Crash research

[Nyerguds 100]

I've decided to make a new topic for this, simply because identified instruction addresses can be posted in one list in the first post this way.

Guidelines for posting errors:

• Give the instruction address from the C&C95 error message (the "The instruction at XXXXXXXX" value from the error message)
• Give the referenced address from the C&C95 error message (the "referenced memory at XXXXXXXX" value from the error message). It's usually useless though, unless it's a small value, but post it anyway.
• You can post a screenshot of the error, just to be sure, but please, also write down the values. It makes my job a lot easier.
• Say if it is singleplay or multiplay.
• Describe what was happening at the time, and any specific action you (or anyone else in a MP game) were performing that could have caused the crash (e.g. click on something, mouse over the sidebar, give a command to a unit, place down a structure, etc)
• Give your PC details (Windows version, CPU, memory, video card). DO THIS EVERY TIME YOU POST A BUG, I don't want to have to look it up in your previous error reports every time.

Note in advance: the instruction addresses
The normal addressing range of program instructions in Command & Conquer is (hexadecimal) 00410000-004F0000. The code specifically added for the patch is in 005C0000-00640000.

Overall, with the addition of data and memory sections, none of the addresses in the game can possibly reference anything outside the range of 00410000-00740000. If you do get a crash with an instruction address outside that range, they are not game bugs I can fix, but are most likely caused by some kind of incompatibility with the operating system, and cannot be fixed inside the program itself. This means external tweaks (compatibility mode, admin rights, external dlls like cnc-ddraw) must be used to resolve the problem.

List of known crashes
The values that follow are the Instruction Address you see on the typical C&C95 error messages. These represent an actual point in the exe, and I can check what code runs at that point, and the research in this thread might help me to figure out what caused it to crash at that point. Don't post repeats of the addresses listed under Fixed issues. If you have any additional information about the ones in the Current list, please share it.

Current list:
0042a33b: Some IPXManagerClass error; internal C&C LAN-related code. No clues to solving this so far.
004386b1: Crash when a unit picks up an exploding crate that kills the unit. Additional information is needed on this one.
004afbf4: Seems to appear on game launch in cncnet. Marked in my db as "bug with player not being added to game."
004dbc37: Crash that occurred when scrolling down and to the left. Related to showing/hiding the mouse cursor.
004dbc4f: May be a variant of the same scrolling crash.

Fixed issues:
00432421: Top-of-the-map crash. Fixed in v1.05.
00460b41: Stealth tank crash. Fixed in v1.06.
004b4002: Crash related to tree object T13 that appeared after adding the snow theater in v1.06b. Researched by Pichorra, fixed in 1.06b r2.
004dadde: Object overflow in multiplayer game. Solved by Myg, and fixed in v1.06c r2.

 

 

[CCHyper 3]

Change that white text if i was you, does not work too well in other skins.

 

00438604 = W?Ok_To_Move$:DriveClass$n.x($DirType$$)i - "const DriveClass::Ok_To_Move(DirType)"

0042A2C0 = W?Queue_Receive$:CommBufferClass$n(pnvipnvi)i - "CommBufferClass::Queue_Receive(void *,int,void *,int)"

 

At fast guess, 004386B1 would be a crash fetching the exit/target X & Y coords.

[Nyerguds 100]

I don't really get what you mean... you're saying it crashes because it tries to retrieve the move target for a unit that's already gone? Why would that crash any more than when a unit is destroyed while moving? :|

 

Hmm... I wonder if this happens every time or not. I think I'll have to rig the multiplayer crate chances and do some testing...

[Jonttu 0]

HEY YO NYERGUDS!

 

I think i got the same error as last time. This time it reads:

 

The instruction at 0042a33b referenced memory at 06628000 the memory could not be written

-----------------------------------------------------------^This part is different____________________^------------

 

The crash occured in the game LOBBY/hosting room.

 

I dunno what caused it, could've been someone specific joining my game, or it could've happened by itself. I feel this is pretty important. Has happened to me recently in the game lobby, which is one reason i came up with the error report topic. This type of crashing is all new to me tho, the game hasnt crashed even once in the game lobby/room before until like a week or two ago.

 

EDIT: Last time this crash happened the instruction address was the same, the memory address was different AND it was ingame. Ie the game was launched and was nearing its end, so it wasn't in the game lobby back then.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Jonttu

[CCHyper 3]

^^ is related to packets and handling of packets.

[Nyerguds 100]

As I said, high values in the referenced memory address usually don't have useful info. This is because objects dynamically created in memory are on a different spot every time.

[dappygit 0]

 

hi this picture shows the end of a 4 player match. it crashed after the last loser resigned which was me.

[CCHyper 3]

Crashed on freeing up memory, shame these games lack stack dumping.

[pichorra 4]

Crashed on freeing up memory, shame these games lack stack dumping.

 

It seems to be the same function of 4dadde, where Myg fixed a error there.

[CCHyper 3]

Aye, strange, because C&C games used standard C/C++ librarys for pure basic memory handling...

[Nyerguds 100]

well what Myg fixed was a lack of reserved memory that somehow found its way into that function before crashing. He just fixed it by reserving more.

[Urthor 0]

Yello, issue with the C&C gold, running off virtual drive mount with westwoods iso's with 1.06 loaded and not the westwood fix for thipx32.dll

 

Error is that the game is running fine with the file being launched not in win 95 compatability mode as I assume 1.06 deals with it and the game working untill a mission of the singleplayer campaign is crashing, only program crashes not computer

 

copy paste of error report on the game

szAppName : C C95.exe&szAppVer : 1.6.3.0 szModName : hungapp

szModVer : 0.0.0.0 offset : 00000000

 

will post any additional info

[Nyerguds 100]

That error is useless to me... you need the game's own error message, or the detailed crash information file in the Windows error.

 

As for the dlls, don't add anything to the 1.06c patch besides maybe cncnet or cnc-ddraw. It has everything, and automatically takes care of compatibility and such.

[Urthor 0]

Its okay I've managed to solve the problem

 

Realised since its a win95 game I should probably turn off dual core processing

 

And it worked fine

[Plok 321]

Erm, dual core processing is already dealt with when using Compatibility modes.

[Nyerguds 100]

No it's not. There's no automatic way of switching off multicore for a game without using an external program.

[Plok 321]

It is. I played the 2000 Star Trek: Armada 1 in comp. modes for Win95 and 98. When I look in task manager the CPU affinity, only one core is up for it.

[pichorra 4]

No it's not. There's no automatic way of switching off multicore for a game without using an external program.

 

AFIK, the Compatibility mode disable the Hyper Threathing for the Application, this gives a false aspect of 1 core was been disabled.

[Nyerguds 100]

It is. I played the 2000 Star Trek: Armada 1 in comp. modes for Win95 and 98. When I look in task manager the CPU affinity, only one core is up for it.

On which OS was that?

[Plok 321]

Windows XP Service Pack 3. 'twas recent.

[Nyerguds 100]

Well, I'd test it, but my PC is only single core

[Ferret 0]

Well, I'd test it, but my PC is only single core

 

I can help.

[Plok 321]

Alright, I'll do you a video on Youtube (I'll set it so only you can see it, Nyer) this weekend to show you what's the deal here.

[Nyerguds 100]

Nevermind, I forgot the laptop I got from work is a dual core. I confirmed your statement; without compat mode C&C got 2 cores, with compat mode it got only one.

 

Anyway, thanks for mentioning it, it's handy to know such things when giving tech support

[pichorra 4]

Nevermind, I forgot the laptop I got from work is a dual core. I confirmed your statement; without compat mode C&C got 2 cores, with compat mode it got only one.

 

Anyway, thanks for mentioning it, it's handy to know such things when giving tech support

 

Make sure it is Dual-Core, or it is just a Processor with Hyper-Treathing.