Ddhelp invalid page fault when running CMBB

[Awful Order]

I have a Twinhead Slimnote VX3 laptop. It is a Pentium III 500MHz, with 64 MB RAM. I keep getting the following error when I run CMBB:

DDHELP caused an invalid page fault in

module <unknown> at 0000:baaba47e.

Registers:

EAX=baaba47e CS=0167 EIP=baaba47e EFLGS=00010286

EBX=00000010 SS=016f ESP=007dfd3c EBP=007dfd4c

ECX=00000000 DS=016f ESI=00008dc2 FS=44af

EDX=00008dde ES=016f EDI=007dfd54 GS=44d7

Bytes at CS:EIP:

Stack dump:

010039e3 007dfd54 00008dc2 007dfd9e 007dfd6c bff7363b 00000588 0000007e 00000010 02580320 8d9c11ff 0000016f 007dfd80 bff94407 44d78dc2 000044d7

The screen prior to play asks if I will accept the video settings 640 x 480 (even when my settings are much higher). The screen will then flash the intro page for a split second while playing the first few bars of the intro music then the error message appears.

One of the computer guys here suggested that it is probably my DirectX (which was Version 8.0 at the time), so I downloaded the latest version of Direct X (9.0b) from Microsoft and I still get the same error! Is it my computer or is there another driver that I have to update (like my monitor drivers).

If any one can help, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Alvin

PS: What is so funny that it runs on the IT server at work, even when that machine is only a P3 450MHz, so I don't think it is the clock speed.

[Schrullenhaft]

There's a couple of possibilities here. Do you know what video hardware your laptop has ? Do you know what driver version is installed ? Upgrading DirectX in this case may not help.

Interestingly enough your sound may be to blame for the DDHELP error. I suggest finding the latest drivers, but before installing those try this: go to Control Panel > Multimedia control panel > on the Audio (default) tab under 'Playback' click the 'Advanced Properties' button > Performance tab > adjust the 'Hardware Acceleration' slider to the left. This will make the sound a bit more dependent on the CPU for some of its processing, but it may get rid of the DDHELP message. You can also do this (and it may be a more appropriate place to do it from for CM) from the Sound1 tab of the DirectX Diagnostic (from the Run command line type in 'dxdiag'). Under the 'DirectX Features' section of the 'Sound1' tab (for DirectX 9.x - others just have a single Sound tab) adjust the 'Hardware Sound Acceleration Level' to the left.

Regarding your 640x480 limitation. This may be due to the video chipset that is in your laptop. Do you know how much memory it has ? There's a very good chance that it may be incapable of playing CM.

[ August 02, 2003, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Schrullenhaft ]

[Schrullenhaft]

Well, I found out what your laptop has. It's a Trident Cyber 9525DVD. The drivers for this chipset are a bit dated, but here are some from the Toshiba Website for Windows 98, ME and 2000 (which should work, but might be set up to install only for Toshiba laptops).

From what I can tell of Toshiba specs (the most popular manufacturer to use this video chipset), there may only be 2.5Mb of Video RAM, which probably isn't enough to do Direct3D above 640x480. With CMBB's 800x600 minimum resolution, this laptop just may not work (though it may be possible to see the screen, just not all of it). So CMBB starts with a 640x480 resolution because of VRAM limitations. You can try the (possibly) newer driver linked to above, but I don't think it will change this matter for this laptop.

[Awful Order]

Thanks Schrullenhaft for the advice.

Actually, i also researched the video specs of my laptop and came to the same conclusion that it may not be able to support CMBB. However, I will try what you suggested, particularly with regard to the sound card and the Toshiba drivers.

I find it funny that my older Celeron MMX (233 MHz) laptop ran CMBO (though at a crrrrraaaawwwwwllll) and my P3 450 MHz desktop was able to run CMBB, why can't a newer P3 500Mhz laptop run the same? Is that why they call it Windows, coz when ever there is a new software, your old computer gets thrown right out the window?

[Schrullenhaft]

The issue primarily comes down to your video adapter and not the speed of your CPU. Laptops often have a strange combination of audio and video hardware and gaming support for some of that hardware is fairly limited. This is especially true of older laptops (yours is probably around 3 years old). A desktop system will almost always be a safer bet to run a game than most laptops, since they may come with a 'beefier' and/or more common video card that may have updated drivers, etc. However some newer laptops are starting to come out with higher speed hardware, but driver support can still be a bit spotty for them.