[PLEASE READ] Help getting around the CosmoCrash

[dziugo]

Hello there,

Some of you may know me, some don't. My name's dziugo and right now I'm working on getting around the CosmoCrash. I think that I found a way to fix it by changing the main executable (ff7.exe), but I need some info from you guys. If you wish to help me, please don't stop reading.

First thing - system info

Please fill in this questionnaire, and post it. It doesn't matter if you're experiencing crashes or not.

1. Operation System: [simple XP/98 is ok]
2. System Memory: [your RAM size in MB]
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? [Yes/No]
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: [be as precise as possible - if you're running from a virtual drive, just type "virtual drive"]
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? [Yes/No]
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? [Yes/No]

5c. <Only if you typed No in 5b> How did you make your copy? [be as precise as possible - if it's Ultima version, just type "Ultima"]
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? (please make a list) [typical: none/Cosmo/Gondola/Black Materia/other]

And that's it.

NOTE: If you are using Ultima version or any other downloaded one, please make a comment about it. If you don't want people to know that you are using one, fill in the questionnaire and PM it to me (your information is safe with me, but do that only if you trust me).

Example:

1. Operation System: Windows Server 2003
2. System Memory: 768 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: BENQ DD DW1620 (DVD+-RW)
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Copied all the files from the CD and burnt it on blank one.
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? none

NOTE: I'm not experiencing any of those crashes, that's why I was able to write gypt. If you want to help community and get rid of those crashes, please reply with your system info.

Asking for help

I need someone who is experiencing the CosmoCanyon crash to help me, and give some info about FF7 memory status when the problem occurs. It would require running a program on your computer so PM me if you're ok with that, and still wish to help me.

Thanks in advance.
dziugo

[RPGillespie]

1. Operation System: Windows XP
2. System Memory: 256 MB (1 GB including virtual memory)
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: HP dvd-rom 8x
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No (I need to preserve them from being scratched!)
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Copied files from original to blank.
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? only crash I ever had was the chocobo crash but I fixed it with the patch.

[Zack]

1. Operation System: Windows XP
2. System Memory: 1 GB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes (with 1.02 patch)
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Creative 52X mx
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? Yes
5c. How did you make your copy?  N/A
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? none (except chocobo crash but fixed with patch.)

[Relf]

Just wondering, as my game will not likely be working until a later date due to a codec conflict, can someone whose game works perfectly remove the directshow codec and try one of the areas (Cosmo Canyon ect.)?

[djzerious]

1. Operation System: XP
2. System Memory: 1024 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: virtual drive
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Used Alcohol 120%, mounted to virtual drive.
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? None.....yet...

[DjidaneElric]

1. Operation System: XP
2. System Memory: 512 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: virtual drive
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Clone CD
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? In the sector 7 in the attack of the pillar, in the shinra tower, when Rufus arrive.

[Dakotakid44]

1. Operation System: XP
2. System Memory: 1024 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: DVD
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Clone CD
6. Which crashes are you experiencing?when weapon first awakens after cloud loses his marbles.

[GrapeSmuggler]

1. Operation System: Windows XP Home
2. System Memory: 1 GB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Lite-On CDRW 52x32x52
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? Yes
5c. How did you make your copy?
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? Cosmo, Weapon Movie Crash in Crater

[dziugo]

Thanks for everyone who had posted so far.

looking_at_the_birds, final slash and Cloud_Rulz. I'm terribly sorry for spamming your mail-boxes... Didn't want to send another mail with apologies, so I'll post it here...

Sorry...

dziugo

---------
Edit:

Just wondering, as my game will not likely be working until a later date due to a codec conflict, can someone whose game works perfectly remove the directshow codec and try one of the areas (Cosmo Canyon ect.)?

I've tried that before trying to get my copy of FF7 crash on me. Removing the DirectShow codec results in black screen while playing FMVs.

[Relf]

I've tried that before trying to get my copy of FF7 crash on me. Removing the DirectShow codec results in black screen while playing FMVs.

Yes, but did it also result in crashing at Cosmo Canyon?

[dziugo]

I've tried that before trying to get my copy of FF7 crash on me. Removing the DirectShow codec results in black screen while playing FMVs.

Yes, but did it also result in crashing at Cosmo Canyon?

Dunno what to say... It won't even pass going up with Bugenhagen using his lift. This counts as crashing? Also, there seems to be different ways of playing movies. One only requires some fields to be set, and doesn't care if the movie is actually played (going up for example). The second one (Hey look, a shooting star!) requires some fields to be initialised and a CALL to be made... If I try to bypass this one, It'll result in everybody standing still and blinking their eyes... There is a way to skip this one too, but requires code-modification...

And that's why I need someone to help me, and provide me some info about memory status when the crash occurs... Don't have to much time left, so if someone really wants to do that, please PM me...

dziugo

[Xcalibur]

1. Operation System: Windows 98 SE
2. System Memory: 128 MB RAM
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Acer 50X CDROM
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? A friend handed me a ripped version (please don't kill me)
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? Up to now (i didnt finish the game yet), in Cosmo Canyon and in the date at the Gold Saucer.

PS: Due to the fact that i've got a ripped copy, when the Cosmo Canyon Crash occured to me, i found on the net info on how to bypass it. It consisted in replacing two AVI files in the movies folder (dummy files of 3k each; don't forget i have a ripped copy ) with any other AVI that were of aproximattely 1min and 2min long, respectively. The files were boogstar.avi and boogdemo.avi, and those were the names that i had to put to the new files. And then it worked, with the new AVIs running in the game  

[Threesixty]

copying the movies to the harddrive isn't impossible to do with legit copies. In fact the instruction are on Eidos Support if you look in the correct place.

http://support.eidosinteractive.com/GI/CustomerSupport/FaqAnswer.jsp?faq=924&game=79&platform=3&problemType=5

It's on the very bottom.

I guess the length of the substitued movies is very, important. I've heard mixed results using that option... Guess it was due to the length of the substituted AVI.

Xcalibur: if your substitued blank AVI files worked....maybe you can provide them here...and maybe Qhimm or someone can host them as workaround AVI's. I mean....(2) 3K files?

[chuachongchee]

1. Operation System: Windows XP PRO SP2
2. System Memory: 512 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes, but i use software
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: MSI 16x DVD ROM, but, i'm using a virtual image coz i dont wanna spoil my disks, GameDrive 9.03
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? YES
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? YES* see above
5c. How did you make your copy? Virtual image
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? random crashes

Additional:
Motherboard: ABit NF7-S, Driver: Nvidia nForce 5.10
Graphics Card: Leadtek GF6200 128MB, Driver Nvidia 78.01
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Live DE5.1, Driver: Creative 5.12

[James Pond]

1. Operation System: Windows XP Nemesis SP1 (XP pro corperate edition with certain "tweaks"
2. System Memory: 1 Gb, 512 Corsair value select, 512 Samsung
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: DVD Re-Writer - LG OEM
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? Yes

No crashes at all.

[hay]

1. Operation System: [WinXP SP2]
2. System Memory: [1GB]
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? [Yes]
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: ]HDD(little trick to cheat cdceck it's not nocd crack)]
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? [Yes]
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? [No]
5c. [using movies and data from HDD it works fine, we've figured it out with my bud long ago;)]
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? [that's the weirdest one... With clean 1.02 and hi-res I've suffered date crash on event square and in cosmo canyon right after entering room by the stairs right in front of entrance to town... With ff7w game haven't crash even once ]

If you need someone to 'run a program' say what I've to do and I'll do it(Formating HDD not included )

[dziugo]

If you need someone to 'run a program' say what I've to do and I'll do it(Formating HDD not included )

Not included? You ask me to do another copy of my program just for you?

Thanks to Larken, now I know *why* it crashes and I'm working on a fix. Program is already written but it needs some tweaking and bugfixing... I'll send it to few people (thanks for saying "yes" guys&girl ) and see how it works...

dziugo

[hay]

You ask me to do another copy of my program just for you?

hey, why not. But with flashy stuff, cool music and some nice animations .

I tell you... This FF7w is great ;] it prevents crashes. That's what I've experienced

[bwtn]

PS: Due to the fact that i've got a ripped copy, when the Cosmo Canyon Crash occured to me, i found on the net info on how to bypass it. It consisted in replacing two AVI files in the movies folder (dummy files of 3k each; don't forget i have a ripped copy ) with any other AVI that were of aproximattely 1min and 2min long, respectively. The files were boogstar.avi and boogdemo.avi, and those were the names that i had to put to the new files. And then it worked, with the new AVIs running in the game  

Just registered to say THANKS!  Fixed my Shooting star freeze problem by replacing the boogstar and boogdemo with longer AVI files.  Actually AVI isn't required, any supported media file will play *IF* it's given the correct filename.

Great site here guys, I really hope I can make it through this one, long, tough game.

Keep on Playin!!!

[Chrisu]

1. Operation System: Windows XP SP 2
2. System Memory: 1 GB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes, but only with patch 1.02
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Virtual drive
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Playing with self-made "dummy-images", images that are named FF7DISC<X> and contain no files
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? Game crashes at startup when FSAA/AF is enabled.

[ChaosControl]

1. Operation System: Windows XP SP 2
2. System Memory: 1.5 GB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes, with patch 1.02
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Asus 16x DVD-Burner (don't know type or anything and can't be bothered to look)
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? Yes
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? Some (disc 2 sometimes has errors reading so I use a copy for it and my disc 3 is just fucked up).
5c. How did you make your copy? CloneCD (like 6 years ago so I don't know what version or what).
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? None really.

[miracle.flame]

1. Operation System: [Win XP]
2. System Memory: [1.25 GB]
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? [Yes]
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: [virtual drive]
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? [virtual drive]
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? [virtual drive]
5c. How did you make your copy? [I made images with UltraISO? PowerISO? Don't remember which]
6. Which crashes are you experiencing?
[freeze only sometimes after "arming Mako Cannon FMV" with Rufus and Heidegger just standing there. this topic]

[El_CJ]

1. Operation System: Windows XP Home (SP2)
2. System Memory: 2048 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: LG GWA-4161B DVD Burner
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No
5c. How did you make your copy? Copied all the files from the CD and burnt it on blank one.
6. Which crashes are you experiencing? Cosmo Canyon Shooting Star crash.

Hey, first post!

[TTK_86]

1. Operation System: Windows XP Home (SP2)
2. System Memory: 512 MB
3. Is Direct3D mode playable on your computer? Yes
4. Optical Drive which you use to play FF7: Virtual(Hard-disk is labeled as ff7disc1 etc.)
5a. Did you use original disk when installing FF7? No(discs are too scratched  )
5b. Are you using original disks when playing? No(discs are too scrathed  )
5c. How did you make your copy? Downloaded a torrent. all the files are on hard-disk. no need for cd...
6. no crashes, exept if i alt+tab out...