The following fixes may or may not cure your problems of your game freezing or crashing, alt+tabbing being fucked up, or something else.
Compatibility
This is the most common "fix" for most problems. Right click your
gta_sa.exe (or samp.exe if you're experiencing client problems) and goto
properties. Enter the
compatibility tab and check the box that says
Run this program in compatibility mode for:. Select the
Windows XP (Service Pack 2) option. After that, check the box that says
Disable desktop composition. Click
OK. If this fails, repeat the steps but instead choose
Windows 98 as the compatibility option.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista
eax.dll
This new file was built to fix some sound problems in GTA:SA, but it also somehow affects how alt+tabbing in Vista is performed. Goto
http://files.ngohq.com/games/eax.zip and download the eax.dll file. Replace this file with the one in your GTA:SA folder (wherever gta_sa.exe is at...you'll find the original dax.dll file somewhere there).
Solution supported for: Windows Vista
d3d9.dll
Delete the file d3d9.dll in your GTA:SA folder (wherever gta_sa.exe is at...you'll find the d3d9.dll file somewhere there).
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Windowed*
This file will run GTA:SA in windowed mode, and thus no alt+tabbing is needed. Goto
http://files.filefront.com/GTA+Window+M ... einfo.html and download the .zip file. Extract the d3d9.dll file with the one in your GTA:SA folder (wherever gta_sa.exe is at...you'll find the original d3d9.dll file somewhere there). Please note that this is not supported by the latest version of the SA-MP client.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista
Hardware Acceleration (Sound)
Goto
start and then
run. Type in
dxdiag.exe and click
OK. Enter the
sound tab and glance at the
hardware acceleration bar. Set the slider to
basic and click
exit. If this doesn't help, do the above steps again, but change the slide to
none instead.
Solution supported for: Windows XP, Windows 98
Hardware Acceleration (Graphics)
Goto your
desktop and right click to bring up the menu, and click on
properties. Goto the
settings tab and click the
advanced button. Goto the
performance tab, and glance at the
hardware acceleration bar. Set the slider to
basic and click
OK. If this doesn't help, do the above steps again, but change the slide to
none instead.
Solution supported for: Windows 98
gta_sa.set
Goto your
My Documents folder (its location varies depending on what OS you have). Click on the
GTA San Andreas User Files folder, and delete the
gta_sa.set file.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
SA-MP 0.3x
Head to
http://dl.gta-sa-mp.de/samp/sa-mp-0.3x-R1-2-install.exe and download the latest SA-MP client.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Mods
It's suggest that after installing a mod, you
rebuild archive in IMGTools. If you don't install mods, then this won't help you.
When you install a bugged mod which causes your game to crash on starting and replacing your GTA3 doesn't solve the problem. You need to go to the "Rockstar Games\GTA San Andreas\models" folder and click the 'compatibility files' tab below the My Computer address bar and delete the GTA3 file inside that.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
GTA:SA 1.0
This is common sense, but it's being posted anyway. Make sure that your GTA:SA isn't at version 1.1. If it is, you'll have to find the patch that downgrades the version from 1.1 to 1.0. I'm not able to provide a link due to forum rules.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
No-CD
If you're in dire need, then search for a 1.0 no-cd crack for GTA:SA. I'm not able to provide a link due to forum rules.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Firewall
Be sure that your firewall isn't blocking gta_sa.exe from running.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Modem (Vista)
Windows Vista makes it easier to restart your cable modem (if you're having trouble connecting to the server). Right click the
Network Connections icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Click on
Network and Sharing Center. Click
View Status (next to Local Area Connection). Click the
Disable button and then
close. You'll lose connection to the internet at this point. On the Sharing Center page, you'll notice that one of the green "connection" lines is grayed out and has an X on it. Click that
line. This should restart your modem.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista
Modem (XP/98)
Another way to restart your modem (and the most ideal way in the older versions of Windows) is to restart your modem manually. First, turn off your PC. After that, disconnect your cable modem from your PC, and turn it off (via the power strip). Wait one minute, and plug the cable back in your PC. Wait another minute, and turn everything on.
Solution supported for: Windows XP, Windows 98
Reinstall
This might seem like common sense, but some people simply draw blanks. Reinstall GTA:SA!
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Administrator Mode
This works best if you have multiple users running on the PC. Right click any program that you wish to run, and select
Run as administrator.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista
Video Card
Head to
http://www.driveragent.com/ to update your video card. It's free and easy to use.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
Moving Folders*
As mentioned above, reinstalling GTA:SA is a easy way to fix some problems. If you want to take another step if your game still doesn't work, then simply try to install GTA:SA to a new folder. I'm not sure why, but this has worked on some occasions.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 98
CPUIce/Speedfan
CPUIce and Speedfan are programs that's built to "cool" your computer. Due to this, it may take some weights off of it, thus increasing the performance of your game. The best way to find either program is Google.
Solution supported for: Windows Vista, Windows XP
I've actually tested and used every "solution" listed above (except the ones with a *). Different computers will bring different results. By following the above suggestions, you agree that Xanarki (myself) is not liable for any damage done. I'm just trying to share some knowledge that I've collected over the years.
I don't plan to provide support for Windows 2000 or ME (both suck ass and if you still run 'em, go die or something). If you have any problems, just reply here. Just don't PM me for the love of God.