Here are some simple guidelines and common fixes I've made for the TSG Games forum.
First off, there is no support for illegally downloaded programs/games/cracks/whatever. This is covered in the TSG rules. That means we cannot help you with anything you got off of Kazaa/Kazaa Lite/Morpheus/WinMX/Limewire/DC++/BitTorrent/whatever. Downloading these games or cracks is illegal and not supported on the forums. This also applies to a copy of a game that your friend gave you, whether they downloaded it or not, it's still illegal. If you don't own the original copy of the game you need help with, then don't bother asking for help. This also applies to any game console ROM's or emulators that you have. We will not help you with these problems, so don't bother asking, as your thread will be closed very quickly.
With that out of the way, here are the most common solutions to game problems here:
**Drivers and Updates**
The most common solution to game problems is making sure everything is up to date. Usually, video card drivers are the main cause of a game not working. Before you post, make sure that you have all of the latest driver updates for your video card. nVidia card owners can find drivers
here, and ATI owners can find their drivers
here. If your video card was not made by ATI or nVidia, go to the manufacturer's website, you should be able to find them there. Video drivers are updated every few months or so, so be sure to update them accordingly.
It also doesn't hurt to make sure you have the latest version of DirectX. The current can be found
here.
Also, be sure you have the latest updates and patches for the game(s) you are having trouble with. Many times it is a common problem with the game, and the developers will release a patch for it that fixes the problem. Check the game's official website for patch information.
If a game still doesn't run at all, you should make sure you have the proper hardware to run it - a free, easy test that does it for you is available
here.
Posting a thread
If you still have problems getting a game to work, then please follow these instructions for posting a thread:
- Be as descriptive as possible. Give as much information about the error as you can, when it happens, what game is happens in, does it always happen at the same spot in the game, how the computer responds, etc.
- Post your DXDiag report. This gives us the detailed information of your computer so we can determine if you have the proper hardware to run a game, as well as the proper drivers. No personal information is collected here, it is merely a system report. To get your DXDiag report, follow these instructions:
- Click Start -> Run, and type 'dxdiag' (without quotes), and hit OK.
- If a dialog box comes up, click yes.
- When the progress bar in the lower right corner of the program is done, click the 'Save All Information' button
- Save the information to somewhere you'll remember (the desktop is the easiest choice).
- Open the saved file, hit Ctrl+A (select all), and then Ctrl+C (copy).
- Then, paste that information into your thread.
That's it! With this information, and your detailed problem, you should be on your way to getting help. Please remember that this is a forum, and people are here to help. If nobody responds right away, you can 'bump' your post after 24 hours, but please wait before doing so, don't be upset if you don't get a response instantly.
Other Common Errors and Solutions: Compatibility Mode:
Many older games, usually those made before Windows XP was released, don't work well on XP or Vista systems. Sometimes, running these games in compatibility mode will work. To do this, right-click the shortcut for the game, and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab, and select a mode there. Usually, if any mode will work, they'll all work, but Windows 98 is a pretty safe choice. Then, just hit OK, and see if it works.
Errors during installation, feature transfer error, cyclic redundancy check:
Typically, these errors are caused by either a damaged CD or DVD, or a faulty CD/DVD drive. To check if this is the problem, try copying the contents of the disc to your computer. Just open My Computer, right-click the CD/DVD drive, and hit Open. Hit Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C (Select all, and copy), then paste it somewhere on your hard drive. If it can't copy successfully, then try cleaning the disc, or try to get a new one by returning it, or by contacting the manufacturer.
System restarting, freezing, or blue screen of death:
This can be caused by many things, but here are a few things to check. First, test your computer's memory. This can be done using
MemTest. Follow the instructions there on how to run it, and if you get any errors, be sure to mention what test they occur on.
You should also check your computer for overheating. Just open your computer, make sure all the fans are working properly, and clean out any dust accumulations inside. Try running the game with the side of the case open - if it helps, then you have an overheating problem.
Games running slowly:
Try turning down graphics settings. Lowering the resolution will usually make the most drastic improvement, as well as AA/AF levels, and texture settings.
If a game is still running poorly, make sure you close all unnecessary background applications. Hit Ctrl+alt+del to open up the task manager, and you can close things from there. In XP/2K, hit the 'Processes' tab to show running programs. You may also want to do a spyware check, using something like Ad-Aware or Spybot (or both).
You should also make sure that your hard drive is running efficiently, especially if a game is running slowly. To do this, you should at least run ScanDisk on your hard drive, and then defragment it. These utilities can be found by clicking Start ->Programs ->Accessories ->System Tools -> Drive Defragmenter, or ScanDisk.
**Pogo/Yahoo/other Online games**
For pogo.com and other online games, all of that stuff above is often unnecessary, but usually couldn't hurt. If you can't access the game site, and you've been able to before, then it is most likely the website's fault. Just wait a bit, and it should work eventually. If something goes wrong in the middle of a game, there's really nothing we can do about it. Since they are online games, there aren't any patches you can download to fix it, so you'll just have to deal with it. If you have other problems with pogo, then use the Search feature at the bottom of the forum, just search for 'pogo', and you should get a bunch of results. Many problems have already been solved, make sure yours is not similar to those problems before you post.
One of the more common solutions to pogo games has been to download the latest Java applet, which can be found
here.
Finally, for all questions, make sure you use the search feature to look for your problem first. There have been tons of problems with games here, and chances are, someone has already had the problems you're having.
If anyone has other info or suggestions they would like to add to this, please, PM me!
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