After battle CTD...

[Theages]

I also experienced after battle CTDs quite often. My system has 8GB RAM. I am using Vista x64. Rome therefore runs in 32 emulation mode ('WOW64'). I use the BI - exe.

A standard 32Bit program on a 32Bit OS can only use 2GB ('User RAM') The rest is for system. On Windows Server 2003 there is a recommendation to alter the boot.ini to set the ratio to 3:1 instead of 2:2 for applications like Exchange Server 2003, which can use more than 2GB. In the header of each exe-file there is an entry specifying if the program can use more then 2GB.

A previous poster in this thread suggensted that the after battle CTDs are due to memory management problems. That seems to be true.

Some time ago in some forum thread I can't remember (I can't even remember which game it concerned) I stumbled over a comment, that it could be generally useful to set the exe-file to be able to use >2GB RAM when using Vista 64 or Windows XP x64.

So I tried that on the BI-exe. The result was, that after battle CTDs occur much, much fewer times.

So I suggest that everyone who is plagued by after battle CTDs and uses a 64Bit Windows tries the same. The following instructions are based on using the BI-exe. But it should also work with RomeTW.exe and RomeTW-ALX.exe.
1. get 'Explorer Suite' from www.ntcore.com (freeware)
2. install it
3. make a copy of RomeTW-BI.exe'
3. right click on 'RomeTW-BI.exe'
4. choose 'Open with CFF Explorer'
5. in the left tree click on 'File Header'
6. in the right window click on 'click here' in the 'Characteristics' row
7. in the appearing window check the box in the line 'App can handle >2gb address space'
8. click 'OK' - button
9. click on 'save' icon
10. Run the game as usual.


For the following you really should know what you are doing.
I have not tried this on Windows XP 32Bit. I don't know if the alteration of the file header alone would work on that OS (or Vista32). I guess on XP32 you would additionally have to add the '/3GB' and '/USERVA=2990' switches to the line in the boot.ini that starts your Windows XP (eg:'multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=2990'
(change is in bold characters)

TAKE CARE. Altering the boot.ini may prevent your OS from starting. Before altering it you should make a copy of the boot.ini and install the recovery console that comes with Windows XP to be able to copy your save of boot.ini back in case the OS won't start after the alteration. Or you could duplicate the 'multi...' line in the section [operating systems] of the boot.ini and enable the boot menu to be displayed when booting the OS.

sample boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=2990
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

[Tellos Athenaios]

32bit processors can usually cope with about 3.5 gb of RAM.

[Theages]

Today most processors support 64Bit. AMD and Intel use extensions for this (EM64T AMD64). That means you can run a 64Bit OS (Operating System) on a system with such a processor. You can also use them for a 32Bit OS.

A 32 Bit OS can at maximum address 4 GByte. That does not mean 4GB are available for the user. You have to subtract all resources (which includes memory of your graphicscard) that all the hardware in your computer needs.
That leaves you with about 2,9 to 3,5 GB usable RAM depending on the hardware resources needed. Only Server 2003 Enterprise fully uses PAE which extends the adressable space to 48Bit and requires special PAE-aware drivers.

Additionally Windows XP 32 (or Standard Server 2003 32Bit) splits the memory in 2 pieces. One is Usermemory which can be used by a program. The other is system memory (used by the OS). Therefore a single application can get no more than 2GB RAM. The /3GB ans USERVMA switches in the boot.ini tell the OS to provide 3GB Usermemory. For a program to be able to use more than 2GB it has to be specifically flagged for this. This is what I suggested in my post above.

Since the after battle CTDs (completely) went away after setting the program to be able to use more than 2GB, I am quite sure that after battle CTDs are caused by a memory leak. The program seems to simply run out of memory to continue (it does not free it soon enough)

Perhaps my solution only works on Vista64. It would be some kind of compatibility setting.

To falsify or verify my suggestion it would be nice if those that are plagued by after battle CTDs and especially use Vista64 would try it and give comments on the success (and add the amount of RAM installed in your system)

Generally it should be noted on which OS with how much memory and using which exe (RometW, ALX, BI) the CTD occured. As far as I remember the complaints mostly stated that hard battles had to be replayed, which I interpret as long battles with more than a few units involved.

[DaciaJC]

I also experienced after battle CTDs quite often. My system has 8GB RAM. I am using Vista x64. Rome therefore runs in 32 emulation mode ('WOW64'). I use the BI - exe.

A previous poster in this thread suggensted that the after battle CTDs are due to memory management problems. That seems to be true.

Some time ago in some forum thread I can't remember (I can't even remember which game it concerned) I stumbled over a comment, that it could be generally useful to set the exe-file to be able to use >2GB RAM when using Vista 64 or Windows XP x64.

So I tried that on the BI-exe. The result was, that after battle CTDs occur much, much fewer times.

So I suggest that everyone who is plagued by after battle CTDs and uses a 64Bit Windows tries the same. The following instructions are based on using the BI-exe. But it should also work with RomeTW.exe and RomeTW-ALX.exe.
1. get 'Explorer Suite' from www.ntcore.com (freeware)
2. install it
3. make a copy of RomeTW-BI.exe'
3. right click on 'RomeTW-BI.exe'
4. choose 'Open with CFF Explorer'
5. in the left tree click on 'File Header'
6. in the right window click on 'click here' in the 'Characteristics' row
7. in the appearing window check the box in the line 'App can handle >2gb address space'
8. click 'OK' - button
9. click on 'save' icon
10. Run the game as usual.

I must thank you, Theages. I was in a serious dilemma when my Getai army was attacked by a full stack of Romani during their turn, a battle which I was forced to fight myself (autosave produced a heavy defeat). I ended up winning a "heroic victory" for the battle, but as soon as I returned to the campaign map, I would have a CTD. I came upon this and followed your instructions and tried playing the battle a fourth time, but with yet another CTD.

I decided to use CFF Explorer for the EB.exe proper. The fifth time doing the battle, I also decided not to take any screenshots (which seemed to be the root cause for an earlier battle CTD). Somehow, I won a heroic victory and no CTD! I don't know if it was due to your advice or no screenshot-taking, but I'm inclined to think the former. However, I will do some more testing to confirm this.

Oh, and I am running Vista 32Bit with 2GB of RAM. I only enacted your first set of instructions (I was too afraid to bother with boot.ini).

[NavinKumar]

Hey Frontline1944, when you say you used the CFF Explorer on the EB.exe proper, are you referring to the EBTrivialscript.exe or RTW.exe? I am running on EB1.2 on Vista 32bit, 2.4GHz, seem to be alternating between before battle crashes and after battle crashes and its driving me freaking insane. I tried what Theages suggested, with the CFF Explorer, making the necessary adjustments. The the battle loaded this time, I won a victory and then it crashed again. When I tried restarting my EB to try again it crashed before even loading the battle. What should I be trying?

[bovi]

Based on what Theages said, I would presume you should do this with rometw.exe.

[NavinKumar]

Hey I was wondering if the EB Team could post a best set of video settings,etc for people who have this problem and also perhaps tell us what could be done o streamline the running of EB...These CTDs are ruining an absolutely priceless gaming experience...Any idea on what could be done?Does using the CF Explorer and the setting of RTW.exe to high priority on the task manager list help in anyway?

[kosp2010]

I have seen that this problem appear in late stage of campaign when the player has many towns. CTD appear randomly , the region affected depend on faction you play. For example Pahlava can't fight near Olbia and Cyrene, Greeks can't fight near Massalia and Ippone. But near Alexandria all factions have this problem. Maybe Alexandria bug spread randomly among others regions in late stage of campaign.

[irelandeb]

In my current roman campaign when I clock end turn I have to fight 3 different battles, and I haven'et yet gone through them despite trying them a gazillion tiems due to CTDs, will try

[Heterosapien]

I had problems with the game crashing later in campaigns after battles. I tried Theages suggestion and IT WORKS GREAT! No more crashes after large battles. The CFF Explorer method has solved a lot of frustrations.

EB is by far the best mod, after playing this for over a year its really hard to play other mods because of how much attention to detail EB has.

THANK YOU Theages! This post should be made easily accessible for anyone else having CTD issues. USE CFF Explorer and follow the instructions IT REALLY WORKS!

[Alcibiade]

I also experienced after battle CTDs quite often. My system has 8GB RAM. I am using Vista x64. Rome therefore runs in 32 emulation mode ('WOW64'). I use the BI - exe.

A standard 32Bit program on a 32Bit OS can only use 2GB ('User RAM') The rest is for system. On Windows Server 2003 there is a recommendation to alter the boot.ini to set the ratio to 3:1 instead of 2:2 for applications like Exchange Server 2003, which can use more than 2GB. In the header of each exe-file there is an entry specifying if the program can use more then 2GB.

A previous poster in this thread suggensted that the after battle CTDs are due to memory management problems. That seems to be true.

Some time ago in some forum thread I can't remember (I can't even remember which game it concerned) I stumbled over a comment, that it could be generally useful to set the exe-file to be able to use >2GB RAM when using Vista 64 or Windows XP x64.

So I tried that on the BI-exe. The result was, that after battle CTDs occur much, much fewer times.

So I suggest that everyone who is plagued by after battle CTDs and uses a 64Bit Windows tries the same. The following instructions are based on using the BI-exe. But it should also work with RomeTW.exe and RomeTW-ALX.exe.
1. get 'Explorer Suite' from www.ntcore.com (freeware)
2. install it
3. make a copy of RomeTW-BI.exe'
3. right click on 'RomeTW-BI.exe'
4. choose 'Open with CFF Explorer'
5. in the left tree click on 'File Header'
6. in the right window click on 'click here' in the 'Characteristics' row
7. in the appearing window check the box in the line 'App can handle >2gb address space'
8. click 'OK' - button
9. click on 'save' icon
10. Run the game as usual.
t

Hello, I don't know if Theages is still around but I have a question concerning his method. I use the team version of RTW (Alex in fact) and I try to get rid of those annoying CTD.

When I check in the task manager while playing I never see the RTW exe but a process named testapp.exe. Does it mean that in fact the exe I should modify with CFF explorer is testapp.exe ?

EDIT : Tried this fix and even if it's not really convincing with EB it totally fixed the ctd I had with RS2.6. But I just used the first part of the fix.