Vista, Dual Cores & Other Technicalities..

[CabraBuitre]

Anybody have any tips?  the http://www.robpol86.com/pages/imagecfg.php site isn't working.  I tried it a few days ago when I found out about the fix... but I didn't download the imagecfg at that time.  Now it appears to be gone!

[null45]

The Web Archive has a copy at http://web.archive.org/web/20060426043420/http://www.robpol86.com/Files/imagecfg.exe

[CabraBuitre]

AWESOME, thanks Null!  I always check out archive.org for live concerts... but I've never thought to look for old webpages!

[CabraBuitre]

I'm having an issue running the fix.  Here's a pic of what I get:



"IMAGECFG:  unable to map and load oSimCity
IMAGECFG: unable to map and load 4.exeo"

I tried it twice... but to no avail.

[u.mueller]

Howdy same problem here!

C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps>dir
Datenträger in Laufwerk C: ist Vista
Volumeseriennummer: 3ED8-B2CA

Verzeichnis von C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps

26.09.2009  11:44    <DIR>          .
26.09.2009  11:44    <DIR>          ..
27.08.2003  03:01           153.718 00000000.016
27.08.2003  03:01           308.280 00000000.256
09.07.2003  02:42           486.400 dbghelp.dll
27.08.2003  03:01            41.472 DRVMGT.DLL
11.11.1996  08:00            51.472 IMAGECFG.EXE
27.08.2003  03:01            12.400 SECDRV.SYS
23.09.2003  11:45         7.524.352 SimCity 4.exe
27.08.2003  03:00                47 SimCity 4.ini
               8 Datei(en),      8.578.141 Bytes
               2 Verzeichnis(se), 149.985.206.272 Bytes frei

C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps>IMAGECFG.EXE -a 0x1 "SimCity
4.exe"
IMAGECFG: unable to map and load SimCity 4.exe

C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps>

[dragonshardz]

Try removing the space between SimCity and 4.

[u.mueller]

As Simcity just kept on crashing , which is really nagging me, since this new laptop of mine is really a good machine for Simcity, I kept looking into the problem!

The command syntax e.g. Cababuitra and me entered is perfectly in order. The problem in my case was that strangely enough my own user had not full access rights to that specific folder. So here's what you have to check if imagecfg.exe spits out "Unable to map and load "SimCity 4.exe" on you:

1. Go into the "...\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps" folder and mark "SimCity 4.exe".
2. Right-click the file and select "Properties" (in my case since I have a German OS "Eigenschaften").
3. In "Properties" go to the "Security" tab. You should see some user accounts. Find the one with your Username on it and click on "Edit" to modify your user rights (this should bring up a UAC prompt). Make it so you have full access (read and write). Just for the completeness also do this with the "Administrator" user which is likely to be there.
4. Hit "OK" and now try running the "imagecfg.exe" again.


This should now work! In case of any questions, please just let me know.


Disclaimer: I shall not be hold responsibility for any stuff you do with your own or FWIW with your dad's or elder brother's computer or any repercussions arising thereof nor any penal implications resulting from aforementioned repercussions. Any changes to your copy of SimCity, files related thereto are at your own risk. 

[fafalone]

If you don't want to modify the EXE, it's possible to set CPU affinity using Process Explorer; a freeware program that's basically a supercharged task manager (it even has an option to replace it when you hit ctr alt del).

HOWEVER,
Is this topic supposed to be specific to Vista? Or all dual core setups?

I used to have frequent CTDs when jumping around without letting buildings loads, zooming too quick, and other random times. I never saw day time lighting effects on the RMIP, or sims standing around, figured it was the graphics settings. but last night i set the -CPUCount flag to 2, and now they show up. And I never get those random crashes anymore.

Could the problem be with dealing with 2 logical CPUs instead of 2 physical units in a system it detects has 2 CPUs? I'm using xp pro 32bit on a dual core intel centrino.

[Trooper47]

Strangely enough this is not working for me. I don't know how the line reads in English but it said "this program has stopped working" or something like that (vista error). My antivirus also gives me a warning that SC4.exe is a virus wile I'm running imagecfg....?

Anyhoe, I can change the affinity in the taskmsgr, but quiet frankly, I'm getting tired that I always have to ctrl-alt-delete after I start Sc4 up.
I run a Quad Core under Vista X86. If someone can tell me where to find the bugglog I could give you some more specific information.

Edit: After some research along the internet I found that you can alter your short cut kind of like described in part II. But You type this:
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c START "SC4" /high/Affinity 8

The affinity can be set to any CPU core by changing the number to the corresponding hex value.
1st core = 1
2nd core = 2
3rd core = 4
4th core = 8
5th core = 10 ( hexadecimal 16 )
6th core = 20 ( hexadecimal 32 )

So in my case I set it to the 4th core.
Example of the complete line: C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c START "SC4" /high/Affinity 8 "C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -Intro:off
The Intro off is to turn off the pre game clips.

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