BF2 crash to desktop

[dgb0002]

I have tried everything that people have suggested on other forums, and just can't figure this out!!!!

**also, I don't think it's the temps, b/c my CPU hits 60 under load and my GPU hits 65 (with brief peaks to 70)

I keep getting a crash to desktop after about 2-10 minutes of online playtime. I tried single player, and it works fine...I could play it all day if I wanted Anyways, the weird part is that I get this CTD but receive no error message, no log of the error, nuthin Like I said, I've tried reinstalling the patch (1.41), reinstalling punkbuster, reinstalling my video/audio drivers, reinstalling the game, and all to no avail

The version I have is the Battlefield 2: Complete Collection and it is the virtual version from the online EA store. Does anyone know what the problem might be??

System:
Q9550 @ 3.4GHz (E0)
4GB OCZ Reaper DDR2 800 (5-5-5-15)
EVGA 9800 GTX (750/1875/1200)
EVGA 780i SLI
2 x 640GB WD (RAID 0)
OCZ 600w

[Big_Daddy]

What operating system?

Try this: Plug in a microphone.

[TimeDeatH]

I don't know if this helps, but it instantly got my css working when I had the latest nvidia driver and was still not working OmegaDrivers.net - Home of the ATI & NVIDIA Omega Drivers. Home .

[dgb0002]

What operating system?

32-bit XP

sorry

[dgb0002]

I don't know if this helps, but it instantly got my css working when I had the latest nvidia driver and was still not working OmegaDrivers.net - Home of the ATI & NVIDIA Omega Drivers. Home .

Tried this, and still CTD in multiplayer I feel like it has to do with either PunkBuster or EA Download Manager since it only happens when I join a public server, but I don't think it's PB, cuz it usually gives an error msg.

[dgb0002]

and I ran the test on PB's website to see if my client was up to date, and in fact it was....so yeah....I have no idea. I wish they would release the 1.5 patch already...

[TimeDeatH]

Oh sorry, didnt look at the whole post. Tried turning off antiviruses and firewalls?, what programs that require online connection do you have running when you play?

[dgb0002]

yeah, I tried turning off all my antivirus/firewalls besides the windows firewall. I even removed BF from the firewall exception and added it back. Do you think the windows firewall could cause an error? Like I said I've been playing this for a while on the same computer with the same apps, antivirus, firewall, etc.

[dgb0002]

This is getting ridiculous....

Maybe this will help...

I attached a screen shot of task manager after a CTD

*let me know if you can't read it, I had to lower the resolution to coincide with the forum rules

[nemowolf]

lil on the small size, you might want to just get the list of programs instead of your whole screen.

if its crashing to desktop without any errors, check your windows event logs to see if your getting anything there. your temps look fine for you cpu and gpu, i dont think thats the problem.

do you have this problem with any other game? have you tried anything else? idea here is to see if any games are causing the load to maybe cause strain on your gpu or even power supply so its not providing the voltage.

something else would be to test your ram to make sure they are good and your not getting a memory error.

[dgb0002]

yeah i figured it would be too small

here's a list:

RIMAutoUpdate.exe
avgtray.exe
EVGAPrecision.exe
nvraidservice.exe
iPodService.exe
PnkBstrB.exe
explorer.exe
taskmgr.exe
cidaemon.exe
Core.exe
ctfmon.exe
GoogleUpdate.exe
RTHDCPL.exe
svchost.exe
nvsvc32.exe
cisvc.exe
mDNSResponder.exe
avgwdsvc.exe
AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
spoolsv.exe
rundll32.exe
iTunesHelper.exe
avgcsrvx.exe
wmiprvse.exe
lsass.exe
services.exe
winlogin.exe
csrss.exe
unsecapp.exe
smss.exe
avgemc.exe
nSvcIp.exe
avgnsx.exe
avgrsx.exe
nSvcAppFlt.exe
alg.exe
System
System Idle Process



Also, I cranked up the fan on my gpu to 100% (had it at 50%) and now my gpu idles at 42 and hits about 55-60 under load, so no temp is definitely not an issue.

how do I go about checking my Windows event log?

and no, I don't have this problem with any other game. I play Crysis, Guild Wars, and COD 4 with no errors.

I set the POST to auto-run the nvidia mem test every time I reboot, is this sufficient, or should I do a test in windows?

[nemowolf]

If your not having this issue with any other game, its probably not your memory. As an aside, I recommend Microsoft Memory Diagnostic Tool and MemTest 86+.

Have you tried stopping all those services from running for you ipod and your blackberry for instance? Maybe see if there is a conflict.

[Big_Daddy]

Vista had a problem with games dying if a microphone was not plugged in.

[Hiddukel1]

I've been having the same issue lately, although it seems to have started when Punkbuster released their latest updated files. I run all other high end games just fine (Crysis, CoD4, FEAR2, etc.). My temps are good and ran Memtest86 already and everything passed. I doubt there's a voltage issue or any other hardware issue, considering I can run other games that burn the same amount of memory as BF2 and I never encounter an error with those.

When Punkbuster first came out, and to this day, it usually executes a check once every few minutes at random intervals. It always seems to be (now, recently) that the game crashes when one of these checks kicks off (at least from what I can tell).

All drivers updated, even did a fresh re-install with my XP Pro (32bit) to see if the game would have an issue when it was the only one installed.... no avail... still crashes. It's a crash very similar to what happens once in a while if your on a server that's updated it's Punkbuster files, and you have not yet (sometimes manual updates are neccessary). Of course, I tried this as well, still nothing.

Again, the issue only started with the recent release of Punkbuster. Up to that point, with no modifications to my computer's hardware nor software within 2 months before the PB update, it ran just fine. The first time it crashed, and several attempts thereafter, I didn't do anything with my hardware or software either.

If it was a windows or hardware issue, typically when a dump takes place it would get logged as a windows log. In these cases, it's actually now creating a BF2 dump file, located in the "C:\Documents and Settings\Craig\My Documents\Battlefield 2\dmp" directory.

I downloaded and installed the Windows Debugging Tool. When I passed through one of the log files, I got a message, which then directed me to type in a command to see this "exception of interest".

Here's a copy of the log:

Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.11.0001.404 X86
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Loading Dump File [C:\Documents and Settings\Craig\My Documents\Battlefield 2\dmp\bf2_v1.1.2965-797.0_2009-04-09_19.45.08.dmp]
User Mini Dump File: Only registers, stack and portions of memory are available

Comment: 'Battlefield2 MiniDump. Address: 0B34DAE0 (In Windbg type: .ecxr)
ASSERT INFORMATION:
[...]
[EOF]'
Symbol search path is: *** Invalid ***
************************************************** **************************
* Symbol loading may be unreliable without a symbol search path. *
* Use .symfix to have the debugger choose a symbol path. *
* After setting your symbol path, use .reload to refresh symbol locations. *
************************************************** **************************
Executable search path is:
Windows XP Version 2600 (Service Pack 2) MP (2 procs) Free x86 compatible
Product: WinNt, suite: SingleUserTS
Machine Name:
Debug session time: Thu Apr 9 19:45:08.000 2009 (GMT-7)
System Uptime: not available
Process Uptime: 0 days 0:05:17.000
.................................................. ..............
.............................
This dump file has an exception of interest stored in it.
The stored exception information can be accessed via .ecxr.
(574.65c): Access violation - code c0000005 (first/second chance not available)
eax=0093ffd0 ebx=00000000 ecx=00000048 edx=0053ffd0 esi=000006e8 edi=00000000
eip=7c90eb94 esp=0022ee68 ebp=0022eecc iopl=0 nv up ei pl zr na pe nc
cs=001b ss=0023 ds=0023 es=0023 fs=003b gs=0000 efl=00200246
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for ntdll.dll -
ntdll!KiFastSystemCallRet:
7c90eb94 c3 ret
WARNING: Inaccessible path: '.symfix'
0:000> .ecxr
eax=8b057d10 ebx=0b476fac ecx=00000001 edx=00000000 esi=8b057d0c edi=0022f5b8
eip=0b34dae0 esp=0022f308 ebp=0022f310 iopl=0 nv up ei ng nz ac pe cy
cs=001b ss=0023 ds=0023 es=0023 fs=003b gs=0000 efl=00210297
*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found. Defaulted to export symbols for pbcl.dll -
pbcl!ca+0x1b456:
0b34dae0 8b448efc mov eax,dword ptr [esi+ecx*4-4] ds:0023:8b057d0c=????????



What I find interesting here is that, despite the fact that most of that log looks like gibberish to me, one thing DOES stand out... it's pointing to pbcl.dll.... that is a Punkbuster dll file. And seeing this only re-enforces my belief that they did something with the latest update to cause this error. I've submitted a trouble ticket to Evenbalance, so hopefully they can resolve any possible issue(s) there may be (if I'm even correct in my assumption of it being a PB problem).

Sorry I can't give a resolution at this moment... I'm in the same boat.

[chris2005]

I think you are absolutely right. I'm having the same problem and it started just recently all of a sudden. I have got no problems with other games.

I hope they fix this soon.

[chris2005]

I just found this fix on Project Reality site:

vista Another fix to try when having crash to desktop issues - Project Reality Forums

Our problem is probably related to EA download manager. I'm going to try it out now.

[dgb0002]

I just found this fix on Project Reality site:

vista Another fix to try when having crash to desktop issues - Project Reality Forums

Our problem is probably related to EA download manager. I'm going to try it out now.

Didn't work for me =(

[androk]

So i keep getting the infamous ctd during online play at random. Havent found a solution as of yet but i think i discovered a clue. Use your systems Event Viewer and see if you get an audit failure at the time of the ctd. I did and guess who was the culprit. Pnbstrk.sys was the culprit i see punkbuster strikes yet again. PLease let me know if you have the same event in your event viewer log.

[dgb0002]

Sorry I left this thread with no conclusion for so long. For anyone still having this problem, I have a possible answer.

For me it turned out to be a conflict with the program TuneBite running at the same time. The program did something to split up the audio stream into 10 different streams, and apparently this confused BF2.

I haven't used either program recently, so they may have been updated to work with each other, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, I hope this helps anyone still having this problem.

[evansj]

Patch to 1.5. Make sure you install in the correct order:

Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2: SF
Patch to 1.41
Patch to 1.50
Install Punkbuster

If this has been done with no luck, uninstall all bf2. Delete the folder from Program Files if there is anything left, as well as from My Documents (might be under My games or EA Games). Warning: this will erase your saved profiles. you'll have to retrieve them after reinstall.

Use a cache cleaner like CCleaner to clean out temporary files. They can interfere with BF2.

Restart, and do the installation process again.

Ive heard that bf2 does not like dual cores. if you use AMD dual cores, get the AMD DualCore Optimizer. I do not have problems with quad core and bf2.