CTD after playing for 1-3 minutes, starting on 1/26/09?

[DammitDan]

I am getting constant crash to desktop issues with Project Reality .856, starting yesterday. I installed the newest release from .8 two days ago (1/25) and played without issue for about 6 hours. The next day (1/26) I log on, choose a server, load a map and play for about 2 minutes when the game crashes to desktop with no warning and no error message. I didn’t install any new software or hardware, didn’t change any system settings, didn’t even change any internal settings in PR. I simply went from working perfectly one day to crashing within 2 minutes of playtime the next.

I am currently running Windows XP Pro x64 edition, and have been for several weeks with no issue. Here are my computer specs:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 2.6GHz
4GB (4x1) of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT
250GB 7200RPM HDD

Here are the solutions I have tried thus far, starting the game and suffering a crash after each:
Complete uninstall/reinstall of both BF2 and PR .856
Installed updated video drivers
Turned off “Enable VOIP”
Set textures to Medium
Set textures to Low
Changed resolution to 800x600
Changed resolution to 1024x768
Set general video settings to “Medium”
Set general video settings to “Low”
Deleted BF2 folder in My Documents to reset shaders
Downloaded updated bf2.exe from .85 FAQ and replaced original with it
Edited original bf2.exe using Visual Studio C++ to allow for /LARGEADDRESSAWARE
Increased virtual memory from 2053MB to 4106MB
Ran game in windowed mode (fullscreen 0) to try to generate an error message, but still got nothing.
Ran the .exe in “Windows XP compatibility mode”
Ran a full HDD virus check with no issues

After each of these changes the map would load, I would begin playing and within 1:15 to 3:30 (using a stopwatch) the game would crash to desktop without an error message. I really don’t want to have to reformat and reinstall EVERYTHING (I just got finished reformatting for the update to x64 edition 4 weeks ago… I don’t wanna have to do it all over again). I’ve tried playing the game on several different servers (Texas TeamPlayers, =HOG= PR, Tactical Gamer, Chicago Hardcore and Insurgency, Virginia USA PR, 501st Infantry Regiment) and maps (Fallujah West, Qwai River, Sunset City, Kozelsk, Karbala, Muttrah City, Ramiel) and nothing seems to make a difference.

Opinions? Recommendations?

I’ve noticed that other have started experiencing this issue on the same day I started experiencing it (on 1/26). It surely cannot simply be a coincidence!

[DammitDan]

Could this possibly be a Punkbuster issue? From everything else I've read (BF2S Forums / Yet Another Crash-To-Desktop Thread (I've Tried Everything!) and http://forums.ea.com/mboards/thread....85294&tstart=0) it seems to be a multiplayer-only issue, suggesting it is being caused somehow by PB...

[DammitDan]

Well, trying to follow the PB error possibility, I deleted the "pb" folder in the BF2 directory, downloaded the pbsetup.exe utility and re-downloaded the latest PB update for BF2.

Still crashed to desktop with no error message or warning after approximately 1:35 of playing.

[scottp05156]

Same here, I guess I will try re-installing BF2 next. It funny though I played fine over the weekend and this started last night around 9:00 for me, so I tried a few things last night to fix it and a few more today......sucks I can't play ATM...Hope the re-installing BF2 fixes it.

[DammitDan]

I am actually playing in a local training server right now with no issues whatsoever, so this has to be some kind of PB problem.

Scott, which version of Windows are you running? Is it an x64 edition?

[CodeRedFox]

interesting same thing for me, the crashing times and dates.

[jOHNNYdOUBE]

Try BF2 cleaner for your graphics shaders for every time you change graphics settings.

[SocketMan]

Same here -was flawless no ctd's, no crashes - nothing
until the 26th.
CTD's right after spawning then today (27th) just freezes up 10 seconds into
the round.
Ended up with some corrupt files,after hitting reset (10 minutes after the freeze)
Run scan disk- it fixed something, but got
the "Your CD is invalid" error when trying joining a server.
Tried the Deadfast's registry fix no luck.
Uninstalled PR and BF2 3 hours ago will try installing it
in an hour or so.



Edit*
Yea the local game ran fine - only crapped out when going on line.
It's my Nvidia machine with 2x8800gt's that is fuked.With WinXP x64.
(in case you look into the system specs)

[DammitDan]

It sounds like Windows XP 64bit may be at fault here... Something in PunkBuster just doesn't like us anymore!

[CodeRedFox]

Running winXp64 too. But another dev having the same problem isnt.