Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Troubleshooting Guide
Posted: 17 Feb 2008, 02:40
INTRODUCTION.
INDEX
THE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MAKE SURE YOUR SYSTEM IS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR GAMING
NEED HELP?
INDEX
THE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS MAKE SURE YOUR SYSTEM IS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR GAMING
- =1= On Windows XP (32-bit) have at least 1 GB system RAM, 3 GB (or more) recommended. On Windows Vista or 7 at least 2 GB RAM, 4 GB or more recommended
- =2= Your Windows system must be fully updated with available updates and patches from WindowsUpdate
- =3= Make sure that your harddiskdrive is defragmented and will have at least 15% free diskspace left after installing the game
- =4= Enlarge and fix your Page File (virtual RAM) to 4096MB min and max
- =5= Make sure your videodrivers are up to date
- =6= Update your sound drivers
- =7= Make sure you have the latest version of DirectX 9 (currently June 2010).
- =8= If you have merely an integrated soundCHIP, disable the hardware acceleration. Also if you have an Audio-EDITING soundcard.
- =9= Leave ALL the 3D-settings in ATI Catalyst Control Center or NVIDIA Control Panel at their defaults ("Use application settings", or "Let the application decide") before troubleshooting.
- =10= Keep the programs running on the background to a minimum
- =11= Securom copy-protection
- =12= Make sure your chipset drivers are up to date
- =13= Empty your Temp folders
- =14= Check before proceeding
- 1. THE DVD (UBISOFT) VERSION SINGLEPLAYER GAME.
- 2. THE STEAM VERSION SINGLEPLAYER GAME
- 3. THE MULTIPLAYER GAME
- =1= Singleplayer: mm.exe error, binkw32.dll error, WHITE VIDEO and then crash (often in combination with a "_BinkShouldSkip@4" message, or "[Bink]Error opening file: not a Bink file.. Skipping video", "Can't find background image materials\console\background01.Vtf ")
- =2= White Z on a black background instead of the intro movies and FMV's, while you do hear the sound
OR
nothing of these, but after the commercial intro movies simply spontaneous reboot of system
OR
Game keeps stuck halfway loading bar
OR
Game does not launch at all (while it did before) - =3= Steam version Singleplayer game. Dramatic framerate drop after playing a few minutes
- =4= Bug with the rope you jump onto in first Chapter in Stonehelm
- =5= "The instruction at '0x241e3b99" referenced memory at "0x0dde65c8". The memory could not be read"
OR
no message, but huge slowdown
OR
unresponsive keyboard
OR
game crashes when you touch the keyboard - =6= Multi Player version: you see peoples' names but can't see them
- =7= Multi Player version: You create a server (Internet) but nobody can connect to you
- =8= Crash to desktop or a hard reboot at start of first Chapter, not always an error message
OR
Prologue played fine, but before Chapter 1 the loading bar gets stuck at 75%
OR
Huge slowdowns, occasional error "the memory could not be read". - =9= Crash to desktop before/after load of First Chapter in Stonehelm; errors: "failed to lock vertex buffer in CMeshDX8:LockVertexBuffer" and "memory could not be read..."
- =10= Having trouble finding the mouse on the screen throughout the game
- =11= Crash to desktop after regaining the backpack
- =12= You have the original DVD but it is read as a backup (or an illegal copy) by Securom copyprotection
- =13= External dvd-player. Game won't install/launch
- =14= Antivirus program considering mm.exe a virus
- =15= Your motherboard has a VIA chipset. Game runs fine, but the cinematics will not run at all
- =16= Overclocked your PC and/or videocard. At random points you get graphical artifacts, followed by complete freeze and/or crash to desktop and/or instant shutdown
- =17= Overclocked your PC and/or videocard. Crash. In XP: "Send Error report to Microsoft" and Runtime error logs. Vista: "mm.exe has stopped working"
- =18= When installing you get the message that "Demoshield Player has encountered a problem and needs to close"
- =19= Multiplayer (Steam): can't load the game
- =20= Multiplayer (Steam). Your Steam interface language is not English but your native language. Game fails to load
- =21= The first gem is not accepted in Spider statue receptacle to open door
- =22= Chapter 8. In the Spider Pit. Giant spider does not appear
- =23= Chapter 8. In the Spider Pit. Invincible giant spider
- =24= Console commands don't work; console keeps disappearing
- =25= Keyboard layout keeps changing
- =26= Patches 1.01 and 1.02 refuse to install or give errors
- =27= Broken Shields stuck in Inventory
- =28= Steam version singleplayer. Game simply doesn't start
- =29= Installing fails, with CRC error message: "Error: data error (cyclic redundancy check)"
- =30= DVD player is connected to PCI-ATA card. Game (DVD version) refuses to run at all
- =31= Windows Vista. Game keeps crashing
- =32= Steam. Wrong info displayed about the game's used diskspace
- =33= Steam version singleplayer Dark Messiah. Missing the original readme's
- =34= Steam version singleplayer Dark Messiah on Windows Vista / 7: game 'crashes' after exiting game.
- =35= You have the application "RefreshForce" installed. The game does not launch at all
- =36= You have an AMD Dual-Core Processor and gameplay is slow and choppy (on Windows XP)
- =37= Windows Vista, shaderapidx9.dll related crashes
- =38= Steam version singleplayer/multiplayer. Game freezes
- =39= Spyware, Adware, and Viruses Interfering with Steam
- =40= Multiplayer. Game runs but with severe slowdown and you see "server-stop" icon in bottom right corner
- =41= Trying to install the game, but the DVD isn't read at all
- =42= STEAM and "Paged Pool Memory" error
- =43= "IDirect3DDevice9::Present()" error and game crashes. (Also GF7900/7950 GT/GTX/GTO/GX2 running Forceware 16x.xx (or higher) drivers)
- =44= You changed videocard, now old savegames are gone or do no longer work
- =45= Reduce game stuttering on lower performance videocards.
- =46= You use Stardock ObjectDock to organize your desktop. Game won't run/load, black screen and all kinds of errors
- =47= Fixing "OS Memory Pool Low".
- =48= Multiplayer / Steam singleplayer, error "Platform failed to initialize".
- =49= Steam singleplayer, gradually slowing down till slideshow.
- =50= Steam singleplayer, your Steam language is English and you want to play the singleplayer game in German language.
- =51= Alt+Tab causes the game to crash.
- =52= Geforce 7950GX2, 7900GT, game does not launch at all.
- =53= Steam and Windows 7 / Vista 'Games' explorer, two shortcuts seem singleplayer, none multiplayer.
- =54= Multiplayer does not launch, mm.exe error, binkw32.dll error, white video and then crash (in combination with _BinkShouldSkip@4 message, and "Can't find background image materials/console/menuMP_3d.Vtf ").
- =55= Surround sound not working, with ALchemy on Windows Vista / 7 and Audigy or X-Fi.
- =56= Cheap 1920 x 1200 monitor without "aspect" or 1:1 pixelmapping, and a too weak videocard; after installing, the game does not even start.
- =57= Afraid of spiders, so you have to give up? Install this no-spider patch. [only Retail version]
- =58= Game does not start anymore because you made your settings too high. Here's how to change settings before launching the game.
- =59= First part of "Temple of the Spider": during the battle, one or two Orcs may sink through the ground, so you never reach next checkpoint.
- =60= Trying to play the game using an Xbox360 controller but sofar whatever you tried it does not work.
- =1= I run the Steam version, and can't seem to find a game's manual?
- =2= How to install the game onto another location than the default?
- =3= How to take screenshots?
- =4= No Profiles option, why? And is there a workaround?
- =5= I cannot find DM DVD version in a shop. Can i purchase it via download?
- =6= How does DM Multiplayer work?
- =7= If i uninstall the game from Steam, will my saved files be erased?
- =8= I wanna cheat. How to?
- =9= Can i use the savegames from my previous Steam version in my new Ubisoft installation and play further from the point i was?
- =10= I need to change my settings but the game does not load at all so i cannot even reach the Options menu
- =11= The supported resolutions, Eyefinity and windowed mode.
- =12= I updated DM DVD version through Steam, and it is running fine. Do i still need the 945MB size folder in Program Files?
- =13= Playing the cinematics standalone (without running the game).
- =14= The singleplayer game plays without the serial being needed to activate the game. Is this normal?
- =15= Can i play the game in thirdperson view?
- =16= Windows Vista / 7: restore surroundsound and EAX?
- =17= Steam version. Since Steam's "game content conversion", how to get mods to work?
- =18= Is the German version censored?
- The supported resolutions ("Display modes") in the game's Options > Video
- About Anti-Aliasing Settings on NVIDIA 1xx drivers
NEED HELP?