With the tests you ran, it must be a bad CPU or motherboard. Try running OCCT to see if it finds any errors in your CPU. Use the Large Data Set Test Mode.

Not used OCCT before, I just downloaded it, do I need to set anything up or just click "ON"? And will it take 1hr to complete?

You can run an infinite test as well, just remember to set Large Data Set on Test Mode because it's better for finding errors.

I would try to extract unprotected game from DRMed executable if I were you (for ease).
Then, if you really want to "debug" (without assembly knowledge) use process monitor.

You should see where the game tries to access files but fails

I ran OCCT on infinite for 1 hour and nothing seemed to happen apart from a pretty selection of graphics being generated. How do I know if anything is amiss?

mirh, I think I will try Process Monitor. It's not the protection that's crashing the game, as they don't all use the same sort, and if I try a no-CD they still crash. I'm on the verge of giving up and whacking them all into a VMWare Player XP machine 😒

I tried Process Monitor. NFSHP2 seemed to crash out after a bunch of hardware (specifically joystick) related commands. I tried the game with a joystick plugged in vs nothing (have tried it with nothing in USB too before) but still crashes.

I also tried GP Championship 2 (an updated version of Johnny Herbert's Grand Prix Championship 1998) and that seems to crash more randomly, plus, unlike NFSHP2, the game runs under svchost, instead of natively.

So nothing found out too useful yet. I think the virtual XP machine is coming soon...

Do you have anything unusual in your "Devices and Printers" control panel?

VirtuaIceMan wrote:

I ran OCCT on infinite for 1 hour and nothing seemed to happen apart from a pretty selection of graphics being generated. How do I know if anything is amiss?

mirh, I think I will try Process Monitor. It's not the protection that's crashing the game, as they don't all use the same sort, and if I try a no-CD they still crash. I'm on the verge of giving up and whacking them all into a VMWare Player XP machine 😒

Joysticks ...
Well, this remember me there are lots of missing DirectInput dlls in newer windows.. including dimap.dll and dinput8.dll

Interesting, although the fact it crashes on a fresh install of Win7 64bit at home, but works fine at work, makes me think it's something weirder on my system alone.

Have you tried fixed .exes with any of these games? If the fixed .exe works you may have a faulty CD/DVD/BD drive. Check for a firmware update for it. If the games use the same copy protection system, like SecuROM or Starforce, you may have to update their drivers.

I tried no-CD exes for NFSHP2 and Supercar Street Challenge, it didn't change things. Both of the games I once or twice got into the menu for, but they then locked up trying to start the game.

can you try 3d Mark to Check if Your System is stable?

I can try, but how would a benchmarking program help determine that? I've got about 450 games working fine on my PC though, so I don't think it's unstable.

I wish more people with hardware like mine could try the games (or demos of them) to see what happens.

I might check to see what version of DirectX those games each use too, in case there's something in that.

Yeah I agree that more people testing the games would be good. Next time I'm at the unit I'll bring back the others I haven't tried yet.

As a byproduct of this thread I re-acquainted myself with the SuperBike franchise and was excited to see that quite a number were released post 2001 - eBay here I come... and MotoGP too:)

There is also a benchmark in OCCT. It can use DirectX 9 and 11.

So, if other Games Work then the PSU might be big enough.

I had a PC where Games Crash When the 3d card initialize.

And and another PC which had a AMD X2 CPU can't run some Tools like ATI Tray Tools.
On another Pc with other Maindord it works.
Both (the working and non-working PC) use a fresh Windows install from the same CD and the same Drivers.

I have a new win7 install (only win7 pro) Drivers, origin and steam and 2 Games (battlefield 3 and construction sim 2015).

If you Like i can Test some Games for you under that System.
Cpu is an Intel core2quad and Mainboard schould be Intel-chipset.

What if you try to swap graphics card between your computers? I mean.. it could be a problem with nvidia drivers

Maybe some sort of chipset or management driver that is required for more stability is missing, since it happens on a fresh OS install. Have you tried disabling HT in the BIOS? Maybe too many logical cores are causing this. Forcing 1 core in Windows might not be effective enough when HT is still on as the cores are not physical.

mirh wrote:

What if you try to swap graphics card between your computers? I mean.. it could be a problem with nvidia drivers

He already tested with the onboard Intel video and the results were the same.

I have pretty similar specs to you so tried the Need For Speed 2 demo you linked to and it worked fine for me, my specs are:-

Windows 8.1 Pro
Intel Core i7-4790k 4ghz overclocked to 4.4ghz
16GB RAM
Asus Z97-A motherboard
Auzentech X-Fi Home Theatre HD X-Fi sound card
Nvidia Geforce GTX 770
Standard Sony HDTV or Dell monitor for gaming (no gsync)

One thing to try, add the game to the list of programs excluded from DEP - Data execution prevention. That has cured bizarre crashes in games for me before, even when said games seemed to work just fine on other similar hardware.