Ring_of_Fire

Now more research led to this... It was the MSCTFMONITOR.DLL file running at startup via "Task Scheduler". It wasn't Windows Event Log at all.

Hello all you Newb Users, please see this -> viewtopic.php?f=89&t=21587

It's working, now.

FIXES: 1. Make sure you that you disable your sound card in Device Manager. If you refuse to do this, then buy a Creative Sound Blaster and stop using onboard devices. 2. Update/downgrade sound driver and then delete [.set] file. Also try different compatibility modes, if desired (won't help ). 3. Don't play in a server that has people currently inside - it must be empty. Trust me, these are the only best fixes that I can think of!

FIX: 1. Launch MTA 0.5 (don't launch a server) and select RESET VICE CITY CONFIG FILE. 2. Locate "C:\Programs Files\Multi Theft Auto" and "C:\Program FIles\Rockstar Games\Vice City" 3. In the Multi Theft Auto directory, if there is a %s%s file - delete it. 4. In the Vice City directory, if there is a %s%s file - delete it. 5. Copy a config.cfg file in any directory that's 1 KB in size, and paste it in *both* GTA/MTA directories. (Make sure you are not copying and pasting a file that's only 0 KB in size!) 6. bind F11 showscores bind F10 showplayers bind t say bind F9 showchat bind F12 screenshot Make sure that both config files in both directories say this. If it says nothin', then you copied and pasted a config.cfg file that's only 0 KB in size. Either type in those string of words manually, or click on RESET VICE CITY CONFIG FILE again. 7. Launch game!

Windows Event Log - an important Windows service? And that's only *1* I disabled. You can renable it, if and only if an application says it's actually required. There's an alternative method to this in the link I posted. But this one is more effective because it ensures the game doesn't crash even when you set the priority on High. Also you can Alt-Tab out during gameplay. Yeah, and it also works. I can post a movie to prove. Did you ever experienced a "Black Screen & Mouse Freeze" issues under Windows Vista? If so, why did you post here in the first place? This thread is for people who have issues and are not using Windows XP. Anyways...

While doing some operating system tweaking, I realized that when this service is DISABLED - you will never get any freeze even when compatibility mode is turned off. An easier and interesting solution for people who don't have dedicated sound cards, eh? You could also disable the sound card too (dumb idea). More about what I am talking about is here -> http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=307992 Obviously the solution in this thread posted here already at the MTAForums is much easier: 1. Disable the "Windows Event Log" service. 2. Restart computer! 3. Delete [.set] file. 4. Turn off the useless compatibiltity mode for the gtavc or gtasa executable. 5. Launch game. If you were having Black Screen/Mouse Freeze issues on Vista and this fixed your problem, rate and comment this topic!

Reinstall MTA and make sure you are using a v1.0 exe. Also, make sure you are not running Vista and that your game isn't Steam/Gamesload/Trymedia/Direct2Drive.

This isn't the Steam/Gamesload/Direct2Drive/Trymedia version? Alright, MTA doesn't support the above. But since you bought the game, try and look up for a No-CD crack!

Read this -> http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?show ... 1057429599 Deleting the [.set] file should be sufficient.

Maybe your copy was v1.1 or something else? So all you had to do was to downgrade by using this? I'd figure the crack would have been the same as downgrading the actual exe. But you didn't have to download a warez copy of San Andreas, right?

The second mirror is faster and more efficient.

^ Tell me WHY...? Anything a warez copy can do, a legit game can also do. Plus, patching the game on a legit copy is much easier since a warez copy would have to find the orginal exe first. Well, unless he/she downloads a perfect ISO copy of the game. But then again, there's the SecuROM protection that needs to be bypassed. I have dug deeper into the situation and it would in fact be true if somebody had the Gamesload/Direct2Drive/Steam/Trymedia version of San Andreas or some other incompatible version such as the German version. But in any case, why not BUY the game and not download a warez copy? I suppose people living elesewhere could simply order it from eBay/Amazon. San Andreas is way cheap now, and a warez copy is basically the same thing as a legit copy - the only thing different about it is that there will be a cracked exe bundled with it. All I wanted to say here is that this solution that the thread starter gave out isn't appropriate on these forums, so I linked him up on the more appropriate one. If it were GTAForums, you'd get an immediate BAN. UPDATE: I just checked and warez is in fact an official MTA forum rule. This site my friend is very trojanic. There are affiliates which are much safer. But of course, I can't tell you the link. Plus GCW sucks. How is this gonna help the millions who speak ENGLISH? Why are people on the MTAForums keep always picking on me? The truth said is simply the truth being said. Here is the more appropriate solution for this thread -> viewtopic.php?f=89&t=21587

Try to reinstall MTA Race FULLY and run both San Andreas and Race in "Windows 98" or "Windows XP" compatibility mode (if it was on, turn it off... or if it was off, turn it on). Also, delete [.set] file. Also, make sure your San Andreas is already working in single player. I'd make sure your firewall is disabled too. If you want it enabled, then make sure you allow "MTA Race" access to the network.

viewtopic.php?f=89&t=21587 ^ Very helpful. Anyway:

This is your solution -> viewtopic.php?f=89&t=21587 Anyway let me give you some tips: 1. Make you don't have the Gamesload/Steam/Direct2Drive versions. You must have only the American/Australian/European/German versions, and they have to be downgraded to v1.0! 2. Try to reinstall MTA:SA Deathmatch and choose the default folder paths.

There are 3 reasons why MTA may crash after the splash screen: OK, so you finally managed to get past the splash screen after starting MTA:DM. But you may then have the FIX FOR CRASH AFTER LAUNCHING SERVER! *NOTE*

You can still get that error message even if you don't have a trainer. Remember it's a "Suspected" Trainer Usage error message.

You'd be lucky if you don't get banned. And you don't need to have a warez copy nor a crack of San Andreas in order for DM to work. All you have to do is to use the downgrader software already posted here: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=15151

MUST SEE! -> http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?show ... 1057422965 You don't actually have to set a compatibility. It's a priority issue during launch-up -> viewtopic.php?f=44&t=21565 Nah, it wasn't a driver issue for your female clan member. What she needs to do is to keep relaunching MTA or lower down the priority for the game... LMFAO, was Windows Update the cause of these problems all along? http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?show ... 1057419738 SORRY GUYS IT WASN'T WINDOWS UPDATE AT ALL!!! IT WAS MY REALTEK AC'97 SOUND CARD DRIVERS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? SOMETHING IS BUGGY GOING IN THE SOUTHBRIDGE AREA ON MY MOTHERBOARD AND IT'S ALL REALTEK'S FAULT. IT IS KINDA BUGGING UP THE CPU FOR SOME REASON I DON'T KNOW. This is why it's better to buy products that are not built into the motherboard. Always buy expansion slot cards, unless there are proper drivers for your onboard chipset.

MUST SEE! -> http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?show ... 1057422965 Many of you were very frustrated when having to try almost everytime to get the mouse to work after launching an MTAVC server. Here's the solution: Have fun playing Grand Larceny's Deathmatch Server at "Phil Cassidy's Stubby Shotgun Robbery Dept"! ^ Do this and you can get both San Andreas and Vice working WITHOUT compatibility turned on! This can also fix the random mouse lock-up issue associated with San Andreas as well. NOTE: This solution is NOT a fix for "Access Denied" error messages! If you want to fix that, maybe disable UAC and uninstall all the Windows Updates for Vista or reformat your hard drive and then reinstall it. If still doesn't work, then it is a security feature hidden in Vista. So this doesn't fix the MTA Race problem where people get "Exception Processing" error messages... *UPDATE* Your game might be slightly laggy (although not noticeable) after you do this because of the CPU paying limited attention to the game. To fix this, go into the Main Menu FIRST! Then, simply CTRL-ALT-DEL and switch the priority back to "Normal". Note: You CANNOT CTRL-ALT-DEL right away without going to the main menu first. If you don't do so and then you change the priority, your mouse will freeze. ALSO, if you just launched a server and you see the Start Multi Theft Auto option on the main menu, you can't CTRL-ALT-DEL and change the priorty back to "Normal" there either. If you do, then once you launch the game - expect the camera to not move at all because of a disabled mouse. Switching the priority back has to be done after Vice City and MTA has been loaded completely. And of course, you obviously have to change the priority as soon as you connect to a server. The reason for this is explained already... So to sum it up: LMFAO, was Windows Update the cause of these problems all along? http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?show ... 1057419738 SORRY GUYS IT WASN'T WINDOWS UPDATE AT ALL!!! IT WAS MY REALTEK AC'97 SOUND CARD DRIVERS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? SOMETHING IS BUGGY GOING IN THE SOUTHBRIDGE AREA ON MY MOTHERBOARD AND IT'S ALL REALTEK'S FAULT. IT IS KINDA BUGGING UP THE CPU FOR SOME REASON I DON'T KNOW. This is why it's better to buy products that are not built into the motherboard. Always buy expansion slot cards, unless there are proper drivers for your onboard chipset.

If you getting this error message even after disabling it. Then restart computer! Another thing that works is to log out and then back in, which would be must faster. This will clear any processes running in memory that caused the MTAVC servers to not launch.

The only fix is to keep trying to relaunch MTA. Here's the solution my friend -> viewtopic.php?f=44&t=21565 (something to do with changing the priority).

viewtopic.php?f=89&t=21433 ^ Please confirm your compatibility mode settings here. Certain combinations will result in a crash. After doing so, make sure your have San Andreas v1.0 and uninstall San Andreas RACE.

You didn't even answer whether or not your San Andreas is working in Single Player? It doesn't make sense to troubleshoot a MTADM problem when we have a GTASA problem to deal with...