Help; Black screen at startup. Tried "everything"!

[eranko]

Hi!

Problem is that problem I've read about; when I try to run the game, it hangs in a black screen with no sound.

My videocard is GeforceMX2 200. I think it has something to do with it. But I have updated the drivers (from 53.03 to the unofficial 56.06). Have tried to turn off AntiAliasing.

Have removed the Windows Hotfix.

Have tried changing the refresh rate on monitor to 60Hz.

I hope any of you can give me The Answer to my problem!?

Thanks in advance!

(My setup: Asus a7nx8 deluxe, AMD XP2500+, 512MB RAM, Geforce 2 MX 200)

[Schrullenhaft]

Which Windows version are you running ? Which version of CM are you running, the BFC (internet) or CDV (retail) version ? If you Alt-Tab to the desktop, do you see a CM task running or does Alt-Tab'ing not do anything ?

Anti-aliasing needs to be set to 'Application Controlled' for it to be off (CM doesn't control it, so it remains off).

Are you overclocking your videocard or modifying any of its settings with an utility ? Which brand and model is this card and have you updated the Video BIOS or doing anything else to the card ?

What previous driver versions have you had installed on this particular Windows installation (other than 53.03) and did you uninstall any of these previous versions or did you just install the newer driver over them ?

[eranko]

Using WinXP Pro with SP1.

CM version CDV.

If I Alt-Tab to the desktop, I see a CM task running, and may quit it from Task Manager.

I'm not overclocking my videocard, nor modifying any of its settings. Not sure what brand or model it is... not updated Video BIOS.

I've just had 52.02 before 53.03. I did not uninstall 52.02 before 53.03.

BUT I uninstalled 53.03 before 56.06.

[Schrullenhaft]

If you re-maximize CM after minimizing it do you go back to a black screen or does it refresh ?

Though I doubt that it exists, is there a Prefs file in you CM directory ? If there is, delete it.

What monitor are you using and how is it defined under Windows, as a "Plug and Play" model ?

Though I don't think it will make a difference, you may want to try the 56.56 driver that is available from NVPlanet (link on the right hand side column).

Have you patched the CDV to v. 1.01, available here on the BFC website (I assume this is CMAK that we're talking about) ? It changes the executable quite a bit in regards to copy protection and other details (since CDV has been slow in releasing their version). It may be worth applying.

[eranko]

It does not refresh when I try to go back.

No pref-file.

I'm using a really old Compaq-monitor, could it be this?? (it's making a "change resolution"-click when I try to start the game)

NOT plug and play. "Default Monitor". In fact, four "Default monitor" is listed in device manager. I can't remove any of them.

I tend to use my DVD-rom player to watch movies on my telly, therefore I have to have multiple monitors... But not four!

Could this be the problem?

I meant the 56.56 driver, not 56.06. Sorry.

I have patched it to v. 1.01.

I will do a reinstall, and patch it up at once, and check it out.

(thanks for all help.. although it's still not working)

[Schrullenhaft]

Boot into Safe Mode and delete all of those 'Default Monitor' profiles except one (though Windows may install another one for the TV-out on your videocard). Try to identify your Compaq monitor model (it may be on the rear, etc.) and when Windows boots up again see if you can select it (from the Device Manager, changing the driver for the monitor) or some 'standard' monitor profile (1024x768, etc.) if the specific Compaq model is not mentioned. Make note of your current resolution and refresh rate since it may be the maximum possible with this monitor.

Go to Control Panels > Display control panel > Settings tab > Advanced button > 'GeForce 2 MX 200/400' tab > click on 'Display Timing' in the pop-out menu > 'Auto Detect' is the most common and default choice, but you may want to experiment with the other three settings.

When you initially launch CMAK it will go through the resolution selection process. This will be a black screen with a white/blue/green box in the middle listing the currently attempted resolution and possibly the refresh rate and maybe even the display adapter being used. This process will start at your current desktop resolution, but it will also use the highest refresh rate that the video driver supports at that resolution. This could result in a black screen or with newer monitors a warning message on the screen. In the case of your old Compaq monitor it may show nothing. If you don't press anything, CM should attempt the next lower refresh rate after 5 seconds or more until it reaches 60Hz and then it tries the next lower resolution, but again at the higest refresh rate offered by the video driver.

Another option to try in your case is to limit the refresh rate in the driver. Go back to the GeForce 2 MX 200/400 tab and in the pop-out menu select 'Refresh Rate Overrides'. Select the 'Override refresh rates' button/selector and scroll down to your current resolution (if that is what you want to run CM at). Uncheck the '8bit' and '32 bit' check boxes and select the drop-down dialog for the refresh rate (default set to 'Default') and select your current refresh rate. I believe that this should only list one refresh rate at that resolution when CM attempts to set the resolution. However it may not work properly and you should then go back to 'Applications control refresh rate'.

[skaldharaldr]

I've been following your posts today, while fighting my own battle with the cmak install. Like you I have an older g-force II running on an older monitor. Nothing seemed to work (and I've been at it for hours), until I tried one of Schrullenhaft's ideas in his last post. Here are the steps that I took:

In the display settings I unchecked (!) the application controlled antialiasing box, and made certain the slider was set to "off." In the display timings I checked "Coordinated Video Timings (CVT) Standard". I then installed cmak AND the patch and tried to run the game again. The detection screen came up immediately (up to this point I had not made any progress at all in previous attempts). I had to skip several innapropriate resolutions and refresh rates, but eventually I was offered what I wanted (in my case 1024x768 @ 70Hz). After that the game began normally. I then exited the game, set the display timing back to autodetect, checked the "application controlled" antialiasing box (be certain that the slider is still set to off)... and so far everything looks great. I can't be certain that this will solve your problem, but give it a try. Be sure to use a fresh install of cmak and the patch . . . after previous failed attempts there were issues with the cmak exe file. Good luck!

[eranko]

Thanks for the help, although I haven't had the time to test it all yet..

Can you explain what the "Coordinated Video Timings (CVT) Standard" and 'Display Timing' do? A bit precise, as I only have norwegian text in the Geforce Setup.

You mention Geforce 200/400. In my Device Manager it says Geforce2 MX 100/200.

(My monitors keep returning to four. In Safe-mode, there are NO monitors listed.)

[Schrullenhaft]

CVT is actually a newer standard for video timing. This Dell article describes video timing in general and gives more specifics on CVT. To be honest that standard is geared more towards flat-panel LCD displays rather than CRTs. Its new-ness suggests that it isn't the appropriate selection for your older Compaq monitor.

You can also right-click on any of the timing selections, select "What's this ?" (or its Norweigan equivalent) to get a small amount of 'help text' info on them.

Did you ever find out which particular Compaq monitor model you have (or at least its date of manufacture) ? DMT or GTF would probably be more appropriate for your monitor since they're older standards. However I'm unsure if any of these changes will solve your problem with CM, but it may.

As for deleting monitors. I usually would have assumed that deleting the listed monitors in Safe Mode (Control Panel > System control panel > Hardware tab > Device Manager button > double-click the Monitors item and highlight and delete all of the monitors listed and close up all of the panels and reboot) would have been sufficient. Deleting the registry entries doesn't seem directly possible in XP (which would be the other course).