Game Crashes at launch

from Stardock Forums

I just installed Political Machine 2008 and when I try to run the game, the screen goes black like it's trying to initialize the video, and then exits back to the desktop without an error message.

I have two Nvidia 8800 GTS cards in SLI with the latest version 180.48.  Any suggestions?

A copy of my debug.err is copied below.

 

 

Debug Message:  Version 1.50 last updated on: Wed Sep 17 11:56:23 2008
Debug Message:  *********DXDiag info follows.*********
System Info
Time: 12/15/2008, 09:40:35
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
Machine Name: GUINNESS
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6001) Service Pack 1 (6001.vistasp1_gdr.080917-1612)
Languages: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E8400  @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~3.6GHz
Physical Memory: 8190MB RAM
Page File: 1706MB used, 14723MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows


Display Info
Display device 1:
Device Name: \\.\DISPLAY5
Card Name: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 8800 GTS
DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC
Key Device: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0193&SUBSYS_042010DE&REV_A2
Display Memory: 2341 MB
Current Display Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Max Resolution:
Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2um
Driver Version: 7.15.0011.8048
Driver Date: 11/12/2008 14:54:00
DirectX Acceleration Enabled: Yes
 


Sound info
Sound device 1:
Description: Speakers (2- High Definition Audio Device)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_11D4&DEV_198B&SUBSYS_104381F2&REV_1003
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: HdAudio.sys
Provider: Microsoft
Driver Version: 6.00.5840.16387
Driver Date: 11/1/2006 23:28:10
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 1
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
 
Sound device 1:
Description: Digital Output Device (SPDIF) (2- High Definition Audio Device)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_11D4&DEV_198B&SUBSYS_104381F2&REV_1003
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Driver Name: HdAudio.sys
Provider: Microsoft
Driver Version: 6.00.5840.16387
Driver Date: 11/1/2006 23:28:10
Type: WDM
Other Drivers:
Acceleration Level: 1
Cap Flags: 0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0


Debug Message:  *********END dxdiag info.*********
Debug Message:  Entering WinMain
Debug Message:  ******* Starting Game Shell *******
Debug Message:  Candidate Outlines: ON
Debug Message:  Map Glow: ON
Debug Message:  Candidate Animated Bobbling: ON
Debug Message:  ParseCommandLine:
Debug Message:  ERROR (CDrawManager): Unable to retrieve animation core pointer from the component factory.
Debug Message:  Using 4 samples for multisampling.

5,825 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from PolMach Forums Top

Try going to My Documents\My Games\PolMachine2008\prefs.ini and set DisplayWidth = 1920 and DisplayHeight =1200 and Fullscreen = 0 and see if that helps.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Same problem, screen goes black and then exits back to desktop.  I also checked in Vista's 'Problem Reports and Solutions' but didn't find any references to Political Machine or recent Stardock failures.

Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Update - seems that a number of my other games that I just played last week are also having similar issues.  They seem to be related to d3d9.dll perhaps?  Based upon the error information below. 

Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

System information

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz (3600 MHz)

Operating system: Windows Vista (TM) Ultimate, 64-bit (Service Pack 1)

DirectX version: 10.0

Graphics card information

GeForce 8800 GTS

GeForce 8800 GTS

Driver version: 180.48

Stream processors: 96

Core clock: 513 MHz

Shader clock: 1188 MHz

Memory clock: 792 MHz (1584 MHz data rate)

Memory interface: 320-bit

Total available graphics memory: 2112 MB

Dedicated video memory: 320 MB

System video memory: 0 MB

Shared system memory: 1792 MB

Video BIOS version: 60.80.18.00.01

IRQ: 0

Bus: PCI Express x16

 

 

 

 

 

] Problem signature

Problem Event Name:                      APPCRASH

Application Name:                           Fallout3.exe

Application Version:                         1.0.0.15

Application Timestamp:                   48ea1bd1

Fault Module Name:                        d3d9.dll

Fault Module Version:                      6.0.6001.18000

Fault Module Timestamp:                4791a65d

Exception Code:                                c0000096

Exception Offset:                              00017496

OS Version:                                        6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

Locale ID:                                           1033

Additional Information 1:                fd00

Additional Information 2:                ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Additional Information 3:                fd00

Additional Information 4:                ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

 

Problem signature

Problem Event Name:                      APPCRASH

Application Name:                           makehist.exe

Application Version:                         2.1.0.2219

Application Timestamp:                   488f6622

Fault Module Name:                        D3D9.DLL

Fault Module Version:                      6.0.6001.18000

Fault Module Timestamp:                4791a65d

Exception Code:                                c0000096

Exception Offset:                              00017496

OS Version:                                        6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

Locale ID:                                           1033

Additional Information 1:                5472

Additional Information 2:                1b8ce82475d37263f2e054169e2798bb

Additional Information 3:                31bf

Additional Information 4:                2117be263f7ef02c469bf5964dca9f1b

 

Problem signature

Problem Event Name:                      APPCRASH

Application Name:                           Civ4BeyondSword.exe

Application Version:                         3.1.3.1

Application Timestamp:                   48317e8a

Fault Module Name:                        d3d9.dll

Fault Module Version:                      6.0.6001.18000

Fault Module Timestamp:                4791a65d

Exception Code:                                c0000096

Exception Offset:                              00017496

OS Version:                                        6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

Locale ID:                                           1033

Additional Information 1:                759f

Additional Information 2:                f1cad72b56a2e6adc9c8ae735992dd58

Additional Information 3:                734e

Additional Information 4:                996f9e5d10a9dffbfdf4fe4d3fc78750

 

Problem signature

Problem Event Name:                      APPCRASH

Application Name:                           Colonization.exe

Application Version:                         1.0.0.0

Application Timestamp:                   48908a52

Fault Module Name:                        d3d9.dll

Fault Module Version:                      6.0.6001.18000

Fault Module Timestamp:                4791a65d

Exception Code:                                c0000096

Exception Offset:                              00017496

OS Version:                                        6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

Locale ID:                                           1033

Additional Information 1:                425d

Additional Information 2:                e8fe3a9f4ec5666baba3dce6d7c61811

Additional Information 3:                05b7

Additional Information 4:                3f5ee7a2cde9c1ae7bdf2611f46a78a8

 

Problem signature

Problem Event Name:                      APPCRASH

Application Name:                           Tinker.exe

Application Version:                         6.0.6000.16748

Application Timestamp:                   48c9f435

Fault Module Name:                        d3d9.dll

Fault Module Version:                      6.0.6001.18000

Fault Module Timestamp:                4791a65d

Exception Code:                                c0000096

Exception Offset:                              00017496

OS Version:                                        6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

Locale ID:                                           1033

Additional Information 1:                fd00

Additional Information 2:                ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Additional Information 3:                fd00

    Additional Information 4:                ea6f5fe8924aaa756324d57f87834160

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Problem solved.  Not sure how my computer got into this state, but I uninstalled Vista Service Pack 1 and re-installed SP1.  Political Machine is now working.