comp problem help

[The Village Idiot]

Well this is a new one for me overnight my comp has independantly decided to boycot the use of directx 8+. DX7 works fine but any and all tests using 8 and up just give me a odd looking screen and lockup. Ive updated my drivers and reinstalled dx. Is it possible my card (GeForce 2 Ti) is somehow involved? Anyways please help I'm starting to go through withdraws now.

[Gandalf Parker]

Try a "cold boot". That means powering down the computer and turning it completely OFF at the power. Unplug it if you arent sure how to do cold boot vs warm boot. Then turn it back on.

Computer stores get alot of machines now that are already fixed when they are brought in. Thats because the user unpluged it to bring it in and the store turning it back on let it go thru its hardware checks. (most of them charge for the visit anyway)

[ January 18, 2004, 12:56: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[The Village Idiot]

Thats one of the first things I tried actually. Anything else?

[Gandalf Parker]

Doing a slight google I see references to something about that Version switching alot of things from hardware to software emulation of things. Many are unhappy with it. But the common response seems to be that most games arent really using the new capabilitys so until you find a game that doesnt run, dont upgrade.

[The Village Idiot]

Umm yeah thats kinda the problem. I can't play anything newer than about 3 years old including dom 2. To check it out I did a dxdiag and on testing dx8 for direct 3d it does the exact same thing as when I try to play a newer game. Thats what made me first try "repairing" directx and then when that diddn't work reinstalling drivers for my card. So I actually haven't changed anything that i've been using for the Last 5 months or so.

[PvK]

It sounds like it is definitely the 3D acceleration on the video card that is the problem, for whatever reason, since it is crashing whenever it tries to use 3D acceleration. If you have updated the drivers for the video card itself to the manufacturer's latest, and it still blows up, then you could try some 3rd party drivers for the card, of which there do exist one or two, which were suggested to me when I was noticing low frame rate using the manufacturer's drivers in Doms2. I don't have that reference right now - I think it was Sabre Cherry who came up with the links...

It's also possible that your video card is just plain messed up physically (maybe dusting it off, and taking it out and putting it back in physically would help...), or is somehow incompatible with your other hardware (or motherboard BIOS, or who knows what), or it just needs some sort of setting change.

PvK

[ January 18, 2004, 21:17: Message edited by: PvK ]