*CRASH* The memory could not be 'read' error, for HL2 and CS:S

[sigloiv]

It seems a lot of people are having this problem and I mean A LOT. There's a 25-page topic at the Fallout fourms located here: http://www.hlfallout.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=18868&hl=memory read&st=345

Gabe Newell even posted on the first page. People are going nuts. I'm waiting for a solution there.

 

[Alyx]

This has been my experience so far. Tried a few things. Seems I don't get the problems all of you do, (ie level loading, occasionally when the game loads and always when trying to change to full screen and/or to any resolution - when I change res in a window it's fine).

 

[Sniper_J]

This really sucks. Its an awsome game (so far), but there is a lot of problems. Just looking at the other posts on the Support forum shows some significant problems, most having to do with sound and/or computer crashes to desktop. ;( I just want to play the game for an hour or so without a crash. I guess thats too much to ask...

 

[KitoAce]

Get same memory error, happening during the blurry load page on Steam... haven't been able to play game yet.... Except with mine the load page hangs forever and won't let me back out to the desktop without multiple ESC and F10 pushes. Disabled sound, disabled everything but graphics, no luck.

Epox 8rda3i
XP 2200
2 X 512 GB Crucial
GeForce 6800
SB Live! card

that hit the nail on the head for me right there is my prob also

 

[explorer1134]

I've heard tons of reports of crashes, but no fixes. It sounds like all we can do is wait for a patch... Maybe steam will be good for something... they can release bug fixes easily. Hopefully they'll have something by this weekend (or sooner)

 

[sigloiv]

The Steam/Valve forums are back up!!! Looking for solution/angry mob now.

 

[Zsinj]

It has been asked if everyone with this problem is running Windows XP... I'm running Win 2000 SP4, and having the same problem. It freezes at random times, but I haven't yet been able to play for more than like 5 minutes. My system in great detail is as follows:

M/B is a Soyo K880 Dragon 2
Win 2000 Pro, SP 4
AMD Athlon XP 3000+
Powercolor ATI Radeon 9800XT 256Mb
Sound Blaster Audigy
2x 512mb Kingston 2700 RAM (overclocked to 400MHz)
Sony DVDROM
Samsung CDRW
Western Digital 80gb HD

Dont think anything else matters

 

[sigloiv]

I've finished checking the Steam/Valve forums and (unfortunately for all of us) there is no centralized topic about the problem. Just a bunch of individual snippets. I'm going to try and see if anyone has anything strange that I mentioned above or that people are overlooking.

By the way, I have a Western Digital IDE 120GB HDD. What does everyone else here have? Also, the WinXP theory is blown.

 

[psalm]

I have a 74GB Raptor.

I guess this is a good time to play Half Life Source

 

[explorer1134]

I have a 5400RPM 40 gig HD included with my toshiba laptop I'm using to (try to) play it.

 

[sigloiv]

What about processors. I've noticed a lot of people here are using AMD including me (or even more precise, AMD Athlon XP+).

 

[explorer1134]

Here are all of my specs:
Pentium 4 1.7 Ghz
nVidia GeForce 440 go
512Mb RAM
Integrated sound card

HL2 crashes,
HL1 source works perfectly
About to try Counterstrike

 

[taku]

Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz
512MB RAM
Integrated sound card
Intel Extreme Graphics 2

HL2 crashes during each load screen, when I quick save, or when I try to change advanced video options.

 

[MetalSonic53]

Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz
512MB RAM
Integrated sound card
Intel Extreme Graphics 2

HL2 crashes during each load screen, when I quick save, or when I try to change advanced video options.

EXACTLY what happens to me, and I have the same Intel Extreme Graphics 2 on this laptop.

 

[Incivad]

Same deal

Mine gives me the blue screen with the memory error then promptly reboots at certain points in the game, and very rarely randomly. It doesn't do it at loading point but it does when I save manually or quicksave. Specs are

1.8 ghz p4
32 mb geforce 440 go
384 megs of ram

Getting a new computer in a few weeks so I'm not bothered terribly that I can't really play at the moment but I am quite disapointed.

 

[taku]

EXACTLY what happens to me, and I have the same Intel Extreme Graphics 2 on this laptop.

I had even updated to the latest driver before installing HL2. Anyway, I e-mailed Intel earlier today about the problem. Hopefully they'll figure something out...if Valve doesn't.

 

[GOF]

What an abomination this whole affair has been.

Ive been trying to play this game for nigh on 17 hours!..too no avail.Now ive finally slogged through the mighty labors of installation and registration...a new trauma strikes.

I can navigate through the options menu ok but on starting a new game one of two things happens.Either my system locks up 2/3 of the way through the loading bar forcing me to reboot or i get the following error message...(which dosnt lock my system but terminates the program.)

The instruction at "0x241f8977" referenced memory at "0x00f0f5c0". The memory could not be "read". Click OK to terminate the program.

-P4 3.2ghz ht
-512mb ddr 400
-FX5600
-XPpro sp2

£35 down the swanny.....not impressed.

 

[chewchewtrain64]

Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz
512MB RAM
Integrated sound card
Intel Extreme Graphics 2

HL2 crashes during each load screen, when I quick save, or when I try to change advanced video options.

My stats exactly, and I, too, am going through the exact same crap as the rest of the folks on this thread. Just to review...we still have no idea what to do, right? :flame:

 

[Hazar]

I added '-heapsize 321030' to the advanced launch options.

No more problem

 

[psalm]

I added '-heapsize 321030' to the advanced launch options.

No more problem

Trying that now

 

[taku]

I added '-heapsize 321030' to the advanced launch options.

No more problem

I tried that some time ago, and I still have the problem.

 

[psalm]

Trying that now

Damn, no dice :bonce:

 

[Sniper_J]

how do you get to the "advanced options" anyway (like where you can turn of auto save, and stuff like that)

 

[chewchewtrain64]

Where exactly would you enter '-heapsize 321030', and how do you get there? I don't understand where the "advanced launch options" are.

 

[psalm]

Right click on game in steam
Properties
Launch options

 

[chewchewtrain64]

Ah...ok...what exactly will this do, and would there be anyway to reverse it? I don't want to end up blowing my computer.

 

[Kold]

Can't get past the first load screen?

For some of you that can't even get past the very first loading screen...

I had the same problem. I would launch the game..the Valve screen would show, then I noticed that the menu's loading screen had a wayyy small zoomed in resolution (i didnt know what the picture was) and it always just sat there, forever. I was stumped..as most of us are.

I had an idea, the next time I got to the evil loading screen, to immediately alt+tab to minimize back to Windows, that part worked. Then I re-clicked on HL2 from the taskbar to maximize it again, it maximized to the correct resolution and i was then able to start a game.

But, I still have random crashes with the memory error... :frown:
...If this helps any of you get past the loading screen to change any other options...then I'm glad I was of any help.
Also, CS:S works perfectly.

btw my rig consists of:
AMD XP-M 2600+
Abit NF7-S v2
Onboard Nvidia Soundstorm
1GB Mushkin PC3200
Sapphire Radeon 9800Pro--testing ATI's Catalyst 4.11 drivers
Windows XP Pro w/ SP2

 

[chewchewtrain64]

All right...the "-heapsize 321030" trick didn't work for me either.

 

[twinrix]

Having the same problem here. Although sometimes i dont even get the error message but my whole pc locks up with a black screen. Have tried heapsize, disable autosave, all gfx settings, disabled sound, tried various drivers.... nothing...

P4 3GHz
Sparkle GF 6800 / 128 MB
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
1 GB of Kingston 333 DDR
XP Pro SP2 / DX 9.0c
Defragged HD with more than 120 free GB

 

[zul]

I put -heapsize 384000 in the shortcut line, defragged the HD that has HL2/steam installed on it, and downloaded and ran Ad-Aware. After all that i started the game and was able to play for about 2 hours before the game froze again. So.. i guess untill a patch comes out, crashing every 2 hours is better than crashing ever 10 minutes

 

[Rhadamanthys]

I am having the Instruction referenced at blah blah problem at the Loading screen also. Have neot even seen the damn game run yet. I was wondering, everyone has been posting their system specs but might a router cause the problem since the game has to hit the net at loadup? I know my system hits the net hard at loadup just before the crash and mem error. I wonder if the game is downloading a corrupt file or something. My 2 cents!

Athlon XP 2500
Saphire 9800 Pro
onboard sound (Nforce 2)
1GB XMS
XP Home SP2
DX9.0c
newest Catylist drivers and all other drivers updated tonight
LINKSYS WIRELESS-B BROADBAND ROUTER BEFW11s4

 

[mindflux]

I am having the Instruction referenced at blah blah problem at the Loading screen also. Have neot even seen the damn game run yet. I was wondering, everyone has been posting their system specs but might a router cause the problem since the game has to hit the net at loadup? I know my system hits the net hard at loadup just before the crash and mem error. I wonder if the game is downloading a corrupt file or something. My 2 cents!

Athlon XP 2500
Saphire 9800 Pro
onboard sound (Nforce 2)
1GB XMS
XP Home SP2
DX9.0c
newest Catylist drivers and all other drivers updated tonight
LINKSYS WIRELESS-B BROADBAND ROUTER BEFW11s4

I have a router, too. Netgear RT-311. Maybe this is the problem?

 

[twinrix]

Yep, using a Router too. One made by the german telecom. (Siemens afaik)

Would be really weird if a router would cause such a problem though.

 

[easy_g]

okay, i've been getting the same error.

somebody mentioned typing "-heapsize 384000 -zone 16000" at the end of the shortcut (i did the desktop, not sure if it was supposed to be in steam), but i was able to play for 2-3 hours before the memory error came back up.

My specs:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
ATI Radeon X800 Pro
1 GB PC3200
120GB 7200rpm 8mb cache Western Digital HDD
Sound Blaster Live! LS
VIA K8T800 chipset motherboard

EDIT: i'm on a dorm network. no router. if we use routers the whole network crashes.

 

[beppino]

yep, it would be weird if a router did this. did you forward the necessary ports to your pc?

The following ports must be open in your firewall and router for Steam and Steam Games to work:

UDP 1200 (used for friends service)
UDP 27000 to 27015 inclusive
TCP 27030 to 27039 inclusive

Computers running Dedicated Servers need these ports open:

UDP: 27015 and 27020 (default HLDS, SRCDS and HLTV port)
TCP: 27015 (SRCDS Rcon port)

 

[KitoAce]

its not a router , i have my dicconnected and it dont work still (stuck at loading screen

 

[twinrix]

Yep, done that. Had no problems with any other Steamgames so far. (incl. CS:S). And looking at the fact that a memory and processorpower intensive game like Everquest II runs just fine finally leads me to the conclusion that it isnt me whos causing this problems. And if you ask my girl then this is supposed to be something totally new.

 

[triscuit_]

i was having the same problem. it froze loading the menu, 2 error beeps then it would eventually close. someone posted a fix over at the shack that works for some people, it worked for me this morning.

check the size of the file 'source models.gcf' in /Steam/SteamApps/
the file size should be 471,094,324 bytes

if not (and the file size is slightly larger)...
rename the file (ex: source models junk.gcf) and let steam redownload it.

hope this works for some of you guys.

 

[twinrix]

Yeah, saw that too and tried it 2 times already. Wont help at all. Afaik this will only help when you get the map is supposed to be blah blah-error.

 

[3rd Ranger Batt]

hey...I have been following this thread trying all the suggestions...to no avail. However, I found this suggestion on another thread that I havent seen yet. I tried it and it worked...for a short time. I am now able to play about 15 minutes into the game before my first crash(same crash as everyone else).

Default seems to be 75 hz (setting the refresh rate)
1024 by 768, True Color (32 bit), 75 hertz

I forget what my original settings were...but I did change them to the above. Hope it helps...I'll be checking back in the morning.

What exactly is this doing (I am not computer savvy).

P4, 3.0GHz, win xp sp2, ati x800xt, 1gb ram