Game won't run

[bdt]

So, I did the Right Thing(tm) and posted my problem with SimCity4 in the gaming section where it's attracted a massively assymetric record of ONE input (to point out to me I'd been a doofus) to 109 reads ...and no input as to how to solve the problem. So now I'm posting here for, hopefully, more visibility and, even more hopefully, an answer to this most annoying problem.

Which is: SimCity4 won't even fully install, much less run, on a desktop running XP Pro SP3 with an E8400 CPU and 2GB RAM on a MSI G31-chipset board with, usually, an nVidia graphics card (which is necessary 'cos it's feeding the LCD via DVI, VGA gives ghosting).

It does, however (and most annoyingly) run on an HP 6710b, also with XP Pro SP3, lots of RAM (I think it may even be 3gig) and the built-in Intel graphics driver. Worse, it runs just fine on my Win7/64bit with 4gig RAM notebook with an nVidia 8600M GT (which, for me, kills the idea that it's the nV hardware at fault here).

So, can anyone tell me what on earth is causing this???

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Firstly, I had a chuckle at the opening line of sarcasm ....

Secondly, I had a similar-ish problem once with SC4 and it turned out that the particular nVidia drivers I had were the culprit. I rolled back (or updated, can't remember) and the problem was no more. I hope that your issue is something similar coz it means an easy fix. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[kronoSX]

when you say cant fully install what do you mean by that.Do you get a bsod or what,i mean what does the error say.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

It could also be that patching the game (if you can get it fully installed) will work. Googling also reckons it could be an audio issue.

 

[bdt]

Firstly, I had a chuckle at the opening line of sarcasm ....

You'd be feeling kinda left-out too at 1 to 109!

Secondly, I had a similar-ish problem once with SC4 and it turned out that the particular nVidia drivers I had were the culprit. I rolled back (or updated, can't remember) and the problem was no more. I hope that your issue is something similar coz it means an easy fix. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I'm looking at this too, and hoping that this is where my salvation will lie. To my knowledge he had pretty much latest drivers (168.50 IIRC) with which it wasn't happening so I duly tried the currently available OmegaDrivers, with no change. When I can get back to that box again I'll pull *everything* nVidia-related out and try again ..here's hoping!

 

[bdt]

when you say cant fully install what do you mean by that.Do you get a bsod or what,i mean what does the error say.

Exactly what I said: it reads CD1 (of 2) then, while underway with CD2, the installer simply vanishes from the screen which taskman corroborates with showing absolutely no sign of the game or the installer present.

 

[bdt]

It could also be that patching the game (if you can get it fully installed) will work. Googling also reckons it could be an audio issue.

I've downloaded the patch (for when it eventually gets to the point of installing properly) but that audio angle is new, and not something I uncovered - what'd you search for?

 

[kronoSX]

Audio and direct x go together to you know.

 

[Drake2007]

Try copying the files straight off the working systems HD.

 

[bdt]

Try copying the files straight off the working systems HD.

You know, obvious as that sounds, it just never crossed my mind - the notion that you *MUST* install off the supplied media is just too deeply ingrained...