Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article – 1227

THESKYX FOR WINDOWS CRASHES IMMEDIATELY UPON START UP

ISSUE

Launching TheSkyX for Windows crashes immediately with the error message “TheSkyX has encountered a problem and needs to close.” 

Important note for this particular issue: TheSkyX does not ask for a serial number before it shows the error message.  If TheSkyX requests a serial number and then crashes, see this thread.

RESOLUTION

Mac OS X

This issue does not apply to TheSkyX for Mac.

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Window 7, All 32-bit and 64-bit Editions

First, update the computer's video driver.  If the behavior persists, make sure that the computer meets TheSkyX's minumum system requirements.  Specifically, the computer's main processor must support the SSE2 instruction set.  Pentium III processor, and AMD processors manufactured before 2004, do not support the SSE2 instruction set. 

Attempting to run TheSkyX on a computer that does not support SSE2 will cause TheSkyX to crash before requesting a serial number.

To Determine SSE2 Compatibility:

1. Run the CPU-Z application to determine which “instruction sets” are supported by the computer's processor.
2. On the CPU tab of CPU-Z application, next to the Instructions text box, the text SSE (1, 2…) must appear.  See the highlighted area in the CPU-Z screen shot below.

If SSE (1) or SSE appears in this field, then the computer does not meet the minimum system requirements to run TheSkyX.  A computer that has a main processor manufactured after 2003 is required to run TheSkyX.

APPLIES TO

TheSkyX First Light Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Student Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Theater Edition for Windows