Windows 7: StarCraft freezes after 1-5 minutes of playing

Damocles · 18 Aug 2009

Quote:

Hi, after searching on the web for a while seems I found the solution (at least for my problem) which seems to be pretty much the same problem you are having.

I am using Windows 7 Build 7100, Starcraft: BroodWar patch 1.16.1. Whenever I start Starcraft all the colors are messed up, the same description as above and when trying to play multiplayer on Battle.net SC gets frozen.... can't move the mouse pointer, music is still playing and works.. alt+tab won't work, ctrl+alt+delete won't work either, I have to shut down my computer by holding down the power button for several seconds....

Now let's go to the solution...

1. open notepad
2. type the following:

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
C:\"Program Files (x86)"\"Starcraft"\"StarCraft.exe"
start explorer.exe

Where the 2nd line is your installation folder, which may vary depending on where you installed it, and yes you have to use the quotation marks or it won't work.

3. Save the file with the extension .bat (batch file) where you can find it easly.
4. Double click on it and play starcraft, this will close the explorer (explorer.exe) and reopen it when you close Starcraft.

You can still have other programs open like winamp, skype, whatever, it works for me....

I hope this solution works for you as it did for me, I just found it on the web (can't remember from all the sites I visited to solve this issue).

This works great in Windows 7 for fixing the graphical glitches in the game under this OS, but unfortunately, this wont fix the freezing issue. I've tested and it isn't working with Windows RC 7100.

The freezing is fairly random, so I think the previous posters just haven't seen the issue crop up again for a few games, but it is still an issue.

themartian · 05 Sep 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Damocles

This works great in Windows 7 for fixing the graphical glitches in the game under this OS, but unfortunately, this wont fix the freezing issue. I've tested and it isn't working with Windows RC 7100.

The freezing is fairly random, so I think the previous posters just haven't seen the issue crop up again for a few games, but it is still an issue.

The colors are fixed most of the time, but the freezing is also there for sure.
grr.

bdegner3210 · 12 Sep 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by elfus

Hi, after searching on the web for a while seems I found the solution (at least for my problem) which seems to be pretty much the same problem you are having.

I am using Windows 7 Build 7100, Starcraft: BroodWar patch 1.16.1. Whenever I start Starcraft all the colors are messed up, the same description as above and when trying to play multiplayer on Battle.net SC gets frozen.... can't move the mouse pointer, music is still playing and works.. alt+tab won't work, ctrl+alt+delete won't work either, I have to shut down my computer by holding down the power button for several seconds....

Now let's go to the solution...

1. open notepad
2. type the following:

taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
C:\"Program Files (x86)"\"Starcraft"\"StarCraft.exe"
start explorer.exe

Where the 2nd line is your installation folder, which may vary depending on where you installed it, and yes you have to use the quotation marks or it won't work.

3. Save the file with the extension .bat (batch file) where you can find it easly.
4. Double click on it and play starcraft, this will close the explorer (explorer.exe) and reopen it when you close Starcraft.

You can still have other programs open like winamp, skype, whatever, it works for me....

I hope this solution works for you as it did for me, I just found it on the web (can't remember from all the sites I visited to solve this issue).

This apparently worked for starcraft, thanks. However, I tried to make this program run AoE 2 expansion and it has trouble finding AoE 2. Any suggestions? I'll keep working on it.

bdegner3210 · 12 Sep 2009

Found a way to get AoE to work.

instead of typing -
C:\"Program Files (x86)"\"Empire"\"age2_x1.exe"
type -
cd C:\"Program Files (x86)"\"Empire"
age2_x1.exe

i don't know why this works but it does

(note: remember where you stored the file might be a different name)

bdegner3210 · 12 Sep 2009

I spoke too soon. Neither starcraft nor AoE work when explorer is disabled. I'm going to bet there's a problem with the graphics card since the colors are all weird. I'll keep looking at this but I have no idea how to fix it.

KnowledgeWorker · 16 Sep 2009

Hi there,

I found the following in a forum post.
Please set your compatibility for your Starcraft.exe (shortcut) as follows.

*edit* It does still not to seem to work for me, but it is worth a try for you!

KnowledgeWorker · 17 Sep 2009

Another thing one could try is checking with "Safe Mode" and/or "Selective Startup".
Yet this probably won't track down the issue, just help when you really want to play.

Damocles · 17 Sep 2009

The only real solution I've found to this problem is either using Windows 7 XP mode (which I cant use because I dont have a VT enabled processor), or using VMWare to run a virtual machine of XP and run SC within that. That 'sort of' works in exclusive mode. It will connect and allow you to play over b.net, but there are other issues with the graphics with that method. I've managed to play several games in that fashion though.

I hope to soon be able to test with a true windows 7 XP mode install, but until then, this will have to do.

Damocles · 17 Sep 2009

Hey, maybe this thread works, seems like a lot of confirmations - StarCraft fix holy cow!

I wonder if it fixes the freezing issues. Will test and report back.

Black Macgyver · 18 Sep 2009

I've tried the vmware combination to run starcraft and it still locked the computer, but in a totally different way. This time I can move my mouse, but the keyboard is still locked, and there's a window popping up and the only way out as that window wouldn't close neither and just sat there, was a hard reset. I only did it once though so i don't know what are my luck this thing going to happen again.

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