Need for Speed Underground 1 random crashes

[Blackbird 54]

The game randomly crashes after finishing the race and hitting continue. I tried everything I could think off. The weirdest thing is that setting any compat mode causes crash when loading save game.

The only thing I found while googling is to force core affinity, but that didn't do anything sadly.

 

Also if I don't install the Force Feedback driver then the controller is a brick and menu pushes the UP button uncontrollably.

 

[Mirh 103]

Well, if it can help, I had random crashes in NFSU2 after I started to use the US executable for the old (praise the silent russian fixes mafia) widescreen and fov hacks.

After days and days looking for a reason, I logged the game with process monitor and I figured out the game was going numb every time it tried to access the files with the models of the US-exclusive cars (which I didn't have in my otherwise EU installation).

So I placed them there and everything worked.

 

You might try something like that.

As for the controller problem, check here if every axis is alright

 

Also, I'm still astonished by how many times people suggested to force stupid single core affinity.

[Blackbird 54]

Any idea how to tell which version I have? In Languages folder I have multiple languages so it's EU version? And this can't apply to the NFSU1 can it since it has no exclusive cars?
 
And you're right I get those crashes in NFSU2 too so it must be related to each other. In NFSU2 it can also happen when starting the races :|
 
Also since when did Silent do anything for NFS lol. It's all 13AG and _Aero :D
 
EDIT:

My version of NFSU2 already had Honda Civic, but not the Acura RSX. It also has multiple languages like NFSU1. Dunno what to make of it.

I checked those programs and the axes are fine although bit twitchy to X left/right. The thing is other DInput games such as CMR2 don't have this issue. Only NFSU1/2. Didn't check MW and Carbon yet. The game loads both dinput.dll and dinput8.dll for some odd reason.

[Mirh 103]

Any idea how to tell which version I have? In Languages folder I have multiple languages so it's EU version? And this can't apply to the NFSU1 can it since it has no exclusive cars?

I don't think languages are enough to tell. Iirc even with the us executable I still had everything in Italian.

Then, of course the same problem can't apply there, but it was just to introduce process monitor.

 

Isn't there anything odd when game crashes?

 

And you're right I get those crashes in NFSU2 too so it must be related to each other. In NFSU2 it can also happen when starting the races :|

U.u

I never thought there could be a link.

Anyway, did you patch both games? And I guess this happens even without mods, right?

 

My version of NFSU2 already had Honda Civic, but not the Acura RSX. It also has multiple languages like NFSU1. Dunno what to make of it.

Contrarily to the civic, the acura is not between the starter cars.

 

I checked those programs and the axes are fine although bit twitchy to X left/right. The thing is other DInput games such as CMR2 don't have this issue. Only NFSU1/2. Didn't check MW and Carbon yet. The game loads both dinput.dll and dinput8.dll for some odd reason.

A bit of twitchiness is normal with every analog axis and indeed every game (but bloody Omikron) accounts for deadzones..

Though it's strange only a given game see this ideally present UP command. What happens when you block DI?

 

Btw using both dinput and dinput8 is fine, it's just the first supporting older versions.

[Blackbird 54]

-snip-

[Blackbird 54]

I don't think languages are enough to tell. Iirc even with the us executable I still had everything in Italian.

Then, of course the same problem can't apply there, but it was just to introduce process monitor.

 

I did check it and the last thing that gets loaded is STRM_AMB_Stereo_MB.ast which I assume is music archive. I'll check all the music in EA trax, but I doubt this is the issue. Busted

 

Isn't there anything odd when game crashes?

I initially thought those particular races had FMVs after them which could cause the crash, but nope it's totally random. I had 10+ races today and no crash and sometimes even 3 is enough.

U.u

I never thought there could be a link.

Anyway, did you patch both games? And I guess this happens even without mods, right?

 

Contrarily to the civic, the acura is not between the starter cars.

 

Uh I should've clarified I mean game files. I didn't actually check what in-game cars I have. Good point.

A bit of twitchiness is normal with every analog axis and indeed every game (but bloody Omikron) accounts for deadzones..

Though it's strange only a given game see this ideally present UP command. What happens when you block DI?

 

Will check that.

Btw using both dinput and dinput8 is fine, it's just the first supporting older versions.

Oh I see. I thought it's some mix-up.

 

Also I have both patched up to highest version and I don't use any mods beside the WS fix, but it happens without it too.

 

OOOOH I just checked the game's registry and the NFSU1 is indeed US version. Or I think it is? But I used US exe anyway :(

[Mirh 103]

I did check it and the last thing that gets loaded is STRM_AMB_Stereo_MB.ast which I assume is music archive. I'll check all the music in EA trax, but I doubt this is the issue. Busted

More specifically, process monitor was reporting NAME NOT FOUND in the result column.

And technically latest file handled before crash doesn't necessarily have to be the culprit. Give a look to everything in the previous seconds.

[Blackbird 54]

Okay will see again. Also that DInput blocker does work, but obviously blocks my controller so there is no input at all from it. I tried to rename it to dinput.dll too just in case and that does nothing.

I will also try using wndmode.ini which should make the game run in borderless fullscreen (feature of the great Ultimate ASI loader 13AG uses!)

Again crash on loading savegame. It's like this game rejects any heavy changes.

 

 

I think I found it. It's the Autosave function. That would explain why it always happens after the tournament is done and never in the middle. Blackbird_autosave.ugd in the question is blank file as opposed to manual saves being fine.

I looked up my old saves from 2004 and the autosaves are fine so this can be related.

Also found this

Need For Speed: Underground 2 
- Run as administrator with autosave off. (Thanks to dw96)

Maybe the autosave function in both games is busted on modern systems. IDK.

 

NAME NOT FOUND

D:\Need for Speed Underground\Config.bin

D:\Need for Speed Underground\foobar

C:\Windows\System32\wow64log.dll

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\rpcss.dll

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\cs-CZ\oem23.inf_loc

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\en-US\oem23.inf_loc

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\cs-CZ\oem30.inf_loc

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\en-US\oem30.inf_loc

 

No idea what the first two are supposed to be. I never saw them. Here's the full log

[Mirh 103]

.-. I was unconsciously taking for granted you were running it as administrator.
You are going to have a bad time of course if you aren't, considering all the freedoms games back then expected. 

Can't this fix everything?

 

And there's no thing as "[magically] X is incompatible with newer systems". There is a reason.

In this case, there are some tricks involved with programdata folder.
 
.. which btw I think was totally moronic to call like this in the save game location template, instead of the god old %ALLUSERSPROFILE% (which is definitively what this game is looking for)

[Blackbird 54]

I was running it as admin, but it didn't seem to do anything. IDK. I'll try it again, but as I said my manual saves are fine. The autosave one is always blank and deleting it does nothing. And sadly you can't turn off autosave in U1 like you can in U2 :(

And of course it's not magical lol, but obviously something must have happened since googling Need for speed autosave crash turns up plenty of results.

[Mirh 103]

And of course it's not magical lol, but obviously something must have happened since googling Need for speed autosave crash turns up plenty of results.

Lol. But 4 results are about Carbon, 1 talks of PS, and the rest mentions newer ones.

 

Anyway, I read an incredible story: stupid DI inputs can make the game crash (or perhaps every kind of HID device). Oddly looks like your case.

Then, other theories include reverting to minimum settings or.. even changing locale to UK (but it shouldn't apply here)

[Blackbird 54]

Bad wording on my part, but I did find plenty of results from before.

I don't have any other controller attached unless my mouse/keyboard somehow count. I know DX:IW had loading freeze cause of Logitech Setpoint. If SCP is the issue then not like I can do anything unless I want my DS3 to be useless brick.

 

The settings are possible since JC2 for example indeed crashes randomly when Decals are turned on, but pinpointing this would be painful.

 

I'll try updating SetPoint first as I have stayed on 6.32 due to Logitech completely screwing up scrolling in 6.5x :I

[Mirh 103]

SetPoint has even an use? Fantastic, lol.

 

Anyway, yes please try to disable every HID device. And you can stop SCP service in services.msc

 

ps: I played around with JC2 some times and never had problems

[Blackbird 54]

Lol why wouldn't it have a use. Without it MOUSE4/5 buttons are useless. They can't be used as buttons in games without SP. Also the huge button can't be mapped too (I use it to trigger Steam Overlay!)

I tried disabling every HID device and nothing. One of them disables the controller in DInput games (XBOX_360_DEVICE_00:00). And yes if I stop the SCP [which is no diff than not connecting DS3 in the first place(WIRELESS WOO)] then there is no phantom UP button, but my controller has no such issue by itself. I would understand it if all games had the issue when it's connected, but it's only NFS games. Not even Porsche Unleashed has this issue.

Basically it's something to do with 360 drivers if I had to guess.

 

Also I have no idea, but is XInput Plus even supposed to work? It does literally nothing.

 

lol because you don't have nvidia gpu pleb :P

[Mirh 103]

Oh, I guess it's just with my 5€ Logitech that it doesn't make difference :p

 

Anyway, keeping the controller disconnected is not the same of stopping the service.

Ever noticed windows still report the controller connected, even if it's turned off? Well, that's it.

 

I wonder if NFS isn't misinterpreting lack of input (which we may call NULL, void) for something, contrarily to say, a connected controller that is actually reporting 0.

 

No idea of whatever 360 driver is involved.

And XInput+ is supposed to be the best generic workaround, yes. Did you ticked the DI Output box?

"Disable Unmapped Object" seems pretty interesting