Monitor shuts off when launching CMBB

[LeTitmouse]

Well, I searched and couldn't find this problem listed anywhere.

The game installs fine, no problems extracting any of the files.

When I launch the game, the screen goes black, then after a few seconds, my monitor shuts off!

No sound, nothing. I can alt+tab back to OS then force the program to shut down, but if I switch back to it, my monitor just shuts off again.

System specs: Athlon 2000XP, GeForce4/4600, 4.072 driver (tried it with and without FSAA on), DirectX 8.1b, Windows 2000 sp 3, SB Audigy 5.12.1.253 driver, View Sonic PF790 monitor running 1024x768x32@100hz (also tried it @ 85hz, any lower and the flicker gives me a headache) I reinstalled all of the drivers and DirectX with no effect. I tried reinstalling the game, and tried it with and without the patch (I was unable to attempt to uninstall the game, as, incredibly, the game does not contain an uninstaller, unlike CMBO!)

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Schrullenhaft]

Is there a Prefs file in your CMBB folder ? If so delete it. Most likely you're not reaching the point where it even generate a file. How is your monitor defined in Windows ? Are you using a 'Plug and Play' definition or one provided by Viewsonic that mentions the exact model that you have ? In the Display control panel > Settings tab > Advanced... button > Monitor tab > do you have the checkmark against 'use only allowable refresh rates' (or something to that effect) ?

The only thing that I can guess is happening is that CMBB is trying to use a refresh rate that is beyond your monitor's capacity to display. Typically I would have thought that it would just progress to the next lower refresh rate (at the desktop resolution you're using now), which I would have assumed would work with your monitor. I guess your monitor is seeing that first very high refersh rate and turning itself off to prevent damage (the way some monitors work, a super high refresh rate could damage the high voltage circuitry).

If you provide your email address I can email you a Prefs file that runs at 1280 x 1024 @ 85Hz.

[LeTitmouse]

Would this be in the root of the CMBB folder? If so, then no, there is no such file.

I am using a basic plug-and-play monitor file for this monitor. For some reason, the monitor definitions on the View Sonic website won't install. Why would the game attempt to run at greater than 100Hz? My monitor is fairly high-end (19", $500 about a year ago when bought).

FWIW, I installed it on my laptop (fixed refresh rate of 60Hz) and it ran just fine. I'm not even getting the initial screen asking to set the resolution, however, when I start the game on my desktop.

[Schrullenhaft]

CMBB attempts to run over 100Hz because the video card is capable of it at 1024x768. The monitor defnition doesn't seem to be blocking this (i.e. - it doesn't say that the monitor isn't capable of this refresh rate at this resolution), so it is attempted.

So the VS_WIN2K.EXE file doesn't work for you ? Do you get an error during the install process or what ? Is your monitor not listed in this definition ? Is there any way of manually selecting it once the files have been extracted (it will open with WinZip, I'm not sure about the .CAB files though) ?

Are you running or had installed in the past any tweaking applications for your video card ?

I'm not sure of the details regarding your laptop. Usually a resolution selection screen will come up for the PC regardless of the available resolutions.

You may want to copy the Prefs file from the laptop to the desktop (at the root of the CMBB directory). You will be running the same resolution and refresh rate as your laptop, but it will get you going.

[ November 28, 2002, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: Schrullenhaft ]

[LeTitmouse]

Thanks, I had installed those drivers before, but Windows never accepted the driver as better than its default. I forced the issue, and the game worked this time.

[zukkov]

thank you thank you thank you! i just read this and i can play cmak again! my monitor fried this morning and i had to hook up my old one. the screen went black as mentioned above. i got rid of the preference file and reset the refresh rate to 60 and it worked! thought i'd go ahead and replay since there may be others still having this problem. thanks again!