FF7 crash when entering a battle, showing an MCI error

[Magus Spirit]

Hello there.

I was able to get FF7 successfully working under Windows XP, and it runs without any problem except this one: when I enter a battle, I sometimes get an MCI error, and the whole game exits when I click "OK" in this error box. This error occurs about once every 50 battles. You may say this isn't much, but when it randomly occurs at some critical point, it gets really annoying.

My configuration is as follows:
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1500+
Memory: 256 MB SDRAM PC133
Video: NVIDIA TNT2 M64
Sound: Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
OS: Windows XP Pro SP1

I am running FF7 V1.02 French, with the TNT box set in FF7Config. The FF7 executable has been custom-patched to solve the Chocobo crash (I did try with an original FF7 1.02, and after some battles, the error did occur, so my custom patch is not the reason for this crash).

I hope I'm not asking for something that hasn't been solved already, but I did search the forum and did not find an answer.

Anybody care to help ?

[EmperorSteele]

It's a problem i get, too.  I find the best way to avoid it is to keep my computer on, deal with the crashes, and after a while, it behaves itself.  I think winxp has a way of temporarily fixing such problems, but only until you turn it off.

[Magus Spirit]

The thing is, I can play the game for hours without having this crash, and then suddently, it occurs, for no reason.

[Dreakon]

I recall getting errors in battles before, but it wasnt at random.  It was whenever I did certain limit breaks (Cid's Hyper Jump) that I got an error.  I don't know if it was the same one but are you sure it's just at random and not when you cast a certain spell or use a certain skill?

[Darkdevil]

It's a problem i get, too.  I find the best way to avoid it is to keep my computer on, deal with the crashes, and after a while, it behaves itself.  I think winxp has a way of temporarily fixing such problems, but only until you turn it off.

Hrm...You mean it may keep system made patches in teporary memory?
If you are right about this, perhaps we may be able to find a "cure" for the cosmo crash...

I recall getting errors in battles before, but it wasnt at random.  It was whenever I did certain limit breaks (Cid's Hyper Jump) that I got an error.  I don't know if it was the same one but are you sure it's just at random and not when you cast a certain spell or use a certain skill?

That sounds to me like a file error....If its only with a certain attack, its possibly a file in Battle.LGP or Magic.LGP could be corrupt or malfunctioning...

[Magus Spirit]

I recall getting errors in battles before, but it wasnt at random.  It was whenever I did certain limit breaks (Cid's Hyper Jump) that I got an error.  I don't know if it was the same one but are you sure it's just at random and not when you cast a certain spell or use a certain skill?

Well, it occurs when entering the battle, before I can even enter any battle command, so yeah, I'm not casting any spell nor using a certain skill.

BTW, it is an MCI error, so, it would be a sound problem ?

[Goku7]

I recall getting errors in battles before, but it wasnt at random.  It was whenever I did certain limit breaks (Cid's Hyper Jump) that I got an error.  I don't know if it was the same one but are you sure it's just at random and not when you cast a certain spell or use a certain skill?

Well, it occurs when entering the battle, before I can even enter any battle command, so yeah, I'm not casting any spell nor using a certain skill.

BTW, it is an MCI error, so, it would be a sound problem ?

Let's see.....the MCI interface covers Sound (as in Wave Playback), MIDI, Video For Windows, CD audio....so it would be a definite possibility to consider.

Unless MCI has evolved in XP to be used as part of DirectX, then let's rule out the stuff MCI covers:

1.) Wave Playback -- Handled by DirectSound, MCI shouldn't be involved.

2.) Video for Windows (aka "VFW")--While the codec FF7 installs is a VFW-type codec, the actual playback is handled by DirectShow, so MCI shouldn't be involved.  But with no movies being played, its ruled out anyway.

3.) CD Audio -- There's no CD-audio tracks being accessed, so that's out.

4.) MIDI -- The DirectX5 interface does not use the DirectMusic Engine for MIDI playback (since DirectMusic didn't exist until DX6), so it would be using the MCI interface for playback.

If the crash is occuring when the game is just starting to switch between MIDI files, then there you go.

What MIDI driver and FF7 MIDI pack setting (GM, XG, or SF2?) are you using?

[Magus Spirit]

I'm using the "SB Live! Synth A" driver with GM data (never been able to use SF2 data).

[Goku7]

Well, from my understanding, the inability to use FF7's SF2 data on modern-day SoundBlaster stuff is normal.

Also, I've heard that supposedly the drivers for the SBLive! are rather buggy, and that could be the problem.  If there is a "known bugs" list included with your SBLive! drivers, check them to see if they mention anything in regards to FF7.

Finally, you should perhaps try both using older or newer Creative sets and/or using the third party "kX Project" driverset for WinXP.  If the kX Projet stuff works while all the official driver sets by Creative still have the crash, then it probably means there's a bug in the official set that Creative just didn't  care about fixing.....

[Magus Spirit]

I didn't find any "know bugs" list. However, I noticed I was in fact able to use SF2 data, though FF7Config isn't able to "test" it.

Anyway, I'm now about to install the kX drivers.