Fix crashing with the Manual LAA Fix (64bit Win) = "manual 3GB enable"

[Nulano]

I have rewritten this guide as a Steam guide with screenshots: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1349679487
Please follow that guide instead of this discussion, as it has more details.

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OLD VERSION OF THIS POST FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES

Originally posted by Nulano:

If you have trouble with text, there is a video version in post #75 (not made by me).

Many people around here have been suggesting using a 3GB enabler for SMR (such as this one http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1090651 ), however I didn't trust any of them. Then I randomly found a hidden function of a program and that lead me to a manual solution that should always work.

Requirements:
- A hex editor (I recomend HxD - http://mh-nexus.de/en/downloads.php?product=HxD )

Steps:
1) Open railroads.exe in your hex editor. (Open your Steam installation folder - usually "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam" then navigate to "<STEAM>\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Railroads")
2) Find the two consecutive bytes "0F 01" near the top. My exe had them at offset 0x014E (in HxD that's row 00000140 and column 0E), but your exe might be different (but most likely not).
3) Replace the 0F with 2F by clicking to the left of the number and pressing 2
4) You should now have "2F 01".
5) Save, and you're done!

If you can't see these two bytes, try adding 20 to the byte at 0x014E, it might work (or just say that the executable is invalid, it won't make your PC explode :) ). Otherwise I'd be glad to take a look at your exe (don't forget to change the value back!), it might teach me something (my main interest is programming).

[The Squig]

I tried your solution and it seems to have worked (win 8.1 x64). Ty! Im curious as to what ive actually changed though? It seems somewhat amazing to me how just one byte could make all the difference :O

Update: Just to clarify, it definitely worked.

[Nulano]

Originally posted by The Squig:

I tried your solution and it seems to have worked (win 8.1 x64). Ty! Im curious as to what ive actually changed though? It seems somewhat amazing to me how just one byte could make all the difference :O

You've only changed a single bit, since all that has to be done to fix the issue (mostly, it will still crash after a long gaming session), is enabling the LAA (Large Address Aware) flag, and flags are represented by a single bit. What enabling LAA does, can be read from various websites, such as MSDN.

[The Squig]

Thx :)

[Nulano]

Glad to help. :)

[1230james]

A Win8.1 user can actually play this game?

So tell me; how come I only found this after scrolling down really far, skipping over all the idiots raging that the game is broke?

[Nulano]

@1230james I would like to know that too.

[NoGravy]

Thanks man, I don't remember which game I originally downloaded a hex editor to mod, I just remember not knowing what I was doing and giving up. This was a simple fix and I've gone from crashing every 5-10 minutes to losing track of time and wishing I'd gone to bed an hour earlier.

[Nulano]

Originally posted by pat.camp:

Thanks man, I don't remember which game I originally downloaded a hex editor to mod, I just remember not knowing what I was doing and giving up. This was a simple fix and I've gone from crashing every 5-10 minutes to losing track of time and wishing I'd gone to bed an hour earlier.

Maybe you should get an external clock to glance at every so often, so you know what time it is. :P

[NightShayd]

Subscribe

[Phileas Fogg]

I hope some of you will look at my new post entitled: Crash Issues Solved and let me know if the solution works for you too.

I tried to make it a one stop shop for the most effective solution I have found. I love this game and I hope this solution works to solve much of the frustration that the unpached version of the game has caused.

My hope is that Steam will intigrate the patched executable into their version of the game and therby eliminate much of the frustration, though I have no way to know what their legal agreement with the owners of the title allows them do with this game.

[willgamer47]

Another satisfied customer!

Win 7 sp1 x64; no ctd in 4 straight hours....

Thanks Nulano :)

[Dethy]

Thanks! It works under Win8.1 x64

[Halamadan]

I tried this hex editing fix/patch today, and just finished my first game with it. Game ran smoothly, right up to the end of the match, and the game did not crash upon its end (as it almost always did before)!

Thanks!

Win. 8.1 (x64)

[Kuba]

what is a hex editor and could someone send me a link to a safe download for one please

for windows 7 please

[The Squig]

A hex editor lets you view and edit binary data in a file. If you open an executable file (.exe) youll see the machine code it contains. The word hex derives from the hexadecimal numeral system which is often used to display binary data.

I recommend you make a copy of the exe file before you begin so you can easily restore any changes you make.

http://mh-nexus.de/en/downloads.php?product=HxD