Computer Crashes at the Start of an AoE Game

[deleted_user]

AoE is literally unplayable for me, right now :(

This all started a few days ago when my game crashes a few min into for no reason. I restarted AoE as one does, and found my game had completely reset: hotkeys, resolution, settings options, it even prompted me with a message when I launched ESO as if I had launched it for the first time ever. Strange. I got into another game and it immediately crashes again. At this point, I uninstall and reinstall: same issue. I thought I discovered the issue: I was dangerously low/out of memory. When I built my computer I only gave it a 250 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM. No hard drive. So I deleted some old videos and uninstalled some games and cleared up dozens of GB on my SSD. But the problem persisted.

So then, I thought I'd install the hard drive I have sitting around anyways. I did that today, moved some more stuff onto it (just pictures and videos) and the problem persisted. I updated Windows 10, problem persisted.

Now it was giving me this warning message that said "Display Driver stopped responding and has recovered" flashing in the bottom of the screen as my monitor would go black and come back for a second then go black again. I was able to stop this once by quitting aoe in task manager but most of the times it leads to my computer locking up and me needing to shut it down and/or crashing itself.

So I went into Device Manager and searched for a driver software update for my GPU. To my surprise there was one and I installed it then restarted my computer. Problem persisted. So I went through every single driver manually and checked for software updates and they were all up to date except for most of the NVIDIA drivers (maker of my GTX 970). So once those were all installed I restarted again and the problem persisted. I uninstalled AoE again and reinstalled. Problem persisted.

Mitoe gave me the advice to delete my Ago of Empires document located in C:\Users\Callen\Documents\My Games which would clear out those pesky user and trigger folders, which I did, then reinstalled, and the problem persisted.

I can launch the game; I can join a game; but within the first 30 seconds it crashes my computer. I played Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion via steam on my computer for several minutes without it crashing and played TableTopSimulator multiplayer so idk what's up with AoE. As far as I can tell, all other functions besides in game AoE multiplayer, work as they always have.

[SenorCallen]

sounds like your computer just needs to take a bath....fill up your bathtub with water and add a shot of whiskey and then give your computer but make sure it is not plugged in anywhere...afterwards it should look a lot cleaner

[deleted_user]

Just wiped my computer wish me luck

[deleted_user]

wiped it all, reinstalled windows, downloaded steam and reinstalled aoe. Downloaded discord and skype in the mean time. The same fucking thing happened in game.

[deleted_user]

Update: can no longer watch twitch streams either, they insta freeze when loaded. The same streams work fine on my laptop though...

All drivers are up to date I don't get it. I think my GPU has just utterly gone to shit?

[AraGun]

yep sounds like ur graphics card has crashed.

[iNcog]

sounds like the GPU is faulty here

could be wrong

[lemmings121]

rip gpu?

[momuuu]

Ah man, that gpu wasnt even old right,?

[lordraphael]

nividia :(

[iNcog]

oh, easy way to check this

what is your processor? trying running different applications with integrated graphics and see if those work. that should help confirm that it is indeed your GPU acting up

download drivers for integrated graphics here, I assume you have an intel processor: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/

[deleted_user]

Okay I'll try when I get back home. Knusch gave me some advice too. I'm probably going to take it into a shop just to get confirmation on the cause of the problem (graphics card) before I shell out another several hundred for a new one... :S

Ugh I know it's just a computer but this really blows also why does money have to be a thing why can't GPUs just be free for everyone

[deleted_user]

oh, easy way to check this

what is your processor? trying running different applications with integrated graphics and see if those work. that should help confirm that it is indeed your GPU acting up

download drivers for integrated graphics here, I assume you have an intel processor: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/

I do have an intel processor.

I go to that link, I download the client it offers, and I run the client, it shows me a driver to download and install, I download it, go through the installation wizard, and it says "You have successfully installed the following product: ... ...Press Finish to complete the setup process" but then after hit "Finish" IT SAYS STATUS UNDER INSTALLS "FAILED." It still says this after I restart my computer (which it says to do after installing the driver). What is going on?

It even says "it is strongly recommended that yo uexit all programs before continuing." which I do each time.

[iNcog]

that is quite strange

what is your exact processor? are you downloading intel integrated graphic drivers?

[gibson]

that is quite strange

what is your exact processor? are you downloading intel integrated graphic drivers?

Its a 4590 which I thought was a Haswell but apparently is Devils canyon.........

[iNcog]

that is quite strange

what is your exact processor? are you downloading intel integrated graphic drivers?

Its a 4590 which I thought was a Haswell but apparently is Devils canyon.........

Devil's Canyon is basically a Haswell refresh, I think some little changes are there but can't remember (I think something to do with Bios, don't quote me on that).

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/produc ... -3-90-GHz-

Try to install those graphic drivers, see if those work.

Then, unplug your monitor from the GPU and hook it up to the iGPU (which is directly soldered to motherboard) and try to see if shit crashes. If it doesn't then most likely your GPU is fried, I guess. It it does crash, then at least it's not your GPU which is the problem, but something else entirely.

[gibson]

Well it can't be the gpu being completely fried cause other games work and a fried gpu would result in a whole lot more than 1 game not working and twitch not working. It could be a sign his gpu is failing though

[iNcog]

Oh, do other games work?

Well then I doubt it's GPU, maybe a software issue then. However he reinstalled windows so that to me says it's not a software issue*.

*Of course when my EP didn't work for no reason, it wasn't a software issue since i reformatted to try to get it work. Now it does, for apparently no reason.

[Dolan]

Use some tools to diagnose the issues.
Check out the Hardware Events in the Event Viewer (right-click Start button > Event Viewer ).
Also open Control Panel and type "Reliability" in the search box, then click to View reliability issues. The hardware failures should be listed there.

[iNcog]

wow neat never knew about this