Frequent crashes and strange operations 1

[cfee]

I'm currently running ACAD-2011 in WIN-VISTA/32-4Gb RAM. As mentioned in another post, I'm really frustrated with frequent crashes and quirky operations. They allowed me an NVIDEA GT-240/1Gb video card. i'd requested the GTX-260 as an upper-mid range unit, but no go.

I'm doing lots of 3D in ACAD, along with the normal 2D, & switching the 3D work back & forth between ACAD & RHINO.

I've reduced the total number of open programs to just the ACAD, and sometimes a TIF file viewer for working with old drawing scans. Back in -XP/32 I was able to run seamlessly with multiple sessions of ACAD & RHINO open plus file viewers & OUTLOOK, Word, etc, with almost NO NOTICABLE SLOWDOWN.

Now I'm perfectly aware that there are RAM limitations in VISTA/32, but should I be dealing with not being able to see the insertion of a simple 2D block until I switch background colors from black to white & back again ? And I have a whole page of other quirky ops that I just can't explain.

Could I be dealing with a video card conflict ?

Any thoughts ? Any suggestions where I might go "out there" to gather clues ?

Thanks-
C.F.

 

[IFRs]

You might try to "repair" the ACAD install from the Control Panel / Add Remove Programs or whatever it's called now.

 

[wjaroszynski]

how long have been using acad 2011 on vista? Have you looked at autodesk's website for a service pack?

 

[cfee]

I downloaded the current service pack, no joy.

Would the PROGRAM REPAIR require the installation disk ? That's locked up in the hands of our Software License Administrator, and its actually PAINFUL to go through the MOUNTAINS of beurocracy to get him to release anything. I'll try PROGRAM REPAIR if it doesn't require the installation disks.

Thanks for the suggestions !

 

[wjaroszynski]

From your description could be something wrong with RAM or the sample block maybe it's too big for a quick refreshing by ACAD.
two ways:
1. check how big is the block if it's above 10MB try "purge" command.

2. download software for optimization RAM like for an example RAMrush

or attach your block...

Regards
Wojtek

 

[SWfangirl]

Are you still having problems?
If so are you using McAfee?

 

[cfee]

SWfangirl-
Thanks for the post. Still quirky, but not NEARLY as bad. Here's the scoop-
(Intel Xeon/4Gb, Vista-Enterprise-32, 1Tb H-D, NV-GT-240/1GB Video)
I had a tech here at the office take some time, and he traced it down to a power management setting that gets re-set every month by an automatic network "push" that resets the sleep mode. Yes, I had it set correctly, but apparently there are some deep internals not obvious at set-up time that caused the H-D to not reawaken correctly after a "sleep" even if the PC was set to "Sleep- never". Pretty strange, but that solved the quirky crashes. BUT the block insertion visibility question was actually something else entirely. Apparently ACAD doesn't notice a lines-only block when inserted in "visual hide" mode. Oh well. Now I drop to 2D-Wireframe mode before my insertions, and back again to Shaded or to Hidden (depending) to extrude the inserted shape, and go from there. Its an extra step, I know, but that's Ok.

Just thot I'd update with the answers I have so far, in case anyone's interested, having the same problems, or has a suggested better solution.

Thanks ALL !

C. Fee

 

[cve60069]

cfee

I have recently "upgraded" my PC so that I now run 64-bit 2011 on a Xeon and I have experienced similar problems and I have 8mB. In fact, I am considering going back to my old machine with 2009 installed. I am beginning to suspect that the problem lies with AutoCAD and not the machine.

 

[cfee]

cxe70069-
Could be an ACAD problem. I suspect however, that your sleep settings are still a major contributing culprit, if you're dealing with what look like intermittent and unexplainable "pauses".

Here's the "Sleep Settings" solution our tech helped me with, and for all of you "insiders" who already "know" all of this, please be patient with us slower "catch-ups" -
--------------
>XX< means "Double Click" and >X< means single click

[Start](X)
----------
|_[Control Panel] >X<
---------------
|_ Power Options Icon (Looks like a green battery) >XX<
------------------
|_ (_) Change plan Settings >X<
----------- ------------------------
This is all |_ 1.Display [Never] <-Choose, or if already"Never", then-
on 2. ... Sleep [Never] <-Choose, or if already"Never", then-
one page
or "window"-> Change advanced power settings >X< (select this)
----------- ------------------------------
|_ [+]Hard Disk (expand this choice)
------------
|_ [+]Turn off Hard Disk after (expand this choice)
---------------------------
|_ Settings (set to -) Never
--------
[Ok]>X< [cancel] [apply] (Click Ok or Apply & then Ok.)
---- (I like Apply & then Ok.)

Returns to Settings screen, look for
[Save Changes]>X< [Cancel] (Click on "Save Settings")

At this point you're finished, so you can [X] out at the top of the screen.

-------------------
Copy and paste the above to your Windows "Notepad", with word-wrap turned on and the window wide enough so that the internal "returns" take over.

Let me know how it goes-
C.Fee