Crashes on startup!

[theJ89]

What's wierder? I used to be able to play it on this computer, a matter of months ago.

I've got Windows XP on a PC with a 3.4ghz Intel dual-core processor if that helps.

I tried running the game in compatibility mode for both 98 and 95 - no go. This previously worked for me.

Upon startup, the game launches, changes the resolution, goes to a black screen and shows me the hand-pointer. Shortly thereafter, it kicks me back to my desktop and freezes there, changes the resolution back to what it was before and tells me that the game abruptly terminated.

I unstalled the game when it started doing it (which makes this even odder - the same installation that worked before crashes on startup now). I reinstalled clean, and downloaded the civilization 1.2 english patch (which told me that I didn't need it), and extracted these two archives from grandpa troll's thread here:

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=161108

Launched, and same problem.

This is very frustrating.

The only possible thing I can think might have triggered it, I have an nVidia GeForce 6800. Steam (www.steampowered.com) was nagging me to update the drivers for my card. I did that. I didn't play civilization right after I changed my drivers though, so I don't know if this is triggering it or what. I think it may be a strong possibility though.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Maquiladora]

You could try lowering the hardware acceleration on your graphics card.

right-click desktop > properties > settings tab > advanced button > troubleshoot tab > and lower the bar one notch at a time until it works. If it works then it could be something with the new drivers then you could consider rolling back a driver or just lower the acceleration when you want to play (annoying I know). If it's the same problem as before... cross that bridge when you come to it.

[JohnGalt137]

Have you tried rolling back the driver?

[theJ89]

Hey, thanks for the quick replies, guys. I'm gonna try some of the solutions you suggested now.

Edit:
Changing hardware acceleration does not work. I set it to the third lowest and second lowest level possible (in that order). Both times, the crash on startup bug occured. I'll try rolling back the display driver now.

Edit:
Well, I'll be damned! It was my display driver!

Just in case anyone else is having this problem,

I have an nVidia GeForce 6800. After updating my forceware from 84.21 to 163.75, the game failed to work. A driver rollback corrected this.

To summarize my system specs when I was having the problems, I have a 3.4ghz Intel Pentium 4 processor. 1.5 gigs of ram. Windows XP for the operating system. And, for the card, an nVidia GeForce 6800 (with forceware 163.75). Rolling the forceware back to 84.21 fixed this problem.

That is to say that, something in forceware 163.75 is causing civilization to crash on startup.

IMO, someone should investigate this further.

[Maquiladora]

Excellent.

It's funny, I've had problems twice before with (much older) Nvidia drivers on two different cards with CtP1 and 2, very annoying. No problems at all with my ATI card now.

[theJ89]

Well, I'm gonna open this back up. A friend of mine is having troubles as well. He has Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2, with an nVidia GeForce 7600 GT KO. He is getting basically the same error as I am. Crash on startup with same message.

We have tried several things.

I had him set compatibility mode to 95 and 98. This did not work.

I had him roll back his display driver and this did not work.

I had him modify the shortcut to this line:
"C:\Program Files\Activision Value\Civilization-Call To Power\ctp_program\ctp\civctp.exe" startx -- -bpp 16

And then this line:
"C:\Program Files\Activision Value\Civilization-Call To Power\ctp_program\ctp\civctp.exe" -bpp 16

Neither of those two worked.

We tried running in 256 color mode. This didn't work.

Additionally we tried right clicking the shortcut, going to "Run As..." and unchecking the "Protect my computer and data from unauthorized program activity" box. Of course, this did not work either.

The only thing we haven't tried is changing the hardware acceleration.

[Tichothewolf]

Forceware 84.21 is incompatible with my video card (Currently 169 something) does this mean I can never play?