-- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
I can recommend following actions as steps that can directly influence your game's stability, they won't always work, but are worth trying:
0) Absolutely necessary - run the game as administrator or you'll experience fatal graphics errors, CTDs and other issues (particularly on Win7 and Vista).
Short How-to on fixing this:
Right-click TATW icon, choose Properties, choose Shortcut tab, click Advanced, tick "Run as administrator", then click "ok".
1) delete all map.rwm files from data\world\maps\ - do that each time after updating mod files
2) delete strings.bin files from data\text\ folder - rarely necessary
3) disable file cache - fixes old savegames
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Disabling file cache is done via mod's .cfg file (TATW.cfg), relevant section needs to contain the line:
[io]
file_first = true disable_file_cache = true
It's vital if you play a mod that's frequently updated, in many cases you wouldn't be able to continue your previously saved campaign with cache enabled - my recent research shows that the game will allow you to play on in "compatibility mode" when cache is disabled, whereas normally some battles wouldn't load. And there might be more to it.
A known symptom that could indicate disabling file cache would help is a CTD preceded by random texture errors found in game's log, directly before its end.
To make sure your error log contains enough data TATW.cfg file needs to be edited (extended logging courtesy of wilddog and Augustus Lucifer):
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
[log]
to = logs/system.log.txt
level = * trace
;level = * error
------------------------------------
this version for maximum data:
Additional common CTD solutions:
4) disable the advisor - crucial to maintain battle stability
5) turn UAC (User Account Control) off if using Vista/Win 7 and proceed to step 6 - absolutely necessary to keep any stability
6) reinstall MTW/TATW
7) turn autosaving off - may help in getting rid of campaign map CTDs
Other means of keeping good stability:
8) reinstall graphics card drivers
9) don't use multiple submods without making sure they're compatible
Regards
Extended info on disabling UAC in Vista\Win 7:
a. Win 7 - Press Start, write "UAC" in search window, "Change User Account Control settings" should be found - click it.
Move the slider downwards to "never notify" position.
b. Vista - Try Win 7 method, but untick "Use User Account Control..."; alternatively you can go to main User Accounts page in Control Panel, click "Change Security Settings" and then untick beforementioned element.
c. Press "OK". (You must restart your computer for UAC to be disabled.)
d. I recommend uninstalling TATW and making sure Third_Age\data directory is deleted (you can keep saves, preferences etc).
e. Find compatibility folder and delete it, make sure you backup any savegames found there (there might be no saves inside as well):
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Sega\Medieval2 Total War (default path, could differ a bit)
f. Install TATW following usual routine.
g. For players confident that they installed correctly: skip uninstalling part and go straight from "c" to "e".
People having no sound and/or music in the game and that are using Vista as operating system, can check for a possible solution in this thread:
Re: Before posting: How to fix stability issues and broken savegames
This post may deserve to be a sticky one. :thumbsup2
May 27, 2010, 02:42 AM
jản
Re: Before posting: How to fix stability issues and broken savegames
Quote:
Originally Posted by Njordr
This post may deserve to be a sticky one. :thumbsup2
indeed. and +rep btw. thanks again Germanicus.
May 27, 2010, 05:36 AM
Germanicu5
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability issues and broken savegames --
Thanks.
I hope it'll save many people some stress, including me, I always hated to be forced to restart a campaign after a bigger update.
OP will be extended in future to give more detailed troubleshooting instructions.
Regards
July 31, 2010, 12:24 PM
Dominick
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues and broken savegames --
Medieval II suffered a fatal error and will now exit. Thanks mate!
August 09, 2010, 02:46 PM
Hyouinmaru
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues and broken savegames --
Hey guys, i need help, i have no idea if im posting in the right sections of forums cause they done make that much sense to me but, ive been trying to install TATW on my pc for quite some hours now and i cant get it working. Ive got win7 running and ive tried some of the solutions mentioned above but it doenst work.
how i did it:
Install M2TW
Install Kingdoms campaign: Americas
Update kingdoms to 1.5
Download and install part 1&2 of TATW and patch 2.1
Hit the shortcut on your desktop.
Only thing i get is a small black window for 0.5sec and after that nothing happens. Help plz cause i would love to play this game!
PS: ive got gold edition
August 10, 2010, 07:04 AM
IrishBlood
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues and broken savegames --
i had an eriador save, and was 30 somethign turns into it when i had to format my hardrvie, i copyed the save though, and have since tried to put it into my new third age folder.
the save was from 2.0, and i currently have 2.1, but i was told its save game compatible. anyway it appears where it should in the load campagin game place, but when i try to load it, i get a loading screen, which loads very quickly and then brings me back to the mods main menu. the game is working fine because i also started a gungabad campagin which is working fine.
is the save simply not compatible with 2.1 or is there something else i should be doing? because the save file IS in the right folder.
August 12, 2010, 02:02 AM
Germanicu5
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues and broken savegames --
Instalation order looks ok, try disabling UAC and follow instructions from the bottom of opening post.
@IrishBlood
2.1 looks savegame compatible at the first glance, but theoretically there could be some issues with battle models. Disabling file cache should help.
Regards
forgve my ignorance, but how might one disable the file cache :P
August 12, 2010, 12:40 PM
Germanicu5
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues and broken savegames --
Please check Spoiler under point 3. in opening post.
Regards
September 26, 2010, 04:24 PM
jackenbu2
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
How do you disable autosaving? EDIT: Nevermind......duh....that was easy. Thanks for the administrator tip too; it was hard to figure it out since my wife has her computer in another language....but that doesn't make the fix less effective
November 07, 2010, 11:35 AM
Kaplahworm
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
Sup mate still having issues with the mod.
Windows 7 64x
MTW2 + Kingdoms fresh install
Installed Third Age: TW using TPB torrent
Stages 0-9 + A-G completed
I can load up the campaign screen perfectly not an issue there,
I can go to custom battle and fight there, never had an issue yet.
However, when in campaign i go into the battle map (ie actually fight) you guessed it CTD.
Every .... 1/3 times it will load up the battle, but when i choose either Deploy Troops or Wait (3) then again CTD. But only on the campaign fights, not the custom ones.
Any ideas?
(and before anyone says no, my computer is fine it plays Empire: Total war like a dream)
Edit: I went back to check that Kingdoms still worked, (i only have Britannia installed) worked for a while then CTD once, tried Third age again and now i cant even do custom battles.
Seriously Wtf is up with this?
Edit2: I just checked, even the custom battle i had saved and played before now CTD, ive made no changes at all to the program files since i did a clean install and steps 0-9 a-g
EDIT3: I Redid step 1, got one custom battle out of the game before it CTD on loading again ¬¬
November 19, 2010, 01:29 PM
HandKing
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
I get crashes during 1/10 battles... but not a nice, simple CTD though... My screen picks a random colour and makes nice verticle lines of it all over the monitor, loops the music/sound effects from the last 5 seconds and will not respond to anything. HARD BOOT is then required.
Crashes occur during battles, at no given time and with no identifiable cause. (And can often be re-loaded and played without a crash at all)
Last one was in Edoras, defending against Rhun's hordes (1:2 ratio)
Crash occurred 45mins/1 hour into the battle... during the mop-up of the enemy after an awesome fight... Should have pressed "End Battle" :shothead:
NOTE: This happens in M2:TW as well as the mod, there are no related events in the event log and I have the latest graphics driver for my card. Running on Vista...
Steps:
1/2: I've not removed anything at all - are these steps regarding save game compatibility? And will they stop me from playing M2:TW?
3: N/A
4: Who needs advice? ;)
5: A UAC warning has only ever been seen once on this PC - it was the confirmation that I was going to switch the damn thing off. :evil4:
6: No change...
7: N/A
8: Tried this - updated to latest but no change...
9: N/A
If anyone else gets a similar problem please let me know!!
I don't know of any other games that do this to my PC!!
Cheers
-HK
November 19, 2010, 09:21 PM
Stylix
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
I found this on another forum and I think it may have been posted on this forum as well, but just in case I will post it here.
This is an excellent explanation of UAC and Virtual Applications and gives step by step instructions on how to allow TATW (or any mod for that matter) to function without totally disabling UAC.
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
Hey all. I'm having a problem where my screen goes black during battles and i end up having to reboot my comp. This only seems to happen once in awhile but often enough to get pretty annoying. I've disabled UAC, reinstalled everything correctly. There appears to be some errors in my system log but i'm not sure what they mean. Any ideas?
November 25, 2010, 08:08 PM
Nicaris
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
First time user of this awesome mod. Everything seems to run fine. Well into a Silvian elves campagin (about 130 turns). Only one problem that is persitiant. When ever I choose to fight the enemy head on the battle ui is always cut out. Just a cream screen of nothing. Can still continue with the battle, issue orders etc just can't see unit cards, battle map, time etc. So have to rely on using hotkeys. Still playable, just arkward to use thats all.
Cheers.
November 26, 2010, 08:10 AM
Stylix
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicaris
First time user of this awesome mod. Everything seems to run fine. Well into a Silvian elves campagin (about 130 turns). Only one problem that is persitiant. When ever I choose to fight the enemy head on the battle ui is always cut out. Just a cream screen of nothing. Can still continue with the battle, issue orders etc just can't see unit cards, battle map, time etc. So have to rely on using hotkeys. Still playable, just arkward to use thats all.
Cheers.
Quote:
NOTE : IF IN BATTLE YOU GET THE WHITE UI THEN DELETE m2tw/mods/Third_Age/data/ui/battle.sd
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
Hey guys im new to the forum and didint know quite where to post but this is about windows 7 so il put it here :D
I got a problem with the sound, everything works fine campaign, battles, etc, but i only have sound in the intro movies but no sound on the main menu or ingame (campaign and battles) only a background sound..
I installed, Medieval 2 TW, Then Medieval 2 TW Kingdoms, then part 1 then part 2 and then i downloaded patch 2.1 everything works just the sound.
Great mod noneteless and i hope you guys can help me out,
Thanks and respect to the Third age team, Great mod:)
December 22, 2010, 09:40 AM
sjworthington
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaplahworm
Sup mate still having issues with the mod.
Windows 7 64x
MTW2 + Kingdoms fresh install
Installed Third Age: TW using TPB torrent
Stages 0-9 + A-G completed
I can load up the campaign screen perfectly not an issue there,
I can go to custom battle and fight there, never had an issue yet.
However, when in campaign i go into the battle map (ie actually fight) you guessed it CTD.
Every .... 1/3 times it will load up the battle, but when i choose either Deploy Troops or Wait (3) then again CTD. But only on the campaign fights, not the custom ones.
Any ideas?
(and before anyone says no, my computer is fine it plays Empire: Total war like a dream)
Edit: I went back to check that Kingdoms still worked, (i only have Britannia installed) worked for a while then CTD once, tried Third age again and now i cant even do custom battles.
Seriously Wtf is up with this?
Edit2: I just checked, even the custom battle i had saved and played before now CTD, ive made no changes at all to the program files since i did a clean install and steps 0-9 a-g
EDIT3: I Redid step 1, got one custom battle out of the game before it CTD on loading again ¬¬
I don't even get to the battle screen. It zooms in, brings up the loading screen, then when thats done it goes to a minimized screen and hangs. Music still plays (over and over) but thats it... just a black screen. any ideas? please?
December 30, 2010, 02:23 AM
General.Ja
Re: -- Before posting: How to fix stability, Vista, Win 7 issues (incl. fatal graphics errors) and broken savegames --
I get just a black sceen after it takes forever to load a battle. Moving on the campaign map is also difficult because it moves painfully slow.