Sync error and crash to desktop in online play

[Bootylicious]

I have three machines on which I play WA. On my main machine (GeForce 6800) it often sync errors.


In online play (GameSpy or LAN), it will sync error possibly 1 in 10 games, and crash back to the desktop with the "do you want to send a bug report to relic" dialog.
Watching replays, it will sync error 7 out of 10 times - the longer the replay, the better the chance of sync error - but it doesn't crash back to the desktop.
Playing against the computer it never fails, and is 100% stable.

I've attached a bug report from the latest online crash.

I've tried turning all quality settings to low, and high, and everything in between with no success.

I was using 6-month old Nvidia drivers, but upgraded a couple of days ago and the problem is no better.

The problem machine used to have a Radeon 9600 and it didn't sync error. Another machine now has the old Radeon in and it doesn't sync error. My notebook with a lowly GeForce 4200 doesn't sync error.

Here's a snip of the warnings.log (Full log in the attached .zip)
22:53:53.43 SIM -- Setting SyncErrorChecking level to Low
22:53:53.43 GAME -- Local player (MmmmPorkChops, 6d6b15d8) finished loading (dbf48533) (22 seconds)
22:53:53.43 GAME -- Loading, still waiting on 7500dc32
22:54:02.42 GAME -- Remote peer (caller, 7500dc32) finished loading (dbf48533)
22:54:02.42 GAME -- Starting mission...
23:01:48.75 GAME -- Sync error detected, frame 3069 (current frame 3080), remote peer (caller, 7500dc32) - Checksum: F3AA89C4 != 83C52FBF
23:01:48.75 SIM -- Dumping SyncErrorlog for frame 3068
23:01:48.75 SIM -- Dumping SyncErrorlog for frame 3069
23:01:49.20 HostState::ProcessConnectionClosed - reason 1
23:01:49.20 Closing connection f561d10
23:01:49.20 HostState::ProcessConnectionClosed - (caller) (7500dc32) InSession, sending a kick
23:01:49.20 HostState - posting DestroyPeerEvent for (caller) (7500dc32) - reason Connection was lost
23:01:49.23 GAME -- Remote peer 7500DC32 disconnected at frame 3084 (disconnected)
23:01:49.23 P2PNET -- Lost connection to peer 7500dc32
23:01:49.23 P2PNET -- Starting consolidation for peer 7500dc32
23:01:49.23 P2PNET -- Voting for consolidation of 7500dc32 (frame 3091)
23:01:49.23 P2PNET -- Consolidation for 7500dc32 is completed
23:01:50.32 GAME -- peer 7500dc32 scheduled for destruction on frame 3093 (current 3091)
23:01:50.32 GAME -- sim player 1000 scheduled for destruction on frame 3093
23:01:50.46 GAME -- Frame 3093 - SimKillPlayer - Destroying SimPlayer 1000
23:01:50.46 MOD -- Player caller has been killed (4)(frame 3093)
23:01:51.21 MOD -- Game Over at frame 3098
23:02:00.62 APP -- Game Stop
23:02:00.62 GAME -- Closing session
23:02:00.62 GAME -- Ending mission (Game over)
23:02:00.62 GAME -- Resetting SIM...
23:02:00.62 Lobby - LIE_StopGame received
23:02:00.62 GAME -- Beginning FE
23:02:00.62 Lobby - LIE_Back2FE received
23:02:00.62 GAME -- Ending FE
23:02:00.62 MOD -- Shutting down Mod 'wxp'...
23:02:00.62 Archive -- Can't free archive with File Handles still allocated.
23:02:00.62 -- FATAL EXIT --
23:02:00.62 archive.c/378:!
23:02:00.62 --stack trace--

[OMAGIC01]

Not sure...but sync error normally means a part of the game data you are using doesn't match the game data of whatever your doin. e.g. If you watch a replay of a game recorded on WA 1.40 on your comp with WA 1.41 the data won't match and it will sync out. It can happen when mods are interfering (delete them all)...um...Have you modded any files yourself? attributes etc?...Have you tried simply re-installing the game?

[Bootylicious]

I have reinstalled numerous times. I have not modified any files. It seems to be related to the amount of game activity. A quick 1v1 will almost never sync error - but in a huge 3v3 is almost 100% guaranteed.

[OMAGIC01]

More players = more player data for you to be possibly out of sync with.... I've never heard of a data sync error occuring because of a bad computer. Its nearlly allways a bad installation or modded installation.

[Bootylicious]

I tracked this issue down to a heat problem.

Seriously.

Running with the case off solved the problem. So I found that my case has almost zero airflow over my RAM, stuck a new duct+80mm fan in there and the problem is solved.

DoW really must give a system a workout - cause nothing else would cause this problem. Not Doom 3, HalfLife 2...