Age of Mythology flashing, then crashing problem...

[Guest]

Whenever I play a game in Age of Mythology, the screens periodically
"flashes" black, then play resumes, but after a short while of these flashes,
the game will then quit, giving me a message stating along the lines of "The
game has stopped working." Then messages pop up from the toolbar tray saying
something along the lines of "driver igfx stopped working and is working
again."

I've tried multiple solutions: I've updated my drivers, changed graphics
intensity and resolutions in both the desktop AND the game, I've ran the game
in safe mode AND with different resolutions and I've tried many other
solutions as well. This is virtually the only problem I have with the game;
everything else is fine.

Please help me; I've asked for help at many other sites and no one has
provided me with a solution. In terms of system requirements, I'm positive
mine are well over the minimum: 3.33 GHz processor, 512 RAM, 64 MB Video
adapter and I run Age of Mythology in compatability mode in XP SP 2 as an
administrator with high DPI off.

What can I do to fix this problem?

 

[Dave Angel]

What videocard are you trying to run this on?
From your error message "driver igfx" it sounds like your videocard is the
problem.

 

[Guest]

I think it may be a Radeon. Where could I go on my comp to find out more info
about it?

 

[Guest]

Uhh...could I please get some help?

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Uhh...could I please get some help?

With?

Kidding... You can find out what kind of video card you have via ONE of
several methods.

-Look up your computer make and model at the manufacturers website. Most
computer builders (Dell, HP, Gateway, etc.) have support websites, just
punch in your model and look for computer specifications.

-Bring up Start menu (blue button) right click on the "computer" link on the
right and choose "Properties", choose Device Manager on the left, click on
the plus next to Display Adapters, and your video card driver appears below,
80% of the time this is correct, other 20% of the time it's not, but assume
it is.

-go to a site like www.cpuid.com and download pc wizard 2007, install and
run, first screen tells you your video card, fish around a little. This is
hardware ID, so it's 100% accurate.

Your problem is that your video card, either the hardware or the software,
is crashing. First you want to update your video card drivers, if you have
an ATi Radeon, you can go to http://ati.amd.com to get the latest drivers.
Look for Download Drivers links. I think the current version is 7.9. If you
have nVidia, www.nvidia.com

Most likely, your video card is overheating. Easiest fix, open the computer,
get a fan and point it at your computer guts. See if that gets rid of the
crash. If it does, call your computer maker and tell them your video card is
having heat problems. If you don't have a fan just leave the cover off, play
the game for a bit, see if your system gets "really" hot. can also just put
your hand over the power supply fan in the back of your PC, if it's blowing
a lot of heat, that's bad.

Look at it this way if you were in WinXP the OS would crash or you would
blue screen, since vista keeps drivers seperate from the "Kernal" Vista will
simply reset the video card when it crashes/overheats.

If it's not heat, let us know.

Good luck, post more questions if you have them...

 

[Guest]

I would first like to say thanks for replying to my query. But I'm still
having problems, unfortunately; I've updated my drivers, checked to see if my
card was hot, and almost ever since I first had the computer, the cover was
off and it's practically right in front of an air conditioner, so I'm
confident heat isn't an issue.

I'm not totally computer-illiterate (if at all), but I'm inexperienced with
Vista, so I'm lost, yet again.

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

I would first like to say thanks for replying to my query. But I'm still
having problems, unfortunately; I've updated my drivers, checked to see if
my
card was hot, and almost ever since I first had the computer, the cover
was
off and it's practically right in front of an air conditioner, so I'm
confident heat isn't an issue.

I'm not totally computer-illiterate (if at all), but I'm inexperienced
with
Vista, so I'm lost, yet again.

Call your computer maker, reinstall Vista from your restore DVDs, no idea
what to tell you. If it's a hardware issue you're covered under warranty if
you still have one.

Best of luck dude,
A.

 

[Guest]

Well, if it can help, my video card is one of thos Intel Chipset family
cards, if I checked correctly. Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

Well, if it can help, my video card is one of thos Intel Chipset family
cards, if I checked correctly. Anyone have any experience with these?

Dude, Intel chipsets are on like 50% of the PCs out there.

Read my other post.

 

[Guest]

This may note apply, but as you've got this problem and on-board Intel
graphics, it might help point the way to a solution (if you've not found one
already).

This is from: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=757031

[Start Paste]
Here is how I eventually got it to work.

Step 1:
Download the 02/04/07 drivers from Intel (Version # 15.1) Put them somewhere
you'll remember. (Desktop)
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Filt...eng&sType=prev

Step 2:
Go to [Start -> Control Panel -> Security -> Turn automatic updating on or
off (Under Windows Update) -> Select "Check for updates but let me choose
whether to download and install them.

Step 3:
Go to [Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Device Manager ->
Tell Vista to Continue -> Display Adapters -> Right-click and uninstall your
current drivers.

Step 4:
Restart your computer. When Vista opens you will get a message that it is
installing "VGA adapter drivers"

Step 5:
Run "winvista_151" (Driver installer you downloaded earlier)

It should work - and if it comes up with a "Unknown error" than just try
running the installer again.
[End Paste]

Good luck.

 

[Kuulei V]

Aloha Dave ... I too have problems playing Age of Mythology ... it just goes
blck then crashes ... we just purchased this one ... a couple of years ago I
bought it in New York when I lived there and never got it to work ... at that
time I just figured that our system could handle it ... but since we moved
and bout a newer PC it can't be that ... please help ... I've tried
re-instally and down loading then installing three patches I found online,
but without an error message I don't know what the problem could be.

 

[Dave]

Aloha Dave ... I too have problems playing Age of Mythology ... it just
goes
blck then crashes ... we just purchased this one ... a couple of years ago
I
bought it in New York when I lived there and never got it to work ... at
that
time I just figured that our system could handle it ... but since we moved
and bout a newer PC it can't be that ... please help ... I've tried
re-instally and down loading then installing three patches I found online,
but without an error message I don't know what the problem could be.

You might want to see if you have the KB940105 hot fix installed.
If not you can get it here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105