Fright of the Bumblebees simply doesn't load

[yamatoblaze]

So here's what happens. The launcher loads up fine, if substantially slower than I'd come to expect based on my experience with the Sam and Max games. I click the launch game button, the launcher closes, and... nothing.

WallaceandGromit101.exe is visible among my processes for several minutes, but the game fails to load and then the process eventually disappears from the list.

I've tried resetting, redownloading, and reinstalling to no avail.

For the record, the demo worked fine although I did experience loading times that seemed unusually long.

Here's my PC set up -

Vista 32-bit Home Premium, SP 1
Processor - Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q660 @ 2.40 GHz 2.40 GHz
RAM - 4 gb
Graphics - 2 nvidia GeForce 9600 GTs in SLI configuration. Driver up-to-date.

[Will]

Hey Yamato, try updating your directx: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3&displaylang=en

[yamatoblaze]

Thanks Will, but unfortunately the issue is not resolved.

[Will]

Ok, just to make sure nothing else is interfering, let's try doing a clean boot. Warning, really boring cut and paste text ahead:

To Boot Clean in Windows Vista

Accessing the System Configuration Utility

1. Click Start and select Control Panel
2. Click System and Mantience
3. Click Administrative Tools
4. Double Click System Configuration

Configure Selective Startup options

1. On the General tab, choose Selective Startup
2. Uncheck Load Startup Items
3. Select the Services tab
4. Check Hide all Microsoft services
5. Click Disable all
6. Click on OK
7. Click Restart.

After performing the necessary steps, restore your system by doing the following:

1. Click Start and select Control Panel
2. Click System and Mantience
3. Click Administrative Tools
4. Double click System Configuration
5. On the General tab, choose Normal Startup
6. Click Ok
7. Click Yes, when asked to restart your computer

[yamatoblaze]

The game runs fine with a clean boot. Thanks! I guess I'll just have to work out which of the processes is causing the snafoo.

[Will]

Good luck! If you have any cd cloning tools (Daemon Tools, Alcohol, etc), or debugging tools (Process Explorer), or anything that uses extensive graphics and audio, those are your most likely culprits.

Generally speaking, I pretty much have everything turned off except my virus protection. The computer boots up much faster, and I so rarely need most of the crap that starts at boot that I'm willing to wait the two seconds for it to load when I actually do need it.

[heavybassX]

Sorry to interrupt but I think I might be having the same problem here on my XP computer.

[Will]

To Boot Clean in Windows XP

1. Click Start --> Run --> Type MSCONFIG --> Click OK
2. On the General tab, choose Selective Startup
3. Uncheck Process SYSTEM.INI file
4. Uncheck Process WIN.INI file
5. Uncheck Load Startup Items
6. Click on the Services tab
7. At the bottom, check Hide All Microsoft Services
8. Uncheck all boxes in the window or click the button labeled Disable All
6. Click OK
7. Click Restart
8. After reboot, run game to see if it works.

After performing the necessary steps, restore your system by doing the following:

1. Click Start --> Run --> Type MSCONFIG--> Click OK
2. On the General tab, choose Normal Startup
3. Click OK
4. Click YES, when asked to restart your computer