Sorry if this is a repeat thread but...

[optionqb]

....I looked for similar threads and couldn't find anything. 

 

Anyway, when I try to reload saved games (early in the game) they would *sometimes* crash.  Now that I've gotten further into the game with a party of six all at 5th-level, my reloads always crash my computer.  I thought maybe it was a RAM issue, so I bouth another 2 GB of RAM (I now have 10 GB).  But when I tried to reload my saved game, it crashed my PC again.  Any ideas as to what I can do.  I'm only semi-savvy on computers, so you'll have to assume you're talking to a "PC for Dummies" type player.  Thanks!

 

 

[Aarik D]

Hey optionqb,

 

I apologize for the inconvenience, could you please upload a save file, an output log (player log if you are on a mac), and your system specs? You can do that via Dropbox and post the link here. To find those files that I am asking for, just click on the link in my signature located directly below this post.  Also, what version of the game are you running (1.0.6)?  Please make sure your video drivers are all up to date.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[optionqb]

Hey optionqb,

 

I apologize for the inconvenience, could you please upload a save file, an output log (player log if you are on a mac), and your system specs? You can do that via Dropbox and post the link here. To find those files that I am asking for, just click on the link in my signature located directly below this post.  Also, what version of the game are you running (1.0.6)?  Please make sure your video drivers are all up to date.

 

Thanks a bunch!

Ok, here are the files you asked for:

 

saved game:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9dl2wj8607kneb/b84895ebae2b49aaab2123dadb8e315e%2010201613%20GooseandFox.savegame?dl=0

 

 

Output log:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mjklioekusnvtq5/output_log.txt?dl=0

 

 

System Specs:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zz5beg6knqdzhd1/DxDiag.txt?dl=0

 

 

 

Thanks!

Wes

[Aarik D]

Hey optionqp,

 

Have you checked to see if your video card is up to date with the latest drivers? Also try perform a verify your game cache in steam. In your Steam library right click on Pillars of Eternity -> Properties -> Local Files -> Verify Integrity of Game Cache.

 

Thanks!

[AstralWanderer]

Optionqb,

 

Your output_log file contains the following line:

 

ZIP FILE WAS CORRUPT! C:\Users\Wes\Saved Games\Pillars of Eternity\b84895ebae2b49aaab2123dadb8e315e 8047146 GildedVale.savegame

 

which suggests that somehow your saved game has been damaged. If possible, try reloading from an earlier save and make sure that you (a) quicksave regularly and (b) backup those saves to another folder.

 

If this happens frequently, it may be due to other software interfering in Pillars' savegame process - most likely an antivirus scanner. In such a case, try configuring it to ignore (not scan) that savegame folder (in your case the folder C:\Users\Wes\Saved Games\Pillars of Eternity).

 

Another possibility is to use file versioning software to automatically backup savegame files (and other important documents) whenever they are modified, which can help you recover from accidental file overwrites as well as rolling back from unwanted positions in games. My recommendation here is the free Aphar Backup (Dutch webpage but program is in English) since it is very light and fast (plus the only one not relying on .NET Framework) but AutoVer, Yadis Backup (both free) and FileHamster (commercial) are alternatives. Set one of these up to copy savegames to a folder on another disk and they should usefully supplement full image backups taken on a less regular (weekly/monthly) basis.

[optionqb]

Ok, so I was unable to reload my last 3 saved games on my old character without the PC crashing.  So, I started a new character and things seemed to be ok at first.  I had an instance where the game crashed my PC as I was exiting the game to my desktop.  Later it crashed on the intro screen before I could press "continue" or "load".  It also crashed my PC for the first time when I tried to reload a game with my new main-character.  I rebooted my PC and then it crashed my PC on the intro screen again....very frustrating.

 

Here's my last saved game:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sgkbdrkkfcw7708/0f8ac0de-5f58-4145-896a-ea0e49d7b403%20autosave.savegame?dl=0

 

 

and the most recent copy of my output log:

 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mjklioekusnvtq5/output_log.txt?dl=0

 

 

 

Thanks,

Wes

[optionqb]

Also, I made sure that my video card was updated, the integrity of my game cache was sound, and that my anti virus program was skipping the saved game folder of PoE.

[Aarik D]

Hey optionqb,

 

I will forward your information to the appropriate team and they will take a look at your files. 

 

Thanks for being so patient.

[AstralWanderer]

...So, I started a new character and things seemed to be ok at first. I had an instance where the game crashed my PC as I was exiting the game to my desktop. Later it crashed on the intro screen before I could press "continue" or "load"....

Your latest output_log.txt reports the same "corrupted ZIP" error before crashing as previously. So it seems most likely that the first crash after starting with a new character caused a corruption in your savegame file. Pillars does seem to scan savegame files on startup so an invalid one can cause a crash on the intro screen.

 

My suggestion would be to go to your savegames folder - create a subfolder in that (called "Backup" say) and to move the most recent savegame to that. Then try restarting PoE. If problems continue, move the next most recent savegame to Backup and continue until you reach one that works. That will mean losing in-game progress but if you have been saving often, hopefully not too much.

 

If you want to confirm that a moved savegame is the cause, you can move it from Backup to the savegame folder and see if the problems return.

Edited July 28, 2015 by AstralWanderer

[optionqb]

 

...So, I started a new character and things seemed to be ok at first. I had an instance where the game crashed my PC as I was exiting the game to my desktop. Later it crashed on the intro screen before I could press "continue" or "load"....

Your latest output_log.txt reports the same "corrupted ZIP" error before crashing as previously. So it seems most likely that the first crash after starting with a new character caused a corruption in your savegame file. Pillars does seem to scan savegame files on startup so an invalid one can cause a crash on the intro screen.

 

My suggestion would be to go to your savegames folder - create a subfolder in that (called "Backup" say) and to move the most recent savegame to that. Then try restarting PoE. If problems continue, move the next most recent savegame to Backup and continue until you reach one that works. That will mean losing in-game progress but if you have been saving often, hopefully not too much.

 

If you want to confirm that a moved savegame is the cause, you can move it from Backup to the savegame folder and see if the problems return.

 

Ok, I did what you instructed.  I put the most recent save in the "Backup" folder and loaded the save prior to that....voila...it worked.  so, I immediately went to an inn, rested my party, and then saved the game.  As an experiment tried to load the recent save (at the inn).  It crashed my PC.   So, I rebooted, moved the most recent save to the "backup" folder and tried to load the previous save...it crashed my PC.  <sigh>  I just don't get it.

[AstralWanderer]

...As an experiment tried to load the recent save (at the inn). It crashed my PC. So, I rebooted, moved the most recent save to the "backup" folder and tried to load the previous save...it crashed my PC.

If a save that previously worked now crashes (and does so repeatedly) then you almost certainly have something on your system that is modifying the savegame files. If a save that previously worked crashes *sometimes* then odds are that something else is causing problems with PoE itself.

 

Have a careful look at what else you have running on your system using Task Manager - better yet install either Process Hacker or Process Explorer and use these to check that all the processes running on your system are legitimate.

 

Assuming these check out, then the next most likely cause is memory issues. Try running MemTest86 to see if that throws up anything or try the "Torture Test" option of Prime95 (selected the "Blended" test which works out CPU and main memory). Leave these running for a few hours at least...

[optionqb]

I'm running the Prime95 "Blended" Stress test now.  Where do I check the results...sorry....I've never used this program before.   Also, I used the Process Explorer and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  That doesn't mean that nothing is out of the ordinary.  It's just that a person with my limited tech savvy might not realize it.

[AstralWanderer]

For Prime95, leave it run. If it encounters an error, it will report it and stop that thread - any errors reported almost certainly mean a hardware problem. Review the included stress.txt file for more information. With Process Explorer, do an online search on any processes you don't recognise or which come from unknown companies.

[optionqb]

I uninstalled PoE and re-installed it.  I effectively loaded my "next-to-the-last-save".  I then went to the inn, rested, and saved my game.  Amazingly, it allowed me to reload my last save.  I was so excited; I thought it might be fixed.  I then created a new character at the inn to join my party.  I had just finished character creation and was looking through my inventory to equip him with a weapon and shield when it crashed my PC again. 

 

Would it be possible at this point to have the game removed from my Steam account and just get a refund?  It really depresses me because I've been so looking forward to playing this game, but this is going on 3 weeks.  I've tried everything I know to try.

[optionqb]

It may be that I need a new video card.  Do you think that is the issue?  I submitted mt specs earlier in the post and no one said anything, so that lead me to believe my card is fine for running the game.  I'm beginning to wonder if that is the issue.  I have the latest drivers and I have "optimized" the game for PoE.

[AstralWanderer]

It may be that I need a new video card.Do you think that is the issue?...

Almost certainly not - your GTX 560 Ti should be ample for PoE and the problems you have reported seem to be intermittent data corruption issues. If Prime95 ran OK and MemTest86 gave no errors, then try checking your disk for errors by opening a command prompt window and typing chkdsk c: - if errors are reported ("Windows found problems with the file system") then rerun chkdsk with the /f parameter to fix them (chkdsk c: /f) but this will likely require a system restart.

 

Also use Crystal DiskInfo to check the SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) status of your disk - it's not 100% effective, but can provide early warning of impending disk failure.

[optionqb]

Ok, I did as you said and found no disk errors.  Just for the heck of it, I tried to re-load the last saved game that crashed my PC the time before....voila!....it loaded just fine this time.  I then went to the inn and created a 4th party member (the same one I created before).  This time it did not crash my PC.  I left the inn and saved the game.  I then exited the game, because I don't have time to play tonight, but I had no crashes.  I don't understand why it was crashing before and not now.  Of course, we'll see what happens as I continue to get further into the game.  With my old character, my PC was not crashing much until I got to a certain point, then I couldn't load any of my games.

 

I'll try again when I get home from work tomorrow and see if everything works during a period of extended gameplay. Oh. thank you for all your help/advice...I truly appreciate it.

[AstralWanderer]

Intermittent errors can be amongst the hardest to resolve. The most likely causes would be either be overheating (leading to memory corruption and CPU errors) which Prime95 should have identified and faulty memory which MemTest86 should have spotted. You could try monitoring temperatures using the likes of CoreTemp (your system would need the 64-bit version) for the CPU and MSI Afterburner for your GPU. Anything in excess of 80°C should be a cause for concern and addressed by checking your system is clean of dust and has sufficient airflow.

[optionqb]

I think you were onto something as regards the internal temperature.  I noticed that when I played PoE and SWTOR for a short period, the internal temp rapidly went up to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celcius).  When I was just surfing the net, it was down to about 23 degrees Celcius.  So, I opened up the tower and used some compressed air to clean out the dust (I had not cleened it in about 6 months).  I also left the tower open in order to better ventilate the CPU.  After playing both SWTOR and PoE for awhile, the temp is still only at 23-24 degrees Celcius.  I'm gonna try this for awhile and see if it keeps the temp down.  I'll post if I have any issues.

[AstralWanderer]

Presumably the 23/26°C readings are for the internal case temperature rather than from CoreTemp/MSI Afterburner? (which read the embedded CPU/GPU temperature sensors). 3°C doesn't seem like a large difference but if it is case temperature, then it could mean a larger (10-20°C) temperature change on the CPU/GPU.

 

Thanks for the update, and please let everyone know if it has fixed your issue.