# Can't run Grand theft auto 3, possibly disk defrag problem
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 3, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058 "2002-11-03T03:12:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/1 "2002-11-03T03:12:36Z")
Ok, for all those GTA3 players out there:
I’m running WinME with all the required hardware. When I open GTA3 I get all the way through the credits (with the boxes comming together showing scenes of the city with the music in the background) then I see the cast in cartoon form on a black background. Some copyright info is on the bottom of the screen.
That’s it. It’ stops there. Nothing else. I can’t even hit CTRL-ALT-DEL. Nothing happens.
This may be (a stress on the MAY) because recently I have not been able to defrag the pc for a while. Now it won’t even start. Since this game has a lot of stuff installed on the pc, that may pose a problem. Any thoughts?
Any other ideas as to what the problem may be?
---
### Author:  [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/2 "2002-11-03T03:15:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \*
> **Now it won’t even start.**
Oh, “It” being defrag, **not** the computer. I can start the pc fine.
---
### Author:  [@MoeGreenSpecial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoeGreenSpecial)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/3 "2002-11-03T03:27:19Z")
I believe the same problem happened to me. I am assuming this is GTA:3, not GTA: Vice City, right? It stopped after one of the load screens (or something like that) for me. Oddly, I remember if I ejected the disk, then put it back when I was prompted to, it would work. Also, if you have two disk drives, use a different one. It seemed to work for me. I can’t explain why (usually if there is a drive conflict the game won’t load at all).
It wasn’t clear if you’ve had GTA for a while, or just installed it. It could be due to your computer. Does it have low specs? If you just installed, defrag probably isn’t an issue. Any new viruses? Running a new OS since the last time you played GTA3?
---
### Author:  [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/4 "2002-11-03T04:22:56Z")
This is grand theft auto three. I don’t have 2 drives. No virus or anything else major like a new OS, still the same one that came w/ the pc (winME). When I eject the disc nothing seems to happen, it just ejects the disc and keeps the same screen there.
---
### Author:  [@Melon\_Farmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melon_Farmer)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/5 "2002-11-03T11:40:02Z")
Well, the most common reason for not being able to defrag in my experience has been a lack of free disk space. I would check the available space on the C drive, and free up as much room as possible. Also, consider moving all temp folders (windows temp and temp internet files) to your secondary drive. You may see some speed increase from doing that as well.
If you are out of room on C, that’s probably why you can’t load the game.
---
### Author:  [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/6 "2002-11-03T13:22:44Z")
Its probably a memory manager problem as 'Melon mentioned.
However, if you happen to have a 3D program such as Lightwave or 3D Studio Max on you computer, there’s a sometimes a conflict between their parser settings and the game’s. You have to do a “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” to bring up the “Close program” box. Find the program called “Xer-par” and shut it off. Then try your game.
---
### Author:  [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-run-grand-theft-auto-3-possibly-disk-defrag-problem/135058/7 "2002-11-03T14:33:49Z")
I don’t think it’s a memory manager problem now. I just tried to dl the newest driver for the video card, but after downloading a 12 mb file (which is no quick task on my connection) I ended up with a corrupted file. Not sure where to go from here.