we are currently), limitation(s).</p><p>The problem exists in the middle of a spectrum where both client and server are contributing to the error.  I hope that gives you a bit of insight in to what type of issue we are dealing with and not just comes across as a cop out, absolutely not my intention.</p><p>Aside from workarounds like the 3GB switch there is also a Large Address Aware process that can be applied to the Everquest2.exe that can help alleviate a great deal of these problems.  There is a free utility out there that will force our executable to be "LAA" and use up to 4GB of virtual address space, up from 2GB by default and from 3GB with the /3GB switch.</p><p>Read about it here, <a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112556">http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=112556</a></p>

[Peogia]

<p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Have you gone through the 32bit game memory post?  It has some instructions that may help avoid memory issues with the system that has 8GB memory.</p><p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=506883">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=506883</a></p><p>For the original poster, please open a support ticket and include your dxdiag/msinfo files.  We're just going to review your information and check on some server side logging to see if we can make recommendations or identify an issue that needs to be resolved on our end.</p></blockquote><p>You are the first one to admit it may be on your side Joshua.  I've been having the problem of hanging at Waiting for zone server.  I finally opened a ticket the other day when 7 out of my 9 crafters got stuck zoning back into my houses.</p><p>You can see the suggestion I kept getting and my responses.  Ticket reference #120112-000455</p></blockquote><p>I have no issues admitting anything can be, or is, on our side.  I play the game just like everyone else, have been a customer longer than I've been an employee, so my loyalties lie with all of you <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>The problem here is that the issue at hand isn't entirely on our end.  Theres much we can do to reduce the memory footprint the game uses, we can optimize how we manage memory, but what we cannot do is extend limitations of 32bit operating systems.  With an ever growing game, it was just a matter of time before we hit a, or both (like we are currently), limitation(s).</p><p>The problem exists in the middle of a spectrum where both client and server are contributing to the error.  I hope that gives you a bit of insight in to what type of issue we are dealing with and not just comes across as a cop out, absolutely not my intention.</p><p>Aside from workarounds like the 3GB switch there is also a Large Address Aware process that can be applied to the Everquest2.exe that can help alleviate a great deal of these problems.  There is a free utility out there that will force our executable to be "LAA" and use up to 4GB of virtual address space, up from 2GB by default and from 3GB with the /3GB switch.</p><p>Read about it here, <a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112556">http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=112556</a></p></blockquote><p>I just tried this program and EQ2 is already flagged as LAA so there was no reason to get this program at all...</p><p>also in other online mmorpgs the patchers removed this from the game client exe's and I wasn't abled to by pass it at all as some of them force you to launch from the launch pad and not the exe's</p><p>This is default config for eq2</p><p><img src="http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy289/Icexstorm69/LargeAddressAware.png" width="1024" height="578" /></p><p>The only time I have ever seen EQ2 go past 2GB on my current system is when I flicked graphics settings from anything to Extreme Quality in the middle of a lag fester Public Quest</p>

[Feylone]

<p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I have no issues admitting anything can be, or is, on our side.  I play the game just like everyone else, have been a customer longer than I've been an employee, so my loyalties lie with all of you <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>The problem here is that the issue at hand isn't entirely on our end.  Theres much we can do to reduce the memory footprint the game uses, we can optimize how we manage memory, but what we cannot do is extend limitations of 32bit operating systems.  With an ever growing game, it was just a matter of time before we hit a, or both (like we are currently), limitation(s).</p><p>The problem exists in the middle of a spectrum where both client and server are contributing to the error.  I hope that gives you a bit of insight in to what type of issue we are dealing with and not just comes across as a cop out, absolutely not my intention.</p><p>Aside from workarounds like the 3GB switch there is also a Large Address Aware process that can be applied to the Everquest2.exe that can help alleviate a great deal of these problems.  There is a free utility out there that will force our executable to be "LAA" and use up to 4GB of virtual address space, up from 2GB by default and from 3GB with the /3GB switch.</p><p>Read about it here, <a href="http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112556">http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=112556</a></p></blockquote><p>Yep.  On reason I like dealing with you.  You're upfront and honest.  If you looked at the ticket, you can see the final response, at least to me, seemed like they were saying not on SoE's side.  lol.  I'll try the LAA fix.  Already did the 3GB switch.  Can they be used at the same time or is that a ridiculous question?</p>

[Feylone]

I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/

[Uwkete-of-Crushbone]

<p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/</blockquote><p>Completely tech noob question: is Windows XP 32-bit or 64? :-/</p><p>And unfortunately, I don't have 3 GB of RAM, so I don't think it would work for me there, either.  I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point, since I do want to continue to play EQ2, and we don't have scads of money for tech upgrades.</p><p>Uwk</p><p>who hadn't had any Critical Error memory issues until trying to do Erollisi Day stuff for 2012 on Test, with characters created there (kinda makes it hard to test...); I'll check to see how my other kids are doing on Live servers.</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/</blockquote><p>LAA will still make a difference because it increases how much virtual memory address space EQ2 can use.  Virtual memory address space is what ALL memory, cumulitively, is referred to.  Your physical system RAM, your video RAM, both add up to your virtual memory total.  </p><p>Since by default you can only allow 2GB of address space, that means if 2GB of RAM is occupied by EQII then it cant also occupy additional Video memory with textures and so on, the reverse is also true.</p><p>LAA can make a big difference regardless if you are using a 32bit or 64bit OS.</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>Uwkete-of-Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/</blockquote><p>Completely tech noob question: is Windows XP 32-bit or 64? :-/</p><p>And unfortunately, I don't have 3 GB of RAM, so I don't think it would work for me there, either.  I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point, since I do want to continue to play EQ2, and we don't have scads of money for tech upgrades.</p><p>Uwk</p><p>who hadn't had any Critical Error memory issues until trying to do Erollisi Day stuff for 2012 on Test, with characters created there (kinda makes it hard to test...); I'll check to see how my other kids are doing on Live servers.</p></blockquote><p>Probably 32bit.  There is a 64bit Windows XP but our games won't even run on it at all.  XP 64bit is unsupported by SOE.</p>

[Uwkete-of-Crushbone]

<p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Uwkete-of-Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/</blockquote><p>Completely tech noob question: is Windows XP 32-bit or 64? :-/</p><p>And unfortunately, I don't have 3 GB of RAM, so I don't think it would work for me there, either.  I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point, since I do want to continue to play EQ2, and we don't have scads of money for tech upgrades.</p><p>Uwk</p><p>who hadn't had any Critical Error memory issues until trying to do Erollisi Day stuff for 2012 on Test, with characters created there (kinda makes it hard to test...); I'll check to see how my other kids are doing on Live servers.</p></blockquote><p>Probably 32bit.  There is a 64bit Windows XP but our games won't even run on it at all.  XP 64bit is unsupported by SOE.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks, Joshua!  Now I know ("And knowing is half the battle!")... <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Just off the top of your head, do you think it would help my Critical Error memory issues to get a higher RAM card and LAA? :-/</p><p>I'll see how I can get my DXDIAG and whatever other files to you guys. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Uwk</p>

[TSR-JoshuaM]

<p><cite>Uwkete-of-Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>TSR-JoshuaM wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Uwkete-of-Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Feylone@Unrest_old wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I'm on a 32 bit, so the LAA won't make a diff. :/</blockquote><p>Completely tech noob question: is Windows XP 32-bit or 64? :-/</p><p>And unfortunately, I don't have 3 GB of RAM, so I don't think it would work for me there, either.  I'm open to any and all suggestions at this point, since I do want to continue to play EQ2, and we don't have scads of money for tech upgrades.</p><p>Uwk</p><p>who hadn't had any Critical Error memory issues until trying to do Erollisi Day stuff for 2012 on Test, with characters created there (kinda makes it hard to test...); I'll check to see how my other kids are doing on Live servers.</p></blockquote><p>Probably 32bit.  There is a 64bit Windows XP but our games won't even run on it at all.  XP 64bit is unsupported by SOE.</p></blockquote><p>Thanks, Joshua!  Now I know ("And knowing is half the battle!")... <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Just off the top of your head, do you think it would help my Critical Error memory issues to get a higher RAM card and LAA? :-/</p><p>I'll see how I can get my DXDIAG and whatever other files to you guys. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Uwk</p></blockquote><p>Yes, but in all fairness this works around both the limitations of the 32bit OS and the way we manage memory.  Both sides need a more permanent solution.  We're working on ours <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>