APPCRASH when launching the Civ 5 DirectX10/11 exe

[rjwoer]

I ran a search on this without luck. I installed Steam & Civ 5 today and the DirectX 9 version loads, but I get an instant Application Crash when trying to run the DirectX 10/11 version. I have the latest version of DirectX 11, which I also reinstalled just to be sure the dlls were up to date.

It's early still, but has anyone else run into this problem or do you have suggestions? I have tried turning off the opening movie in the UserSettings.ini file but that didn't help. The crash details are:

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: CivilizationV_DX11.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.7
Application Timestamp: 4c92b5dd
Fault Module Name: CivilizationV_DX11.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.7
Fault Module Timestamp: 4c92b5dd
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00406d4d
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

I'm running Win 7 Pro 64bit, 4 GB, IntelCore2 at 2.4GHz. My NVIDIA GeForce 7900GS has its latest drivers. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.

[Nikolai]

How old is your graphics drivers?

[Martin Gühmann]

Normally, I would ask whether DirectX 11 is installed on your computer, but Windows 7 comes with DirectX 11, doesn't it.

-Martin

[rjwoer]

Yes I have DirectX11 and my GPU drivers are up-to-date. I checked NVIDIA's site today. The GPU drivers are 7/9/2010 and version 8.17.12.5896 if it helps.

[vulture]

The obvious things to attempt are ensuring you have the latest version of DirectX and video drivers. And if you have a steam download, verify the game cache (or re-download) because installs can occasionally be incomplete but unaware of it.

But on a PC there are 1001 unanticipated hardware / OS settings that might cause problems. For some nvidia drivers, I've known turning Ambient Occlusion off on the control panel (even though according to nvidia it is always off except for games explicitly included in a list of theirs) to stop crashes. Or Aero frames in vista / win 7 (the 'glassy' window border style) has been known to cause crashes. Or out of date sound card drivers, unusual custom keyboard settings, or anything else really.

If you update directx, video & sound drivers, and still have problems, then try unplugging any peripherals apart from very basic mouse and keyboard, disabling any unusual software, re-installing with anti-virus briefly disabled. If you can get it to work, then add other things back in one by one until you find which one causes the problem.

[rjwoer]

Thanks, vulture. I'll give your suggestions a try. I know these things can be tricky to track down. I'll report back in case it's helpful to anyone running into the same thing. Thank goodness I can at least load the DirectX9 version so I'm not super annoyed

[Nikolai]

Try this: Go into "Documents/My Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/UserSettings.ini and change to the following:

SkipIntroVideo = 1

[rjwoer]

Try this: Go into "Documents/My Games/Sid Meier's Civilization 5/UserSettings.ini and change to the following:

SkipIntroVideo = 1

Thanks, Nikolai, but I tried that before posting. A good method to try but it didn't help unfortunately.

[Asher]

I would uninstall and reinstall your video card drivers. Sometimes they don't install properly and lead to weird crashes.

[Nikolai]

Try disabling your antivirus. That might help too.

[Asher]

c0000005 as an exception code is an x86 access violation. It means the app or driver is trying to access memory it has not been allocated.

This could be an app error, or a driver error (video card or sound card most likely).

Theoretically it could also be antivirus, or anything that could interfere with how programs allocate memory.

[Robert Plomp]

It crashes for me as well, if I chose to start civ that way, but after that it magically starts after all anyway!

[rjwoer]

Antivirus disabled didn't help. I have also checked my sound card drivers, also up to date. I guess I will uninstall/reinstall drivers now.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Keep it coming if you have more ideas

[Robert Plomp]

I have two choices, directx is one of them, if I pick the other choice the game runs fine. You don't have this 2nd choice?

[rjwoer]

I have two choices, directx is one of them, if I pick the other choice the game runs fine. You don't have this 2nd choice?

Both choices are DirectX. DirectX 9 works, but the game is recommended on 11. It's what's crashing on me.

[snoopy369]

I'd wonder if there is either a problem in the latest 7900GS drivers (ie, try rolling back to the previous iteration), or if there is a problem with DX11 version on 7900 GS (which is basically the lowest level card capable of using DX10). Technically speaking, does Win7 run DX11 on a DX10 compatible card? I don't know how that works, but I wonder if there's some issue there (I don't believe 7900GS is compatible with DX11).

[Nikolai]

I have an ATi HD3870, a DX10.1 card. In the lower end, but the game runs fine. Civ5 DX11 runs on anything with 10.1 or above.

[Asher]

I'd wonder if there is either a problem in the latest 7900GS drivers (ie, try rolling back to the previous iteration), or if there is a problem with DX11 version on 7900 GS (which is basically the lowest level card capable of using DX10). Technically speaking, does Win7 run DX11 on a DX10 compatible card? I don't know how that works, but I wonder if there's some issue there (I don't believe 7900GS is compatible with DX11).

The 7900GS is actually a DX9 card.

That would explain it.

GeForce FX/6/7 are DX9.
GeForce 8/9/GT2xx/GT3xx are DX10.
GT4xx are DX11.

[Robert Plomp]

I have an Nvideo GeForce 9650M GS, that's also a DX9 card?
edit: according to Asher's last post it's a DirectX 10 one, but then I wonder why it crashes.

[Nikolai]

I think it's 10.0. If that is the case, you're out of luck, the game needs 10.1 to work with the dx11 version.

[rjwoer]

The 7900GS is actually a DX9 card.

That would explain it.

GeForce FX/6/7 are DX9.
GeForce 8/9/GT2xx/GT3xx are DX10.
GT4xx are DX11.

Aha! That would certainly explain it. Thanks everyone for the quick help. Looks like I should buy that new Alienware computer after all. This will be my justification to the wife LOL

[Robert Plomp]

I think it's 10.0. If that is the case, you're out of luck, the game needs 10.1 to work with the dx11 version.

That may explain why my laptop heats up that much while playing civ5
It's enough to heat the room. And after 45 minutes of playing it shuts down to protect itself smart boy.

Anyway, on lower grapic levels it's a lot better.
I just need a new laptop! What if you all start clicking our ads to help me?

[Asher]

Firaxis really should do a simple check to see if your computer is DX10.1/11 capable. It's trivially easy. No excuse for that not being there.

[lady flash]

I am getting the same error but with both the Directx9 and the 10/11. I believe my video card doesn't support 10 so that I understand but I can't figure out why 9 won't start. My video card is an ATI Radeon x600. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!
These are the errors:
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: CivilizationV_DX11.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.7
Application Timestamp: 4c92b5dd
Fault Module Name: CivilizationV_DX11.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.7
Fault Module Timestamp: 4c92b5dd
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00406d4d
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

direct X 9 with intro video turned off

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: CivilizationV.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.7
Application Timestamp: 4c92b5f3
Fault Module Name: CivilizationV.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.7
Fault Module Timestamp: 4c92b5f3
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00150d47
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

[Zoetstofzoetje]

I'm starting to think that the European release date is something of a blessing in disguise... Three days for the Americans to beta test the product for us

[Asher]

Pretty sure X600 is under the minimum requirements.

[Dinner]

I'm starting to think that the European release date is something of a blessing in disguise... Three days for the Americans to beta test the product for us

Yeah, they treat us like guinea pigs.

Pretty sure X600 is under the minimum requirements.

I looked it up and if it is like this one: http://www.amazon.com/ATI-Radeon-X600-Graphics-PCI-Express/dp/B0035HPHXA
then it is under the minimum specs.

[lady flash]

I looked it up and if it is like this one: http://www.amazon.com/ATI-Radeon-X600-Graphics-PCI-Express/dp/B0035HPHXA
then it is under the minimum specs.

It is not that one, it's this one: 256MB ATI Radeon X600 SE
Which with 256 should be just at the minimum.

[Dinner]

OK, then hopefully it will work. To solve your problem I would try to uninstall and then reinstall both Direct X and the video card drivers. You want a fresh install as that solves most problems.

[Asher]

It is not that one, it's this one: 256MB ATI Radeon X600 SE
Which with 256 should be just at the minimum.

No,sorry. It's not just the RAM. Your graphics chip is two generations behind the minimum:

256 MB ATI 2600 XT/nVidia 7900 GS or better video card, or Core i3 or better integrated graphics

The generations went X600 -> X1600 -> 2600 XT -> HD3000 series -> HD4000 series -> HD5000 series, and starting next month, HD6000 series.

IIRC the game needs Shader Model 3.0 or higher to run, and the X600 only supports up through SM 2.0.