Help! ePSXe crashing (sort of)

daninthemix · November 3rd, 2001

I have been playing many different games in ePSXe, and have this random problem which is very tricky to diagnose:

The game will suddenly appear to hang, but in fact it has suddenly started running at about 1 frame every ten seconds. This goes on for a few minutes normally, then the game continues to run at full speed?! This often happens after I have been playing the game for five to ten minutes.

During this time I cannot even bring up task manager to find out what is going on, or even end task ePSXe.

At first I thought this was possibly a hardware or driver problem (BTW I'm using the Detonator XP drivers from nVidia), but my system is brand new, the Win XP install is absolutely clean, and there are NO (count em - 0) tasks other than ePSXe running.

I am not inclined to think this is hardware though, because I can run other emulators (such as Project 64) absolutely fine.

This has happened when running games from CD AND from an ISO.

Some examples:

Tempest X3
Cool Boarders
Resident Evil 3
Wip3out

Please help!

**Betamax** · November 3rd, 2001

Ok tracing though the problem:

Normally I'd say that this occurs when the cd drive has problems reading a sector on the games cd. This would be because you say that the task manager can't open so there must be a huge load on the cpu (which only happens in my case if I'm trying to make an iso from a bad disk). However this happens on all your games so it isn't a problem with the game cd (unless they are all badly scratched). As it also happens with iso though hence they must generate the same read errors as the game disks.

Thus I assume that you cd drive is one of the ones that can't read psx disks properly. When you make an iso do you get any errors etc? What brand is the cd drive?

**Zephon** · November 3rd, 2001

I'd say to enable/disable DMA in the cdrom config, but the problem doesn't happen with isos, so I don't think it will work. What parts of the game exactly are slowing down? Your system is a damn good one, it shouldn't slowdown at all.

daninthemix · November 4th, 2001

I don't think this is a DMA issue - as like I said this problem occurs randomly, and it does so in ISOs as well.

Anyhow, I'm certainly not disabling DMA on my hard disks!

I have now installed the Detonator 22.50 driver, and am trying out Pete's new plugins, so maybe that combination will fix the problem? Here's hoping!

p.s. All my CDs are clean as a whistle.

**fivefeet8** · November 5th, 2001

Quote:

Originally posted by daninthemix
I don't think this is a DMA issue - as like I said this problem occurs randomly, and it does so in ISOs as well.

Anyhow, I'm certainly not disabling DMA on my hard disks!

I have now installed the Detonator 22.50 driver, and am trying out Pete's new plugins, so maybe that combination will fix the problem? Here's hoping!

p.s. All my CDs are clean as a whistle.

Not on your Hard Drives!! CD rom drives.. Some cd rom drives are known to have problems reading psx cd's with DMA enabled on them.. hehe.. But your problem is something else since even iso's do it.. When was the last time you defragged it?

Check the cd access light when you play games and see if it blinks slowly, fast, or not a all.. Normally, when cd rom drives loads cds, the access light blinks slowly.. Fast means a scratched cd or the cd drive can't read the disk correctly.. NOt at all means that the cd drive has become idle and needs to be restarted.. Some cd drives become idle after a few minutes of nonactivity..

My guess is, it's some type of software and hardware issue... Your system is too fast to be slowing down like that.. Have you optimised your mobo bios? There may be an irq conflict with your Hard disks and something else..

Freeza · November 5th, 2001

I had this exact same problem. I had to copy the subTsgMSCD 16.dll and subTsgMSCD 32.dll to the main directory (it may have nothing to do with out problem). Now do this next. If you are using Pete's DSound Audio Driver v1.1.1, use a diferent audio driver, prefrably the ePSXe 1.4.0 sound core. I know this sounds very stupid, but now that I changed my could driver i've had no problems with slowdown as you described. Also, i'm using Pete's Open GL driver.

daninthemix · November 5th, 2001

Thanks a lot!

I have been using Pete's DSound plugin, so I will switch to the built in one. Also - where are these two files you speak of?

**Ryos** · November 5th, 2001

daninthemix: the two files, subTsgMSCD 16.dll and subTsgMSCD 32.dll, are found in your plugins folder of whatever folder you put ePSXe in. I don't think that is needed for any OS but Windows ME.

November 3rd, 2001	#1 (permalink)
daninthemix Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bath Posts: 22	Help! ePSXe crashing (sort of) I have been playing many different games in ePSXe, and have this random problem which is very tricky to diagnose: The game will suddenly appear to hang, but in fact it has suddenly started running at about 1 frame every ten seconds. This goes on for a few minutes normally, then the game continues to run at full speed?! This often happens after I have been playing the game for five to ten minutes. During this time I cannot even bring up task manager to find out what is going on, or even end task ePSXe. At first I thought this was possibly a hardware or driver problem (BTW I'm using the Detonator XP drivers from nVidia), but my system is brand new, the Win XP install is absolutely clean, and there are NO (count em - 0) tasks other than ePSXe running. I am not inclined to think this is hardware though, because I can run other emulators (such as Project 64) absolutely fine. This has happened when running games from CD AND from an ISO. Some examples: Tempest X3 Cool Boarders Resident Evil 3 Wip3out Please help!

November 3rd, 2001	#2 (permalink)
Betamax Resident Movie Critic Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland Posts: 9,480	Ok tracing though the problem: Normally I'd say that this occurs when the cd drive has problems reading a sector on the games cd. This would be because you say that the task manager can't open so there must be a huge load on the cpu (which only happens in my case if I'm trying to make an iso from a bad disk). However this happens on all your games so it isn't a problem with the game cd (unless they are all badly scratched). As it also happens with iso though hence they must generate the same read errors as the game disks. Thus I assume that you cd drive is one of the ones that can't read psx disks properly. When you make an iso do you get any errors etc? What brand is the cd drive? __________________ Superior marketing of an inferior product will always win over inferior marketing of a superior product.

November 3rd, 2001	#3 (permalink)
Zephon Key To The Universe Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Stratosphere Posts: 2,706	I'd say to enable/disable DMA in the cdrom config, but the problem doesn't happen with isos, so I don't think it will work. What parts of the game exactly are slowing down? Your system is a damn good one, it shouldn't slowdown at all. __________________ But there is someone who remembers you Someone waiting for a sign that leads the way to you There is someone who will die for you Keep that in mind when the hope fails

November 5th, 2001	#8 (permalink)
Ryos Revenger of Vengeance Join Date: May 2001 Location: Nowhere Posts: 11,250	daninthemix: the two files, subTsgMSCD 16.dll and subTsgMSCD 32.dll, are found in your plugins folder of whatever folder you put ePSXe in. I don't think that is needed for any OS but Windows ME. __________________ Sanity is overrated.

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November 4th, 2001	#4 (permalink)
daninthemix Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bath Posts: 22	I don't think this is a DMA issue - as like I said this problem occurs randomly, and it does so in ISOs as well. Anyhow, I'm certainly not disabling DMA on my hard disks! I have now installed the Detonator 22.50 driver, and am trying out Pete's new plugins, so maybe that combination will fix the problem? Here's hoping! p.s. All my CDs are clean as a whistle.

November 5th, 2001	#6 (permalink)
Freeza Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 9	I had this exact same problem. I had to copy the subTsgMSCD 16.dll and subTsgMSCD 32.dll to the main directory (it may have nothing to do with out problem). Now do this next. If you are using Pete's DSound Audio Driver v1.1.1, use a diferent audio driver, prefrably the ePSXe 1.4.0 sound core. I know this sounds very stupid, but now that I changed my could driver i've had no problems with slowdown as you described. Also, i'm using Pete's Open GL driver.

November 5th, 2001	#7 (permalink)
daninthemix Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Bath Posts: 22	Thanks a lot! I have been using Pete's DSound plugin, so I will switch to the built in one. Also - where are these two files you speak of?