Thief 3 technical problem - screen goes blank... - by fearthehat
fearthehat on 15/5/2009 at 21:40
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone was able to help with a persistent problem (it happens pretty much every time I play the game) I am having with Thief 3.
Usually I am able to play normally for a while, then the game locks up for about ten seconds (sound effects loop and skip during this time) and then the screen goes blank. The game seems to resume running at this point (I can hear sound effects if I move around etc) but nothing I can do makes the graphics return. The only way out of the problem I've found is turning the computer off and on again.
The bug doesn't seem to be triggered by anything in particular. It does happen quite frequently when a character is talking, but sometimes it also happens when I am just moving around the levels.
The game is patched to version 1.1, and I am running both of the game processes (T3main.exe and T3.exe) on a single processor core as described in other threads about the game. I have tried disabling my antivirus program while I play, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I haven't had this issue with any other programs.
I am playing the game on an Intel iMac running XP Home. System stats are:
- 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo
- 1 GB RAM
- ATI Radeon HD 2600
If anyone is able to help I would be very grateful. I'm really enjoying the game (I'm a long time fan of Thief 1 and 2, but only recently got a computer fast enough to run Thief 3) but this bug is making things very frustrating...
Thanks!
(First post here by the way... I think it's great that the memory of these great older games is being kept alive)
Stath MIA on 15/5/2009 at 21:50
Hey, welcome to the forums!
Anyway, I'm not much of a specialist but it sounds like a graphics issue. Let's see, how to fix it... for a workaround, can you bail to desktop when it crashes? If yes, then you can simply re-enter the game and hopefully it will be fine. Good luck! :thumb:
fearthehat on 15/5/2009 at 23:12
Quote Posted by Stath MIA
Hey, welcome to the forums!
Anyway, I'm not much of a specialist but it sounds like a graphics issue. Let's see, how to fix it... for a workaround, can you bail to desktop when it crashes? If yes, then you can simply re-enter the game and
hopefully it will be fine. Good luck! :thumb:
Hi, thanks for the reply. I am unable to restore the graphics by returning to the desktop with Alt-Tab or Ctl-Alt-Del - the screen remains blank.
bikerdude on 16/5/2009 at 15:46
This should be a in the tech support section..
Anyway, at a random guess, i would say its possible the gfx card is possibly overheating - I say this because the HD 2600 may be passively cooled or have a weedy little fan, check for dust and air flow through the case...
MoroseTroll on 17/5/2009 at 09:41
fearthehat: Hmm... I hope that your PC's drivers are up to date: Intel chipset, ATI Catalyst and audio. Please check also Catalyst Control Center and make sure that FSAA is not enabled. If all these options won't help, then you could try (
http://darkfate.ru/?show=files/misc_stuff/FlipTIB_v1.0.zip) this tiny utility, which fixes a multi-core issue in old PC games. Install it, then press Right Mouse Button on the game's shortcut and select "FlipTIB: single-core mode". Maybe it will help.
fearthehat on 20/5/2009 at 05:38
MoroseTroll, I took the steps you recommended and haven't had a problem since. Thanks a lot!
MoroseTroll on 20/5/2009 at 11:53
You're welcome :).
