Unable to launch CMBB/CMAK

[DirkS67]

I recently got a new PC (Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, nVidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti on 2 displays...), but I'm unable to play CMAK, nor CMBB...

I tried the following:

1) Running the versions pre-1.4 patch on my machine on the GeForce GTX;

2) Running the same versions on my machine on the Intel HD Graphics (on the ASUS MB) where I disabled the nvidia GTX

3) Doing above on only one display (by de-connecting the other display)

4) Trying to run the 1.4 Demo versions for both games from Battlefront's site (because I thought that maybe the Vista bug was at work...)

but nothing works...

Sometimes I get an error message ("unhandled exception c0000005"), but in most cases, when cycling through the resolutions, I only get to choose 640X480 (or something... at least not the minimal required 800x600). I have the idea that the games are not capable of finding my graphics card....

Any suggestions?

[Schrullenhaft]

Usually I would associate the 'c0000005' errors with DEP (Data Execution Prevention). Here's our Knowledgebase article on DEP. Also security software can block the functioning of our games and eLicense. So you may need to set exceptions within your security software for the game executables.

If you are ONLY being offered a 640x480 resolution (I assume that this would only be possible with CMBO), then it would seem that the games are having a problem with your video drivers and detecting 3D support. Having two displays hooked up may complicate things. Is the desktop 'spread' between the two displays or is it on one (the 'primary') ? Is it possible to temporarily disable one of the displays so that one one is seen ?

[Redwolf]

Looks like some 3D related libraries for the 32 bit environment are screwed up. Reinstalling the NVidia drivers might help.

I can confirm that my almost identical machines runs CMBB and CMAK (without vista patches), the only problem being lack of fog.

[DirkS67]

Thanks for the replies...

I tried using only one display, but no luck...

I also re-installed (fresh installation) the latest nvidia drivers (310.90) but no luck either.

I still only keep the options of playing the game at resolutions lower than 800x600, in fact only 640 x 480 is offered to me.

Any other suggestions?

[Redwolf]

CMBB is offering 640x480? If so, does it work if you accept it?

[DirkS67]

No, it does not work at 640 x 480. That is when I get the error message ("unhandled exception c000005")

[Schrullenhaft]

What resolution are you running at ? CMBB/CMAK only support 4:3 'standard aspect ratio' resolutions such as 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x1024, 1600x1200 (and a few others). Most displays would probably support some of these resolutions, unless you're outputting to a TV/monitor (which may only work with certain resolutions). For both games 800x600 is the minimum resolution and they normally wouldn't display or offer anything below that to my knowledge.

The 'c0000005' error I assume is happening at the END of the resolution selection process, which if no resolution is selected, will give a DirectX error and halt (it can't 'loop' to try the resolutions again).

Do you have any sort of 3D display management software/control panel/tray applet ? I wondering if something is interfering with CM recognizing your video card's display capabilities. The default Nvidia software usually should be fine, though I haven't played with the 'nView' control panel to see what effect that may have on the games. Have you tried to make a 'profile' in the 3D Settings for either CMBB or CMAK ?

[DirkS67]

I normally run 1680 x 1050 (which i sthe recommended setting). However, I also tried to run the game after setting the resolution to 800 x 600. Even in this case, the resolution selection screen from the game only offers me 640 x480 resolutions.

When getting to the end of the selection process, I get a message that DirectX could not initialize the 3D settings. The "c00005" error message I get when I accept one of the 640 x 480 resolutions (which I guess is kind of normal given that these games need at least 800 x 600).

The only display management software running (as far as I know) is Nvidia control panel Version 6.9.850.0.

Yes, I have tried a profile for CMAK in the nvidia 3D settings set up, though I'm not sure that the settings are the best ones...

[Redwolf]

You should run dxdiag. I'm not sure whether there is a 32bit on 64 bit OSes version of it.

Do other 3D things work? 32 bit ones.

[Schrullenhaft]

You may want to run the DirectX 9.0c update. I'm not sure how much of a difference this may make, but it is one of the few things I can think of at this point.

Keep your display at its native resolution (1680 x 1050). If you run it at 1280 x 1024, does it display correctly, stretched out or possibly centered on the screen (the latter presentation is less common with most displays). CMBB & CMAK should have offered to run at 1280 x 1024 as their first resolution offered with your desktop resolution. However CMx1 games typically start at the highest vertical refresh rate offered by the video card drivers at a particular resolution. So you may initially get offered to run at 1280 x 1024 at 160Hz, which will NOT be viewable on your monitor. This would appear either as a 'scramble/static', a blank/black screen or as multiple images horizontally. Does it take awhile before you are offered the 640 x 480 resolution or is that fairly quick once you start CMBB and CMAK ?

When you run the games, do you right-click and select "Run as administrator" ? Usually this is helpful for games that are installed into the 'Program Files' or 'Program Files (x86)' directories.

Are you currently running in a multi-monitor setup ? If you are, do you have a primary display (menu bar only on one computer) or is it 'spread' between the two displays ? When you ran it with just one monitor, was the second monitor actually disconnected or 'deconfigured' with the Nview software ?

As Redwolf suggested, try to run 'dxdiag' (type into the 'Search box' at the bottom of the Start Menu). Once it loads, go to the 'Display' tab and in the 'DirectX Features' section check that each of the three items listed here are 'Enabled' (usually they should be).

Beyond this you may need to run some DirectX benchmarks/test to see if there are issues with your setup.

[DirkS67]

Thanks for your tips..

RedWolf,

I ran Dxdiag; On the 32-bit version it shows for that display

DirectDraw Accelaration: Disabled

Direct3D Acceleration: Partially

AGP Texture Acceleration: Not Available

If I run the 64-bit DXdiag, then however I get all three above as "Enabled". Not sure how I can test other 3D 32-bit stuff? I do not have an issue with other games so far... is there a way to get in the dxdiag 32-bit also all three items to "Enabled"?

Schrullenhaft,

I run Directx 9.0c update, but it did not help...

When putting the display to 1280 x 1024 it stretches out the image, but I can see it fine. CMBB and CMAK directly and fairly quickly offer me only 640 x 480 resolutions. And yes, I run these games as an administrator.

From the two displays there is indeed one setup as primary display. When I only used one display, the other was indeed disconnected from the PC.

[Redwolf]

Thanks for your tips..

RedWolf,

I ran Dxdiag; On the 32-bit version it shows for that display

DirectDraw Accelaration: Disabled

Direct3D Acceleration: Partially

AGP Texture Acceleration: Not Available

If I run the 64-bit DXdiag, then however I get all three above as "Enabled". Not sure how I can test other 3D 32-bit stuff? I do not have an issue with other games so far... is there a way to get in the dxdiag 32-bit also all three items to "Enabled"?

First time I see this but now you have something to ask on general winblows forums (as opposed to the BFC forum) so I guess that should get things resolved.

In the Unix world that would mean that no full 32 bit userland is installed, in particular missing libraries.

[Schrullenhaft]

What other games do you play ? The Dxdiag 32-bit results for 'Display' suggest that a lot of 3D features would not be available which would cause quite a few issues for other 3D games. I'm not sure which games may run with 64-bit 3D drivers, though.

Under Windows XP you could change those 'Display' settings. Under Windows Vista and later, those are no longer controllable by the Dxdiag utility.

Looking up your issue here is one answer that I found, but it MAY not work for you and involves editing the Registry, which can be problematic if you don't know what you're doing:

Direct3D acceleration not available in Windows 7

[DARoot]

I have been following this thread closely, since I have experienced some of the same problems reported by DirkS67 --

DirectDraw Accelaration: Disabled

Direct3D Acceleration: Enabled

AGP Texture Acceleration: Not Available

However, my computer is a Toshiba Satellite Pro Laptop with Mobile Intel® 965 Express Chipset and Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile (Version: 6.14.10.4833) running under Windows XP* Professional, Service Pack 3 (5.1.2600).

I cannot run CMBO other than in 640x480, and cannot run (or even install) CMBB or CMAK, since the "graphics detection" routine in the Installer reports that my computer "..does not support 3D graphics..." (even though it does, in many other applications).

I'm now encountering this same problem with some other applications -- won't run, or won't even install in the first place, for the same reason.

I got used to seeing this stuff on my Windows Vista computer, where it wanted "64-bit" drivers, installers, or whatnot. When I got the Windows XP rig, I thought those problems were solved. WRONG! Now I've got them in Windows XP also.

Well, I downloaded some newer video drivers for the 965 chipset from Microsoft, but they would not install, saying that they were "..not validated for .." my particular Toshiba computer (and the installer then shut down). So, I went to the Toshiba website, and downloaded the latest drivers (that WERE "..validated..") but, they were the same as what I already have.

I've now downloaded a new version of DirectX 9.0c -- We'll see if that makes any difference. I've been reluctant to install it up to now, since I cannot be sure if it will or won't mess up all the other applications I currently have that run fine.

Thus, I'm very interested in how DirkS67 makes out here.

[incidentally, I will mention here that CMBO, CMBB, and CMAK all install and run fine on my Windows Vista computer, at whatever resolution my monitor will support -- after doing the "Run As Administrator" and other nonsense that Vista imposes -- and I DID have to disable my Norton 360 virus/malware checker beforehand, since it insisted on "quarantining" the CM installers as "..high-risk.." applications before they could do their installing -- did I mention, I hate computers?]

DARoot

[Redwolf]

You should never use graphics card drivers from laptop vendors. That never works out.

There is some voodoo how to enable the stock drivers to install. It changes all the time but it's always there.

OP, I don't think you use a laptop, do you?

[DirkS67]

Schrullenhaft,

I did look at the link that you provided above and one of the methods suggested there did indeed work for me!

More precisely,

"I had similar issue but I had to change value to EmulationOnly=0 under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\DirectDraw on Win 7 machine."

Now I can run CMAK and CMBB in 1280 x 1024 resolution.

Great! Thanks for the help and suggestions!