GaryO

Well, it's working now. For reference, here is what we found out and what we did. After fiddling around with the direct X diagnostics, we decided the problem was some kind of incompatability between Direct X version 9 and our graphics driver. Some digging turned up the info from the board maker site that it was only good up to DirectX version 8. I thought DirectX should be downward compatible, but we installed a later video board that would work with DirectX version 9. Problem solved. I'd have never gotten into the driver issues without the help you gave, so many thanks.

I've made some changes and downloaded different drivers. I removed CMBO and re-installed it, with the full option. Nvidia driver is 6.14.19.9371 DirectX is 9.0c We ran the DirectX tests and everything looked fine. Things still don't work, but I'm getting slightly different messages. The window is labeled "3D DirectX test" and presents a resolution option, such as 800 x 600 and gives an Accept or Next selection. Still, nothing seems to work.

Here is some more info: Game was purchased, not dowloaded. Nvideo driver loaded was not the one you referred to as probably the current version. Mine was a 7.x version (I've uninstalled it, and didn't write it down.) Went to the Nvidia site and selected a driver. I'm on an AMD chip, XP Pro, so ended up with a version 6.14.10.5673. Had a 2006 date on it. This sounds like it isn't the driver you referred to, and it also doesn't work either. In addition to behaving the same as the old driver we also get the message "unable to initalize 3D driver."

Thanks for the info. Had to make a short trip and just got back. Give me some pointers on finding the driver version, I don't do much of that kind of stuff. That perhaps is the problem, as the new video card had some problems and I pulled the G Force 4000 out of the drawer. Everything else seems to be working, but maybe the driver isn't current. When the refresh/freq message comes up, I've been selecting OK.

Forgot: No music or sound when the screen goes black. Didn't notice if the monitor powered down or anything, but when the direct x message comes up it's working fine. I'll get the unit back together in a couple of days and could run any tests anyone can suggest and get any internal info in the computer that might be relevant.

Game is Combat Mission Beyond Overlord. Monitor is set at 1162 x 834, 32 bit color. I have tried different resolutions and two different monitors. Same result. I'm on a different computer, so can't check the default refresh rate, but think it was 70 or 72. The primary monitor was a NEC flat screen, and both monitors will run that game on this older computer. I checked the direct x driver version and it was version 9 00c, I believe. When I checked the driver versions available, this was the most currect. The computer had just been assembled, so the software should have all been currect versions unless some error was made. Yes, it was XP. The screen would go black, the pop up windows showing frequency and resolution were stable. The c00005 message pops up after I hit "control, alt, del". Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've tried several of the suggested fixes in the technical notes, but nothing seems to fix this, and no answers to my email to the support address in the manual. Here is the problem: On my current computer, with a G Force4 video card, CMO pops up a window asking to set the refresh rate. The first window is the correct refresh rate, but selecting it causes the screen to go black. Alternate refresh rates that the monitor will accept also behave this way. I can finally get a window that says: unhandled exception, c00005 @ 00563951. Two different monitors behave the same way. The only thing I haven't been able to try is turning anti aliasing off. Can't find the right spot in the driver, I guess. The direct x version is 9c. Works fine on the old computer. Sorry if this is a duplicate problem, just couldn't find anything that I recognized. Gary