BSOD on start

[Warhead]

Just downloaded 2.0.8 and installed it on my comp. Every time I try to launch it I receive a blue screen with the error 0x0000008E. On microsoft it mentions the cause as "This problem may occur when a program references an incorrect memory address."

I have updated everything on my comp. Just built it too so it has all the updates it needs.

CPU: Q6600 2.4 Ghz
Ram: 2gb DDR2-800 G.Skill
Mobo: MSI Neo2-FR
GPU: 256Mb Geforce 7950 GT OC

So, any ideas?

[kage]

hmmmm, i never knew that a page fault could cause a bsod... *goes and writes a two-line malware exe*

seriously (well, i was serious before), the concept of "updating to the latest version" is a somewhat dangerous method that many commercial developers encourage, since it's common for new features to be added (along with new bugs) in addition to the old bug fixes.  my guess is that it's your graphics driver, since windows lets the ui run in ring 0.  in other words, do any other games have this problem?  also, have you tried 2.0.8 on multiple versions of the graphics driver, or did you update first?

[Warhead]

I had already had the graphics card updated before the game was installed. I have never had this happen before with any other game. On my older computer with the same graphics card, I was able to run the original version of warzone 2100 without issues. Might try that and see what happens.

[kage]

okay. in my experience, this kind of thing is usually a gfx card issue, and it may just be buggy drivers.  in theory, warzone wouldn't be able to cause a bsod, but drivers could.

[Warhead]

I will take a look at the GFX card drivers and see if the older ones will help with it.

[Warhead]

It turns out that it is not a gfx driver issue, but rather a sound card issue oddly enough. Dont know why it happens though. I can now run the game but without sound  . Im not sure if I can update my sound card or not. It is a soundblaster audigy 2 that was taken from my old dell computer. Dell apparently modified their card to their own purposes so it is not like a normal one. I will have to see if there are updates for it or whether Im stuck with no sound. Might just buy a new sound card seeing how mine is older and not like a store bought one.

EDIT: Checked on dell forums and it turns out dell has their own "custom" drivers for the soundcard and they dont update them. Oh well, might get a new soundcard seeing how christmas is coming up. Would be nice to have a real soundcard and not a dell knockoff.

[Buginator]

It is a dell branded sound blaster, and it uses custom drivers?  Blah.

You may want to download openAL again, and install that.  That may help.

[Warhead]

I did try that. Went to the openal site and downloaded the latest version and installed it. It is quite odd though, I have never had an issue with sound in any of the games I have played from duke nukem 3d to supreme commander with the dell sound card.

[Buginator]

I did try that. Went to the openal site and downloaded the latest version and installed it. It is quite odd though, I have never had an issue with sound in any of the games I have played from duke nukem 3d to supreme commander with the dell sound card.

I don't recall which games use openAL off hand, but I think UT2003/4 do.

Honestly, we don't do anything special with openAL.  We just use the normal, basic functions.

Run the game via command line (or make a shortcut) and type
warzone.exe --debug sound
and post the output here please.

[Warhead]

I cant get it to post the output. I know that it works since when I turn off the sound it will report it. When I turn the sound on, it will not post a text file. Doesnt seem to get that far to do so. It also wiped some of my settings for firefox oddly enough. Now I have no bookmarks or the history tab anymore. ???

[Buginator]

I cant get it to post the output. I know that it works since when I turn off the sound it will report it. When I turn the sound on, it will not post a text file. Doesnt seem to get that far to do so. It also wiped some of my settings for firefox oddly enough. Now I have no bookmarks or the history tab anymore. ???

It did what!?
It isn't possible for warzone to change/delete anything that isn't in its own directory, or its own profile directory.

Have you did a virus/malware check on your system?
Something just isn't right.

Are you doing this via command line, or shortcut?

[Warhead]

I was making it run via the shortcut. The only thing that I can think of is that I had firefox open just before I started warzone. It might have been working just as the bluescreen appeared and thus crashed it in the process. I have done the virus check and it only turns up the usual adware you get during web surfing. I make sure to only download things that I know arnt infected and go to sites I know what screw my computer. Its not that big of deal. Only had 4 bookmarks since this computer was just built.

[Warhead]

Alright, I finally found another game that makes it blue screen. Its a little game called ramjets that I know for a fact worked on my computer before I had to rebuild it. In both games they use OpenAL and SDL and they both end up causing errors. Going to see if it might be related to my motherboard.

EDIT: Well that isnt it. The only thing in common is the fact that they both use SDL and OpenAL.

[Buginator]

Alright, I finally found another game that makes it blue screen. Its a little game called ramjets that I know for a fact worked on my computer before I had to rebuild it. In both games they use OpenAL and SDL and they both end up causing errors. Going to see if it might be related to my motherboard.

EDIT: Well that isnt it. The only thing in common is the fact that they both use SDL and OpenAL.

Sadly, not much more we can do.  It is a driver issue that needs to be fixed by whoever made the soundcard, and as you said, dell isn't being very helpful.

[Warhead]

Well christmas is approaching. Might just get myself a new soundcard that is a retail model and not an OEM model.