Game locks up when attempting to change graphics in options

Alright, this is a bit of a weird issue, but whenever I attempt to click on the Graphics & Audio settings under options, my game freezes up. I can still hear the sound going in the background, and the game doesn't crash, but it doesn't respond or do anything until I have to ctrl-alt-del and kill it in the Task Manager. I never had any issues before the last time I played, though that was a few months back, and this is also a fresh install of Windows (as of about a week). I do have my video drivers all up to date, so I'm not entirely sure what's going on.


---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.2.0.2---

DxDiag gathered at August 18, 2010 01:38 (-04:00)
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
System Manufacturer: INTEL
System Model: DG31PR
BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/30/07 17:10:53 Ver: 08.00.10
Central Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs)
Memory: 3324MB
.Net Memory Report: 2692MB out of 3324MB available
Page File: 4494MB (715MB currently in use)
C Drive: (WDC WD2500AAJS-00VTA0) 11853MB out of 238464MB (4%) free
D Drive: (WDC WD16 00JB-00GVC0 USB Device) 7129MB out of 152617MB (4%) free
E Drive: (HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H55N) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DirectX Diag version: 5.03.2600.2180 (32-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor's Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Video Device Name: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Manufacturer / Chip: NVIDIA / GeForce 8800 GT
Video Memory: 512.0 MB
Driver Version: 6.14.0012.5896
Driver Date: 7/9/2010 6:38:00 PM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Logitech G35 Headset
Driver File: usbaudio.sys
Driver Version: 5.01.2600.2180
Driver Date: 8/3/2004 11:07:56 PM


WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: DG31PR
Motherboard Version: AAD97573-205
BIOS Manufacturer: Intel Corp.
BIOS Name: BIOS Date: 07/30/07 17:10:53 Ver: 08.00.10
BIOS Version: INTEL - 6222004
BIOS Release: 20071221000000.000000+000


Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1024x768
3D Resolution: 1024x768 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: Yes
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: Yes


Physics Quality: High
Maximum Particles: 50000
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No


Anti-aliasing: Unknown (0)
Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: High quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned on)
Depth of Field Enabled: Yes
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: Yes
Shader Detail: Medium?


World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: 1.000
Shadows Enabled: No
Shadow Mode: Shadow maps
Shadow Map Shader: Low quality
Environmental Reflections: Low quality
Advanced Occlusion Settings: No
Ambient Occlusion: High performance
Occlusion Strength: Slight
Blur: Fast
Ambient Resolution: High performance


Gamma Correction: 1.000
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: Yes
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: No
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 1.000
Music Sound Volume: 0.600

Show Advanced Graphics Options: No
Overall Graphics Quality: 0.500
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: Unknown bytes/second
Current Game Version: 1850.201007290124.10T2
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
No modifications found

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 1:41:03 AM, on 8/18/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\sched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\RTHDCPL.EXE
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\G35\G35.exe
C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avguard.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avshadow.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscntfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\Downloads\Firefox Downloads\CohHelper.exe
C:\Downloads\Firefox Downloads\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://auto.search.msn.com/response....h=3&prov=&utf8
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {5C255C8A-E604-49b4-9D64-90988571CECB} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IMJPMIG8.1] "C:\WINDOWS\IME\imjp8_1\IMJPMIG.EXE" /Spoil /RemAdvDef /Migration32
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002ASync] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /SYNC
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002A] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /IMEName
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RTHDCPL] RTHDCPL.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Alcmtr] ALCMTR.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avgnt] "C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe" /min
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\nView\nwiz.exe /installquiet
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe ARM] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Logitech G35] C:\Program Files\Logitech\G35\G35.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [uTorrent] "C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe"
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Logitech blank Product Registration.lnk = C:\Program Files\Logitech\G35\eReg.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Scheduler (AntiVirSchedulerService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\sched.exe
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Guard (AntiVirService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avguard.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

--
End of file - 4608 bytes

Update:

Alright, so some experimentation in safe mode allowed me to get into the graphic options, which allowed me to narrow this problem down a bit. I'm able to change everything but the Anti-Aliasing and Ambient Occulsion, which have to remain off, or else it immediately freezes upon attempting to change them. The game also freezes up upon quitting, which requires shut down via the Task Manager to end. With updated settings, everything runs fine in game, but Anti Aliasing and Occulsion are unusable. Anyone have any ideas?

I had this same problem with my Nvidia 8800 GTX. I rolled back the drivers to 257 instead of 258 and that seems to have fixed it.

this isnt a fix but a workaround. google a program called Tweakcoh. lets you change options without being ingame. hope it helps