*Problem:
Your AOC randomly freezes when game starts for multiplayer ( or even single player ), or when you wish to open new rec for watching. You just see the black screen, or maybe screen which is faded a bit. Not rarely sound start repeating in loops... Mouse is not moving, and you can't type anything on the keyboard because nothing helps to make Windows start responding... on end, you eventually restart computer and open AOC again... It happens 1-2 times per day in average, and you can't know when it will happen. If you were about to play a team game, game starts but other players see that you dropped before game even started...
I am not sure how many people face this problem every day, but I had this problem and desperately was looking for solution. I think I found it ( so far I didn't get the freezing ), seems that this solution is fix for this very annoying problem.
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SOLUTION: You have to make these TWO changes in you Windows 7
1. change: Disable "DirectDraw Acceleration" (using DirectX x86 diagnostic tool, or similar)
2. change: Apply "Universal Theme Patch" (patch is in the attachment below)
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*Descriptions and explanation:
1. change:
Disabling "DirectDraw Acceleration", I believe that video processor and memory doesn't process graphics of AOC anymore ( only CPU does ), and therefore new directx algorithms and technologies don't become involved into game rendering. I believe that bug is caused by some kind of error due lack of 100% compatibility between new drivers and old technologies implemented inside the game.
How to do this: Start->type "dxdiag" press enter->press Display->come to this picture http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/images/dxdiag.gif. And press "Disable". If you don't know how to do this, or you are not sure are you doing it correctly, BugaTheGreat is right person to contact. Ask questions here, and people will surely help.
NOTE: disabling DirectDraw can cause some problems with other games, programs or windows itself. If that happen, simply enable it again.
NOTE2: there are two versions of Drectx diagnostic tool, one is x86 version, and other is x64. Version x86 is the one u have to use, and it changes only values in registry which are used for older programs and games such is AOC. You can also try to do same with x64 version, if you was unable to fix freezing, only with disabling x86 version. Each version will effect on each set of registry in windows. Sometimes, its not easy to know which one set of registries your Windows reads as default, so maybe if u apply change on both, it can increase chance that freezing will be fixed.
2. change:
"Universal Theme Patch" is a different aspect of the fix: it makes Windows 7 easier to switch between "Aero" and "Basic" theme. It makes Windows 7 switching faster and a way more stable. It makes game able to get "graphic context handler" faster, and more consistently.
How to: Universal Theme Patch is the attachment, download and unzip (anywhere, for example on Desktop). In the patch are included both versions for x86 and x64 computers, pick the correct version for your Windows 7 ( if one doesn't apply due some error, try other one ). When you open patch, it will show you several dialog windows, on 1st you pick language, on 2nd it informs you how many files are needed to patch. Inside main window there are 3 files listed and every each of them has a one "patch" button. Click every each of buttons ( patching all 3 files ), exit program, and restart PC.
NOTE: You may install both versions for x86 and x64 of the patch on your computer, it won't be mistake, actually it can help. This can increase chance that you will patch all relevant files in your Windows, because sometimes duplicate libraries can cause Windows reads both versions of x86 and x64 one same library, but its not always 100% sure which one will remain as default when Windows is booting.
*Conclusion:
After this, your AOC will not freeze again, and problem will be solved. I hope that this will work for all people who suffer this problem, feel free to post questions, suggestions, and also more detailed explanations. I would ask people who understand a bit better than me this problem to give us more informations, and also more ways of fixing if it is known. Also, people who have good experience with "disabling of direct draw", I would ask them to post some step-by-step guide, or program ( or reg files ), how it can be done automatically.
Good luck and happy playing AOC
Your AOC randomly freezes when game starts for multiplayer ( or even single player ), or when you wish to open new rec for watching. You just see the black screen, or maybe screen which is faded a bit. Not rarely sound start repeating in loops... Mouse is not moving, and you can't type anything on the keyboard because nothing helps to make Windows start responding... on end, you eventually restart computer and open AOC again... It happens 1-2 times per day in average, and you can't know when it will happen. If you were about to play a team game, game starts but other players see that you dropped before game even started...
I am not sure how many people face this problem every day, but I had this problem and desperately was looking for solution. I think I found it ( so far I didn't get the freezing ), seems that this solution is fix for this very annoying problem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLUTION: You have to make these TWO changes in you Windows 7
1. change: Disable "DirectDraw Acceleration" (using DirectX x86 diagnostic tool, or similar)
2. change: Apply "Universal Theme Patch" (patch is in the attachment below)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Descriptions and explanation:
1. change:
Disabling "DirectDraw Acceleration", I believe that video processor and memory doesn't process graphics of AOC anymore ( only CPU does ), and therefore new directx algorithms and technologies don't become involved into game rendering. I believe that bug is caused by some kind of error due lack of 100% compatibility between new drivers and old technologies implemented inside the game.
How to do this: Start->type "dxdiag" press enter->press Display->come to this picture http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/images/dxdiag.gif. And press "Disable". If you don't know how to do this, or you are not sure are you doing it correctly, BugaTheGreat is right person to contact. Ask questions here, and people will surely help.
NOTE: disabling DirectDraw can cause some problems with other games, programs or windows itself. If that happen, simply enable it again.
NOTE2: there are two versions of Drectx diagnostic tool, one is x86 version, and other is x64. Version x86 is the one u have to use, and it changes only values in registry which are used for older programs and games such is AOC. You can also try to do same with x64 version, if you was unable to fix freezing, only with disabling x86 version. Each version will effect on each set of registry in windows. Sometimes, its not easy to know which one set of registries your Windows reads as default, so maybe if u apply change on both, it can increase chance that freezing will be fixed.
2. change:
"Universal Theme Patch" is a different aspect of the fix: it makes Windows 7 easier to switch between "Aero" and "Basic" theme. It makes Windows 7 switching faster and a way more stable. It makes game able to get "graphic context handler" faster, and more consistently.
How to: Universal Theme Patch is the attachment, download and unzip (anywhere, for example on Desktop). In the patch are included both versions for x86 and x64 computers, pick the correct version for your Windows 7 ( if one doesn't apply due some error, try other one ). When you open patch, it will show you several dialog windows, on 1st you pick language, on 2nd it informs you how many files are needed to patch. Inside main window there are 3 files listed and every each of them has a one "patch" button. Click every each of buttons ( patching all 3 files ), exit program, and restart PC.
NOTE: You may install both versions for x86 and x64 of the patch on your computer, it won't be mistake, actually it can help. This can increase chance that you will patch all relevant files in your Windows, because sometimes duplicate libraries can cause Windows reads both versions of x86 and x64 one same library, but its not always 100% sure which one will remain as default when Windows is booting.
*Conclusion:
After this, your AOC will not freeze again, and problem will be solved. I hope that this will work for all people who suffer this problem, feel free to post questions, suggestions, and also more detailed explanations. I would ask people who understand a bit better than me this problem to give us more informations, and also more ways of fixing if it is known. Also, people who have good experience with "disabling of direct draw", I would ask them to post some step-by-step guide, or program ( or reg files ), how it can be done automatically.
Good luck and happy playing AOC