The many crashes of DAO

[Nostalginaut]

For reference (first?), my DxDiag text is here[docs.google.com] (ran it as I posted this): DxDiag[docs.google.com]

I've owned this game for years and played it through many times on a couple of PCs. I've even played through it at LEAST once on this one, maybe three years ago, but not encountered this frequency of crashes to the desktop.

During my last play through, I remember a few crashes. The first time it had ever crashed for me on this PC, I was a good way into the game in the Deep Roads; it crashed several times in the same place at the start of one fight in particular, and I don't remember how I fixed it (or if it fixed itself). I don't remember when/where else, but it was infrequent enough to brush off as a small inconvenience.

My girlfriend started playing a few days ago, however, and it's been crashing all the time. It's crashed when she opens her inventory. It's crashed when she closes her inventory. It's crashed at the beginning of various battles. It's crashed when zoning in or out of various places (a few which would happen very reliably in the same place until we tried something to fix it, which may not actually have been "the fix"). It's crashed during dialogue. It's crashed when loading the game (though thankfully not when saving it). It's crashed immediately after launching the game from the launcher app. It's crashed at the title screen. It crashed when I tried to log in with my EA account (but at least it logged me in when I relaunched).

It's crashed a ton of times and it only seems to be getting more frequent. Last night, we could play for an hour or so without a single crash. Today, we could barely make it fifteen minutes (or two minutes, in some places).

The frequency of crashes seems higher when there are graphical glitches and some lag in the game. Once enemies' blood no longer pools, but makes squares of blood on the ground, a crash is probably about to happen. When NPCs' clothing turns to black-and-gold squigglies, it'll probably crash innasec. Shale looks like they're wearing armor, somehow? Probs gonna crash soon.

I'm on a pretty high-end (welllll, it was 3+ years ago) PC that definitely meets the system requirements running Windows 10.

I have had these experiences both with and without mods (mostly Dragon Age Redesigned stuff) installed/enabled, so no mods in particular seem to be causing it.

I have Googled several potential solutions with mixed success, but they all ultimately do little to reduce crashes long-term. The game, as is, will inevitably crash. Here's what I've done so far:

• Restarted computer. Derp, nothing improves.
  
• Verified integrity of local files. Have actually done this numerous times before and after disabling mods, and nothing improves.
  
• Uninstalled and reinstalled. This did nothing at all except waste time.
  
• Uninstalled and reinstalled on a different hard drive. Same.
  
• Set processor affinity. I've done this in every combination (0, 1, 2, and 3). At best, it prevents the game from crashing when a save is loaded or if it has been crashing when I try to switch zones. Have also created a shortcut to have this done by default, as outlined in the sticky thread.
  
• Run in Windows 7 compatibility mode. Nothing.
  
• Run in Windows XP compatibility mode. Nothing.
  
• Run launcher in Windows XP compatibility mode. Pressing "Play" just makes the launcher reload itself, then makes my computer think the game is running when I press "Play," but it is not, actually. So, nothing?
  
• Added "-dx9" to the launch in Steam. This might have helped with one specific crash ingame (when opening my inventory), but the frequency of crashes overall has not improved.
  
• Deleted appcache folder and restarted. Nothing.

I think that's all. I might've done more. Can't remember. Should've written stuff down; we seem to have tried a lot of mostly-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥t.

Please, please help!

[Fictus22]

Hi Crash_Magnet, this is ZDuke17, and I will try my best to help you.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1667889371

1. Skim the guide to the section dubbed "Tweaks for Best Stability."

2. Follow along with Prentices Tweaks/Fixes: excluding DLC and Party Members.

Note: Affinity tweak is an excellent tweak to do to your game alongside the rest of the discussed tweaks, and not meant to work by itself.

3. Watch youtube video provided on the guide about Memory Fixes and Qwinn's Fixpack.

Optional: Apply the Compatibility Windows XP by following the instructions on the guide.

Note: I understand that you had previously done the Windows XP compatibility tweak, but it was meant to work alongside the above, and not by itself. Do not use the compatibility tweak on the launcher; it will indeed cause the launcher to reload itself in most cases.

If in need of further assistance, let me know, and I will reply as soon as I am able.

[Sl0thmens]

I found the 4gb patch fixed most of my issues

[Nostalginaut]

The 4GB patch seemed to do the trick. Thanks!

[Sl0thmens]

No problem the problem drove me nuts as well :)

[Sigint]

where you find patch?

[Nostalginaut]

The link ZDuke gave.