Cheat Engine

[Erez Zrihen]

Why there is no "Find what reads from this address" option?
And why there is no option to limit the count to specific number?
When the count increases all the time, the game freezes and I can't test it!

[Dark Byte]

In settings you can tell it to let the game wait for ce to handle the breakpoint. This way ce at least stays responsive.
(And run the game in windowed mode)

There is no cpu support for reads only. Just look at the instruction yourself to see if it readd or writes

[Erez Zrihen]

And then should I choose "Find out what accesses this address" instead?
And read my question carefully. I didn't say that CE becomes not responsive when the count increases, but the game becomes not responsive. CE is still responsive all time, and by the way, the game is in windowed mode already.

[++METHOS]

• 'Find out what accesses' will supply the list of opcodes that are currently reading and writing the targeted address.
• Perhaps, with an LUA script, this could be done, however, there really is no need since you can stop the debugger at any time.
• If the game is freezing/crashing, you may consider the following:
  
  1. Try a different debugger/breakpoint option.
  2. The target process has anti-debugger mechanisms (see #1).
  3. The target process may have anti-cheat/anti-CE integration (read forum about how to hide CE).
  4. Try running the target in windowed mode, with reduced graphical settings.
  5. If #4 does not work, you may be able to utilize the speedhack to slow the target process down to a crawl, in order to have enough time to stop the debugger before the target freaks out (this option is not likely required, let alone, may not work at all).
  6. Upgrade your system for better performance.
  

And there's no reason to write multiple threads for the same topic.

[Erez Zrihen]

My game runs in windowed mode in lowest graphics and my cpu and performance are fine.

I don't need to upgrade my system. My system works very fine.

I don't understand why not simply add an option to limit the count to a finite integer and the count will stop increasing at this limit, i.e. when it reaches this finite integer.

When I click on the "Stop" button, the game continues to respond.
I don't know what exactly CE doing while "Finding all instructions that write to this address" behind the scenes, but what it is doing causes the game to freeze.

When I stop it, the game continues to run normally.
This is very important for me that CE will find all instructions that write to found address while I am playing. I don't want to stop it. There is an specific instruction that I want to find in an event, but for that I need to be able to continue playing, and I can't do this while the game is frozen. Stopping the search is not a solution, because when I reach the event, CE won't generate the instruction that I want to find.

I don't understand the "try different debugger / breakpoint" and all this stuff and definitely, my game NEITHER has any anti-debugger mechanisms NOR anti-cheat/anti-CE integration. I can do whatever I want in this game. When I find an address, I can read/write to it instantly, directly and freely. When I find some instructions, I can inject the code, and change the instructions to whatever I want, insert new instructions, replace with NOP, comment, remove instructions and etc, and all changes take effect, and I do incredible cheats in this game. Listen, while "find out what writes to this address", when the list is empty, the games runs fine. Suddenly an instruction or some instructions appear in the list, but when I see the count column 1, the game still runs fine.

When I see count columns increasing/incrementing NON-STOP, (to 100, 200, 300 and so on), ONLY THEN the game freezes.
How exactly your tips should help me to deal with this problem, rather than using new CE with count limit as what I suggest?

[++METHOS]

What are you PC specs? Is the target process 32-bit? If so, are you using the 32-bit version of CE?

Having a cap on the counter won't help you if you are unable to do what you need to do in the game during that time. Checking which instruction(s) 'write' to your address should put much less stress on your PC over checking which instructions 'access' your address, but you may or may not find the instruction that you need. If you can run the check during a point in the game when/where very little is happening (e.g. a pause menu, or away from busy areas etc.), that might help.

If you haven't tried already, you can try changing the size of the 'stack to record on' under settings (someone may correct me if I am wrong, regarding whether or not this will actually offer any real benefit). Alternatively, you can check to see which debugger and breakpoint method is currently being used and try different methods.

[Erez Zrihen]

Thank you that you are trying to help me, but to suggest me to pause the game while I want to reach the event is impossible. The area is not busy at all and really very little is happening.

My game is 32 bit, but I didn't check CE that I am using is 32 bit or 64 bit. Thank you that you mentioned that. Maybe this is the problem. I will check it right now.

EDIT: I have checked the CE that I am using right now. By the way, I didn't say this before and I am saying this right now, that the CE I am using is version 6.5, and Windows Task Manager says that it is BOTH 32 and 64 bit. In the "Image Name" column, it says "cheatengine-x86_64.exe". I think that the meaning of this that CE is 64 bit. So you are telling me that I am using 64 bit CE on 32 bit game and this makes all the troubles? So then I will try the 32 bit version of CE?

[++METHOS]

I am only making suggestions and giving you ideas to try to help you with your problem. Since the details that have been provided are limited, my responses may or may not be applicable...that is for you to decide. Providing more information may help.

You can try using the 32-bit version of CE, but I do not know if that will help.

Since you did not post your PC specs, I do not know if that could be the problem.

[Erez Zrihen]

Thank you for your quick reply, I am using Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1

System Windows Experience Index

Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G860 @ 3.00GHz 3.00 GHz
Installed memory (RAM): 4.00 GB
System type: 64-bit Operating System
Pen and Touch: No Pen and Touch Input is available for this Display.

Ask me what more you want to know.

[++METHOS]

I can only reiterate what I have posted above:

Try a different debugger/breakpoint method (Edit/Settings/Debugger Options). Try changing the size of stack to record on (Edit/Settings/Debugger Options). Try running the 32-bit version of CE, if you haven't already.

Can you name the title of the target process? What kind of feature are you trying to write? What address have you found (what does it apply to)?

You could also try disabling any anti-virus or real-time protection applications that may be interfering. Running everything as administrator as well as trying different compatibility modes might be good to rules things out.

[Erez Zrihen]

WoW! You just gave me a bunch of advices!
I have tried the 32 bit of CE. Still have the same issue, but didn't try to run as administrator.
The target process is PCSX2 1.4.0.
I have three possibilies:

1. PCSX2 admin, CE not
2. CE admin, PCSX2 not
3. Both are admin.
4. The option that none admins I tried already.

I have to try all the possibilities right? But which best to try first and last?

I am hacking Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.

I want in the start of every battle to have Double Sleight without having Marluxia enemy card. There exists a byte in pcsx2's memory (while running the game) that if I set it to 114, then I have double sleight, but the problem is that it's address changes all the time I start a new battle, so I found out an instruction that writes to this byte every time I begin a new battle. it is "mov [ecx],edx". Then I want to find what writes to "edx", so I "Show dissembler" and in the memory view, I move up and see the instruction "mov edx,[an address that changes after restart or load game]". I added it manually and the value it points at changes all the time. When I "find out what writes to this address", I get a full list of instructions with counters increasing to big integers, and the game is not responding until I stop.

[++METHOS]

Run both as admin. Try everything that I have mentioned previously and report back. If all else fails, you can send me links to the files and I can try it on one of my machines.

[Erez Zrihen]

Okay, I run them both as administrator. I have no sign that they are running as admin and that's strange, because when I run as admin, the title of the window starts with "Administrator: " and then comes the title of the window in normal. Anyway it doesn't work too. The only option left is the debugger/breakpoint options that I have found in CE, thanks for your redirections. I will start playing with them.

Listen, for me it's very late now. I have gotta sleep. and I will return tomorrow very late. Can you wait for me 24 hours please?

[Erez Zrihen]

I have returned. Now I am trying the debugger/breakpoint options.

EDIT: Okay, I have tried the debugger/breakpoint options.
Not just that they are not working, but they are making the situation even worse! CE crashes after few scans!!! That's it! This is over! My options are over!
CONCLUSION: There must be count limit option added to Cheat Engine!

[++METHOS]

Did you try ultimap?