Myst V CTD on startup Problem | Forums

[stargazer9]

When I installed Myst V on my Windows XP (home edition) system yesterday and tried to start it I got the splash screen ok. When I clicked on "play", a "Myst V loading, please wait" message (or something to that effect) appears. The screen goes blank for a second or two, then my usual wallpaper screen returns. I let my system sit for a while thinking it was taking time for the game to load, bu tit never did. I tried turning off Norton Anti-Virus, but this had no effect. I played Myst V on a different system a couple of years ago and didn't have this problem.

The system I installed it on yesterday is similar though slightly slower (1.9 Ghz), similar graphics card (Nvida GeForce 5700 LE 256mb), and ram (2 GB) and sound card (Creative Lab).

If anyone can tell me why this is happening, I'd really appreciate it! I'm completely baffled by why this is happening!

Scott

[wstrohm]

Dunno if this will help, but if you can find a file named "vpd.properties" on your hard disk (either in a Myst IV or a Myst V folder), delete it. This is IBM code and is not used for the game, and has been known to cause this sort of problem.

[Heimdall_G]

In general,
-- a. Install End of Ages (EoA) to your C: drive, accepting the install defaults as much as possible.
----- 1. Do NOT install the game to an external drive, either USB or E-SATA.
-- b. Start EoA from a fresh boot.
----- 1. Reboot, log into Windows with full Administrator privileges (NOT into a Limited User or Power User account), and close all open applications. (Open the Control Panel, and select User Accounts. Your User Name should show Administrators under Group.)
----- 2. Disable all tasks running in the background, especially anti-virus/spyware/adware/pop-up programs, task schedulers, remote system control programs (such as Microsoft NetMeeting) or other programs shown on the Windows task bar.
----- 3. If you have only a software firewall, do NOT disable it!
----- 4. Do NOT forget to re-enable your anti-virus/spyware/adware/pop-up programs after finished playing EoA.
-- c. Do NOT run any other programs before starting EoA.
-- d. Do NOT boot up with the EoA disc in the drive, or with a disc in any drive.
-- e. If the EoA disc autostarts when you insert it into the drive, cancel back to the Desktop.
-- f. Start the game using the EoA icon on the Desktop, NOT the menu item on the disc.

Always start EoA from a fresh boot as per steps b through f.


NOTE: In these Forums, anything that's in type of a different color (usually blue) is a link to another Internet site. Double-left-click on a link to go to its site.

First, run the EoA Detection Tool, detectionui_r.exe, default location "C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Cyan Worlds\Myst V End Of Ages\DetectionTool". Are there all green check marks in the Minimum column?

If the check marks are all green, you may have hardware and/or driver problems. Please post a DxDiag report in this topic so that we can take a look at your system and make recommendations. For a how-to, see Myst V: System Requirements and Posting Guidelines under POSTING GUIDELINES - To post a DxDiag report (scroll down).


BTW, to ensure that there's no confusion regarding vpd.properties, while this file may not be used *for* the game, it very definitely is used *by* the game. For example, if you uninstall EoA, you can NOT re-install without first deleting vpd.properties. (For details, see Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP, under Installing and Re-Installing EoA, "6. Clean-boot EoA Re-install, Previous Installation".)

[stargazer9]

Dunno if this will help, but if you can find a file named "vpd.properties" on your hard disk (either in a Myst IV or a Myst V folder), delete it. This is IBM code and is not used for the game, and has been known to cause this sort of problem.

Actually, vpd.properties is in the main Windows folder. I renamed it to "vpd.properties.original" (I wasn't about to delete a Windows folder file). Unfortunately, this did not fix the problem...

Thanks for the suggestion, though. It was worth a try!

[nanoukmetal]

When I installed Myst V on my Windows XP (home edition) system yesterday and tried to start it I got the splash screen ok. When I clicked on "play", a "Myst V loading, please wait" message (or something to that effect) appears. The screen goes blank for a second or two, then my usual wallpaper screen returns...

Scott

I suspect you did not try to start the game (after its installation) properly as per Heimdall G.'s instructions.

If the game did install properly on your pc DO NOT try to start the game from the install splash screen.

Instead click the Myst 5 icon that is supposed to have been placed (created) on your desktop.(check the next two steps by Heimdall G.)

In general,
....
-- e. If the EoA disc autostarts when you insert (the disc) it into the drive, cancel back to the Desktop.
-- f. Start the game using the EoA (Myst 5) icon on the Desktop, NOT the menu item on the disc.

[stargazer9]

I suspect you did not try to start the game (after its installation) properly as per Heimdall G.'s instructions.

If the game did install properly on your pc DO NOT try to start the game from the install splash screen.

Instead click the Myst 5 icon that is supposed to have been placed (created) on your desktop.(check the next two steps by Heimdall G.)

Clicking on the Myst 5 desktop icon accomplishes nothing unfortunately. I just get the splash screen again and clicking on "Play" just causes the CTD again.

I didn't have to click on the icon to play Myst V on the other system I played it on. When I clicked on "Play" on the splash screen Myst V started up with no problems at all.

The only major difference between the previous system I played Myst V on and the current system I'm trying to play it on is that the previous system ran Windows XP Pro (full install) and this system runs Windows XP Home Edition (full install, not an upgrade to Win XP)

Oh, and BTW, I get no error messages of any kind, I just dumped back to the desktop...

[wstrohm]

Actually, vpd.properties is in the main Windows folder. I renamed it to "vpd.properties.original" (I wasn't about to delete a Windows folder file). Unfortunately, this did not fix the problem...

Thanks for the suggestion, though. It was worth a try!

I would like to repeat that "vpd.properties" is IBM CODE, and should NOT be left on your Windows (or Mac) computer. If you are paranoid about deleting it, copy it to a location off your hard disk so you can copy it back if you think you might need it. It might not be your problem, but you should trash it from your hard disk altogether. Not sure renaming it is going to hide it adequately.

[nanoukmetal]

Next suggestion:
If you are afraid of deleting the "vpd" file, create a restoration point before deleting it. This way you could come back to your original XP version with the "vpd" file as it was before.

Have you checked the "Add or remove program" in the Control Panel to see if Myst 5 has been installed ?

[stargazer9]

I would like to repeat that "vpd.properties" is IBM CODE, and should NOT be left on your Windows (or Mac) computer. If you are paranoid about deleting it, copy it to a location off your hard disk so you can copy it back if you think you might need it. It might not be your problem, but you should trash it from your hard disk altogether. Not sure renaming it is going to hide it adequately.

Well, I'm a firm believer in the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[stargazer9]

Next suggestion:
If you are afraid of deleting the "vpd" file, create a restoration point before deleting it. This way you could come back to your original XP version with the "vpd" file as it was before.

Have you checked the "Add or remove program" in the Control Panel to see if Myst 5 has been installed ?

Well, would the Myst V splash screen show the "Install" option greyed out if Myst V wasn't installed? To answer your question, yes, the Control panel "add or remove program" option does list Myst V.

Create a restore point? You're kidding, right? Creating a restore point is a joke (at the very least, a complete waste of time). In 10 years I've never been able to restore a restore point except ONCE and that was on a laptop, not the system in question here, or any other system for that matte,r includingon the laptop after the one and ONLY occasion it actually worked...