Dirt2 PC vs NFS Shift PC, which would last longer on replayability?

[Cpl Ledanek]

FINALLY WORKING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure what fixed it first. I came home and there was a Games for Windows Live update available for me....installed that.
An email from Codemasters (Rob) about adding a -safemode to my dirt2.exe
"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\dirt 2\dirt2_game.exe" -safemode
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or,
C:\Users\XXX\Documents\My Games\DiRT2\hardwaresettings_config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<hardware_settings_config version="51">
<cpu>
<threadStrategy parallelUpdateRender="true" workerMapFile="system/workerMap2Core.xml" forceFeedbackProcessor="1" dvdStorageProcessor="1" dataSetMonitorProcessor="0" renderProcessor="0" updateProcessor="1" fileStreamProcessor="1" />
</cpu>
<audio_card>
<audio mixing="software" />
</audio_card>
<graphics_card>
<directx forcedx9="true" />
<resolution width="1920" height="1200" aspect="normal" fullscreen="true" vsync="0" multisampling="4xmsaa">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<gamma level="1.0" />
</graphics_card>
<graphics_detail level="high" />
<shadows enabled="true" size="2048" maskQuality="1" />
<particles enabled="true" wind="true" dynamicRes="false" />
<crowd enabled="true" detail="1" tessellation="false" />
<cloth enabled="true" detail="1" />
<postprocess quality="1" />
<groundcover mode="blended" clutter="true" />
<objects lod="1.25" maxlod="0" />
<trees lod="1.25" maxlod="0" />
<vehicles characterQuality="3" lodQuality="2" />
<envmap faces="6" size="512" forceBilinear="true" />
<water update="true" detail="2" tessellation="false" />
<mirrors enabled="true" forceBilinear="true" width="1024" height="256" car_maxlod="1" car_culldist="300.0" />
<skidmarks enabled="true" />
<dynamic_ambient_occ enabled="true" quality="1" />
<night_lighting volumes="true" lights="0" shadows="true" />
<physics environmentalDamage="true" vehicleDamage="true" />
<input device_type="auto" />
<motion enabled="true" ip="dbox" port="20777" delay="1" extradata="0" />
</hardware_settings_config>

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or
C:\Users\XXX\Documents\My Games\DiRT2\hardwaresettings_info
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<hardware_settings_info>
<systemInfo OS="Professional (Build 7600)" totalMemory="2097151" winPlatformID="2" winMajorVersion="6" winMinorVersion="1" isWinXP="false" isWinVista="false" isWin7="true" rating="3" />
<cpu name="Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz" speed="3060" cores="2" hyperThreading="false" sse2Supported="true" rating="3" />
<graphics_card name="ATI Radeon HD 5800 Series " vendorId="0x1002" deviceId="0x6899" vs_shader="3_0" ps_shader="3_0" memory="2414" rating="3" dx11="false">
<resolution width="640" height="480" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="59" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="720" height="480" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="720" height="576" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="800" height="600" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1024" height="768" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1152" height="864" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1280" height="720" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="59" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1280" height="768" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1280" height="800" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1280" height="960" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1280" height="1024" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="75" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1360" height="768" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1400" height="1050" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1440" height="900" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1600" height="1200" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1680" height="1050" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1920" height="1080" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
<refreshRate rate="59" />
</resolution>
<resolution width="1920" height="1200" aspect="normal">
<refreshRate rate="60" />
</resolution>
<capabilities a2r10g10b10="true">
<alpha_to_coverage supported="true" method="ATi" />
<multisampling>
<mode name="off" />
<mode name="2xmsaa" />
<mode name="4xmsaa" />
<mode name="8xmsaa" />
</multisampling>
</capabilities>
</graphics_card>
<audio_card audioEnabled="true">
<mixing type="hardware" index="0" reverbs="1" voices="127" />
<mixing type="software" index="1" reverbs="1" voices="192" />
<unsupported type="rapture3D" index="5" reverbs="4" voices="0" />
</audio_card>
</hardware_settings_info>

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Or
my workerMap8Core was renamed to workerMap8Core.bak
and my workerMap4Core was duplicated to make a workerMap4Core.bak, then
workerMap4Core was re-named as workerMap8Core

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Or
running game as Administrator.........dunno what fixed it
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I even tried to crash it by going to fast on my selection and going to Tour and Esc back, just trying to confuse it......then I left it on....before it would get "bored" and hang then crash.....now, after mopping the kitchen, vacuuming the stairs.....it's still running.

Go figure!

anyho screenshot time!






Hope my troubles will help someone here. Many debt of gratitude to everyone who has helped me and others.....stay classy