Display sizeresolution bug/crash?

[TimW]

SoW is crashing on me if I try and run it at 1920x1080 resolution. This is 100% reproducible.

The initial window loads, then the screen flips to black as normal, but there's no mouse pointer. Then I get an error window headed CreateDeviceFail, with contents E_FAIL.

If I hit the ignore button on that window the game then crashes and Windows gives the following error message (I can provide as many of these as you'd like ):

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BEX
Application Name: SOWGB.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 4c01acff
Fault Module Name: SOWGB.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 4c01acff
Exception Offset: 0014b8e1
Exception Code: c0000409
Exception Data: 00000000
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.1
Locale ID: 2057
Additional Information 1: 22c8
Additional Information 2: 469edfea0a2fe56b92d79164ea1ebd55
Additional Information 3: c16a
Additional Information 4: 9acd89e64b549b27bf863e153284b125

My setup:

Q9550 cpu, 2.8Ghz. 4GB RAM.
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4800 series, 512MB RAM
Nothing is overclocked.
Latest ATI drivers installed and latest DirectX installed today.

Display is a Samsung P2250, native resolution 1920x1080. Works fine at that resolution with everything else.

Vista Ultimate 64bit, admin account, UAC off.

Resetting the display resolution to 11 in SoWGB.ini gets things working again, and the game will run at 12. Just not 13 (=1920x1080).

[norb]

I have received this bug before, maybe from you? We have tried to recreate it, but we cannot. I have a machine and I'm been doing all my testing in that resolution and nothing that I do can get it to crash. I wish that I could recreate it and tell you what I've found, but I'm just not having any luck.

[TimW]

OK, fair enough. One of the things that makes Windows PCs so frustrating at times is that no two are ever alike - even if they're "supposed" to be. I'll try switching off background processes (such as the colour management stuff I normally have running) that may be interfering and see if it makes any difference. Would I be right in assuming that the SoW generated error message indicates a problem/conflict with something in the video system (whether hard or software) rather than e.g. a more general RAM or other (non-video) hardware issue?

[ADukes]

Probably video system related. The other guy with the same problem has a Radeon 4800 too.

Do you have the latest Catalyst drivers installed?

[TimW]

Yes - Radeon drivers are up to date (updated yesterday).

[norb]

My main test was on an nvidia, but I've tested on my ATI as well. The card is newer than those listed though.

[DNorton]

Is your game even loading? Everytime I start mine it will go directly to a black screen with only a small space where the cursor is visible

[Little Powell]

DNorton wrote:

Is your game even loading? Everytime I start mine it will go directly to a black screen with only a small space where the cursor is visible

You might have a resolution set that your card doesn't like. Try deleting your sowgb.ini file in the Work folder. That will reset the resolution to the default 1024x768.