My CTD Lessons

My System: IntelP4 on a Intel Mobo/Chipset (< 1 year old) 1 GIG RAM (but not namebranded or matched, see below) GEForce Ti 4600 video card now using 56.XX drivers Windows XP Home with DirectX9.0b1. Computer code degenerates. The bigger and badder the OS + program, the more degeneration and the more problems slowly, but then logrithmically over time. I dare anyone to much top the complexity of FS9 with WIndows XP. I believe the only true bug in FS9 along these lines is the now famous Seasonal bug and Fix, the rest of my black screens were code degenerations. My OS installation was 14 months old and FS9 and the OS finally had had enuf of each other. CONCLUSION: Expect to reinstall WinXPHome every 6-12 mos, and yes, you're gonna have to call Microsoft to reactivate. 2. Use high quality and matched memory chips from the same company, hopefully the same batch. I firmly now believe that some CTDs are subtle problems in mismatched RAM chips though I have no objective proof of this. CONCLUSION: What's the point of a spendy Mobo and CPU if your memory chips are cheap and easy! LOL!3. If you have a Nvidia video card and use DirectX9.0+, you can't use drivers prior to 5X.XX and not expect a CTD.4. I had no idea how slow my computer OS (WinXPHome) had become until I re-installed. It now runs faster, smoother and yes I have Diskeeper to defrag. nightly. See #1, it's a degenerative process,you can't prevent it, neither can defragging.There. That's my 2 cents.Message to Microsoft/Mr.Gates/FS9 Team: Don't let the #### get you down, do your thing and I'll buy your stuff.Randy Jura, KPDX