well i've recently installed DS3.2, trying to get softice working, im using windows xp sp2.
problem is: when i choose to start softice manually, it doesn't work, getting error code 31, when i boot it freezes.
i've spent most of the day googling, searching forums, trying all sort of stuff, yet nothing works... the only reason i'm asking for help is because i couldn't find anything helpful and was hoping someone can help me..
thanks...

There are probably at least two dozen threads here dealing with the problems of Softice and XP and possible solutions. I can't point you to them all. First of all try some searches for various permutations of

softice xp
error code 31
etc.

IMPORTANT: When you do a search check the "Similar Threads" box at the bottom of the page, this will likely point you to other useful threads.


There is no one answer, it often seems to have do with a particular configuration of video card and other components. There are at least 2 or 3 very detailed threads with things you can try.


The number 1 thing I would try: there is a final official patch put out by Numega with an updated ntice.sys, cpthook.sys etc. It should be referenced by me in one of those threads. Find the patch, which I assume is still available at a Numega ftp site and apply it. THEN see if you still have the problem.

Btw, running Softice + XP + VMWare seems to be almost 100% reliable, so you're probably better to use VMWare anyway.

Kayaker

thanks for your respose.
I tried patching ds to 3.2.1, updating osinfo files, added symbols to softice,read faqs,disabled mouse... so far nothing works, i still can't see softice when i ctrl+d..it just freezes..
another day spent troubleshooting si and no luck..
btw kaykar, i read your tut for the int2d patch, used the address you gave for xpsp2, unfortunately i followed all the steps and no luck, though hmm in this step:

i couldnt find my card, im using nvidia gefore 6600, which name should it be?

i ran the video test in the settings screen, said to be successful, does this mean my isnt video problem?

hey at least i got rid of the error 31 code

would be nice if someone could point me to something useful, i'll try anything =\

thanks.

hmm a few months back someone posted at exetools that latest nvidia driver killed sotice (you don't see sice screen, but it is working). Maybe nvidia drivers still kill softice... i don't know, haven't installed new nvidia drivers since then.

any chance you can post a link? i cant search on exetools cause i cant register there
btw suddenly after i reinstalled ds3.2 im having a new problem =\\
when i start softice it freezes the pc completly and i cant ctrl+d out of it..
is there a log or something that can help me figure this out?? :S

You said you disabled the mouse, so does that mean you played with all the switches in Softice Settings under Troubleshooting?

If Ctrl-D appears to lock up your system, does pressing Ctrl-D a second time "unlock" it? What I'm getting at is that Sice might be running with full keyboard control but you're just not getting the video of it. (I guess deroko alluded to that too).
I saw this exact effect when trying to run Win98 + Sice under VMWare. Sice was fully functional and the commands worked, I could tell this by viewing the log from loader32.exe (Save Softice History As), but VMWare didn't support the video portion with Win98.

Also make sure you're not running anything like a firewall or virus scanner or any other low level software which might interfere.

I'm running an ATI Radeon 9600, no problems. I don't really have an answer for you re the Int2D patch. I tried the Int2D patch setting once and it made no difference one way or another, Softice worked with or without it for me.

@Mania: Seems I can't find that post. But I clearly remember that it was 82 whql (or 81) drivers that caused that problem. My solution was to use cd that I got with my gfx and to install old drivers

i havent played with all the settings under troubleshoot though that won't help my problem.. i guess i wasnt clear enough in the begining.
I had softice running when i ctrl+d, i just couldnt see it.
using win xp sp2 with latest video driver which i guess is what caused me not to be able to see softice..
i would gladly go find my old video driver, though now this isnt the problem anymore..
i applied a patch to and it appeared to be a patch to hide softice for sptd.. my bad , was so out of luck that i would try anything.. anyway, then when i ran softice, it would lock the pc completly, i couldnt exit softice.. pc stuck.. so i reinstalled softice.. problem is that its still freezing my pc completly =\
i went through the patched files, and all of them seemed to be replaced when i reinstalled.. so whats causing it to freeze my pc completly =\\

I guess not. That's a big f**king difference then isn't it? This non-disclosure of all the facts up front tends to make it pretty unsatisfying for anyone taking the time to try to help. The previous posts feel like a complete waste of my time now.

I guess you're stuck in the mess you made. If you've fully read the previous thread(s) on SPTD, which no doubt this mysterious "patch" owes its development to, you should be able to figure out how to completely remove traces of sptd and start fresh.

relax kaykar, wasnt wasting anyone's time, i applied that patch a little bit before deroko's post, at the time i assumed the term 'freeze' in softice's hell is only reffering to one thing, sorry. at first it would just not show it until today yesterday last night i uninstalled it.
that sptd patch to hide softice patched 3 files, ntice.sys,nmtrans.dll and siwvid.sys, how is that related to reg keys (which i assume is what you meant by cleaning the mess), reinstalling replaced 3 of those.

Edit: wow, i rolled back my video driver, deleted sptd reg folder (which in sptd was uninstalled before using the installer and was set to not start on reg,making it ever wierder) and softice worked like a charm,i hope i didnt waste anyones time, thanks people it finally works

Glad it worked out for you. It was nothing personal, just a general frustration that so many first time posters neglect to give enough detail about a problem, things that led up to it, etc. Short of having telepathic abilities, people trying to help are usually led in the wrong direction chasing the proverbial red herring.

No waste of time. A solution was found and might help someone in the future.

Cheers,
Kayaker

I'd think a solution I posted couple of years ago should also work.

1. Set Softice to activate manually.
2. Before running the ntice service, lower nVidia's hardware acceleration by a couple of notches.
3. Start ntice service.
4. Set hardware acceleration back to normal.
5. Ctrl+D and play around.

It worked fine in XP SP2 and it should still do.