Is There Still No Fix For The Xml Problem

[hunterhavoc]

i just wana play the game. ive updated everthing the motherboard my drivers are all good. So what now?
everytime i try and load the game it stops at checking xml.
[51.187] DBG: FILE Cat Init
[59.015] DBG: NOT Using XML cache, failed to find crc.dat file
[59.046] DBG: Game Init
[59.046] DBG: Multiplayer Initit

can anyone help me? i feel trapped

here the specs
COMPAQ PRESARIO R3000
INTEL P4 2.8
ATI 9000 IGP 128MB
512 RAM
SOUNDMAX AUDIO CARD

IF SOMETHING ELSE IS NEEDED JUST ASK FOR IT

[Wise Ass]

Have you tried reinstalling?

Has the game ever loaded?

Go to

C Drive/documents and settings/user/my games/Sid meiers Cvilization 4

or something like that and see if there is a cache folder.

note that you will not see an application data folder unless you can view hidden files.

[TheGuenther]

I was able to get by the Check XML/Sound Init Startup issue by installing the newest drivers for my on board RealTek sound card.

I also (to head off any other problems) updated the drivers for my Radeon X700 video card.

It was frustrating cause I couldn't do any of that earlier in the week b/c I was waiting for my cable guy to do my cable/internet install, but once that was up, the problem was fixed by doing the driver update and then a Civ 4 uninstall/reinstall...

[hunterhavoc]

its never loaded ive uninstalled everything reinstalled everything I have updated graphics card and motherboard and sound card! i have tried everthing ive heard worked for someone else!! on here!! tried the new account thing But nothing works! As BAD as i want to play this is getting old. im giving firaxis til the end of the week to comeout with a patch that will hopefully fix this problem. if not i think im going to just take it back

[its_chowder]

Do you have any other (seemingly unrelated) issues with your sound devices or graphics card?

[Wise Ass]

I would give them a week from Friday, I'm thinking this week would be optimistic, they are still finding bugs.

Do you have another computer you could install the game on to see if it reproduces the error? Look at the disc see if there are any scratchers dust or other. I haven't heard anyone else with this specific problem, so it could be related to the disc you have.

Because, and I'm just guessing, either A) that crc.dat file is not getting installed; b) your computer is eating it or corrupting it or c) there is some thing within your system preventing the XML files from being read.

[BleckLord]

You should wait untill the game is patched. It should be playable then.


Have you reinstalled Windows recently? Your computer might just be in a bad state.

[hunterhavoc]

yes i have reinstalled windows again like 2 weeks ago wise there is alot of people with this prob. they all have the same error log as me too but no fix. And no i have never had any problems running any games but this one! thaxs for trying to help guys

[BleckLord]

I wasn't really trying to help. I know that WinXP reinstall will come up sooner or later, just thought we'd head'em off at the pass.

[akyi]

Just so you know, you're not the only one. I've been fiddling with computers to make games work since the commodore 64 days and now I make a career in the IT world... and this game has to be the worst out of the box product I have ever purchased.

Not saying its the worst for everyone, just me. And that's saying something since I commonly beta test MMOGs...

Anyhoo, same error for me on my game PC. My wife's PC works (mostly) fine (ignoring the CTD every hour or so).

Windows XP Pro... P4 2.4GHz, Intel 865 chipset with USB Xitel Hi Fi audio to my home theater system (which works with DirectX 9.0c by using a WHQL generic USB audio driver). So, no drivers to update there. Updated motherboard chipset and onboard audio (which is disabled anyway). Tried disabling audio in civ4 ini file. No go. Latest drivers for my nVidia GeForce 6600GT.

Tried the xml solutions on this and other websites including the xml service pack. Nada. Reinstalled it four times now, including once on a different (new) user profile. This PC was rebuilt from scratch just 4 weeks ago. It has a grand total of 6 games on it, a virus scanner (disabled during install), no office, no apps, nothing.

I'd like to make a request in case Soren or someone from Firaxis/2kgames are lurking: if this is a bug, please fix. If its not a bug and you have very selective set of audio hardware your product will tolerate, then please allow us to play without audio by skipping that sound init when we set the audioenable flag in the ini to 0.

[U2031]

I'm having this problem as well. Tries to load the game, then nothing after the checking XML part.

This is a fresh install of windows from last saturday, XP pro SP2, I can't understand what it doesn't like :-/

[snepp]

Was turning off sound acceleration mentioned or attempted by anyone having issues?

[hunterhavoc]

no i havent how do u go about doing please explain in detail for the not so comp literate people here!!

[Wise Ass]

Originally posted by hunterhavoc
yes i have reinstalled windows again like 2 weeks ago wise there is alot of people with this prob. they all have the same error log as me too but no fix. And no i have never had any problems running any games but this one! thaxs for trying to help guys

Hmm... I didn't realize that many people had the problem, I hadn't seen anyone else talk about it untill after I said that.

Seems someone found a fix for themselves though:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=142217

Now, those instructions are pretty specific to his system, but you never know it could help.

[duesh52]

Anyone want ot buy a copy of Civ 4?

I have to agree with akyi. I haven't seen a game with this many out of the box issues in a long time.

I continue to get this "Check XML" error (even though it has nothing to do with XML apparently). I have updated my video and audio drivers. I have re-installed this game 6 times now. I even tried setting up a different account and installing it on there. No luck each time.

I was contemplating to just wait for the patch to be released, but I doubt this game is worth the wait. I will probably just go back to an older Civ and play that. I now know why a lot of my friends refuse to play PC games. You don't see too many issues like this when playing on a console. The funny thing is that I have Pirates and I didn't have one issue installing or playing that game.

Thanks to everyone who offered up some good advice on how to solve this issue. Just wish it would have worked.