Larian Studios Forums Divine Divinity (English) Technical Problems Help, tha game crashes to windows at random places

Hello everyone, Im totally new here.
I love the game but I have problems. Since the beggining I had problems loading some saved games. I didnt mind that since I started saving the game very often. But now my problem got worse since it started crashing to windows at random places. My pc is an AMD Athlon XP 2400+ with Windows 2000 professional, 512 MB, NVidia GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE with the latest drivers, DirectX 9a, Creative Soundblaster Live 1024, Samsung DVD-ROM. There is a point where it always crashes and that is when I try to get in the castle to meet boy Duke for the first time. When I try to do something else first and then come back then it crashed somewhere else at random. Please help me out. I have also installed the Patch v1.34 (english) after I installed and played the game a bit(if that helps). Before I install the patch it wasnt crashing during game, it was just failing sometimes to load a saved game.

You can try running the configuration program and (temporarily) switching to software mode (and maybe reduce the resolution). That helps with some cut scene problems, and may let you enter the castle. Random problems are much harder to diagnose. see;

Troubleshooting Tips (& manual install procedure)

Well, I did read many posts before I post my own message just in case I find the solution. Which means that I did try to change resolution as well as change to software mode, but same thing happened unfortunately. Any other advice?

Unfortunately, I have already put most of the advice I could think of, or had seen, in the troubleshooting topic.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

Thanks anyway I'll wait if anybody else has a suggestion. Until then unfortunately I cannot play the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />

Am i to understand that....
your playing with an old save from before you "patched"? or not? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Did you install the patch from an account with administrative privileges?

Thanx for the responses first of all.
I was playing the game before I install the patch and because it was failing to load some saved games (and sometimes failing to save a game) I installed the patch. Then I did load a game and played properly for a while (all this time saving and loading as usual, with the usual crashes) until it actually happened what I described on my first post.



Yes I did.
And by the way Im a games developer myself <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> (programmer to be exact) in Team17 (worms etc.)

i enjoyed worms. good job.

I forgot to mention that when I started playing the game on a different pc (Intel 2.8GHz, Radeon 9700, 512MB with all the drivers updated) it was fine and I didnt have any problems, even with loading and saving the game. So it must be something wrong with the pc Im using now.
Come on guys, help me out here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />, I really want to continue playing the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

[color:"orange"] I forgot to mention that when I started playing the game on a different pc [/color]

Hmm so did you copy the savegames from the other PC to this one?
Dunno myself, but Raze could probable find a reason, like does divinity savegames check the ini files for OS support, ifso is the admin privilige different on this PC ?? hey I am just err what's the quaint expression ... oh yeah "brainstorming"

I tried to copy the saved games but did work so I started a new game.

Sorry I mean didnt work! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />
Thats why I started a new game.

Did you copy them by CD-R? If the files in the save folder are marked as read-only, the game will crash when trying to open them. Also, games saved under v1.34 can not be run in v1.29, so you would have to install the patch on the second system, if you had it on the first.
Other than that, there should not be any problems transferring saves. All of the required files are in one folder, with no registry entry or index files somewhere else.

Ok let me make it clear by starting from the beggining.
I played the game on the 1st pc (Intel 2.8GHz, Radeon 9700, 512MB etc...). I had no problems.
Installed the game on the 2nd pc (Athlon 2400XP, NVidia GeForce4800 ti, 512MB etc...) and copied the saved games from the 1st pc. It didnt load the saved games so I started a new one (still on the 2nd pc). This is were the problems started. The problems I had at that point is that sometimes I couldnt load a saved gamed, and sometimes it was crashing when I was saving the game. So I installed the patch (just in case is fixes it). I loaded the last saved game without a problem and continued playing it. So I was playing the game as before, loading and saving (everytime on a new name) with the occasional problems when saving and loading, until I reached a point where it was crashing at random places. There is a point though that is crashing every time. That is when I try to enter the castle to meet the boy Duke for the first time.
Let me note that when I realised that the saved games from the 1st pc dont load, I deleted them completely from my pc just in case they create any problems to the new game.

I hope I made it a bit clearer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

i really suggest a clean fresh install....then patch....
then try starting a new game again......
bothersome yes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> but it should eliminate the problem... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />


hmmm...this could be something...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" />
i forget where that link is....RaZe knows... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

check this link.... card issues

and this one.. too!

Ohh... nooo... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" /> Plz dont make me do this. I have picked up so many good things and spending a lot of time making a lot of money <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shhh.gif" alt="" />



Well the Radeon 9700 it was in the 1st pc which I didnt have any problem <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
And is not the pc that I can play the game anymore <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


What if I do a clean install, then patch and then use the saved games instead of starting a new game? Will that make any difference?

zip up your savegames and move them somewhere else...
then install again....start a new character
save... quit....move your savegames back....try it again...and see! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

other than that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> i don't know....

good luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Ok I'll try it now! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> Same thing unfortunately... While trying to enter the castle it crashed to windows. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />

What worries me is that if I start a new game and the same things start to happen... What then? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

have we tried changing attributes, from read only?

If that was the problem, though, the saves would not load at all.

but you may still get the loading screen??..... or not? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

My problem is not only loading saved games (which happnes occasionally). My problem is that it crashes during the game. And also after the clean install the savegames where in the same system, so no need for changing attributes.

[color:"orange"]but you may still get the loading screen??..... or not?[/color]

When the files in a save folder are marked as read-only, Divinity will start to load the save normally, but when the progress bar is just about complete, it will abruptly exit to the windows desktop.

The savegames where made on the same system, why would they be read only in the first place? And also the game loads properly, I can actually move around with my character, it will crash at one random point or (this is where it always crashes) when I try to enter the castle to meet boy Duke for the first time.

i don't get it? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />
something is missing.

are you sure there are no "hidden" or unknown progs running in the systray?

I can email you a snap shot with my task manager if you want to check it out, but Im pretty sure that nothing is running in the background.

Also if I change it to software mode and try to enter the castle it crashes to windows as usual but a error window appears saying:
"div.exe has generated errors and will be closed by windows. You will need to restart the program."

Not sure if that helps <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

try to reset the configuration and then do it a second time....to be sure..
i remember i had this problem once....
and i did an unnecessary re-install....
and all i needed to do was reset the config tool twice.....and skip test!

When it crashes to windows I have to reconfigure the settings anyway,isnt this the same thing? And also I have tried all the combinations (with or without testing)

try software, no alphabit, smoothness off, no test,
apply and close.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Tried it in two different systems with two different saved games (a few seconds difference) and still the same <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />

@ Boubounas are you Greek?

Sorry for the off topic but if you are we can solve it in Greek. (Afraid to use English for help.)

Yes I am, not sure if Im allowed to talk Greek in here... If not just send me a private message

Well this forum is the most friendly I have ever been in but since it is not polite to write in Greeklish and nobody understands you have a pm from me in your inbox.

I am so glad that you are here! Welcome to the forum <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

- How much disk space have you free (especially a) on the drive where the game resides and b) where temp is directed to (SET variable) ?

- defragmenting often helps, too. I know I'm considered notorious for adding the "defrag" thing by the Germans here, but I do have a point : In some cases unreproductible (right word?) errors vanish with defragmenting; I've seen it myself a few times and some other guys as well.

yes it's true! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> agreed Alrik....

Well on both systems I've got a lot of space more than 30Gb <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
And also both systems are quite new and especially one has a brand new HDD on with very few stuff in it, so it should be ok. But yes you are right sometimes the defragment fixes mistakes that you dont expect.
Raze figured out that the story files are the problem. He has emailed me with a solution and what to do with some story files that work so I'll try this and hopefully it would fix the problem <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

I could have emailed you a (hopefully) fixed save, but it would have been after the cut scenes when you enter the castle. Janus' quests just wouldn't have the same effect if you didn't get to know him a bit first. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />

Yes I can understand, plus that I would like to play every bit of the game <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

well i certainly hope that works for you cuz quite frankly... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> it was a stumper! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

IT WORKED! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> Woohooo...
Finally, Raze made his tricks and found out that the problem was in the story.* files. So he gave me some files that work I replaced them with mine, I entered the castle, and before I do anything else, I replaced them again with the originals!
And so far its going well.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

WheW!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

NOOOOOO! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> The nightmares are coming back!
After we fixed the problem yesterday, I played the game a couple of hours(saving normally without any problem) and then I went to sleep a happy man. But today I have another story. I cant load any saved game neither from yesterday nor from any other day. Yesterday after I did everything Raze told me to do, to make it work, and played it a bit, I saved it and quit the game in order to check if it loads normally.And it did! So whats wrong today? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[color:"orange"]So whats wrong today?[/color]

Gremlins??

Try deleting all of the files in the '..\Divine Divinity\Run\Dynamic' folder...

While its loading, when the proccess bar is in the end, it crashes to windows. I did try deleting all the files in the dynamic folder but still the same. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

What I also did was, created a new game, saved it, quit, then tried loading it and it was fine. At that point I tried loading my normal saved game and failed (crashed to windows again). Now trying to load the new game I created and again failed. It looks like something is corrpting all the saved games. The difference is that the new game when tries to oad it, the proccess bar doesnt even start as ooposed to the other saved games that reaches the end and then crashes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Check the number of files in the save folders. Can you try a save on a different system?
I still have the save you sent me, that I can email back.

I have 22 files on the latest saved game folder. I'll try my saved games on another system as well. I have the saved game I emailed you(on a CD) as well.

The number of files is correct, anyway....

Im having this same problem but it happens to me when I enter doors in the first town. Just started playing the game. It doesnt happen down in the catacombs just in town. It also seems to be random. It crashs to windows giving me the "div.exe has encountered problems..." message. I tried all the video modes and screen resolutions only to find the same response. But what is funny is this wasnt happening last night but its happening today.

Is there a glitch with the sound just before the crash? Try turning your sound hardware acceleration down a notch (click Start | Run, type 'dxdiag' and hit enter, switch to the Sound tab). See;
Roofs’ fade-in/fade-out crash

This is an old topic before the forum server/domain was changed, so any links to "lariancom.siteprotect.net" just have to have that part of the URL changed to "larian.com" to work properly.


Try deleting all of the files in the '..\Divine Divinity\Run\Dynamic' folder.
This folder is used as a cache for the game. Files are created / copied there from the save game folder when you load, and written / copied from that folder when you save a game. The files will be re-created as required the next time you start Divinity. If there was a corrupt file in that folder, deleting the files should fix the problem.

Troubleshooting Tips (& manual install procedure)

This is right the problem I fought and I won! Just when your process bar is in the end, move your mouse around a bit. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />

Oh man I hope you dont have the same problem I have. For the last 10 days or so I've been trying to solve it and it just wont go away. Mine started like yours, one day it was fine the other it wasnt. Something seems to mess up with my saved games and possibly the story files. Still havent figured out what it is <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />

Yes the game has a funny sound when it crashes so ill tell my dad who is playing right now(likes to take the comp away from so he can play)that this may be the problem. He also change the display drivers this morning. Well thnx for the advice and I hope you get your mess figured out Boubounas.

Ok changing the display drivers has seemed to fixed the div.exe error but it still crashed once but without the noise or the error just went straight to the desktop. By the way the video card im using is radeon 9700.

Hi you, it seems that not only you have this problem whit sudden crashes. I have also a similar problem ... i can go inside the dwarven-king's throne room but if i want to get out and get my equipment back the game just crashes and goes back to windows ... also i have another problem but i dunno if it's a real problem ... my ghostresistance (i dunno if this is right) ist -100 , and poisonresistance is 100 points to much ... and if it helps with the crashing-problem, I tried to put my hole equipment in front of the throne room and got in and also out... but it had crashes when I was putting on my equipment again. I dunno what's wrong with my game ... but I can't go on ... I have to go to the dwarven-king for the permission to enter the dwarven-mines. Plz I need also help <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />


Sry if my english isn't very well, I'm a german ... so plz forgive me^.^

Toss a teleporter stone into the throne room, and you can teleport past the guards. If you are a mage, you can use the swap places special move with one of the guards inside. Alternately, you can use an area effect spell that does not need a target (such as Poison Cloud) to kill them without a reputation drop (cast the spell near them, but not directly on them).

For your resistances, it looks like you drank a super drug potion. The effect wears off after a couple hours (I'm not sure the exact time).


Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Thx for the fast answer, I will try it in a moment. And also thx for the problem with my resistance, I didn't know that the drug-potion will have such an great effect ... so enough of writing ... I'll play along now ... exploring the mines of the dwarves ;P

And again thx fo all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Umm...hello! Bent Mai <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" /> and welcome to the forum

Hi there, first post for me here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
This game is full of bugs.
I can't stand it any longer...
Just bought it from a mate and now that I am starting to enjoy it, it continues crashing to windows.
No way to understand when it crashes, just random problems with no messages, just a windows drop <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />
Is it possible that it is so buggy ?
Tried all your solutions I found on the forum, also uninstalled the game today, but no changes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />

am i one of the lucky people who never found a bug?

Welcome to the Forum <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

You say you bought the game, and installed it on your comp, and did you get it patched, before starting any games?
Did you try to adjust any of the options from the configtool?
Did you try a scandisk, and a defrag, shutdown, restart....then reinstall?
Any taskbar (hidden) programs running in bkg?

Hello to you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />
I installed the game on my PC, patched it and started playing. When I found myself repeatedly crashing back to windows with no notice, I tried changing between resolutions, selecting and deselecting smoothness etc.
Then I came to this forum and read everything I found about the problem.
Yesterday I uninstalled and reinstalled the game and still nothing changed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />
I already did a scandisk, defrag and various restarts.
About my bkg running programs, tried to close them using task manager and nothing changed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />
Now I really do not know what to do. It is really frustrating to play for 5 min. and then when I try to save or whatever I do, the game simply crashes to my desktop.

could it be a virus file, or bad disk pressing....
you are using the original disks right! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Come now Jurak, nobody would post on this forum with a Warez disk! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" /> I am not using the 1.34 patch, but the 1.32. I have a understanding with my <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" />.
I shut down everything. I mean everything not essential to the OS. Any program that does random updates will throw you out. Messenger programs especially. Firewalls, virus scanners, all of them. Off. Every now and then I will get a freeze while looking at multiple inventory screens, but I save so often it is not a big deal to load a save. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> wants everything your computer has to give. I give it. As long as I remember to shut everything off, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> and I get along fine...

there we go.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> ...you heard it here first folks.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

...Uh, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I finally solved my problems.
The pc started rebooting at random times also after finishing playing DD.
At the end, I thought it should be some hardware prob, as I did not have any virus on my pc.
It came out to be one of my Rams (I do have 2x512 MB) which caused several problems. As soon as I took it out everything started working properly and I did not have random crashes every 5 min. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Thanks for your help and sorry to have thought at once about the program itself...
Have fun <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />