Why when SL crashes does it crash my whole system

After the release of viewer version 1.1.4 when SL would crash it would shut my whole system down....to the point of actually turning my computer off. I soon discovered I wasn't the only one with this problem.

Upon contacting in world help (when it was still available) I was refered to a web page. There I found even more people suffering from the same problem and suggestions on how to fix the problem. I tried Lindens list of suggestions but ended up having to unistall SL and reinstall w/the older view version. This seemed to help the problem and when SL would crash it didn't seem to shut down my system.

With the newest update and the forced download of view 1.1.5......the problems have returned. I again went back to the web page and followed all the recommended "fixes" listed. I've updated my video drives....updated quicktime...even removed audio/video from my preferences.....nothing seems to help. At times I crash before I've completly logged in and once again I have to turn my computer back on....wait while it goes through it's start up...and then try again. Once I crashed like this 5 times in a row......it's very frustrating to say the least.

I don't know what else to try or do.....if ANYONE has any suggestions please let me know. I would just like to see this issue addressed and resolved, as I'm sure so would all the others out there experiencing the same problem.

Thanks!

If your whole system crashes, the problem is almost always a driver.

Maybe you could post some system specs? Do Help->About Second Life and post what it shows there.

Happens to me too with 1.15, never before, generally w/in 1 minute of login. Sometimes seems tied to some event (such as IM arrival, mouse click, inventory arrival).

CPU is actually a Celeron.

CPU: Intel Pentium Pro (Unknown model) (1400 MHz)
Memory: 1272 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Graphics Card Vendor: Intel
Graphics Card: Intel 915GM
OpenGL Version: 1.4.0 - Build 7.14.10.4764
LLMozLib Version: 1.1.0 (Mozilla GRE:1.8.0.10_0000000000)
Packets Lost: 65/1513 (4.3%)
Viewer Digest: d41e9967-bd06-7599-cf20-d339bf6c1dee

All drivers are up to rev. Packet loss usually zero (logged in over wireless at work to get ABOUT above).

I assume this is because I have an unsupported graphics chipset (Intel), and the new render pipeline crashes it. Check the list at
http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php

I think it's due to protocol issues. My machine doesn't crash utterly, but the first time in any windows session that I start SL, it gets as far as "Verifying Protocol Versions" and then crashes out. Second and subsequent times of running the program before a reboot work fine.

I'm guessing that my computer is a little more tolerant than some, but I think the problem lies here.

I've listed my specs below....but I ran SL with no problems with my system crashing before the 1.1.4 version.....and when I went back to 1.1.3 it didn't happen then either........but now with the forced update....it's happening even more.....

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 Northwood (2793 MHz)
Memory: 511 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce FX Go5600/AGP/SSE2
OpenGL Version: 1.4.1
LLMozLib Version: 1.1.0 (Mozilla GRE:1.8.0.10_0000000000)
Packets Lost: 2/1113 (0.2%)
Viewer Digest: d41e9967-bd06-7599-cf20-d339bf6c1dee

I was having a problem like that just a few days ago. After having a tech come out and run diagnostics on my PC, it was found that a RAM card I had installed wasn't compatible. I was suffering repeated crashes in game about 30 a night. After many of these crashes at first I got a blue screen showing errors twice, in seperate crashes. At first indicators pointed towards my graphics card, and suggested updates to them, but I had done that only a couple of weeks before this happend. In the second day of these events, pop ups were being corrupted and then pointed to the RAM card as the source of the trouble.

What was happening was that the errors were giving the PC a command to stop, and after game crashes would cause an automatic restart of the machine. After I removed the incompatible cards out, the system ran fine. Just minor crash events.

I don't know if your trouble sounds like that, but maybe my issue and resolution to it could help you.

A BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error is nearly ALWAYS hardware related. If you're getting BSOD's then either hardware or drivers is to blame in 99.9% of cases.

If you're just getting thrown back to the desktop, or the crash reporter keeps popping up, usually it's just that program at fault.

The new viewer seems to require more memory than previous versions. I had 512, and barely was able to fuction, serious lag, crashes several times a day. I added an additional 2 GB of memory and most problems have gone away. In any case, 512MB is running on empty.

I am having almost exactly the same problem you described, everything just freezes up and I can't even get the cursor to move, and ctrl alt del won't even bring it out of it. Worked fine in 1.13, started in 1.14, went back to 1.13 and all was fine until 1.15. I am doing good if I can stay logged on for 5 minutes. Here are my specs.

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 13 Stepping 8 GenuineIntel ~1600 Mhz
graphics card NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0148&SUBSYS_22951584&REV_A2\4&216C7707&0&0008
Adapter Type GeForce Go 6600, NVIDIA compatible
Adapter Description NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600
Adapter RAM 256.00 MB (268,435,456 bytes)
Installed Drivers nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.7810
Total Physical Memory 1,024.00 MB

I never had these problems before the upgrades.

I (and two of my closest friends) have had the same issues with 1.14 and 1.15, and earlier we had to rollback to 1.13.2 (or whatever LL offered us), which is no longer possible. I crash in virtually any area within a few minutes and am completely frozen, having to reboot the machine (which it does not like). I have also reinstalled everything twice after receiving corrupted program messages due to the rebooting.

After following all the suggestions in the Knowledge Base, I eventually contacted Dell and NVIDIA. The former even accessed my machine to see if there was a problem. The later agreed with Dell that, based on the system configuration, I have the best drivers and updates for my very recent machine (barely a year old), and that if I swapped them out I would degrade it. This I learned myself when I changed drivers anyway just to see what would happen: I still froze, and the graphics for my other programs suffered.

I posted the issue in the official blogs and also contacted support. Eventually, during testing for 1.15 Daniel Linden tracked me down and asked me to use the beta and see if 1.15 worked for me. Dutifully, I did so, and it did seem to be fine for my system, and I relayed that back to Daniel (Thanks!). Somehow, with the launch, what worked in the beta did not in the main grid. This appears to be a conflict beyond the drivers, but I'm not a techie. All my friends suffering from this, save one, seem to have Dells with recent NVIDIAs, and they are GeF-7800. My specs are below.

I have two very different, multi-region sims on the drawing boards, with up to 6 islands (joined) involved. These are destination sims, for public access, with some great, fun designs and open spaces. These are NOT meant to be for-profit, rather design sidelines for me, integrating destinations and education. Four other SL designers are now involved. However, I will not pay that amount of money unless there is a resolution to these stabilty issues, and unless LL can work out why so many of us have these problems. We need solutions that do not require revamping our systems several times a year. Suggestions???

My system, which I have been told is well within the requirements:

DELL, XPS 600, using a cable internet connection

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 (Unknown model) (3392 MHz)
Memory: 2046 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Build 2600) (media)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce 7800 GTX/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL Version: 2.0.0
LLMozLib Version: 1.1.0 (Mozilla GRE:1.8.0.10_0000000000)
Packets Lost: 3/15696 (0.0%)
Viewer Digest: d41e9967-bd06-7599-cf20-d339bf6c1dee

Today I recieved an IM from Akiko Koba. They suggested I try unchecking the enable VBO box under adv. graphics in preferences. So far this has worked for me. No more crashing!! I could have sworn I tried that already, but maybe not. Anyway, it worked this time, maybe it will help you out too. Big thanks to Akiko.

Thanks Gus, I too tried that but it didn't do anything.

I am using a G4 700 MHz and only 1.1GB of ram. Slow computer comparitively speaking, but it is a Mac. It seems there are no Mac problems, or are there? I think it's Windows and all the extra dirvers and such that have to be running. I wish it was plug and play for all of us. 1.15 has been operating flawlessly for me since installing. Less lag and trouble than 1.14. Only problem I have is friends that can't hear my IMs or rez themselves. Thay all have PCs.

its not driver related at all, its second life's size, I had the tech on the phone tell me its happening to over 40k+ plus ppl.

Are you sure your video driver is up-to-date? Dunno about the FX/Go cards but I updated my 7800 lately and my OpenGL version, which I think gets updated when you get new video drivers, is at 2.something.

Also, 512MB is a bit low. If you can add some more memory and get past the crashing problem, SL will be a lot happier. If you can't get more MB, make sure to close down as much stuff on your PC as you can before you start SL.


I don't think so.

You're joking. This is a general problem, not confined to PCs. Please just glance at the Mac Forum, Sexymon, and you will see hundreds of posts all very similar to the ones posted in this here generic thread. All the same kinds of suggestions tried and failing; all the same accounts of Linden indifference or ineffectiveness. Let's hear what your Mac spec is, I want exactly the same!

My own is a MacBook Pro, dual intel processor 2Ghz, 2GB RAM, latest possible graphics card. About 4 crashes an hour, happening randomly. They used to alloiw me to use FORCE QUIT to dump the client and restart it. Now they are locking up the whole machine and reconfiguring my network so I have to reset it each time. And twice they jammed me so hard I had to unplug the mains cable and open the battery to unfreeze and restart. All other software works perfectly, btw.

CPU: Intel Pentium Pro (Unknown model) (1662 MHz)
Memory: 503 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Graphics Card Vendor: Intel
Graphics Card: Intel 945GM
OpenGL Version: 1.4.0 - Build 4.14.10.4497
LLMozLib Version: 1.1.0 (Mozilla GRE:1.8.0.10_0000000000)
Packets Lost: 1/634 (0.2%)
Viewer Digest: d41e9967-bd06-7599-cf20-d339bf6c1dee

Okay, so if I have this right my crashing problem comes from my Intel graphics card and my lag problem is because of lack of memory?

500MB of memory is really to low to do much of anything running XP, let alone SL. At least double your memory just to start out.

Yes, the Intel integrated graphics solutions really are the pits, both in terms of the hardware and the drivers themselves. If you can, buy a decent graphics add-on card. Note that there might be issues getting another graphics card to work in that kind of system, so be aware of its limitations.

Hmm, ok,

We can't all have bad drivers, and if it's happing on both PCs and Macs then it's probably not hardware related. Viewer size? doesn't sound reasonable. Windowz says it's supports up to 4GB of addreess space on all systems, admittedly much of that is in paged virtual memory.

I think the disturbing thing is that the beta viewer HAS THE SAME PROBLEM! So it's NOT going to fix anything! (and yes, I'm shouting)

I also think that it's pretty evident that since the 1.13 viewer worked a lot better, not perfect, but better, on the same hardware and OS and drivers, that the problem is a bug in the newer viewers.

I'm not so sure the problems are related. 1.15.0 is perfectly stable for me. But 1.16 still crashes every 10-20 minutes. And in anycase the 1.16 issues are part of a bug that's fixed internally they just haven't released 1.16.0.1 yet.

I'd suggest taking a look at the OpenGL version too. All of the people with the issue here seem to have a version below 2.0.1. Here's what it looks like for me:



I couldn't check anybody else's version number to see if they had the latest. But Gus Udal, your video drivers are way out of date. You have 78.10 the latest is 93.71: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_93.71.html

The 93.71 driver supports all GeForce cards going back to GeForce 2 series, and except for the 8800 series. Despite what nVidia says this also includes the GeForce Go versions. They just say it doesn't so you'll complain to your laptop manufacturer instead of to them if it doesn't work.

Can someone PLEASE tell me why i cant just have the 1.13 version? they allowed me to have it when the 1.14 version didnt work for me, Im not getting into the whole "graphics, motherboads, chips are ram" cap its as i have i have done all the tests and my pc is fine also my sister has the same pc and hers works fine but as i say thats not the problem i payed for sl i want to play on what i paid for as i cant i have now downgraded to basic account. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK? ALL I WANT IS TO ABLE TO DOWNLOAD AND PLAY ON THE 1.13 version i dont think thats alot to ask so if anyone has any ideas are if a LINDEN reads this please let me play on the 1.13 version.

I completely agree. Even with my Intel chipset v1.13 worked fine for me. I only really started having problems when LL decided to "upgrade" and force everyone to get it or get lost. Due to life mobility concerns (I've moved three times in the past year) I have to have a laptop, and I can't afford a new graphics chipset at present, much less a new computer. Please reconsider the forced "upgrades" and let those of us who want to scale back our versions have that option so we can continue to be a part of this community. Thanks for listening (reading, whatever).