Q3 Game Lock-ups

[v1l3]

Hey,

I've been playing Q3A offline for the last 5 years, because I really didn't have the cashflow for a good connection, and have never had any problems with anything in-game. Now, like 4 months back I got DSL, and at any random moment in playing my game offline, it just locks up, and keeps echoing the last sound that was made in-game when it locked up. Sometimes if I let it go for a bit, the computer will restart itself, and when it reboots it asks me to send an error report..so I do. The majority of the time it just stays locked up...I've tried to CTRL-ALT-DEL, but it won't even pop up for me to shut down Q3 or the computer, which pretty much puts me in a spot of pressing the button to turn off the computer, which I know isn't good for it.

I don't understand why it's doing this now that I have the DSL. Is the internet connection using up alot of memory, taking it away from the game. I keep my temporary internet files clean all of the time. Any suggestions? Thanks

[^misantropia^]

Sounds like a driver issue (but what driver? NIC, PCI bus, motherboard, etc.?). Does it also happen on other computers?

[v1l3]

Where do I look to see what kind of driver I have? I really don't know much about computers with these things..I usually end up running up to Geek Squad =/ ...which people tell me is a waste of money. I don't know if it happens on others, this is the only computer I have.

[^misantropia^]

Assuming you use Windows, you'll find it in the Device Manager. But that won't tell you what specific driver is causing this. If you can borrow a laptop from a friend or neighbour, I would try that. Failing that, does it happen with other games, like ET?

PS: Is your DSL modem one of those USB dongle thingies that comes with its own driver?

[v1l3]

Yeah.. I have Windows. Where's can I locate the device manager? The modem is a little plastic thing that sits on my desk with five green lights which next to each light it has printed to the left of them:

Power
DSL
Internet
Ethernet
USB

I have a friend with a laptop, but I don't talk to him all that much these days..and he's not much into shooting games. Q3 is pretty much the only game that I play. I uninstalled Q4 because my computer couldn't handle it..I actually got the first version of it which came with Q2 with Ground Zero, and the Reckoning also in it..which is what I mostly bought it for. I don't have any problems with Q2, but it isn't much of a high graphics game.

Thx for helping, I know I'm not really giving you much info on technical things.

[DTS]

Get a firewall. I recommend Zonealarm, which is free.

If the problem persists after you've got Zonealarm, try using its "Stop all internet activity" when you play offline. Also, Zonealarm will tell you if any programs are accessing the internet (except when you have "stopped all" like I just said), so you'll find out if any programs are messing with what your PC is up to.

I've found that with the original Q3 EXE since either getting XP or the latest version of Q3, when my internet connection is down or I have that firewall "lock" on, Q3 won't even start. CNQ3 doesn't have this problem.

It could be other, non-network programs causing this. It's best to close everything except firewall, antivirus and Winamp (or whatever music player that isn't resource hungry) when playing a game

Sorry if some of this already seems obvious to you, but you are not giving us much to go on. What program asks if you want to send an error report? Is it Q3 or something else?

Edit: I forgot to mention, that with broadband, your PC is more open to attack and network quirks, cause the connection is always there (always "on"). That's what makes having a decent firewall more important.

Edit2: Zonealarm is an informative program, when it displays a warning it has a link to "more info" which can take you to a page explaining what that type of network activity is, so you learn what's going on. You can turn general warnings or "notifications" off and just look at the logs if you think something went wrong.
Make sure you watch the tutorial that comes with the installation, it's simple but pretty vital.

[v1l3]

Get a firewall. I've found that with the original Q3 EXE since either getting XP or the latest version of Q3, when my internet connection is down or I have that firewall "lock" on, Q3 won't even start.

I've always had my firewall (that came with the computer) locked on. I've never had a result of Q3 not starting. I haven't used my Q3(Official) in a couple years. I've used it a couple of timesfor internet use on servers running ztn3dm1. I've pretty much been a dedicated IOQ3 user since I started playing my Windows XP..due to the fixing of the lines in the sky.

It could be other, non-network programs causing this. It's best to close everything except firewall, antivirus and Winamp.

The only problem I've ever had that problem in is Winamp, and I stopped using it because it made the game stutter. The window that pops up to send in a error report is from Microsoft...it's a very tiny little grey square with a yes and no button for error report. After I press yes, and it sends it in it gives me a little "Thank You for reported the error"...or something or other of those words.
I forgot to mention before, that I've had messages pop up from time to time that the computer says that I'm low on memory..which has happened a couple of times, once on playing Q3..I dunno why that slipped my mind ..when it has happened, I clear out my temporary Internet files and restart the computer. Usually fixes that problem. I close out all programs when I play..so it can't be that. I'm wondering if it is from the temp internet files? My wife will mess around on her Facebook shit and whatever else on YouTube and by the time I jump on the computer I dunno if it's running slow as a result to that. The computer started with a memory of 512MB and now it has 448MB of RAM.
I have my IOQ3 set up in 5 different installations with all start from C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Quake3. The five installations are seperated from five folders:

C:\Program Files\id software\Quake III Arena\IOQ3A
C:\Program Files\id software\Quake III Arena\ioquake3
C:\Program Files\id software\Quake III Arena\Q3
C:\Program Files\id software\Quake III Arena\Q3A
C:\Program Files\id software\Quake III Arena\QIII

The reason I have them seperated them, is to make them run faster and take up less memory. I have 1,200 Custom Maps (I'm a map collector), and it's impossible to have them run from one installation. I initially had 300 maps sitting in "C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Quake3" and they got read before going into running whatever installation I was playing at whatever time. I in the last couple of days here, have removed those 300 maps and seperated them amongst the 5 installations. I haven't had a lock up since I have done that, though I'm still waiting..never know.
I'm a CPMA player and I move very fast, which also makes me worry if that's my problem. I swear CPMA takes up more memory also. Takes way longer for the mod to load a map than others.

[CopperWire]

I have precisely the same problem. I haven't tried it yet without the internet on, that may be it (0_0), so I will and I'll report back to you here. I have a thread for the same blasted problem going over in Q3 tech support. We should merge them.

EDIT: I just read this last post. My problems all started when I installed CPMA, and I also have lots of maps.

-CP

[CopperWire]

Okay, I just tested it. I shut down the dialup and loaded up the CPMA for a few rounds of glorious, senseless killing, when to my great surprise, I discovered that CPMA had apparently lost its ability to load maps (reverted to menu at connecting to localhost)! So, I shut that down, and kick-started the old vanilla for a round of very excellent combat with old Anarki in the Der Mund map. It did not freeze once, but that doesn't mean it won't again. I believe you may have been correct in your assumption about the internet having an effect on it, or possibly the CPMA mod. We should assemble a group and decide on a methodical test to determine the exact problem; that shouldn't be difficult.

-CP

[CopperWire]

Glory be, I found the answer! IOQ3! As soon as you activate it, you'll see how everything's better. I loaded CPMA and played quite a while with no hang ups (internet was off). WORD OF WARNING: DON'T delete the CPM stock maps. There is important data in them, apparently, without which CPMA cannot function.

-CP

[CopperWire]

It's official: IOQ3 fixes it. I just played CPMA with internet ON, and it didn't freeze once. Hooraaayy!

-CP