CSI: Hard Evidence
Ok i've been playing Hard Evidence for the past few days with great difficulity..the main problem i'm having is that I cannot run the game without running it from CSI4.exe in the games directory. (It just comes up with a blank screen.)
So I figured fine, i'll just create a shortcut to CSI4.exe instead of having the one it creates via the updater. It didn't like that, so the only way I can get it to run was to create a desktop shortcut to the CSI-Hard Evidence main folder, then run CSI4.exe from there whilst keeping the folder window open.
I then discovered that I can't be connected to the internet otherwise it just gives the blank screen again. Just disconnecting dosen't seem to work the only way that does is to try running the game, then hit the re-set switch and cause i'm on a network to the internet the network wireless card doesn't initilize meaning I can run the game. It doesnt work always first time (I had to re-start via the button 4 times this morning.)
So as you can imagine its a bit of a pain to load up the game. And if all that wasn't enough some cutscenes from Case 2 & onwards go really jumpy even parts of the screen go black and blocky during certian cutscenes. Finally at the end of Case 5 it crashes when the loading screen comes up for Grissom to give you your final evaluation.
I've tried re-installing the game four times via both normal & full, deleting the prefs.prop from the games directory, re-installing and backdating my graphics card drivers (I can't update as i'm running the latest version.) Closing all processes other than explorer and CSI. So i'm pretty much out of ideas.
My system specs are:
O/S: Windows XP Professional (with all updates.)
Processor: AMD Sempron 2600+ 1.6GHz (I know its below the recommened but I read somewhere that if your machine runs CSI3 then CSI4 should run fine.)
Memory: 1024MB
DirectX: 9.0c
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600XT
I would greatly apprechate any help, anyone can offer.
So I figured fine, i'll just create a shortcut to CSI4.exe instead of having the one it creates via the updater. It didn't like that, so the only way I can get it to run was to create a desktop shortcut to the CSI-Hard Evidence main folder, then run CSI4.exe from there whilst keeping the folder window open.
I then discovered that I can't be connected to the internet otherwise it just gives the blank screen again. Just disconnecting dosen't seem to work the only way that does is to try running the game, then hit the re-set switch and cause i'm on a network to the internet the network wireless card doesn't initilize meaning I can run the game. It doesnt work always first time (I had to re-start via the button 4 times this morning.)
So as you can imagine its a bit of a pain to load up the game. And if all that wasn't enough some cutscenes from Case 2 & onwards go really jumpy even parts of the screen go black and blocky during certian cutscenes. Finally at the end of Case 5 it crashes when the loading screen comes up for Grissom to give you your final evaluation.
I've tried re-installing the game four times via both normal & full, deleting the prefs.prop from the games directory, re-installing and backdating my graphics card drivers (I can't update as i'm running the latest version.) Closing all processes other than explorer and CSI. So i'm pretty much out of ideas.
My system specs are:
O/S: Windows XP Professional (with all updates.)
Processor: AMD Sempron 2600+ 1.6GHz (I know its below the recommened but I read somewhere that if your machine runs CSI3 then CSI4 should run fine.)
Memory: 1024MB
DirectX: 9.0c
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600XT
I would greatly apprechate any help, anyone can offer.
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Ok, from the top, there is nothing in the game that should affect creating a shortcut to the exe. So the fact that you can't concerns me somewhat. It's a basic Window's process. So to get started, you might want to run a virus checker and a spyware checker just to be safe.
Along this same line of thought, the CSI4.exe should not connect to the internet in any way. My thought here is that when you are connected to the internet, there is some process running (possibly hidden) that is affecting your performance enough to make the game choke. You are on the low end of specs, so it may not take much to push you over the edge.
Ok, now for the graphical troubles and crashing. If you haven't already, start by turning your graphics settings to the lowest possible setting and/or lowering your resolution.
If that fails, you might want to try updating your DirectX. I know that 9.0c is the most recent version, but I have discovered that Microsoft is really lazy about their versioning, so there are several hundred different versions of 9.0c.
Ok, that should be a pretty decent start. Let me know how those work for you.
[edit] Also, try moving or renaming UM.dll. That should be an extra stopgap to stop the updater, just in case.
I have a 1.7GHz processor at home and an Nvidia card slightly newer than yours. Over the weekend I can try the game on that machine and see if I experience the same performance issues you're having.
Anyway not to say you didnt buy the game, since I did and I still have problems.
Anyway you could post a process or startup list? It would also be interesting to know if you have some lude software like norton or anything oddball as such
Run HijackThis! 2.0 and send me the logfile this will show me whats installed on the machine that HT thinks might be a problem. It will not tell me any other info.
If you want me to have that other info
Click run
type dxdiag ......press enter/return
save all information as.. and send that over too. Id start with the hijack this though. I bet 10-1 the answer will be in your startup section in msconfig/registry. (its very very odd you cant make a shortcut)
BTW where csi4.exe doesnt connect to the net gameupdate.exe DOES.. for sure. Ive even tracked it :P
Seems ubi might be trying to track the game this way as a tester? Seems odd there is no protection too. Anyway I personally think it was a horrid move to make it run gameupdate first, seems to suspicious.
Im a master of virii and spyware so shoot me any questions jay!
You could also try adaware.. a pretty cool free scanner :P just make sure to watch what you delete :P some things really arent bad XD
I did buy the game. But my bad, as I wasnt expecting this as an issue. Everything else runs fine its only Hard Evidence. Thanks to you all for replying, i'm currently trying Will's advice, and if that fails then I shall try yours Kaldire.
And if you could try it Emily that would be great. But if it was a processor issue then surley the actual game would run with some jumpyness? The game itself onces it gets going and aside from the evaluation from case 5 and the certian videos runs fine.
I'll post again with my results.
That seems to have done it. It now runs from the Autorun at least for the moment, and I have finally got Grissom's evaluation for the last case.
I'm not sure about the videos though, but I shall re-play it later on. Thanks Will.:D
(If it decides to be fussy again, i'll be back.)
It is not the updater. When you run the updater, the game goes to black, and you can not do anything. But…
I have a second monitor. I had my task manager open in the second monitor. When CSI Hard Evidence froze, I shut it down from there.
On my screen once the game shut down was a prompt from my firewall asking for permission to let the game access the internet. So lurking behind that black screen is this prompt, and I would think the problem, as you can not see or access this prompt when the screen is totally black. I clicked the yes, and do not ask me again option.
I then relaunched the game, and it worked just fine.
So to prevent this from happening, add the CSI4.exe to your allowed applications list on your firewall, and it should work.
I hope this helps someone in the future who (like I was) may be using Google to find a solution to this problem.
Btw,
What’s up with when I hit back space an entire sentence disappears at a time? It is very annoying trying to write a post that way :mad:. Is this a glitch in your forum or just something I am experiencing?