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Sound Problems/Frequent Crashes Troubleshooting

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Sound Problems/Frequent Crashes Troubleshooting

from Stardock Forums

We have not changed the sound or music code for several versions of Gal Civ.  I don't know why, but people sometimes suddenly start having problems with the sound after they upgrade to a new version. 

The latest update to Gal Civ multimedia contains resampled mp3s to the format that our mp3 player likes the best, so this should cut down a lot of problems that people have with the sound.

About 90% of problems with frequent crashes are due to problems with your sound codecs or drivers and our mp3 player not playing nice.

Here are some things that you can try to get your sound working again:

1) Update your sound drivers if there is a newer version.  Re-install if you don't have a newer version.

2) If you don't have the latest version of DirectX installed, update it.  Also run dxdiag and do all the sound tests to make sure that there are no problems.

3) http://www.stardock.com/files/ms_mp3codec.exe - this link will re-install Microsoft's default system codecs.  Sometimes other programs install their own buggy versions of these codecs and overwrite them.

4) Run Windows update.  I'm pretty sure that there's an update that addresses static in games.

5) http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm - this is a link to the download page for the bink tools.  If another program like QuickTime has taken over your bink associations, that could cause problems with the sound. Installing the bink tools should reclaim the associations.

6) As I mentioned in #3, some programs install buggy mp3 codecs.  These can also cause crashes.  Windows Media Player is always safe.  WinDVD and Winamp3 are known to have buggy codecs.  Updating to newer versions of these programs may help if they've fixed their codecs.  You probably don't need to try un-installing these programs unless you are getting frequent crashes as well as the static. 

We have a program called SmartException under the Free Stuff tab in Stardock Central that will often catch the file that is causing the crash and report it in a file named GalCiv.exe.cra

 

7) Make sure that the mp3s play in another media player without the static.  If you're still getting static, you may need to re-install the multimedia.

8) Try starting Gal Civ with a shortcut that points directly at Gal Civ, not through the GCMenu that is installed by the CD.  The flash autoplay program opens up a sound channel that it doesn't close before Gal Civ opens.

9) Intel Application Accelerator has been known to cause crashes with certain chipsets.  Updating to a newer version may solve the problem, but in some cases it must be un-installed.

[email protected]


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34,067 views 80 replies
Reply #51 from Stardock Forums Top
CariElf is always interested in getting savegames that lead to reproducable CTDs. You can contact her here EmailDon't forget to give in the message some information about the version you are using ... A copy from your posts in this thread (stating your tests and the smartexception report) will surely help her too.
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Done, and thanks.
Reply #52 from Stardock Forums Top
There is a crash in 1.22 and 1.52 caused by trade routes which I've fixed.  I think that we're going to put up another update this afternoon unless we decide to give it another day for people to report bugs. 
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #53 from Stardock Forums Top
i think i'm having the same problem, i just updated to 1.22 and it crashes the next turn, when the UP is supposed to come up. but it came up before without a problem, so I don't know.

~SDC~
Reply #54 from Stardock Forums Top
i think i'm having the same problem, i just updated to 1.22 and it crashes the next turn, when the UP is supposed to come up. but it came up before without a problem, so I don't know.
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I wouls suggest sending your problem to Cari. She fixed my issue very quickly.
Reply #55 from Stardock Forums Top
Greetings,

Since the latest update to 1.22, I have not been able to play a game to completion. Its now crashing to the desktop. Is there anything I can do besides waiting for a fix to cure this?

Thanks.
Reply #58 from Stardock Forums Top
We will be putting up an update soon with a fix for the crashing.
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Reply #60 from Stardock Forums Top
Playing vanilla AP 1.52, I have a problem with reproducable CTDs: When I wipe out an alien civ, sometimes the game keeps crashing in the same month within 1 or 2 years later. It seems to be linked to the trade routes of the conquered planets - I could play on after erasing all trade routes (short trade embargo to everyone). Kind of a high prize on maso, but at least I could finish the game.
I'm sorry the information is not more specific, but it doesn't always crash after an annexation, and I never had any problems with reproducable CTDs with any of the earlier patches. I could preserve and email a saved game the next time it happens, if desired.

Reply #61 from Stardock Forums Top
I stumbled across the latest minipatch on SDCentral (1.52.011) and tried it: I was able to finish a large map without problems. The issue seems to be completely solved now! :)
Reply #62 from Stardock Forums Top
Hello my name4 is jacob and i bought this GalCiv about 5 years ago at the age of 11 and playerd still i was 12 but then i had to move and i lost in the move but just found the cd yestureday but not the cd key so i went online to find one and found it and i am playing it now but wen i start a game after like 15 or more turns the game crashes and i can't use the cd key to get the pacth so what am i going to do i liek this game bc it was the first game that got me into game that and zuse and prosiden but i just wona play the game.

p.s PLEASE HELP ME! :sniff!:
Reply #63 from Stardock Forums Top
Hello my name4 is jacob and i bought this GalCiv about 5 years ago
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What is the OS associated with your version of Galciv?
Reply #64 from Stardock Forums Top
Progamer88, you could e-mail support to see if we still have your information in the database and get your serial that way.
Reply #65 from Stardock Forums Top
thats the problem i bought it frome a store and not the web and i don't think i reged it and what do you mean by the OS?
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Reply #66 from Stardock Forums Top
what do you mean by the OS?
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The operating system. Are you using windows to run Galciv?
Reply #68 from Stardock Forums Top
o i'm useing a windows xp home edition 4600 dell
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Then I have a problem with the following :
Hello my name4 is jacob and i bought this GalCiv about 5 years ago
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i bought it frome a store and not the web
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Galciv for windows was available in march 2003. Less than 2 years.
Reply #69 from Stardock Forums Top
i don't rember exlackly when i bought it or got it its been a wile sents i last had saw it so i can't rember but i got it to work now.
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Reply #70 from Stardock Forums Top
OK, i read all the forums, tried everything..... music would not work.

FINALLY!!!! I fixed it all!!!! I just downloaded the media files after i did the update and it all works great now. (man i feel like i need to go back to lickin the window of the short bus, but sometimes the obvious is the answer) ;)
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Reply #71 from Stardock Forums Top
I can't get the GalCiv demo sound to work at all on my laptop. I have tried all the suggestions (new drivers, bink, etc). For comparison I tried it on a desktop and the sound works well, but the laptop is a complete no-go. Interestingly, when playing movies with the Bink player, sound is fine, and when playing MP3s with Media Player they are normal... but in-game, on the laptop, the sound does not work at all, whether it's the bink movie cutscenes or the button-pressing audio.

Any other suggestions?
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Reply #72 from Stardock Forums Top
When I play a saved game it crashes back to Windows after awhile. There seems to be no set time it will crash, nor any particular event. It did it with the original and the upgrade added. If I don't save, the game keeps playing on and on until I stop without a crash. I have tried the things listed.

I'm running it on a Dell Dimension 8250 3.06Ghz W/HT running Windows XP SP2. 512 MB Ram, 256MB NVidia 6800 video card. Soudblaster Live sound card.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
Reply #73 from Stardock Forums Top
Lately I've noticed that GalCiv has a tendency to crash after a few hours of play. I can reload the auto-save and continue normally, though. It's not tied to any obvious event that I can see, and it doesn't matter if it's loaded from a savegame or "fresh." I'm not extreemly bothered by it. It does let me know when I've been playing for long enough sometimes. ;) I just thought someone at Stardock might like to know. Is there anything I can do to help track down the bug?
Reply #74 from Stardock Forums Top
hi its me agin i was just wondering if i could just buy a working CD key or do i have to buy the hole thing agin?
Reply #75 from Stardock Forums Top
Programer88, if you have registered your copy of GalCiv with us, you can retrieve your serial number using Stardock Central by going to Tools->Lookup serial number, and an e-mail will be sent to you with the information.