Zt2 Es W/a 2nd Monitor & The Blue Screen Of Death

[Nettie]

hey guys,

i finallt got ES for x-mas ans installed it.  I also installed a second monitor for my computer as well.  It seems i'm having some trouble with the game and wondering if anyone else is having this problem.

i know with ZT2 it would crash or just close all of a sudden but this is different.  i play the game and it's all fine and dandy   but when ES does crash, my computer makes this horrible matrix-like screeching noise and goes to the "blue screen of death".  (you know where it says it's begining the dump of physical memory.)   And it does this everytime i play the game for more than an hour.  anyone else get that kind of problem or know how to fix it?  i can deal with crashing or closing, but i hate hearing that awful noise, seeing that terrifying blue screen, and having to have to restart my computer everytime i wanna play. (By the way, my visuals are turned down too)

On top of that i can't scroll to the right because of the second monitor, i've been using the keys instead but it's really annoying, any one know how to fix that with out uninstalling my second monitor?

since i installed both of these at the same time, i'm not sure if either the game or the second monitor is causing the problem.  any insight would be much appreciated.

thanks,
Nettie

[csleesburg]

Hi, Nettie! Nice to meet you. Well, as a semi-expert with computers, I can tell you that it making that "matrix-like" screaming noise is NOT good! That's your hard drive. I'm betting you're beginning to have motherboard problems. Before your entire pc stops operating, I would certainly have it checked (FAST!). I also would not attempt to do anyting REALLY important in the meantime.

I suggest you VERY quickly backup ALL, repeat, ALL your data (including saved ZT2 games and animals) because if the hard drive/motherboard goes, you're sunk. There IS no recovery from that (as far as data goes). System, yes. Data, no.

You said it "dumps physical memory" after about an hour? How much memory (RAM) do you have? How fast is your processor? Could be your computer isn't "up to" ZT2/ES

Now, you said you have two screens? First, may I ask why? The only reason to have a second screen is if you have a second computer. If you've gotten a newer, better screen, just put the old one in the backroom for emergencies. Having two monitors doesn't mean you have more space on your hard drive, see. :erm  Use the better of the two screens. Only one can be plugged into your computer at a time anyway. If you're trying to plug two in, that could be the solution to the FIRST problem (but I strongly doubt it).

If you're getting the 'blue screen of death', that tells me you don't have Windows XP. If you've not upgraded, it's quite possible your original graphics card/s aren't up to the game, either. Those should be updated with the latest drivers and/or replaced with new ones (big $$).

That's all I can think of to tell you for starters. If none of that helps.... well, actually, I don't know what else to say. Sorry.  :sad

[Artemis]

I've got to contradict you on one thing, csleesburg -- regarding the two moniters, certain systems do have the ability to have two moniters plugged in (including mine, but I don't use it). People use it for increased moniter space. It makes it so you can have four or five windows spread out across your screen, with each one visible. It's useful for presentations and instruction.

Though it is stated somewhere, perhaps in the manual, that ZT2 WILL malfunction when faced with two moniters.

[Nettie]

yeah i have two monitors for the space reason.  I'm an art major, who uses photoshop alot and often i need lots of space to spread things out.  (that and i often keep my music player and AIM open on the other screen while i use the main screen)  I'm pretty good with computers, and my system is very new and has lots of space (i think i've only used a quarter of my free space and there is a TON of programs and files on my computer).  I had an expert of a friend build it for me (we built it with a sound card that lets you have two monitors, so i'm not worried about that being the problem or anything).  He took a look at everything and said he thought it was fine (he's seen the screen and heard the noise), but he thought it was a problem with the game since this didn't start happening until i installed ES.  The last two times i opened ZT2 i didn't have a problem, so i'm hoping what ever is was, it went away.  I do have windows XP as well.

when i get the blue screen, it says it's dumped all the physical memory, however i see no noticable change in my computer or files when i restart.  i always constantly back-up everything just in case (I live on a college campus where blackouts and pranks run ramptant lol.)  

I figured out how to get around that pesky 2nd monitor thing though, it seems you can scroll w/ the mouse as long as the cursor doesn't go onto the 2nd screen.  (you get the little yellow arrow, then you can move).  it's annoying, but i'll live with it.

does this help clear thing up at all?

[zoodude123]

i had the same problem as this (except the noise), on my sisters comp. I ditched the second monitor (much to her disgust ) and it stopped and Endangered species works fine now.

[Nettie]

my friend has brought it to my attention that the noise may have come from my Winamp player.  It was open during the times when it crashed.  i guess the game crashed while he was messing with it and it made a different noise (it looped two words of a song over and over again until he restarted).  So perhaps the matrix screeching noise was just part of the mp3 playing getting messed up.  who knows...

[csleesburg]

Originally posted by Nettie@Jan 7 2006, 07:11 PM
my friend has brought it to my attention that the noise may have come from my Winamp player. It was open during the times when it crashed. i guess the game crashed while he was messing with it and it made a different noise (it looped two words of a song over and over again until he restarted). So perhaps the matrix screeching noise was just part of the mp3 playing getting messed up. who knows...

Well, wouldn't THAT be annoying!!  Not a nice thing to do! :><

Thanks for the info on the two monitors, Artemis! I've never seen that done (and I worked in a HUGE place). It was always one monitor per computer. Nice to know that!  :happy

BUT - if you have XP, you shouldn't ever see the 'blue screen of death'. That was one of its biggest selling points! Crash - yes. Blue screen - no. I'm still puzzled by that one..?? :huh In all the people I know who have XP, no one has ever seen it. That's why we love XP so! :lol

[Artemis]

You're welcome. ^^ I think it's a fairly new development, but don't quote me on that -- I'm no computer genius.

I don't have XP (I'm in Windows 98), but it's on all the computers at school where I'm the webmaster, so I tend to work with them a lot. I've never seen a BSoD either, but maybe I'm not crashing it right. :lol: Waha, chatspeak. -kills it-