Errors on new computer with Windows 11

So, I just got a very nicely equipped new computer with Windows 11 and nVidia GeForce RTX 3090 video card. Now, I am getting numerous errors. I loose sound, I get the white screen dialog boxes, and worst of all right in the middle of a longer quest, the game bombs out with a Visual C Runtime Error.

I did a clean fresh install following the directions and using the Project Celest v 3.6.0.0 launcher. I also have all the appropriate ports passed through.

I even tried running Spartan.exe in Windows 8 compatibility mode.....but the problems persist. So I undid the compatibility mode back to normal.

No other games give me problems.

I can sometimes play the shorter quests if I reboot the PC between games. What a pain!

Any suggestions? Anyone?

Plague_On_U

 

CaonradIII,

Thank you for your suggestions. I did exactly as you instructed, and it looks promising! I was able to play one complete quest without loosing music, without a white screen error and without a Visual C Runtime Error. I will keep you posted as I run more quest using your method.

Thank you so much, this could be a game changer for me.

Plague_On_U

 

After playing several more games, I see that I still have my problems with Windows 11, even after applying ConradIII's suggested Windows compatibility fix.

Plague_On_U

 

Problems persist with new Windows 11 desktop machine. Back to running the game on my old Windows 10 desktop machine. No problems there. A shame to not being able to use new desktop.

Plague_On_U

 

Ever since I bought a new computer with Windows 11, I have been plagued with numerous problems with the Age of Empires Online game. (and only with the Age of Empires Online game). I would frequently loose sound, I would often get the white screen dialog boxes, and worst of all right in the middle of a longer quest, the game crash with a Visual C Runtime Error.

I was attributing the problem to some incompatibility between the older game Age of Empires Online and Windows 11. After all, Age of Empires Online was developed for Windows 7.

I even tried running the game in Window 7 compatibility mode, but that did not fix my problems.

But now, I don't think that was the problem is a Windows compatibility problem. With the help of the user theace9 on Discord, I now believe the problem is that my new Intel i9 Core computer has too many CPU cores. If you limit the number of CPU cores that the game is allowed to use, the game seems to work without errors!

To do this, you need to change some settings for the game using the windows task manager. To do that, do the following:

While game is running...

simultaneously press the three keys cntl-alt-del at the same time to bring up the task manager. Right click on Age of Empires Online (32 bit) and select Go to details. (or you can just select the Details tab along the top of the dialog box).

On the Details tab, scroll down to Spartan.exe, then right click on Spartan.exe and select Set affinity

• 

On the dialog box that comes up, pick 1-2 cores at max, older games like Age of Empires Online mostly use 1 core (newer games are starting to use more).

To do this, uncheck the top box <All Processors>. Then I check the boxes for CPU 0 & CPU1 to allow the game to use the first two CPU cores.




Click the OK button and you are done.

When I did the above, I was able to play the game on my new computer without problems.

The bad news is that you have to follow the above procedure each time you launch the game.

Discussions on Discord indicate that there is a program that will permanently save your CPU core selections. The program is called Process Lasso by bitsum.


I will try the program Process Lasso and let you all know what I learn.

So, as it stands now, limiting the number of CPU cores that Age of Empires Online can access seems to have solved all of the problems I've been having trying to play Age of Empires Online on my new computer.

Plague_On_U

 

An Update.....

So it has been 2 1/2 days (and 15 legendary quests) since I started limiting the number of CPU core the game can use to 2 cores. Here is what I have observed so far:

• Limiting of CPU cores does not totally solve the problems I have been plagued with.
• Out of the 15 quest, I had 1 Visual C Runtime error. Before limiting the cores, nearly every quest resulted in a Visual C Runtime error.
• If I play a number of quest in a row, I eventually get the white screen error, even if limiting the number of CPU cores to 2. Exiting the game between quests seems to minimize this.
• I never lost sound while questing. Before limiting the cores, nearly every quest resulted in a loss of sound, shortly followed by a game crash.
• Limiting the number of CPU cores to 1 cores, makes the game sluggish.

So overall, limiting the number of CPU cores used by the game to 2 cores is not a 100% solution, but it seems to be a step in the right direction.

Plague_On_U