Game does not work

[markmm]

I bought this game on 1/2/04 and am still unable to play it. I have downloaded the latest patch and customer support's automated suggestions seem to assume that I can actually get the game started. Everytime I try to start the game I get two Messages: "Range Check Error" and "Access violation at address 0046C6FB in module 'starfury.exe'. Read of address FFFFFFFF." Can anybody help me?

I have a dell dimension 4300 pentium 4 1.7ghz, 128 mb ati radeon 9000 pro, windows me, 256 mb ram, and i'm not sure if this is my sound card- soundmax integrated digital audio.

I don't know if this matters, but the game tells me that I need the disc to play it, although previous space empires games didn't require the disc. Also, when I do stick in the disc it always takes me to the install menu, it never offers me a play button. So I always have to cancel and try to start the game through the start menu.

[ January 15, 2004, 20:46: Message edited by: markmm ]

[Phoenix-D]

Exactly where do these happen? When you click the SF icon to start it? Or after you press Play on the splash screen?

[Instar]

A couple of suggestions:
Make sure all your drivers are up to date. Get DirectX 9b.
Please tell us about your machine (processor type and speed, RAM amount, video card brand and type, sound card brand and type). We can help you better if you tell us what you have.

[markmm]

I don't know if I'm suppose to reply or edit, so I did both. BY the way I do have direct x 9b.

And for pheonix, whenever I stick in the disc it always takes me to the install menu. I don't know what splash screen your taking about. I never have a chance to push play. I always try to start the game through the start menu. And do we need the disc to play the game, because it always asks me for it.

[Phoenix-D]

Ok, so it dies when you click on the icon. That's..odd. Try uninstalling then reinstalling, only thing I can think of is something went wrong during the install.

You do need the CD in the drive, and yes it does always pop up the installer. That's normal, if stupid. When you click play on the star menu, normally what it does is pop up another menu with a list of things like "Play" "Setup" and a few others.

[Eric the Red]

I'm having the same problem trying to run the demo. Everything works fine up until I pick my name and my ship's name. Then I get a loading screen, and then the access error... tried reinstalling, all drivers are up to date.
I also am using a Dell. Which I suspect may be the problem. I have a Dell Demension 8100, well at least it started out as a Demension 8100... CPU upgraded to P4 2.4, memory upgraded 756mb, video upgraded to 9800 Pro...
But I suspect the problem lies in the OEM sound cards that Dell uses. I have a Sound BLaster Live! 512v, but I can only use the Dell drivers for it. The Creative drivers lockup when I try to install them. The newest driver available from Dell is 2 years old.

[Phoenix-D]

Evil sound card, then.

Hmm. If you want to verifiy it's the sound card causing the problem, you can turn it off.

My Computer-control panel-system-hardware-device manager-sound, video, and game controllers-find the sound card-properties-switch the use this device field to disable. Might want to turn off everything under sound to be sure.

That's for XP, it's slightly different for other OS's. Anyway, once you've done this reboot, then try running SF. If it runs you've found the problem and should pester Dell about new drivers. Good luck, you'll need it.

To undo that, just do the same and change to enable.

[Mephisto]

Remove all the sound and mp3 files from the demo, this should "fix" th problem. It's a problem with the sound bLaster drivers and is fixed in one of the patches for the retail game. Actually, it's not a bug in Starfury but in the sound driver and the patch only does a workaround.

[Eric the Red]

If I disable sound, everything works fine (but with no sound of course...)
Since this is the only game I've ever had a problem with, I doubt Dell is going to do anything about it.

[Ed Kolis]

You never know... they ARE Dell