DEP - Possible culprit of performance issues

[SirVulf]

Here are a couple of suggestions to help individuals who have problems.

My list of issues were the following:

1. Consistent CTDs during 1 gaming session on the start, during or end of the 3rd or 4th battle.
2. Out of Video Memory Errors similar situation as the CTD's.
3. Sound was ok before 3/25 and 3/30 patch. After their patches, sfx were intermittent, non-existent, queued up, or very delayed.
4. Selecting troops or ships caused temporary ETW freezes until the movement range showed up (must be a calculation issue)

Two days after release I had started a game and Windows Vista's Data Execution Prevention (DEP) kicked in. I didn't really think anything of it, because ETW had been playing like crap anyways, so I thought it was just a glitch (all of ETW is one big glitch really).

So, I just recently got the DEP error again (http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...&highlight=dep) and so I decided to add empire.exe to the exceptions list. Instructions here:
Vista - http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...361611033.mspx
XP - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../cc700810.aspx

My game does seem to be running smoother, sound effects on the battle map appear to actually work now and selecting units doesn't appear to freeze my system as bad anymore. I'm not saying the problems are GONE... I'm saying they are diminished.

One way that I was able to reduce the CTDs and Out of Video Memory errors, was to apply MadBoris' memory addressing fix. This is only applicable to individuals with >3GB of memory and should only be attempted by individuals that are comfortable messing with Windows XP or Vista system settings.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...&highlight=3gb

I started using the 3GB extension for the empire.exe executable on my Vista 64-bit system and it seems to be running MUCH better as far as CTD's and the Video Memory errors are concerned.

I used the 3GB fix before 3/25 and was actually running fine without CTDs and video memory errors. I then noticed, after the 3/25 and 3/30 patch, that my game would crash a lot more again. I reapplied the 3GB fix immediately after noticing the rapid crashing and the system seemed to once again, not crash as much.

Just as an FYI... I believe the 3GB fix should be applied if you have CTD's and Out of Video Memory errors, and the DEP exception should be done just as an overall performance fix for ETW.

If you do the above and notice improvements with either fix or both, please reply to this thread with your system specs in your sig or within the body of the message, so others can see whether this was helpful, or not.

For information about the processes I'm talking about:
Data Execution Prevention (DEP):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875352
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Execution_Prevention
3GB:
http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/arc...fying-3gb.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system...AE/PAEmem.mspx *Note that it mentions PAE in both the top DEP article and this link
Physical Address Extension (PAE):
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../cc784574.aspx

[tarloch]

why dont you just turn on dep for essential windows programs and services only

[SirVulf]

Because that's that it was set to when I had the very first DEP error.

I actually played a bit at lunch, had no problems whatsoever, then did Exit To Windows, and bamm... even with the following setting had a DEP ETW intervention:


So, now I'm going to disable DEP entirely and see if it helps more.

[ohnoesaz]

Yes Im going to disable DEP completely.

In Vista you open the command prompt as administrator and type in bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff

And then reboot

I'll report back later if theres any improvements.

[freedom333]

Yes Im going to disable DEP completely.

In Vista you open the command prompt as administrator and type in bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff

And then reboot

I'll report back later if theres any improvements.

Can you tell me how to do this specifically ? I have it listed/set as a program exemption. I'm Vistas 64, and don't understand where etc/what 'open command prompt', thanks, CK

[♔Dignan♔]

Anyone else having luck with this? Especially as far as fixing the sound is concerned?

[SirVulf]

I actually do seem to have better performance disabling DEP. (although I have a slight suspicion that CA might be pushing out micro patches that aren't showing up on Steam).

But, this is the funny part. That above little bubble on the system tray, letting you know that DEP kicked in... Well... I got it again when I quit out of ETW... pssst... DEP is disabled?

SO... my explanation is that the DEP hardware on the processor itself is kicking in. I'll have to research if that is the case, and Vista will show it in the OS. Either way, I saw better sound, more smoothness in gameplay, and less CTD's.

[ohnoesaz]

Disabled DEP... Didn't really notice performance gains, and it did not stop my CTD when sometimes clicking on fleets. Sound was not fixed at all either. Darn!

But thanks as always to the players trying their best to workaround this mess

[tarloch]

sorry i misread your post but i certainly would not recommend disabling DEP completely,set it to protect essential windows files
i have mine set like that and have never had any problems from any games as far as DEP goes. i presume you have treid disabing everything you dont need need and then testing empire to see if your ctds stop? i would also even try running with one gfx card and not sli to see wot happens
here is a link to an excellant OS tweakguide that i cannot recommend enough , page 104 (vista) for DEP
http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html

[SirVulf]

sorry i misread your post but i certainly would not recommend disabling DEP completely,set it to protect essential windows files
i have mine set like that and have never had any problems from any games as far as DEP goes. i presume you have treid disabing everything you dont need need and then testing empire to see if your ctds stop? i would also even try running with one gfx card and not sli to see wot happens
here is a link to an excellant OS tweakguide that i cannot recommend enough , page 104 (vista) for DEP
http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html

Hehehe No prob. I've pretty much got bare bones install. I try to stay away from a lot of additional things running in the background. I'm almost tempted to take my old X6800 and 680i and set it up and try it on a brand spanking new install.

I totally agree that DEP should not be disabled as it could prevent a system lockup if a piece of malware exploits a buffer overflow of some kind, or in this case ETW has a memory buffer addressing issue.

Seeing that my system still exhibited the DEP notification even though it was DISABLED(???), I have to do more research to find out if the hardware component on the processor invokes DEP even though it is disabled in the OS itself.

[ohnoesaz]

Ok Ill guess Ill turn DEP back on and instead only disable for ETW. I'll let you know if that improves anything, but yeah disabling it completely didn't help.

[tarloch]

read here,
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66...nd-prompt.html