STALKER crashes system on exit

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Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
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As the title reads, whenever I exit STALKER by hitting the "Exit to Windows" button the desktop flash for about half a second and then just a blank screen. The monitor doesnt even lose its signal. Just a plain old hard lock.

I've tried running the entire system at stock and the CPU is prime stable at 2.8GHZ or the stock 2GHZ so I know it's not the CPU.

The only other game i have installed is my GF's Sims2 Pets and as far as I can tell, it opens, runs and closes normally.

System is in sig, but for those who are to lazy to click:

AMD Opteron 170
2GB OCZ GamerXtreme RAM
X1900XTX
Silverstone 560w PSU
SB Audigy2
WInXP SP2
Catalyst 7.3 official

And before anyone asks, yes, I have run the XTX at stock speeds. The problem occurs no matter what the CPU or GPU speed is.
 
BFG10K

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,002
126
When you installed Windows was your system overclocked in any way?
 
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Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
Originally posted by: BFG10K
When you installed Windows was your system overclocked in any way?
Click to expand...

No, I always install the OS with the system at stock.

This is the same Windows install for going on a year. I've just done my best to keep it as clean and smooth running as possible.

When I play the actual game it works fine. As far as I can tell I could game for 8 hours straight and not have a lockup. IT just refuses to quit back to windows without locking up.

Even if I quit right after launching the game it locks up.

This is really bothersome and makes the game not even worth playing. I tried rolling back to the 6.10's I was using before these 7.3's. And yes I used driver cleaner.
 
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Gstanfor

Banned
Oct 19, 1999
3,307
0
0
So, what happens if you alt-tab out, bring up task manager and do an end process tree on the executable? Not ideal at all, but if it works is better than crashing (so much for ATi's vaunted high quality drivers...)
 
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Summitdrinker

Golden Member
May 10, 2004
1,193
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oh lordy I went and done it now all the problems came back, just had to play around, LOL

but it looks like I have it fixed again, the problem all along is the CCC refresh rate override I can NOT go above 70, which is my desktop refresh rate

and once you go above 70 you can not just go back, it appears to get stuck there, well somewhat once I went above 70 going back and disabling it didn't work it appears, but puting at desktop did the trick
 
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Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
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Grrr...

Alt-Tabbing and ending the process results in the same thing. Screen just goes black and locks.

Summitdrinker, can you elaborate on what you did to fix your probs?

Redbox- I know man. This is the kind of garbage that made me buy the 360 and give up PC gaming in the first place.

BTW- Tried 7.2 Cats and still no go. It's also worth mentioning that I am using Tray Tools and not CCC.
 
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Summitdrinker

Golden Member
May 10, 2004
1,193
0
0
well for the time being I gave up on tool trays, they just seem to add problems for my system

I am using CCC only

maybe give omega drivers a try, I never tried them.

try running the graphics card at default settings or lower. note making changes to refresh override and then setting it to deflault setting does not change the refresh override settings with CCC in my sysytem

did you changed your refresh settings? that appears to be the problem with my system
and once I change that setting it keeps causing problems it appears, going back is not easy, unsure if thats the problem with your system


I also note that I am using up all my ram, maybe the main system ram, as if I play UT 2004 a long time with many different maps/levels and then quit the game it takes for ever for my desktop to comeback as it appears as if it has to reload it in the system, I have only 1024 Mb of ram, but I am usure if this really causes any crash problems. the game has never crashed exiting Ut 2004 just the old UT

when you use drive cleaner read the read me file:
ATI:
1. Unplug nic card or modem from net or disconnect
2. Remove ATI driver from add/remove programs then remove the control panel from add/remove programs
3. Reboot into safe mode (F8 during boot up)
4. On reboot into safe mode WinXP SP1/SP2 will auto detect and install drivers. Just let it do its thing. If you can cancel out of the auto install hardware wizard then skip the rest and run Driver Cleaner! If you can NOT cancel out of auto detect wizard then...
5. Navigate to device manager->display adapter->uninstall and/or remove ATI display adapter but do not reboot
6. Disable any AntiVirus Software (If you don't disable is than it could give trouble)
7. Run Cab Cleaner (not needed, but recommended)
8. Run Driver Cleaner
9. Empty recycle bin and reboot
10. Install the new drivers and control panel

 
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Gstanfor

Banned
Oct 19, 1999
3,307
0
0
Are you sure the system actually crashes? Sometimes (not often for me) it takes STALKER a while to unload, during which time it will sit on a black screen. Try waiting a few minutes.
 
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Stumps

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
7,125
0
0
Originally posted by: Gstanfor
Are you sure the system actually crashes? Sometimes (not often for me) it takes STALKER a while to unload, during which time it will sit on a black screen. Try waiting a few minutes.
Click to expand...

What he said....I have the same sort of occurance in Vista..it just sits at a black screen for 10-15 seconds and then the desktop returns...

However, when I was using Windows XP (for the 2 days I ran it on my E4300) it would just lock up when I exited the game...either right at the desktop as soon as it appeared or at the menu after clicking on exit..it didn't matter STALKER would crash.

I gave up on trying to get it working on my E4300 under XP and went back to Vista...I'm a happy as a pig in sh!t....and it seems all the game performance issues I was having with vista have disappeared as well...I only get around a 5% drop now at the most(some games like FEAR and Q4 seem to runs heaps better under Vista now), not the 20-30% I was getting before :confused:
 
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Borealis7

Platinum Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,901
205
106
have you tried pressing Num Lock?

i know it sounds crazy, but if your OS is stuck, press num lock or caps lock on and off lots and lots of times and it will un-hang!

if you really want to know why: it has to do with what is called a processor interrupt. num lock and caps lock are very simple operations in terms of processor instructions, and once the processor finishes doing them it continues with his main program (STALKER in your case) and so it will un-hang.

i use this all the time.
 
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Summitdrinker

Golden Member
May 10, 2004
1,193
0
0
UT 2004 never crashes for me after exiting, it just takes a while, as I take it it's empting the ram and reloading

the only game I had crash on exit was old UT, it will give me the blue problem screen usually, once in a while the dead black screen

but like said above the problem is gone now with the refresh rate problem idenitfied
 
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Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
4,762
0
0
Originally posted by: Gstanfor
Are you sure the system actually crashes? Sometimes (not often for me) it takes STALKER a while to unload, during which time it will sit on a black screen. Try waiting a few minutes.
Click to expand...

Positive.

I exited the game, went and did the dishes, came back and still a black screen.

Originally posted by: Borealis7
have you tried pressing Num Lock?

i know it sounds crazy, but if your OS is stuck, press num lock or caps lock on and off lots and lots of times and it will un-hang!

if you really want to know why: it has to do with what is called a processor interrupt. num lock and caps lock are very simple operations in terms of processor instructions, and once the processor finishes doing them it continues with his main program (STALKER in your case) and so it will un-hang.

i use this all the time.
Click to expand...

Ok, tried this and still no go. After about the fifth time pressing num lock, the green num lock light on my keyboard stopped going on and off.

SummitDrinker-

I enabled refresh lock at 60hz in ATI Tray Tools. Is that what you were referring to when you mentioned refresh lock?
 
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