Can't Run STLAKER, need help

[Decker]

Hey guys, I just recently bought STALKER, and the game said that the only requirements that I didn't meet were not having 2GB of RAM on my comp(just before I clicked "go ahead and install"). I figured that I'd "fix" it after installation or that it'd be okay, or that my comp could fix the problem itself while installing the game. Well, after the installation was finished, I tried starting the game and I got an error message in German(even though I had stated that I wanted the game in English) every time I tried to start the game. I found out that I didn't have 2GB of RAM. I was given a link(The Link) that describes how to "make room" for 2GB, but as I'm computer illiterate, I ignored it because I get intimidated when it comes to figuring things out on computers(and plus I have a nack for deleting the wrong things). So I tried to create some room(uninstall games I don't play anymore and all that fun stuff) and defrag my comp afterwards. Come to find out, I didn't have enough percent of memory(15% to be exact) to defrag my C drive or whatever it's called, so I did some more "cleaning" and the thing still won't start.

[Mikeus Caesar]

Hey guys, I just recently bought STALKER, and the game said that the only requirements that I didn't meet were not having 2GB of RAM on my comp(just before I clicked "go ahead and install"). I figured that I'd "fix" it after installation or that it'd be okay, or that my comp could fix the problem itself while installing the game. Well, after the installation was finished, I tried starting the game and I got an error message in German(even though I had stated that I wanted the game in English) every time I tried to start the game. I found out that I didn't have 2GB of RAM. I was given a link(The Link) that describes how to "make room" for 2GB, but as I'm computer illiterate, I ignored it because I get intimidated when it comes to figuring things out on computers(and plus I have a nack for deleting the wrong things). So I tried to create some room(uninstall games I don't play anymore and all that fun stuff) and defrag my comp afterwards. Come to find out, I didn't have enough percent of memory(15% to be exact) to defrag my C drive or whatever it's called, so I did some more "cleaning" and the thing still won't start.

You can't make room for more RAM by making room on your hard-drive. RAM is a component of hardware, of which you apparently don't have enough.

Just how much RAM do you have?

[Husar]

Doesn't the installation routine show how much RAM you have?
I didn't look closely since all lines were green.
If you need more RAM, you have to buy it, but then no game should refuse to run because you don't have enough RAM, except maybe if the swapfile is too small. If you didn't have enough HDD space, the installation should have been cancelled or not even begun. Though cleaning up a bit shouldn't have hurt.

[Slyspy]

You don't need 2Gb of RAM to run STALKER. I run it with 1Gb and the minimum spec is 512Mb. RAM is a hardware component.

What you do need is enough hard drive space in which to install it, which you didn't when you installed STALKER. Make sure you have deleted enough porn (or whatever is filling your drive up) and uninstalled enough programs to leave room for STALKER. Uninstall your current partial installation of STALKER (if it will let you) and reinstall it.

[Bob the Insane]

I will ask the stupid question... Have you put any of the patches on?

I have to say that even with them in place this is not the most stabile of games.

What is the error you get?

What OS are you running it on? I have it on Vista and XP (Dual boot machine) and to be honest it runs okay on both, better on XP though...

How much memory (RAM) do you have on your machine? What gfx card are you using?

[Decker]

I will ask the stupid question... Have you put any of the patches on?

I have to say that even with them in place this is not the most stabile of games.

What is the error you get?

What OS are you running it on? I have it on Vista and XP (Dual boot machine) and to be honest it runs okay on both, better on XP though...

How much memory (RAM) do you have on your machine? What gfx card are you using?

I did patch it up all the way.

It's in German so I asked someone else in another forum for a translation
But here's the Error message:

Die Page-Datei ist deaktiviert oder die Dateigrosse reicht nicht aus.

Um zu funktionieren braucht das Spiel eine Page-Datei von mindestens 2GB. Bitte Die Systemkonfiguration anpassen, bevor das Spiel erneut gestartet wird.

As for what I have:

ATI Radeon 9200 AGP 8X graphics card with 160GB, 512 DDR SDRAM

Im not sure what OS means.

O yea and no porn. Just pics for the babes thread if you were wondering

[Mikeus Caesar]

ATI Radeon 9200 AGP 8X graphics card with 160GB, 512 DDR SDRAM

Now there's your problem!

Even if you get past the problem that your hard-drive is a bit full, the fact you have a computer built from parts that were out of date 4 years ago shows why STALKER probably won't run.

[Decker]

Now there's your problem!

Even if you get past the problem that your hard-drive is a bit full, the fact you have a computer built from parts that were out of date 4 years ago shows why STALKER probably won't run.

All it said was I need 2GB tho and nothing else.

[Mikeus Caesar]

All it said was I need 2GB tho and nothing else.

Where does it say this? Me and all my friends, and various people in this thread have run it with 1GB perfectly fine.

[Bijo]

My speculation, your explanation, and my (limited) German, tell me you need more RAM.

The system you have seems, or actually is, old indeed as Curry says, but if the game really requires 2GB of RAM I suggest you purchase more RAM and see what happens. If the game would run it would most likely run slowly even if you add more RAM and leave the rest of the system the same.

My greater advice would be to simply buy a new computer that is more powerful. (Or you could steal it too of coures )

[Husar]

Page Datei should be your Windows swapfile, you can set that somewhere in your windows control panel, but I can't remember where exactly in XP and my XP is german, so....

I guess some other knowledgeable orgah can tell you how exactly you can do it.

[Bob the Insane]

Well the word may be german but it will be in exactly the same place...

Check out that link in the first post, follow the instructions from the point where is starts "In Windows XP go to My Computer"...

Look at the position of the buttons as they will be the same in any language...

When you get this screen:

http://www.petri.co.il/images/pagefilexp2.jpg

Change the max value to over 2GB (more than 2048MB) or change it to the second setting "System managed size" in english...

save, rebbot, try Stalker...

[Decker]

(Or you could steal it too of coures )

Where do you live?

Change the max value to over 2GB (more than 2048MB) or change it to the second setting "System managed size" in english...

In my C Drive it says that I have a max of 1536 but 19738 amount of space available. So I change the maximum size first to over 2948(just a little maybe) and then initial size to what? It's at 780.

[Kekvit Irae]

Moving thread so the techies can see.

[Slyspy]

You have enough RAM to run the game if you also have enough spare hard drive space for the pagefile.

It doesn't matter what you set the pagefile limit to if you don't actually have that much free space on the drive.

[Husar]

Where do you live?


In my C Drive it says that I have a max of 1536 but 19738 amount of space available. So I change the maximum size first to over 2948(just a little maybe) and then initial size to what? It's at 780.

I'd set initial to 2048.

[Decker]

Alright I'll give it a try.

edit: Well it worked and started properly until it got to the menu which was completely black except for the cursor and the music playing.

[Husar]

Well, the minimum system requirements mention a Radeon 9600 card, could be that your video card is not supported.

[Decker]

Ahh well thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it.

[Xiahou]

As an aside, I'd recommend just making your initial and maximum swap file size to the same amount if you're going to be messing with it anyhow. It's debatable as to how much benefit it will get you, but it should spare your computer from having to resize the file on the fly should it need to and could also cut down on disk fragmentation.

[Husar]

As an aside, I'd recommend just making your initial and maximum swap file size to the same amount if you're going to be messing with it anyhow. It's debatable as to how much benefit it will get you, but it should spare your computer from having to resize the file on the fly should it need to and could also cut down on disk fragmentation.

I was about to say that but didn't know why it's actually better, good explanation.

[Decker]

Okay, well, I have both Max and Initial file sizes on the C Drive are both set at 2048. What's a swap file? I haven't quite figured that out yet.

[Husar]

Okay, well, I have both Max and Initial file sizes on the C Drive are both set at 2048. What's a swap file? I haven't quite figured that out yet.

It's what you apparently just changed.

[Decker]

It's what you apparently just changed.

Ooo haha silly me.

Did some more cleaning and uninstalled Lineage II, Guild Wars and a few more demos. O yea, and I'm gonna uninstall STALKER and all of its patches and load it up again and give it another go.

[Decker]

Ahh well it looks like I need to get a new comp. It said everything checked out this time yet when it finished installing, I got a black screen with just the mouse cursor again :(

Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciated it.