# Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Start-up Crash



## FiXXXated (Oct 31, 2008)

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and I am so thankful that I have found it . I have a start-up issue with my GTASA. First off, before I bought the legit version, I had a cracked version that ran fine and I could mod it (vehicles and guns), but then I uninstalled it. I reinstalled the cracked version a week or so ago but unfortunately I couldn't use the original .iso as before, so i had to get a different one from the friend that gave me the old one. Long story short, I had a sucessful installation. And when I ran the game for the first time everything was good, no probs. When I ran the game a second time, the screen would go black and straight to desktop with no error popping up. I uninstalled the cracked version; deleted the Rockstar Games folder in Program Files and unmounted the iso and deleted GTASA User Files on My Doc's. After a reinstall of the cracked version, same thing happened. Fed up, i uninstalled again and bought a legit copy for 10 bux off of newegg. I install that, but it crashes just like the crashed version. Wtfsauce is the problem?! I tried updating but the updater can't find a specific file in the Rockstar Games folder, but i still think the update wouldn't help at all. I'm all out of ideas, anyone got something?


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Welcome to TSG! :up:

Well, aside from admitting all the illegal copies.... Do we just take your word that you now have a real one? 

Giving you the benefit of the doubt... 
Did you happen to update your drivers or anything you can think of? 
Just because they are the "latest" drivers, it's no guarantee they will work right. 
Also remember the cracked versions left behind registry entries and likely .dll files.
Could one be bad? 
You using a No-CD crack? Maybe it's for the wrong game version. 

If the game is new, chances are there is no update or patch needed. 

Have you defragmented you hard drive after all that installing and uninstalling?


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## FiXXXated (Oct 31, 2008)

Good answers and yes u have reason to be skeptical but I did buy a full version cause I'm desperate to mod on the game again! I had a thought in addition to your suggestions. Theres a program called GGMM which is a mod manager for GTASA. To install it, it has to recognize your gta_sa.exe. There is no clear uninstall to GGMM, and i believe simply removing it from the Rockstar Games folder and permanently deleting it doesn't unbind it to the .exe. What I'm saying is, is it possible that the mod program could be causing these crashes due to it still being installed from my 1st installation of the game and only recognizing only that exe? (And recognizing no other substitute?)


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Maybe, don't know the program so I can't say for sure. 
It's not listed in Add/Remove programs?

I used a different mod manager without issue. "SAMI" http://www.thegtaplace.com/downloads/file.php?id=1001
It didn't work with all the mods I wanted but was very quick with others. 
Saved me time from installing the mods manually.

Umm, do a search for removal of GGMM.exe....  
Comes up as a virus.  http://www.baidumsg.com/Howtoremove/Howtoremove_66022.html
Hope that isnt part of the mod manager and just a coincidence.

I can't really find any other issues with the GGMM, so maybe it's not a problem. 
You can try uninstalling again, delete the GTA folder. Reboot, defrag, reboot. Install again, defrag. and see if it works.

You can always try different video drivers too. 
Don't know your system specs but Omega Drivers might work for you. 
Just be sure to check if your video card is supported. nVidia and ATI only. 
If you have an ATI card. Some ATI cards were taken off the support list. 


> IMPORTANT NOTE:
> Starting from Catalyst 6.6 and up, the following cards/chipsets (including Mobility) are no longer supported by the ATI or Omega Drivers:
> 
> Radeon 7k Series
> ...


Hope we can find a solution. Awesome game to miss out on.  
Don't want GTA withdrawals.


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## FiXXXated (Oct 31, 2008)

I did google up uninstalling GGMM and I yielded the same search result of a virus you did. I think that's just a coincidence of name. I updated my drivers with the latest ATI supported drivers for my X1650 Pro AGP, and updated my version of ATI Catalyst. I defrag'd last night and I'm going to attempt a reinstall now then a defrag and hope all goes well . And I am starting to go through GTA withdraw! Luckily GTA4 releases what, 15 days from now? . If SA still fails I could wait for that :up:

EDIT: I've defrag'd after install + a reboot after and it still yeilds the same problem. Should I reformat? I got the blue screen of death while in-game, possibly due to the newest ATI driver .

Here's my PC specs:

Manufacturer: Compaq Presario 061
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.2GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Hard Drive: 160 GB
Video Card: Radeon X1650 Series
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Sound Card: Realtek AC97 Audio
Speakers/Headphones: JUSTer Active AC-69 1N HI-FI
Keyboard: USB Root Hub
Mouse: USB Root Hub
Mouse Surface: 
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Motherboard: 
Computer Case:


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Could be the drivers. 
I have an X1650 pro and got BSOD with the new ATI drivers.
Using Omega Drivers and all my games work fine.


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## FiXXXated (Oct 31, 2008)

Do u have a link to the correct omega driver? I'm not sure which one is for the 1650. 

EDIT: Nevermind


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## FiXXXated (Oct 31, 2008)

Sorry for the double post but I installed the Omega driver for the x1650. I got BSOD after BSOD. I was better off with the ATI driver before (just not the new one) it seems...


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## Super-D-38 (Apr 25, 2002)

Hmm, I'm sorry they didn't work for you. 
Solved my issue, but just shows every machine can be different.


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