Help! World editor crashing

[nickel510]

OK I have no idea what I did wrong, but last night I was playing around with world editor, just using the terrain palette, and then boom! Editor crashes computer. Now, when I open editor, even if its a blank map, editor will start to spike. Trying to give an example, it tears the screen pretty much, starts tweaking out like breaks the image with other pixels. When I load my map though, it gets much worse and this is when the editor will freeze my computer.

I have no idea what to do! I tried uninstalling and re-installing with no success, I didn't patch update though, but its the same problem I had before uninstalling so I doubt that is the reason.

Any help would be oh so appreciated!

Edit: Ah jeez, looks like this problem is not just in world editor but my whole computer! So wierd... it never ever ever happened anything like this! until last night when using editor. Ah curses! My computer seems to be screwed....

 

[Dr. Boom]

Moin moin

Never heard something like that before... So when you just open a blank map, the editor start to spike? Then it's the editor itself, that do something wrong.
I don't know if you can set any configurations manual, that can cause spikes.

What editor you use?
How about deinstall Warcraft 3. Restart your pc and use a free tool, that scan temp files and registry for invalid ( Warcraft ) data and clean it. After restart your pc again, install Warcraft and patch it.

Then use the editor again and say how it works. If it still start to spike, I'm pretty sure, that the editor isn't the fault, else another program or something.

But first try what I said and lets see, what it becomes.

=======

Edit: Ok I saw your edit now ... and then tell me what system you use? I don't know whats the english name for it, but in Windows for example you can reset your computer to a date BEFORE the crush last night happen. Maybe there is a setting, that ruins a part of performance and can be reseted like this.

Greetings and Peace
Dr. Boom

 

[nickel510]

Windows Vista. Any other info needed?

Edit: If this helps, most commonly in world editor screen will freeze for like 2 seconds and go black or have an image spike (like a big spike of random color), then back to normal.

 

[Dr. Boom]

Ok we know, that it isn't only the editor that start to spike. This means, something other must cause this.

The question I have is, can we be sure, that the editor causes the crush? You said "crushes computer". But what exactly happen? An error massage that only the editor must be closed? Or a blue screen? Or an automatic restart? just freeze?

Greetings and Peace
Dr. Boom

 

[nickel510]

Did I say crush? Sorry I meant crash. Yes it just automatically freezes the screen then restarts and I have the option to start normally or in safe mode. There is no error screen. Also, I deleted WoW which gave me a lot more free space, had 8 gigs before now 26, and the world editor isn't as bad, but it still keeps freezing for like 2 seconds and spiking as I explained before, though no computer crash yet. This also happens when I'm not doing anything, so I know its not just world editor lag.

 

[Dr. Boom]

Hmm this sounds, that you had this problem even before this night, where you was making something in the editor (?)
In this case this would be [Off-Topic], but in this case it can be the hardware too. I heard that Vista isn't a good system anyway, maybe there are some complications.
But if you have this problem only since the night, I would say the following: Windows has an option, where you can reset your computer to a previous date. I don't know how this is called in English, but you should try this.

If you had this crash / freeze problems before, first you should clean your computer. Personally I use CCleaner to clear everything and check with "Spybot" ( it's a security tool ) my computer to make sure I that I don't have any virus.

If you do/did this but still got this ... I need start to think about it^^

Greetings and Peace
Dr. Boom

 

[nickel510]

Hmm no I never had this problem before last night. How do I reset windows?

Edit: That is, to an earlier point in time.

 

[Dr. Boom]

If you need help, I hope this can help ya
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071005125041AAqh2mA

As I said, I only can say it in German, because I'm, I don't know the English names of everything ^^

 

[nickel510]

OK I reset system to an earlier date and from that and more testing I can almost gaurentee it is in fact the editor and warcraft 3 itself that causes my computer to freeze and crash, even when its minimized. This is what happened before and its why I didn't think it was the editor causing it, but my computer will only freeze and do this wierd screen tear thing and crash when editor or even just warcraft 3 is up and running. So.. any other ideas?

 

[Bloodbath]

you need a new computer bro..
_____________

 

[NiceOne]

Windows Vista. Any other info needed?

geez, Vista isn't better then XP imo, vista only cause loads of problems..

remove wc3 from your comp and re install it I got a smiliar problem for some weeks ago and it did work for me)

 

[nickel510]

Lol well... OK I've had this comp since WoW came out (however long that is) and this is the first time I've ever had a problem with this computer (other then when I was stupid and got it infected with a virus).

Also, I've defragged, I ran AVG PC tune up, this thing is running a lot faster and is virus free but still, warcraft 3 is bugged! Surely there must be something can be done. Please, anyone?

 

[PlasmaSnake]

I'm using Vista and I never had a problem with warcraft. Just run everything as admin and that solves like 90% of your problems.

 

[nickel510]

Sorry but it doesn't even look like you read what my problem is, and if you did, thanks but that does nothing for me.

 

[PlasmaSnake]

yeah, you're having a computer problem, I know.

 

[nickel510]

No really? Man you must be a computer tech!

 

[Dr Super Good]

Im afraid that this sounds like a unfixable computer problem.

Screen tearing, wierd graphics and BSoD (the restart you are experiencing) are all symptoms of a graphic card hardware failure. They might also be driver compatibility problems but as the same drivers used to work this can be rulled out.

The graphic card hardware is nolonger performing correctly, resulting in incorrect calculations (wierd graphic anomilies). The errors can get bad enough to cause the graphic driver to crash which in turn will eithor be restored (vista tries) and an error displayed or it will BSoD (unrecoverable error as the drivers are part of the opperating system) and the computer will automatically restart.

The only solution to this problem is a brand new graphic card (if by diagnossis is correct, which you should always question and check with others as I am some random internet guy).

 

[nickel510]

Hmm... well it sounds like the best answer so far. Unfortunate but very good to know. Thanks a lot man! And I will get a second opinion, but this is a good place to start.

 

[darkdoom]

alright, so first thing i would do, if you have no anti virus use avast (Only if no anti virus 2 or more will F your computer), which you can get from a website windows vista will give to you when your computer starts up and opens a box that says check ur security, other than that, check fire wall. If you can back up your computer and re install the OS but i personally go from vista to xp, (im vista user) and it becomes unstable after exactly almost 1 Year. A OS reinstall wipes everything so back up what you want but before you transfer any files back install a anti virus to make sure the files that ur putting back are not infected. I would also say get a new computer. You can get 1 for like 400 from walmart that's got 2Ghz cpu, 4gb ram, and like 250gb hard drive, With some video card.

 

[nickel510]

Don't worry I'll be getting a new high end laptop in a month or so, I think Dr Super Good was right, graphics card is fried. Thats not the reason I'm getting a new laptop, but its good timing at least.

 

[Dr. Boom]

Moin moin =)

I don't agree with Dr Super Good. I don't think now this is an unfixable problem. The thing is, I had this problem he has too, but I don't know how I get this stuff back to work, because it's a long time ago but for sure I didn't changed any hardware.

I know about the strange mystery about hardware and software, but I can't think of a hardware fail now, because this problem ONLY comes up with Warcraft. If this belongs really to the card itself, he would have more problems with that, not just this one, when warcraft is running.

So before you change the card, I would say change the driver. Complete remove your current driver, with all addition software that comes from nvidia and restart. After (you say you had it ), clear your computer with AVG TuneUp and make sure you have the correct settings with that problem. Again restart and go to nvidia and download the driver again and install ONLY the driver ( I don't know what nvidia install because I use ATI ).

( Now my bad english comes ) Sometimes it's even enough when you turn of your computer and remove all "plugs" ( hope this is the correct word from google translator ^^ ) from your computer. Now take it and remove the graphic card over a time out of your computer and build it in again after this time.
I remember, I had a other problem with my pc, I turned it off, remove all "plugs" from it and build out my graphic card and build it in the next day. Since then, I don't have any problems up to know and this is over a year ago.


I hope you understand what I want say here, because I don't -_- Thing is, we CAN'T say, that this is the fault of the card because:
1) He would have more problems not just with warcraft 3
2) We don't know how he care about his computer ( just install install install and never remove something or fill it with rubbish and never clear it )
3) As I said with my last example, hardware is a complicated mystery and with software it's an imbalanced mystery. In this case, we should try everything, BEFORE we say, it's the card.

And as an edit: Even high end stuff can cause bugs and those failures can be caused by the most stupid stuff, we never would think about it. For an example very long time ago I couldn't play games because I changed the color of the normal mouse cursor ...

Greetings and Peace
Dr. Boom

 

[nickel510]

Lol good example in your edit.

Thanks a lot Dr. Boom, but I might have to take this to professionals because I don't want to make it any worse by doing the things you listed and I fail at computers.

But thank you guys, and especially Dr. Boom, for all your help!

Edit: I'll make sure to tell the professionals what you said Dr. Boom. Thanks

 

[Dr Super Good]

Fact is he reported the problem araising spontaniously without warning. WE was working fine and then next moment crash and since then never has worked fine. Very symptomatic of a hardware failure (experienced 2 just like that including a 8800 GT crashing during WC3 with BSoD error). It can also be from overheating (as you did mention it being a laptop now) but that would be the case only if it started out fine each time and then progressivly gets worse till a crash (or suddenly crashes without warning with no graphic problems).

If the problem gets worse and worse, it is garunteed to be a hardware failure.

If it is overheating related, it is important to check soon as it can eventually result in hardware failure. You can do this via the ntune tool if you use an nvidia tool (and AMD probably offers a simlar application to help you with AMD/ATI cards). A good temperature for a graphic card is 60-70 degrees (some cards crash at 70 like an 8800 GT so if temperature is increasing and crash occurs, then overheating is the problem). If you have some insane temperature (80-100 degrees) then shut down immediatly and you have found atleast part of the problem. If overheating is the cause, you will have to clean the heatsyncs on your processor and graphic card (removing all the dust) as the dust prevents airflow and thus greatly decreases heat dissipation. Laptops are notorious for being suseptible to this problem due to their compact nature.

Have you tried running other 3D games? It would be nice to know if the problem extends to them or not. If it does, it is almost garunteed to be a hardware failure.

Hardware failures are generally unfixible due to permant damage to the electronic system. You can sometimes null the damage by reducing clock frequencies or if you are a hardcore you can try disabling the damaged area if possible (well beyond people like us to do lol).

 

[nickel510]

This is actually a PC not a laptop, but I'll still clean out the dust *I've just been lazy *

Thanks again man. Either way I'll have to take it in, thats good to know though. Thank you.