BOXX m4 with combustion 3

[specialk]

Ok I just purchased a BOXX m4 with combustion 3. I just received it last friday, ever since i got it combustion has been crashing. It sorta worked at first, it still crashed but just luckily after i had already rendered some stuff....anyways, as far as i know i have all the propper drivers and updates. Still it crashes, Boxx hasnt helped me out yet, basically they said to first call discreet cuz C3 should be working fine. Discreet hasnt been able to help either, although they are trying. Im just wondering if it would be a good idea to re-format my computer and try and start from scratch? cuz technically the computer should be fine, thousands of people use the same computer as me with the same program and have no problems.
My Vid card is an Nvidia Quadro4 750xgl 128mb 4 x AGP, so my card should be able to handle it, i have dual Opteron processors aswell and when it does render it renders fast!......it also keeps sending error reports to microsoft everytime it crashes.

Is there any known issues with C3??? how about compatibility issues with c3 and c2??? cuz the first project i worked on was a c2 file brought into c3. But it still crahses when i make my workspaces with c3...



Any input would be muchly appreciated as i have a deadline creeping up on a very important deadline that could make or break my career in my city.....

first thinsg first though, is it safe for me to re-formatt? like i have nothing to lose in the sense that it wont hurt the computer right?

[Aruna]

I'm not sure how the BOXXs are configured.. Is it a Win2k, WinXP pro, Win98, install? Did you install C3 on it, or did you get it packaged like that from BOXX?

How is it crashing? Does it go to the BSOD? What are you doing when it crashes? I would seriously consider NOT reformatting and reinstalling the OS at such a time, IF there is immediate BOXX or discreet tech support. After all, it is your dime, and if they don't help out, they could seriously jeopardize your career, and steer you away from their products!

Just my two cents, since I don't have the full information about your current machine. One thing you might try, is uninstalling C3 and reinstalling it to see what happens. It could be that a driver didn't get copied over on the C3 install. Give it a shot.

[specialk]

Originally posted by Aruna
I'm not sure how the BOXXs are configured.. Is it a Win2k, WinXP pro, Win98, install? Did you install C3 on it, or did you get it packaged like that from BOXX?

How is it crashing? Does it go to the BSOD? What are you doing when it crashes? I would seriously consider NOT reformatting and reinstalling the OS at such a time, IF there is immediate BOXX or discreet tech support. After all, it is your dime, and if they don't help out, they could seriously jeopardize your career, and steer you away from their products!

Just my two cents, since I don't have the full information about your current machine. One thing you might try, is uninstalling C3 and reinstalling it to see what happens. It could be that a driver didn't get copied over on the C3 install. Give it a shot.

yeah i didnt think anyone could help, youd pretty much have to be here with me to see.....

I run WIndows xp pro, the computer came with everything installed, all i did was windows udpdate, which tech told me to do anyways. I didnt install anything that wasnt needed. I have tried uninstalliing and re-installing C3 which doesnt make a difference. what am i doing when it crashes? everything and anything basically, I start a new workspace, works fine at first, then it crashes, so i open it again, crashes, then i get it open without it crashing and try to view my image at "best" then it crahses, i open it again and change a setting, and it crashes. It doesnt go into any modes, a window just pops up and says "error:blah blah blah blah blah click here to send error report to microsoft" and then shuts down. Sometimes if i re-open after a crash things in my workspace are different such as drop shadow coordinates and mask placement....sometimes it opens and leaves a blank composite window with nothing in it. Its really frusterating, and tech sems to take weekends off so its not very much help for me to sit here for two days wondering what the heck im gonna say to my employer about our project......i dont understand whats bad about re-formatting? you made it sound like id mess things up worse....

[Aruna]

Hmm.. I'd try several things.. Sounds like it could be a memory error. I had something similar, where my computer would crash alot (just software after a certain load into RAM, no hard crashes). I did a check on the actual memory in the machine, and it turned out that a couple chips on it were fried (magnetized, messed up, whatever). If you can, try downloading a free memory check utility that cycles the memory through different cycles, and see what it gives you. If you're low on time, bring your memory to a computer store, and have them check it with a hardware checker (probably cost a little more, but is quicker, usually), call ahead to make sure they can do it.

It's been my experience that whenever you try reformatting or doing anything drastic to your computer under a deadline, something will go wrong. Reformatting a NEW machine isn't necessary. I seriously think it's something besides the WinXP and C3 install. Production machines should work out of the box, and not require the user to install software or hardware. As I type this, I'm on a production machine that's been up for 115 days. You may be fully qualified to rip the interior of the machine out and rebuild it, but do you really want to do that with a deadline coming up? Of course, you may have no recourse if you don't have another machine to work on.

Check the RAM with a memory cycle checker, and see what it gives you. Hope that helps a little bit, and steers you in the right direction. When's your deadline?

[specialk]

thing is the Boxx computer will render my project in two hours, while my other comp' takes a whopping 25 hours! I have a minimum of 8 graphics to have done and at 25 hours of rendering time atleast each its 200hrs before ill be done. Even changing a setting takes 10 minutes of waiting before the workspace updates to the changes.

My deadline is probably this week, they will probably call monday and say "hey man its great youve been working so hard, were having a production meeting on wednesday and wed like you to show us what you have".......

I will check the memory thingy you mentioned....

[Paul Moran]

one thing that does come to mind for me is also a potential VGA driver conflict ..usually your Quatro will come with software that lets you do an intelligent update of the drivers ... something like a windows update..but for your graphics card. More often than not..the latest drivers for a crad are NOT the way to go! ... Im not too sure of the most stable driver version for your particular card, but im sure Jack Pfeiffer would know ...why dont you try contacting him here: Jack 9.9 times out of ten, Jack will know how to fix it

Im with Aruna on the formatting thang, ordinarliy you will have everything on hand to rebuild your PC (software wise) ...but surely BOXX have a quality control that sees all boxx' bench tested for a period of time like 1-2 weeks before they ship them out. Formatting aint going to help...if anything...run a defrag and disk check over night for your own piece of mind ...

There you go, its either memory, or a VGA driver issue ...my moneys on the driver.

Let me know how you go mate

Cheers

Paul

Just checked out the nVid site... Drivers HERE are only the latest up to date ones, which im sure BOXX have installed...but at least you have a reference as to the latest version for your card now (v28.32)

[specialk]

Yeah i tried that driver but discreet told me to use the 53.03 at the top....anyways neither made a difference. I will try an contact JP and see what he thinks.

[jackpfeiffer]

Hi...

I have sent this direct to SpecialK via PM,
and thought I would post this here as well..

Hi SpecialK

As for your problem, TWO things comes to mind:

1) The last time I saw something like this, it was due to some defective RAM.. Try to remove/swap/replace the RAM and test...

2) There could be a "problem" with your basic preferences configuration. If so, the simple fix is to delete your "host.ini" file: Note that all of the Combustion SetUps are stored in the file called "host.ini"....
The information in that file includes all the users Preferences, menu positioning, combustion setups, render setting defaults, etc, etc. etc.
Whenever there is an UNUSUAL operational problem with Combustion, for example IT CRASHES ALL THE TIME, you have "lost" a menu/tab, or, things get too wierd, The FAST & EASY way to RESET combustion is to....

1) Close combustion,
2) Do a seach for the "host.ini" file
3) delete it.
4) open Combustion again.

The next time you open combustion, the file will be re-created with ALL Settings back to "factory-defaults."

BIG TIP: What I have done is to set ALL my on-screen, menu, and render preferences EXACTLY the way I like them, and then close combustion... I COPIED that host.ini file and have renamed it to "MYhost.ini" ... The next time I need to quickly "restore" Combustion (with all my preferences intact) I copy it and put it back on top on the old suspect host.ini file...

Have a good day, and Keep combustin'

jack
denmark

[specialk]

thnx alot for trying to help guys....

I havent tried Jacks suggestions yet but so far no luck on everything else.....

im wondering is there some specififc setting i should have my vid card set to for combustion? im runnin a Nvidia Quadro4 750xgl

[specialk]

I did a search for the "host.ini" file as you suggested but there isnt one.

maybe thats the problem?? cuz i searched the whole computer and there isnt a file named "host.ini"....

im running c3, maybe c3 doesnt have a host file?

[renderizer]

There defintiely IS a host.ini file.

It's somewhere in your documents and settings folder.

For a start, go to your folders settings (My Computer) and turn on show hidden files in the rollout.

I can't really tell you where to go and what to click, as I'm working with the german version of Windoze, so the naming is a little different...in the german version it sits in the 'Extras' menu, but I'm not sure about the english version...

Go ahead anyway, it's there for sure!

As for your other problem, I have to agree that it sound like a RAM issue - had a similiar thing going a couple of month ago.

Is it only Combustion that's crashlanding, or does it make your whole machine go over the edge?

Any blue screens?

[specialk]

no blue screens as of yet and it is only combustion that crashes...it sends a microsoft error report everytime too...ill keep lookin for that host.ini file.....that would be really sweet if thats all it was but i have to find it first to find out! lol


P.S. what does that microsoft error report do anyways? does it do anything for me?



oh yeah i also searched for ".ini" files and it found tons....just none named host.ini



EDIT: I found the Host .ini file...deleted it and tried to open my project, and it crashed again...so it seems that thats not the issue.....but thnx anyways guys

[SalaTar]

c:\\Documents and Settings\<you>\Application Data\combustion or combustion3

[renderizer]

If that didn't help I'd really go and play the 'swap yer RAM sticks' game...

You can also go here to downlaod a little tool and run a RAM test in DOS-mode: http://www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp

This little application helped me to nail my memory issues some month ago.

You'll probably have to run the burn-in test repeatedly for a couple of hrs over night.

Again: good luck, and keep us informed!

[specialk]

do you mean open the boxx and pull out and put back the ram sticks? like basically fiddle with them?

ill check that program you mentioned too

the engineers at discreet have taken all my log and system files to see if they can find a problem..so hopefully they get back with something