Dragon Age 2 Troubleshooting Guide

[OptimuS PrimE]

Long awaited series of Dragon Age finally released yesterday. Dragon Age 2 is having nice graphic that make game little more realistic. The gameplay of Dragon Age is better then the previous version and lots of new feature and character is added to this version.

With the new game, come new problem. This game is also having performance issue like Game Crash, Freeze, Graphic and performance issue. To resolve all the issue related to the Dragon age 2 I have come up with some solution which will help you to fix all issue and give you ability to run game with no more issue. Just check out the solution according to the problem you are getting.


Dragon Age 2: System Requirement :-

The very first thing that you are have to take care while you are planning to run the game in your system is to check whether your system satisfy the minimum gaming requirement for Dragon Age 2 or not. If you are having compatible system then there is less chances that you will get any issue with the game. Here I am listing the minimum and maximum system configuration required for Dragon Age 2 just check whether you are eligible for this game or not.


Recommended System Requirement:

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Processor or equivalent
• CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 Triple core 2.8 GHz or equivalent
• RAM: 2GB (4 GB Vista and Windows 7)
• Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
• Video: NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
• DirectX 11 Video: ATI 5850 or greater
• DirectX 11 Video: NVIDIA 460 or greater

Minimum System Requirement:

• OS: Windows XP with SP3, Windows Vista with SP2, or Windows 7
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater
• CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8 GHz or greater
• RAM: 1 GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
• Video: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB
• Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256 MB cards
• Disc Drive: DVD ROM drive required
• Hard Drive: 7 GB
• Sound: Direct X 9.0c Compatible Sound Card Windows Experience Index: 4.5

Minimum System Requirement for Mac PC/:

• OS: OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard or greater
• CPU: 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or better
• RAM: 2 GB or greater
• Video: ATI HD2600, NVIDIA 9400, or better graphics card with at least 256 MB of dedicated VRAM
• Disc Drive: DVD ROM drive required
• Hard Drive: 9 GB of hard drive space required
• Video Cards Not Supported: Intel GMA series, Nvidia 7x00 series, AMD 1x00 series, AMD 2400

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age II: Black Screen, Load Error Fix:-

Solution 1: If you are getting black screen or Game load problem while trying to launch the game then very first thing that I can advise you is to download and install the latest Graphic Driver to the system of yours. Black screen is mostly caused by the graphic driver incompatibility. So download and install latest Graphic Driver from the Manufacturer’s Site and work around with the issue.


Solution 2:

Another solution for the problem is to increase the RPM of your fan for GPU. I have seen in many Graphic Card that they are having the automatic detection technology for Fan that detects the temperature and according to the same manages but no one perform well, which result to black screen or low performance. If you wanted to get it working with the issue of yours then increase the Fan RPM to resolve issue.


Solution 3:

If all these issue are bugs of the Dragon Age 2 game then the only solution is to wait for the patch release by the developer which will resolve the problem but for now there are some temporary work around also which can help you for better game play. Just follow the below hint for same.

• Disable Vertical Sync.
• Lower your Graphic Setting for minimum Graphic Usage.
• Disable Anti Aliasing

Solution 4:

If all the above solution is not working with the issue of yours then only solution that comes to my mind is to disable the Full Screen mode which will use the low graphic and might allow you to play game without having any above mentioned issue.



Dragon Age 2: Auto Save not working :-

If you are in the game and your auto save is not working then you have to set the affinity of the processor to 1 instead of 2. If you are not sure about the setting affinity then you have to go with the below given instruction which will help you throughout process.

• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL together
• Go to Process Tab
• Find Game Process
• Right Click on Game Process
• Select Set Affinity Option
• Now Set Affinity to ‘1’

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age 2: Physxcooking.dll Missing Error:-

If you are trying to run the game and getting the error for the Physxcooking.dll missing then let me tell you that your system is missing the Physxcooking.dll file and you have to reinstall the same. Follow the below instruction for installation of Physxcooking.dll again.

• Download the Attachment given below
• Extract the file
• Copy the Physxcooking.dll file and paste to C:\WINDOWS\system and C:\WINDOWS\system32
• Start Dragon Age 2, Might work this time.
• Note: If you are using the Windows 64 bit system then you have to paste the Physxcooking.dll file into the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder.

Dragon Age 2: Crash on Desktop :-

If you are trying to run the Dragon Age 2 and getting a crash on desktop then you have to correct the problem with the below given solution which might help you with the same.

• Check for Graphic Card Compatibility
• Install Latest Graphic Driver
• Check whether the system is getting overheated or not
• Go to Task Manager and check which process is eating up maximum memory. Kill the Process if it’s not necessary for system.
• Disable Vertical Sync.
• Lower your Graphic Setting for minimum Graphic Usage.
• Disable Anti Aliasing
• Disable Full Screen Mode

Dragon Age 2: EA Download Manager not working :-

IF you are running with the Windows 7 and not getting this EA Download Manager working with the same then it might be possible that the version of the EADM is outdated and that is why not working with the Windows 7. I will advise you to download and install the latest EA Download Manager which is having the compatibility with the Windows 7.

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age 2 Error: Could Not Connect To EA Core :-

If you are getting the error message when you are trying to EA server then let me tell you that there is lots of reason for this error. Just go with the below given possibilities and solution for same.

Firewall: The very first issue can be caused by the Firewall which might be blocking the connection of EADM with the EA server. So it is better to disable the Firewall and check error persist or not.
Security Program: The of the security program (Anti Virus) are having encryption that does not allow game to connect to any external Server. So disable Security Program and run EADM to check whether error occurs or not.

Router Firewall: If you are using the router for internet connectivity then you have to check the firewall which can also be reason behind this error message. So disable Router’s Firewall and enable it later on if this does not work.

Reinstall EADM: It might be possible that EA Download Manager got corrupted and that is why unable to give you full functionality with the Dragon Age 2. So I will advise you to reinsall the EA Download Manager (Preferably Latest EADM) and work around with the issue
Port Forwarding: It might be possible that port is not functioning properly. So in that case I will advise you to use router port forwarding which should be forwarded to new Port.


Dragon Age 2: Video Glitch :-

If you are getting the Video or any graphical issue with the Dragon Age 2 then you should take care of below given things which might help you to resolve the issue.
Check Video Cards Fan RPM and manually adjust
Update Video Card Driver with the latest one.
If you have performed any Overclocking then Turn it Off
Decrease your Video Card Setting to Minimum
Switch the tab while you are Game or minimize the game and after again go to game window.


Dragon Age 2 Error: Failed to initialize Physx :-

If you are getting the error “failed to initialize Physx” with the Dragon Age 2 then you have to install the latest version of the Physx from official site. If you are not having the Physx compatible Graphic Card then also you install the Physx to work with the issue.

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age 2: Black Texture Glitch :-

If you are getting this issue then I am sure you are having nVidia Graphic Card as this problem is seen in the nVidia only. Nvidia is aware of the issue and have released a beta driver to fix the same. So visit the official site here and download and install this beta driver to work with the issue.


Dragon Age 2: Freeze issue :-

While playing the game if you experience the freeze issue then you have to check for certain aspect given below which will resolve the issue.

• Graphic Driver must be updated
• Check Performance of RAM. You can use the MemTest application for same
• You computer temperature should be proper
• Make sure that you are having the compatible system.
• Check whether your Power Supply is able to run with Full Mode or not.

Dragon Age 2: High Resolution Texture Pack for PC :-

If you are running with then high configuration Graphic Card greater than 1 GB then you should download and install the High Resolution Texture Pack for the PC version which is developer for Dragon Age 2. If you can then download and install the High Resolution Texture Pack from here.

[OptimuS PrimE]

After researching more about the Dragon Age 2 game I come up with more problems faced by the user of it. I have decided to find out more solution regarding this entire problem so that you can play the game without having any issue with the same.


Dragon Age 2: How to install Dragon Age 2 in different location:-

If you wanted to install the Dragon Age 2 in default location but not finding anyways to perform the same then you has to go with below given solution which will help you with the issue.


Solution 1:

If you wanted to install the game in other then default location then you have to choose the Custom Installation Type while you are installing the game and not the express installation. If you can then go with the same and see whether this is working for you or not.


Solution 2:

If you are trying to install with the Custom Installation but not getting the option to select Custom Installation then I will advise keep reinstalling the game until you will not find the option for custom installations.
Dragon Age 2: Game Stopped Working with Black Screen :-


Solution 1:

If the Dragon Age 2 Stopped working with the black screen then It might be possible that DirectX not showing the compatibility with then program. If you are running DirectX 10 or 11 then I will suggest you to degrade DirectX 10 or 11 to DirectX 9 as this is also compatible with the game.


Solutions 2:

If the DirectX 9 installation is not working with the issue of yours then it might be possible that the game file got corrupted and that is why you are getting the issue with the same. In that case ii will advise you to Reinstall the game again which will replace the corrupt installations. You can use uninstaller Utility for uninstallation of the game.


Solution 3:

Another solution for your problem is nothing but the disabling of Antivirus program which might be main culprit of the game. First Disable the Antivirus program before stating or installing the game for Dragon Age 2.


Solution 4:

If nothing works for you then I will advise you to download and install latest patch as I have stated in above post to install the latest version of the Nvidia Driver i.e. Nvidia Beta 267.26 driver. To download the same visit the link given below.

Nvidia Beta 267.26 driver



Dragon Age 2: Unable to install High Resolution Texture Pack


Solution 1:

If you are trying to install High Resolution Texture Pack from released by the Bioware to fix the graphic issue then I will suggest you to change the region of your computer to location where you have purchased the game. If you are not aware of changing the region for local system then check out the steps given below for same.

• Click on Start
• Go to Control Panel
• Click on Clock
• Select Language
• Then go to Region
• Select Region and Lanuage
• Click on Administrative Tab
• Now Change System Region

Solution 2:

If you have already set the region to the place where you have purchased the game and not getting it work with the installation of High Resolution Texture Pack then I will suggest you to change the region to some different region and try to install the same.


Solution 3:

Another solution for the High Resolution Texture Pack installation issue is to Sign out from the Bioware account. First Launch the game and after that sing out from the account and then to install High Resolution Texture Pack which might work with your issue.

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age 2 Error: “The application will not run on a Windows guest account or an account with insufficient privileges”


Solution 1:

If you are getting the error then make sure that you are logged in Administrative Account as guest account is not having all the privilege for installation of the game. Login as Administrator and then install the game.


Solution 2:

If you are unable to get it working with the Administrative account or you are not sure about Admin Account then you have to follow the below given instruction which will help you for installation of game.

• Go to Game Setup Folder
• Right Click on Setup.exe file
• Select Run As Option
• Click on Run As Administrator
• Enter Password if it prompts for same.
• That’s it!!!!!!

Solution 3:

If above all not working for the installation of High Resolution Texture Pack then you have to change the default installation folder of High Resolution Texture Pack to some other location. As the default location for installation of the High Resolution Texture Pack is “C:\Program Files\Dragon Age 2\”. Change it to C:\Program Files\Dragon\ and see whether this trick works for you or not.


Solution 4:

If you are still not able to solve High Resolution Texture Pack installation issue and getting the same error then I will advise you to Create a new user account and then install the game with that user account.


Dragon Age 2: Unable to Load/Save Game. Game Crash after Saving/Loading game file:-

While you are trying to load save game file or perform saving of the game and faced the problem of Game Crash then I will recommend you to make sure that you have gone through all the below solution.


Solution 1:

If you are using the Launcher to start the game then I will advise you to use the Dragonage2.exe file from games installation folder to launch the game i.e. C:/Electronic Arts\Dragon Age II\bin_ship\Dragonage2.exe. It will ask for the activation code for first time. Activate it and then to play the game with the same. Its working solution which worked for many people.


Solutions 2:

Another solution that can help you with the issue is nothing but the disable auto-save option from game as well music option too. If you can than disable both the things and see whether this is working for you or not.

[OptimuS PrimE]

Dragon Age 2: Loading in infinite loading loop

While you are starting the game it will give you loading screen and keep loading in loop and some tie crash also then follow these solution step by step to get rid of this issue.


Solution 1:

Fist thing that I will advise you is to navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\BioWare\Dragon Age 2\Settings and then to find DragonAge.ini file. Open file with the Notepad and find value Auto-Save. Change Auto-Save Value from ‘1’ to ‘0’ Save the DragonAge.ini file and start the game.


Solution 2:

If you are running your system with the multi-core processor then I will advise you to update the BIOS so that Dragon Age 2 can recognize that your system is using more than one core for same for Dragon Age 2.


Dragon Age 2: Unable to Run with DirectX 11:-

If DirectX 11 is not working with the game and you are unable to run the Dragon Age 2 with the same then it’s better to these solutions.


Solution 1:

This is the working solution which worked for most of the user. So it is better to go with instruction carefully and apply the same.

• First Exit from Dragon Age 2
• If you are having Nvidia Card then install latest Nvidia Driver from Official site
• If you are having ATI Card then install latest ATI Driver from Official site
• After installation, Launch Dragon Age 2

Note: Nvidia user can also download the High Resolution Texture Pack from here


Solution 2:

If you are still unable to get it working with the DirectX 11 then follow the instruction given below which will help you to resolve the issue related to the same.

• Click on Start
• Select Control Panel
• Click on “Appearance and Personalization”
• Go to Display and open it
• You will find three setting, Set to the 100%
• Now Save then setting and restart the game

Solution 3:

Another solution that might work with the issue is to Turn Off the VSync. Just Turn off the VSync and see whether this is working with the issue of yours or not.

[smithon56]

thank you for sharing the guide

[GaMEChld]

Thanks for the guide. I have a problem that is not currently listed. During the game, I keep getting randomly minimized to desktop during cutscenes, so I quickly have to alt tab back into the game because the people go right on talking while its minimized. This is annoying because I will be missing some of the dialogue.

Any clue how to put an end to this random minimization problem? I tried disabling my anti virus (Avast) to no effect.

-Win 7 64 bit, Radeon 5970, even with the latest 11.4 Catalyst Preview Driver

I have not found anyone else so far with this same problem, so I am a little discouraged.

[GaMEChld]

^ I think I solved it.

I basically killed everything I did not need running, so I'm not sure which particular thing was causing the problem. I closed AIM, Skype, Opera, all Windows 7 Gadgets, and a few other things running in the system tray. Have not had it minimize since. Will report back if I isolate what caused it, or if it is not actually fixed at all.

[leeyn]

good guide!!!!!
Thank you for sharing !!!!!

[MissingYou]

im having a error that i cant even start my DA 2. That error refer to "C:\Windows\system32\PhysXCooking.dll is either not designed to run on windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support"

Details of my computer:
Window 7 ultimate 64 bit
AMD Athlon II X4 640 3.0Ghz
4GB RAM
DirectX 11
ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series

i did my best to research the way to resolve these problem on the internet, but it still cant start =.=
Hope someone can help me to solve this

[Orlando]

"PhysXCooking.dll is either not designed to run on windows or it contains an error." error occurs when PhysX file is corrupt or damaged. PhysXCooking.dll is used to help process a number of important physics-based algorithms. to fix this error, you need to e-install the PhysX driver on your computer.

IN order to fix this issue, you need to go to Uninstall A Program under Control panel in windows 7, and remove "NVidia PhysX”. Now uninstall Dragon Age 2 too from the system. Now Download physxcooking.dll from web. Browse to c:\Windows\System32 and locate current physxcooking.dll on your system. Rename the current physxcooking.dll to physxcookingBACKUP.dll, Copy & paste the new physxcooking.dll into C:\Windows\System32, Click Start > Run (Or search ”run” on Vista & Win7), Type “cmd” in the box that appears, Type “regsvr32 physxcooking.dll” on the black screen and press Enter. Thats it.

For more info, check this: Dragon Age 2 error physxcooking.dll Missing

[cheeyou99]

i got a binkw32.dll problem ...
"The procedure entry point _BinkGetFrameBuffersInfo@8 could not be located inthe dynamic link library binkw32.dll"