Game Hang

Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
I just set up ePSXe and I've tried playing Chrono Cross, Legend of Dragoon, and Parasite Eve all successfully... except that there's an occasional hang when the emulator has to load a new screen/load a battle or sometimes load a new song or character animation (like casting elements in CC).

It's only a 2-3 second hang where the game and the music stop and then the game picks up again like normal, no slowdown at all. Any way to make a game run smoothly? I use the Pete DX6, Eternal SPU and ePXSe CDR plugins as they seem to work best.

I've got a 1.5 GHz Celeron and 448MB RAM, but I don't know how to figure out my CD-ROM speed so I don't know if it's too slow. Would it help to burn ISOs so theres no need to read the disc? (I use all commerical PSX discs).

Thanks. Any advice welcome.
 
montpics

montpics

New member
Xiedo said:
I've got a 1.5 GHz Celeron and 448MB RAM, but I don't know how to figure out my CD-ROM speed so I don't know if it's too slow. Would it help to burn ISOs so theres no need to read the disc? (I use all commerical PSX discs).
Click to expand...
Yes, it help to reduce the memory usage for reading the discs, therefore it may boost up the game better.

You can look any softwares like Alcohol 120%, ISO Producer or etc. to do that kind of job. :cool:
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
I recommend using DaemonTools to mount your ISO image, specially if has CD audio tracks
 
Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
Used ISOProducer w/ the SaPu plugin... ran the ISO... works perfectly, no load times. Thanks a lot. :happy:

One other thing though... I've got what I think are some scratched FFVIII discs that I want to use to create ISOs but they are the PC version.

If ISOProducer works using PSX plugins does that mean it can't make ISOs of PC games?
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
That should be possible with not protected/older PC games. I guess FVII PC port isn't protected at all.
 
Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
I'll try that then.

Something else came up though. When I access the character status screen in Chrono Cross the game freezes. I tried a few different video plugins but no luck.
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
About Chrono Cross, you have two possible workarounds:

A) If you're using ePSXe v1.6.0, try v1.5.2 instead

B) Start ePSXe v1.6.0 with the command line option -noauto: for example, create a shorcut to epsxe.exe, then right click it -> "properties" and add -noauto where is path to epsxe.exe. Perhaps easier is cretaing a .bat or .cmd file in the emulator folder, with the following text:
epsxe -noauto
Click to expand...
 
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Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
I looked up another thread that recommended enabling special fixes in the video plugin. I'll try them all.

EDIT: Special fix did it. Thanks.:happy:
 
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hagbard

hagbard

New member
The odd/even bit hack I guess. Nevermind.
 
Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
Yeah, thanks it's working fine... :happy: just something else now. I made an ISO of the 1st FFVIII disc, but when I tried to run it off the E: (image) drive using Daemon Tools, the game only looked on my D: drive (my physical drive).

So I uninstalled the game, then made an ISO of the install disc and installed it on the E: drive but it still looks for the disc in the D: drive. How do I get it to look in the E: drive?
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
Most PC games try to use the first mapped optical drive, like "D:" in your case. However you can switch the drive letters to let the DT virtual drive be "D:". First change the DT drive to "F:", for example:

Right click DT tray icon -> "Virtual CD/DVD-ROM" -> "Device 0: [E:]..." -> "Set
device parameters" -> "Drive letter": "F:"

Now if you are running Windows XP, log as Admnistrator, then change your phisical drive letter to "E:", for example:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307844&sd=tech#ESACAAA

Once you did it, switch the DT drive to "D:" and hopefully you're done
 
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Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
hagbard said:
Most PC games try to use the first mapped optical drive, like "D:" in your case. However you can switch the drive letters to let the DT virtual drive be "D:". First change the DT drive to "F:", for example:

Right click DT tray icon -> "Virtual CD/DVD-ROM" -> "Device 0: [E:]..." -> "Set
device parameters" -> "Drive letter": "F:"

Now if you are running Windows XP, log as Admnistrator, then change your phisical drive letter to "E:", for example:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307844&sd=tech#ESACAAA

Once you did it, switch the DT drive to "D:" and hopefully you're done
Click to expand...

Yep, it worked. The FMVs still skip though (the problem I was trying to fix)... I guess an ISO of a scratched disc still doesn't help.
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
The FMV skipping should be another problem not related to CD/ISO access speed, and if your CD were scratched enough to make those movies skip, you won't succeed into making an image with that software. Remember FFVII is not intented to work on XP, but you can make a google search, there're some patches out there
 
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-=VampyR=-

-=VampyR=-

Immortal
To have movies skip you need a VERY BADLY scratched disk.

If the original disc skips movie in a console,usually a disc image will be perfect,unless is as I said before badly scratched.
 
hagbard

hagbard

New member
Yeah, that's why I said he won't be able to make the image with ISOproducer if the CD is that badly scratched, so I deduct this might not be the problem
 
Xiedo

Xiedo

New member
This is very strange. To clarify:

This is the PC version of Final Fantasy 8. Original discs, not CD copies or ISOs.

The discs are taken care of very well--only minor scratches if any.

The polygon gameplay is perfect, no slowdown or anything.

It is only the FMVs that skip (video and audio).

My comp can easily handle the specs for this game so I don't get it... I may just buy/rip the PSX version, though I'm still curious what the problem is here.

EDIT: I also installed the non_GeForce patch since I have an ATI card... no effect. I don't think the patch was for graphics bugs anyway.
 
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-=VampyR=-

-=VampyR=-

Immortal
It is only the FMVs that skip (video and audio).
Click to expand...
Do you have it running from a real DVD/CD drive ?
Skipping movies is the first sign of lens failure in your optical drive.

Advice:
Try and see if the movies skip every time in the same place.

1.If they do you have damaged disc.
2.If they don't and skip randomly say bye-bye to your DVD/CD drive. :(

I think codec problems are not an issue here.

The fact that you have powerful PC has nothing to do with the fact that movies skip.Movies work even on very low-end computers.
Also try changing your CD-R plugin in your ePSXe and check if you set a big speed for CD reading,or maybe too low for your optical drive.
 
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hagbard

hagbard

New member
VampyR, this is the PC version of FFVIII, not the PSX one.

If you've created ISO of that CDs, and the vides still skip, the problem is about the game: I've already said that game was make before XP exist, and is no longer updated, so problem are expected. I think it would be better if you got the original PSX game
 
-=VampyR=-

-=VampyR=-

Immortal
hagbard said:
VampyR, this is the PC version of FFVIII, not the PSX one.
Click to expand...

It's the same thing if he runs the game from CD.
Lenses fail either if they're PC drives or console drives.
Like you said if the .iso skips video it's the game/disc.

A friend of mine ran FF VIII on XP perfect.
 
montpics

montpics

New member
hagbard said:
VampyR, this is the PC version of FFVIII, not the PSX one.

If you've created ISO of that CDs, and the vides still skip, the problem is about the game: I've already said that game was make before XP exist, and is no longer updated, so problem are expected. I think it would be better if you got the original PSX game
Click to expand...
hagbard, I need to clarify that FF8 (PC version) works on WinXP (yeah I tested it once). The only problem is GeForce bug which naturally happened on any latest NVIDIA graphic card on XP.

Secondly between PS version and PC version, I still prefer PC version especially FF8 as that version has included mini-game that enables you to play Chocobo adventure on 'PocketStation' simulation.

Thirdly, you better try other CD imaging software as ISOProducer was originally made for making PS CD images. (You will never know unless you try it.)

Finally, want a saved game? I could send it to you if you want it. :cool:
 
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