[Steam] Dragon Age Inquisition Freezes

@Luminos03 

Please create a DxDiag in text file format and post it with your next reply. You can do that with the "Choose file" button at the bottom right corner of the reply window. 

Hello @holger1405, thank you for your reply. Here is the DxDiag file

@Luminos03 

Your NVIDIA graphic driver is pretty old, it is the last one that ASUS lists on his website, so I would suggest to use the latest NVIDIA provides.

• Follow this manual to the letter to cleanly uninstall all NVIDIA components.
• Install the graphics driver > Go online.
• Test.

@holger1405 

I followed every step and everything went good, I could update the drivers. I played DAI for almost 30 minutes until it crashed. This freezing happens in different periods of time, but it only happens with this game.

I usually play games that need more requirements to run them, I really don't understand why this happens. 

I attached a new DxDiag report. Thx 

@Luminos03 

There are "LiveKernelEvent 1b8" errors present in your DXDiag that weren't there in the last one.
These are hardware errors that are likely to be caused by a driver or component failure.

Please look at your "C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports\WATCHDOG4400\" folder Zip the latest "WATCHDOGXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XXXX.dmp" (x represent numbers) file and upload it at a free file hosting page like OneDrive or Dropbox.

Also:

1. Hit Windows key and X.
2. Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator),” or "Windows Terminal (Administrator)", whichever option is offered.
3. Inside PowerShell, CMD or Terminal enter “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth” without quotes. > ENTER.
4. If errors are found, notify us. If no errors were found reaped steps 1 & 2.
5. Inside PowerShell, CMD or Terminal enter “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without quotes. > ENTER.
6. The system will start validating soon. If it throws an error, please list it here.
7. After it reaches 100% reaped steps 1 & 2
8. Inside PowerShell, CMD or Terminal enter “sfc /scannow” without quotes > ENTER.
10. Post the message you receive at the end of the processes here.

@holger1405 

The C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports\WATCHDOG4400\ folder is empty, it does not even show hidden files. In the Reliability Report I see the LiveKernelEvent and I think is because I used the key combination  Win + Ctrl + Shift + B when the game was stuck last time. Nevertheless I used CMD to run the commands you told me, I attached a text document with the results and errors shown. 

@Luminos03 

There are no *.dmp files at all in the "LiveKernelReports" folder?

It looks like the component store is defective and the source files that could be used to repair it are also inaccessible witch means that the repairs SFC preformed could be incomplete.

I can't say whether this is part of the problem that causes DA to freeze, although it's possible, but it will cause problems down the line.

I would recommend a Windows repair installation, also called a in-place upgrade, that will allow you to keep your data and your applications.

Here you will find an Microsoft Video Guide about it.

Here is the Website to create the Install medium.

This is normally a very safe process, but you should make a full backup of all your important data anyway. (And not just before such on operation.) 😉

Make sure that "Keep Personal files and Apps" is marked before you click "install".

If you are unsure about a step, ask! 😉

For DAi: (If there are no LiveKernel dmp files.)

• Press the Windows key and "R" at the same time.
• In the new Window, type or copy and paste "%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps" (Without the quotation marks) > Press ENTER
• Look if there are any "DragonAgeInquisition.exe.Xxxx.dmp" files in the "..Local\CrashDumps" folder.
• Zip 2 - 3 "DragonAgeInquisition.exe.Xxxx.dmp" files together and upload them at a free file hosting service like Dropbox or Onedrive.
• Post the link here.

If there aren't any dump files of ME:

• Press the Windows key > Write: Command Prompt > Right click on "Command Prompt" in the search results > Run as administrator.
• Copy and paste reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\devenv.exe" /v DumpType /d 2 /t REG_DWORD into the prompt Window > Press ENTER.
• Play the game until it crashes.
• After the game crashes, let all Windows crash dialogues finish.
• Press the Windows key and "R" at the same time. > Type "%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps" (Without the quotation marks) into the new window > Press ENTER.
• Zip 2 - 3 "DragonAgeInquisition.exe.Xxxx.dmp" files together and upload them at file hosting service like Dropbox or you can use the Onedrive "public" folder.
• Post the link here.
  
  
  If you want to undo the automatic dump creation, use the command below in a elevated command prompt (As in point 1) reg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps" /f

@holger1405 

I completed the Windows Repair Installation, it took a long time to complete and everything went well. 

I found the .dmp (DragonAgeInquisition.exe.Xxxx.dmp) file, here is the link to DropBox:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/f073pebut8bqhnk2nwx75/AK2T6XseSxBqiJvCOPrsL98?rlkey=6td157v4h9kt4rjy6jcq30yii&dl=0

@Luminos03 

The error in the dump file is a "NULL_CLASS_PTR_READ", meaning "DragonAgeInquisition.exe" or a module loaded by it is trying to read from a memory address that is restricted.

That is an access violation and the game is terminated because of it.

The problem is that we know that the game itself is not the problem here, if it were everyone would get this crash, so we still don't know the real culprit.

Do you use any Mods?

Repair the game.

(Origin: Game Library > Right-click the game cover > Repair)
(EA app: My Collection > Click on the three dots on the game cover > Repair)
(Steam: Game Library > Right-click the game > Properties > Local Files > Verify integrity of game files.)

Then preform a clean boot and test the Game in clean boot mode.

In clean boot:
- Make sure the "EABackgroundService" remains enabled under point 3 in the guide.
- Make sure your virus scanner and other security software and also Afterburner and similar software is disabled.
- Make sure any CORSAIR/Razor/Asus software is disable or deinstalled and that your GPU & CPU are not overclocked.
- Make sure only your Mouse and keyboard are connected to the PC

@holger1405 

Sorry for the late reply, the problem just got worse, it now extended for the normal use of my laptop.

Basically 1 day after the reinstallation of Windows I kept getting the crashing only while playing but suddenly it started happening while watching videos, using Excel, or just when I tried installing a 2 GB game from steam the computer freezes and the screen goes completely black. 

Something interesting is that before when it was just with the game, the screen kept showing image but it was completely stuck, but now additional to that the screen goes black. Other thing I notice is that every time I get the freeze while playing it makes the same sound, it is like when you disconnect a microphone, it is always the same, I don't know if this detail matters at all.

What I did and for the moment is working, is that I followed the steps you shared before to uninstall the Nvidia Drivers with DDU and then in safe mode I used CMD yo run Dism.exe commands you shared and luckily this time the results didn't show any error like before.

I truly don't have a lot of knowledge about systems and computers so I want to ask you: The INTEL drivers can be deleted and then reinstalled using DDU? I remember a time when I could play DAI and other High Performance games without any problem (my computer is just 1 year old btw) and I didn't experience any problem but I kinda remember that the Intel Assistant updated a LOT of drivers and the Nvidia drivers updated as well. Asus Tuf Gaming laptops works with Armory Crate, literally without this program the laptop won't work at all, so I made sure it is up to date too but I don't know if processes and configurations between Armory Crate, Intel Drivers, Nvidia drivers and windows system, something on between is not compatible or anything.

Anyways, you have no idea how much I truly appreciate your help.