Application problems
 

Dominions 3 wont work for me anymore.
When i try to launch it, opens the dom3.exe and instantly closes without a message.
Tried reinstalling even in a different folder. Still the same.

Appreciate any help.

Re: Application problems
 

Did you change anything notable before this started happening? New drivers perhaps?

Re: Application problems
 

yes, updated ati graphic drivers actually. ill check with the old one.

Re: Application problems
 

Which OS?
Is this right after running MS Updates?

Re: Application problems
 

Try tinkering with the driver settings in catalyst control center. A safe rule of thumb is switch to "application controlled" everything that can be (like antialiasing) and switch off everything else. Dominions in particular didn't like the "catalyst ai" enabled, it garbled the game fonts for me.

ati is also known for screwed up opengl support, and I figure Dominions uses just that, so you may want to try various command line switches for dom3.exe:

-p --perftest Run a performance test and exit
-x --fastgrx Faster graphics (use 3 times for best performance (-xxx))
--renderpath X Use different optimizations 0-1 (0=good for low mem cards)
-V --novsync Disable vsync
--vsync Enable vsync
--noglext Don't use any OpenGL extensions
--noarcade Don't draw floating damage numbers
--nograss Don't draw the grass
--partamount X Max nbr of particles 0-8 (0=none, 4=default, 8=max)
--nolightfx No light effects in battles
--texqual X Texture quality 1-5 (default=3)
--treequal X Tree quality 1-5 (default=3)
--maxtexsize X Max texture size in pixels 32-4096 (default=unlimited)
--filtering X Quality of OpenGL filtering 0-3 (default=2)
--maxfps X Maximum nbr of frames per second (default=50)
--fps X Aim for this nbr of frames per second (default=20)
--nopopups No helpful popups
-f --nofade No fade effects
--fade Use fade effects
-a --noanimback Don't use animated backgrounds
--animback Use animated backgrounds
-r --res X Y Set screen resolution / window size (default=1024 768)
--opacity X Set gui opacity 0 - 100
--gamma X Set gamma function (brightness) 0.1 - 5.0 (default=1.0)
-T --textonly Use this with --tcpserver to get graphicless server
--zbuffer X Try to use a depth buffer of X bits per pixel (default=16)
--bitplanes X Try to use a color depth of X bits per pixel
-u --fullscreen Use the entire screen
-w --window Run Dominions 3 in a window

some of these may help.

and of course, try using the -ddd command line switch to log debug info in case this is not related to v-card altogether.

Re: Application problems
 

nordlys, you certainly know much.
I just had to change my drivers for another game but maybe it was not the graphics.
Whatever the reason i dont know because i chaged my hard drive and installed xp again.
Now i have dominions going again.
Be careful when windows asks to check for errors on hard disk when the computer is starting.
Things that used to work probably will be broken.
I wont let it do that again.

Re: Application problems
 

Oh-oh. Actually, you shold let it do that if it wants to.

And do some more, because this message indicates an error in the files system, or an "unclean" shutdown of the system (which could both trigger and be caused by errors in the file system).
File system errors, though, are a very bad thing, because...
... they might not be fully recoverable, so data might get lost (that includes parts of Windoze itself :rolleyes: )
... they often are caused by faulty hardware

Applications not starting any longer after a file system check often is a sign of a HDD having bad sectors, and being in the process of going completely bad.
Normally, I would suggest testing harddrive and RAM, but I have the nagging suspicion that you don't know much about computers, and might do more harm than good, so better get someone knowledgeable check your comp.

Re: Application problems
 

You dont have to believe everything Microsoft tells you.
Sometimes windows default options are the worse thing you can choose.
Take autorun feature for example.

Re: Application problems
 

What's wrong with autorun? Do you regularly put discs in the drive that you don't want to run? Are you still running an operating system that was released more than ten years ago, or is your computer so old and defective that it can't manage to multitask the spin up of a disc drive while performing other actions?

The sheer number of luddites amongst the computer literate never ceases to amaze me.

Re: Application problems
 

Just wanted to offer some help - from 12 years of experience in the trade.
If you know better, so it be.

Re: Application problems
 

Arralen is right. Best to be safe and have someone check your hard drives integrity.

Tollund,
Autorun is a feature best disabled. Ever heard of the Sony rootkit?:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BM...ection_scandal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection

Not to mention viruses that can be transmitted via simply inserting a cdrw disk, floppy (yes some people still use these :) ) or flash drive.

Re: Application problems
 

Yes, it didn't do anything to cause any real concern except among the linux crowd, and as far as I know hasn't been used to do anything.

Re: Application problems
 

Nothing of real concern?

And strangely, everything I have seen indicates that this does not affect linux machines.

I hate to quote from Wikipedia, but it was convenient:

and

Now, getting away from the whole Sony thing,
auto play == vulnerability. I am not saying that I think less of someone who leaves it turned on. I just wanted to point out the risk. A healthy dose of paranoia is more effective than any anti-virus software known to man. :)

Re: Application problems
 

Not only autorun is unsafe and recommended to be disabled by every security software, it is also hugely annoying, as far as I am concerned. With software cds, I normally put a disk in and switch to doing whatever else I was doing (like playing Dominions :) to get back to running the disk when I feel like it - only to have the program autorun pop up and force me to do something about it. With non-executable disks, this useless "what do you want to do with the disk" window is nothing short of an abomination - I *know* what I have on the disk and what I am going to do with it, thank you very much, mr. Balmer. I do not need an offer to open it with windows explorer, I have a real file manager. I do not want to run an audio cd or a video dvd with WMP, I have decent music and video players. I am not going to "drag and drop files to record on a blank cdr", I have a proper cd recording program. And so on. That's the reason for "computer-literate luddism", we simply know better software options for our needs than the default crap windows is packaged with, and don't want it pushing its integrated garbage upon us.

As for chkdsk, 10 out of 9 times after incorrect shutdown (occasional hard reset is perfectly normal and rarely if ever hurts anything) it is unnecessary. Running it manually once in a while to get rid of excess lost fragments and other errors is, of course, a different thing.

How further offtopic can we go? :D

Re: Application problems
 

Prove it. Provide evidence for this claim that isn't based on Slashdot style nonsense.

Do you enjoy pretending to be superior because you're using unpopular software?

Then change the default behaviour instead of complaining that it can't read your mind and pick the correct program when you haven't bothered to tell it what to do.

Thankfully, people like you are going the way of the dinosaur. The quicker computers are turned into a completely interoperable commodity the better. I suppose you're one of those ignorants who complains that zip file functionality is built into windows.

Re: Application problems
 

Tollund in a CD or in a flash usb memory there can be a file called
autorun.inf
being this a text file stating wich applications will run when the media is inserted.
it can be anything. An exe file for example.
If you copy in your flash usb 2 files:

autorun.inf
virus.exe

and set the 2 files hidden. the next fool that puts that flash into the usb port will be infected no matter what (probably the AV will stop infection if the AV know the existence of that virus).

The worst part that you thought the flash mem was empty.
"Autorun on" and "dont see files hidden" are default options of windows.
you should put "autorun off" and "see hidden files" if you want to see what can infect you.

And instead of a virus you can insert a call to shutdown computer mind you.

Re: Application problems
 

Ever plugged an USB flash card of insecure origin into an autoplay-enabled computer? Try it :D

AVZ reports enabled autoplay as potential security vulnerability. Symantec website has a number of pages on autoplay security. Kaspersky disables autoplay. Google is your friend.

But nevermind that, who needs all this unpopular software when there is Windows Firewall? http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/images/smi...-emot-smug.gif

I enjoy using superior software that has all kinds of functions I need, and least of all care whether it is "popular" or not.

Why should I bother? I am perfectly comfortable running those programs myself and having autoplay disabled.

As they say, don't allow the children near computers, it makes computers dumber :rolleyes:

I have winrar and 7zip installed, I don't care whether there is a built-in zip functionality in windows. I am, however, mildly annoyed the right-click file menu is bloated with a dozen of default windoze options I am not going to ever use in my lifetime, and have to manually seek and remove them in registry and/or file associations.

Re: Application problems
 

One of the most popular methods of gaining access to a corporate network by hackers is to drop USB sticks labelled with "Documents" or "Private photos" on the company's parking area in the early morning. Some curious person WILL pick those up and plug it into the corporate working station to have a look what's on it. AutoPlay FTW.

Re: Application problems
 

Tollund, stop trolling. You gain nothing by being abusive and it is not going to do anyone else on the forum any good either.

Re: Application problems
 

No, because I'm not an idiot.

Preferring to use a third-party program over integrated support is pathologically stupid.

Re: Application problems
 

Well, it will drive customers away from Shrapnel, and that's certainly a good thing as demonstrated by the fact that they still have the sexist Dom3 adds up.

Re: Application problems
 

Edi, I'm not one to tell you how to do your job, but he hadn't posted on this in more than a day and half an hour after you told him to stop trolling he's back.

Telling trolls to stop trolling doesn't work. Not feeding them does.

Re: Application problems
 

So does banning them.

Since Tollund has seen fit to try to actively sabotage the forums and attempt to drive away other users through obnoxious behavior, there is no compelling interest for Shrapnel or anyone else to keep him here.

It does not help his case that he chooses to flame me both here and by PM for doing my job as a moderator of this forum.

:banned:

Re: Application problems
 

Thanks Edi.

Torin asked for help. It would be horrific if folks asking for help got that kind of abuse regularly. Everyone has noobish problems.

Re: Application problems
 

this is why flash drives do not work on ANY government computer.

Re: Application problems
 

And since when did Windows acquire integrated support of .rar or .7z? :rolleyes:

Re: Application problems
 

No. If you get prompted you want to let it check. Windows won't prompt for an error check unless something happened to make it suspicious--and whatever that event was is what messed your system up. If you don't check it you can end up with more damage in the future.

You're playing shoot-the-messenger.

Re: Application problems
 

Ok. Ill explain better.

The disk its broken phisically. Software wont fix it no matter the good intentions.
I was not getting another disk because:
laziness/lack of money/whatever

Think this example:

You go to a room, sit on a chair and read a book sitting.
Whats wrong with the room? i can use it.
But windows went there and saw the bed was broken. Then closed the whole room with a sign "broken room".
So i cant use the app "read a book on the chair" despite if windows didnt check the room i could still do that.

Same with files, an app use multiple files. If 1 file is broken but the app isnt using it. You can still use that app.

Dont check anyting. i know the disk is bad.

Re: Application problems
 

If the disk is bad, then there is no fix. You won't get it working again unless you replace the HD, and if you don't, you stand to lose all of your data unless you have it backed up. Because sooner or later, that disk WILL fail.

Re: Application problems
 

i replaced it