San Andreas BSOD - TTLG Forums

Raymond Luxury Yacht on 21/7/2011 at 22:10

So I decided to play San Andreas last night (rather, start to play). I installed the game, got the install wizard screen saying all was well, but when I tried to start it, there was a box saying insert the CD/DVD. So I tried a couple more times, then opened the drawer and closed it again, to get the San Andreas screen with the option to play. No luck - same insert CD/DVD box. However, this time, I got a BSOD, with the STOP error being 0x7E, and a message that the memory was dumping. I uninstalled it, and tried to reinstall today, after a restart and a few minutes of letting the system do its thing. this time I got the same message, but an immediate BSOD, the same one.
The odd part is, I have had this game before, completed it twice, and then uninstalled it last summer. I gave the game to a guy I worked with over the holidays, and didn't think much of it. However, over said holidays, the GTA trilogy came out, and I got it, but didn't open it till the other day. So I wonder, is it the disc? Vice City installed and ran fine. I didn't do anything with GTA III, but I can't fathom what would cause a BSOD...
Does any one have any ideas?

Ladron De La Noche on 22/7/2011 at 08:22

Install the game using different DVD drive and try again. Is the disc scratched perhaps?

I've made a few backup 1:1 copies of my game play discs using (http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonecd.html) CloneCD, they work fine and it saves the original in pristine condition. A no-cd crack might help also..

Raymond Luxury Yacht on 1/8/2011 at 02:46

It's definitely not the disc, it's my computer. I got a different one on eBay. I reinstalled it and got the same message - no cd/DVD inserted. Is there some sort of mod I can use so that the DVD isn't required? I now have two of them (legitimate ones at that) and no way to run the game.
I still wonder why it won't run properly after being reinstalled, when it ran fine the last time.

PigLick on 1/8/2011 at 05:08

What OS are you using? I know SA has some problems with Vista, not sure about Win7. I had a similar problem, but without the bsod. Here is one possible solution.
Uninstall SA
Delete the San Andreas folder
Delete the gta.set file (located in My Documents\GTA San Andreas User Files)
Search for a folder called Appdata.
Now open it, then follow this path from that folder.
Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Rockstar Games
There is the san andreas folder. Delete it.
Now install the game.
Alternatively you could do what I did and just get a nocd crack, but you need to get the 1.1 crack for higher widescreen resolutions, there is no v2.0 crack avaliable.

Nightcaper on 1/8/2011 at 22:13

I have occassionally gotten a BSOD when starting Grand Theft Auto, and I'm on XP SP3. This happens very, very rarely, though. Check your hardware, my motherboard's pretty messed up, so maybe check that. Most of my BSODs are more hardware related, considering I'm running an old rig.

Raymond Luxury Yacht on 1/8/2011 at 22:18

I am runnind XP SP3 as well. this setup is from April 04, so I am just wondering if it's just age. But I was able to install.uninsatll/reinstall the game twice before. The only thing I don't have is the original one I was able to use.

I have never used a no-cd crack before, but it seems like a bit of a nuisance. The site i was able to find gave me a seemingly short list of stuff to do, installing a mini-image into Daemon Tools then adding an anti-aliasing tool, the let er rip. But the mini-image is a RAR file, and I can't get it to open. Apparently Daemon Tools can make .mds files, which is what the directions on gamecopy said to use, but I can't figure out how to convert it.
I was able to find a YouTube thing that had a tutorial, but the kid used Win RAR which isn't free, and since I have little intention of doing this again I see no purpose to spend the money.
So how do I make this .rar mini-image into a mds file that I can use in Daemon tools, or is there a simpler way to use the no-cd crack?

Maybe I'll just try PigLicks first set of steps. It seems less frustrating.

Matthew on 2/8/2011 at 08:42

(http://www.7-zip.org/) 7zip is free and supports unpacking of RAR files, though can't create them.

PigLick on 2/8/2011 at 15:21

the nocd crack I used was much simpler than that, no need for using daemon tools or any kind of imaging, essentially just a fixed exe.

Raymond Luxury Yacht on 3/8/2011 at 02:26

Progress of sorts...
I was able to find a simple no-cd crack, which, when extracted, replaced the San Andreas .exe file. However, when I try to load saved games, it crashes. I can start a new game, however. So I wonder, is it because the original installed game was the first edition, and the one in the trilogy is the second version, so all the saves are corrupted or void?
I hate to look the gift horse in the mouth here, but all I wanted to do when I installed it was to fly around, since everything was open, not start from the beginning.
Pig Lick - which crack did you use?

PigLick on 3/8/2011 at 02:51

its definitely to do with the versions, v1 saves arent compatible with v1.1 or v2, however v1.1 + 2 ARE compatible. I used the european 1.1 crack, from memory. However, it is possible to downgrade v2 back to v1, so that might possibly get your save games working again. You can get it the patch(http://grandtheftauto.filefront.com/file/GTA_SA_Downgrader_Patch;74661) here.