Matrox G400 AGP powerdesk v6.14.051

[savatage]

When I try to play the game in either primary display option 800x600 or 600x480 the game locks up but the sound still plays. hitting ESC usually gets me out. I'm playing the Gold demo. I have the full version coming soon.. I'm using the latest matrox certified drivers. What settings should I have check in the options page? I have 32bit Z buffering checked...Should I disable this? I also have a SB Live value with liveware V3.0. Maybe this is the problem?? I can play the game in software mode but it is less clear....Any suggestions????

[Schrullenhaft]

Are you locking up after playing several turns or do you never see the battlefield ? I usually recommend that the video card and the sound card don't share an IRQ. You can check for this in your Control Panel > System control panel > Device Manager tab > double-click on the Computer icon and get the IRQ listing ("IRQ Holder for PCI Steering" you can ignore). You want to check to see if anything is sharing an IRQ with your video card or your sound (or if they are sharing one together). While this isn't an absolute problem (PCI/AGP devices are supposed to be able to share IRQs), sometimes sharing the IRQ isn't an optimum solution and may cause problems with drivers.

I don't believe changing any of the DirectX options will really affect your lockups. I don't know if it would be worth it to you to try out the latest drivers (instead of just the Certified ones) or not:

Matrox "Latest" drivers:

http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/latest_drivers/home.htm

[This message has been edited by Schrullenhaft (edited 09-18-2000).]

[savatage]

It locks up randomly.. Mostly during setup. I will check into the IRQ thing...Thanks....Will let you know...

[savatage]

Heres what I found...

Irq 11 ACPI IRQ holder for pci irq sterring

IRQ 11 Matrox G400. Also Irq's 9,10,14 and 15 are being shared with other devices..

Irq 10 creative SB live

irq 10 ACPI IRQ holder for pci irq sterring.

Is this ok... I cant chang the setting.. It wount let me...Any other hints??

[Schrullenhaft]

Double post.

[This message has been edited by Schrullenhaft (edited 09-19-2000).]

[Schrullenhaft]

Yes, the "ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI Steering" should be fine. What OS are you running, Windows 2000 or ME ? You will be unable to change the IRQs from within Windows (you would generally have to do it in the CMOS/BIOS setup), but in this case it doesn't appear that you are sharing IRQs for your video and sound (unless there is another device other than the "PCI Steering" sharing IRQ 10 with the SB Live).

Do you have any programs running in the background ? I would suggest shutting down all other programs (including anti-virus utilities, etc.) to see if this has any effect. A program called EndItAll can simplify shutting down all the running programs.

Although you may not have this setting in your CMOS/BIOS setup, you may want to check for an AGP (or Graphics) Aperture setting. Typically it will be set for 64Mb. Most BIOSs don't allow for a setting below 32Mb, but it may be worth checking out to see if this helps or not. You may also want to check for any USWC caching or Video Memory Caching and possibly disable (or UC) this setting (the Video BIOS caching shouldn't be an issue and need not be modified). These features should actually work, but you will probably have to experiment with them to see if this helps. The primary culprit here is probably the video card or video drivers or a setting associated with them (since you can run fine in Software Rendering).

[savatage]

Well I tried putting the Graphics app in the bios to 64 and 32.. It was set at 128..Still locks up.. I tried switching my logitech trackman 7 marble wheelmouse with driver version 9.0 to a ps/2 port instead of serial..Still locks up..I took out my Gravis firebird joystick and put the keyboard in a ps/2 slot but still no go... My netx step is to try the vidio cache and see wht that brings me... I really hope the full game gives me no problems... any suggestions on what matrox driver works the best? Let me know if you can think of anything else...I am running Win 98SE. I hve a AMD K7 600, 128 mb ram, SBLive Value..

[Schrullenhaft]

Did you perform an "uninstall" on your Matrox drivers before installing the latest set ?

Matrox Uninstaller Utility:

http://www.matrox.com/mga/support/drivers/files/w9x_601.cfm

When it comes to games, the latest uncertified/beta driver might be best. WHQL certification doesn't seem to mean a whole lot when it comes to games. Apparently the qualifications for obtaining WHQL certification is that the driver doesn't crash the OS with Microsoft apps (that's not really the criteria, but it sometimes seems to be). Games seem to have far more issues with drivers than standard desktop apps. Since WHQL certification takes awhile, some patches to the driver can often be developed while the previous driver is still undergoing/waiting for certification. Most of the big video card/chip companies do a fair job with their betas. You'll get problems every-so-often as nothing seems to be perfect.

Unfortunately the problems you're seeing with the Gold Demo will still be present in the Full version as far as I'm aware. Hopefully you will find a solution before too long. There are several users on the forum using the Matrox 400s and with the latest drivers they've had fairly decent results (some transparency-related issues were about all that I recall).

Although this is a bit more drastic, you may want to play around with the DirectX control panel. Go to Run > C:\PROGRAM FILES\DIRECTX\SETUP\DXDIAG.EXE > Display tab > DISABLE AGP Support and see what this does (may require a reboot).

I don't know if it would help, but you may want to check for your motherboard manufacturer's site for a BIOS update. Usually these address small compatibility problems, but it may be worth investigating.

[savatage]

I tried the latest beta driver and now the game locks up and I must reboot to exit... It still works in software mode...I am at a loss as to what to do next... I will see what drivers the othermatrox users are using... If you have any more hints let me know...

[Schrullenhaft]

I would suggest using the Matrox uninstaller and removing your driver. Then install the "Standard PCI VGA" driver (which will limit your resolution and color depth for now). With that done reinstall DirectX 7.0a. After that is done install whichever Matrox driver you feel comfortable with. Hopefully this will clear out any Matrox files that may be conflicting with each other (doesn't sound like it would be possible, but Matrox does recommend removing the driver before installing a new one).

[savatage]

i have been using the uninstaller... No matter what driver I use it locks up and I get that ding when it does.. When i go to reinstall a driver it prompts me to install the Matrox Millenium G400. i have a AGP card. So I change it to the Matrox G400 AGP. Should I keep the first one or the AGP which I have..?? Could it be my mouse thats doing it?

[Schrullenhaft]

After running the uninstaller and then rebooting does Windows automatically attempt to install the Matrox G400 (and ask for a CD, etc.) ? If so, then an .inf file still exists for Windows to reference and install drivers. Whether this is a factor or not, I'm not sure. Do you ever get to install a "Standard PCI SVGA" driver or do you automatically go to the Matrox driver ?

Your Logitech 9.0 drivers should be fine. A number of people on the board upgraded to that version for their Logitech mice and it seemed to fix some problems. I don't know if lockups could be attributed to mouse drivers; it's possible. Most of the time I believe the incompatible mouse drivers may have caused visual corruption/anomalies, with the occasional hang.

I wouldn't think that there is much of a difference between the two drivers you are selecting for the Matrox G400. The AGP model sounds like the proper one to select in this case. It might offer some more AGP related settings in the Registry, but that would mostly like be it in terms of differences. It's interesting that Windows doesn't automatically select it (possibly an improperly written .inf). It may be worth selecting the non-AGP driver to see if it makes any difference in CM.

[savatage]

When I reboot it finds a PCI/VGA adapter but then says found Matrox G400 and askes me to insert disk... This is after using the uninstaller.. How can I get rid of the inf file??

[Schrullenhaft]

It should usually reside in the C:\WINDOWS\INF\OTHER directory. Sometimes the name of the .inf may be indicative of the device it's for; other times you'll have to open up the file (NotePad) and browse around to find out what it is used with.

Sometimes these files may find themselves in C:\WINDOWS\INF, but there's a lot of looking around in there if this is the case. I'm not sure which Matrox cards Win98SE recognizes. It will recognize several models, but I believe the G400s should still be a mystery to it with out Matrox's .inf files.

You may also want to consider editing your registry for Matrox enteries once you have the Standard PCI SVGA driver installed. I'm not sure what bearing, if any, these registry settings will have, but deleting them may be a good idea (though the uninstaller should have done this).

Go to Run > C:\WINDOWS\REGEDIT (or just REGEDIT) > open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > look around for any MATROX keys, highlight them in the left-hand pane and delete them.

[savatage]

I found the ini file and deleted it.. Rebooted and installed a standard pci VGA driver... Then installed powerdesk version 5.52. Still locks up... I will get the latest driver version 6.04 from matrox and try that.. If that dont work I will uninstall my mouse and try a plain old mouse.. I just hope this gets fixed before the new game arrives...

[savatage]

Here is my IRQ listing....

here are my IRQ's

00 system timer

01 standard keyboard

02 programmable interrupt controller

03 com port 2

04 com port 1

05 creative SB 16 emulation

06 standard floppy disk controller

07 printer port

08 system cmos/real time clock

09 acpi irq holder for pci irq steering

09 via tech pci to usb universal host controller

10 acpi irq holder for pci irq steering

10 creative SB live value

11 acpi irq holder for pci irq steering

11 matrox millenium g400

12 sci irq used by acpi bus

13 numeric data processor

14 via bus master pci ide controller

14 primary ide controller(duel fifo)

15 via bus master pci ide controller

15secondary ide controller(duel fifo)

I downloaded the powerdesk version 6.04 drivers which are the latest certified drivers. The only file that is not certified is the SB live... I am about ready to rip this card out and install a G-force!!!

The full game arrived today and I downloaded the 1.05 patch but it still crashes... I'm wondering if it's really my G400 thats causing the problem...

[Schrullenhaft]

The IRQs look fine. I don't know if disabling ACPI in the CMOS/BIOS setup would help or not (probably not - since freeing up an IRQ isn't a problem at this point).

As I said earlier, there are several people on this board using the Matrox G400. The only thing that I've heard of regarding a problem was with transparencies (which may have been solved by now with a driver update).

My next recommendation would be fairly drastic and depending on how desparate your are to get CM working, you may not want to do it. I'd suggest FORMATTING your hard drive and reinstalling Windows 98. You'll need to find some way of backing up your files (data, drivers, etc.). After installing Windows I'd suggest installing DirectX 7.0a and then your hardware drivers. With these installed, then install CM and patch it (though the patch generally shouldn't affect your video lockups).

If this doesn't work, then there is something about your system that CM just doesn't like. I'm not sure if a new video card would fix it (though that would definitely be a very good possibility). A new motherboard may also help (but that has a lot of variables). I'd suggest making sure you have the latest BIOS for your motherboard (make sure to check the revision of the board, because that can be a major factor in updating the BIOS).

[savatage]

I have a SD-11 motherboard with the latest bios N611. with a AMD K7 600. I installed the 4-in-1 Via drivers too. Also downloaded the latest patch for the SB Live. When I put the new Vid card in and if it still crashes then I know it's something else... What, I don't know... All I can think of is the file EMU10something for the SBLive is not certified in DX. I have a Logitech internet keyboard that I just put in about a month ago... But I doubt that's the problem.... I am at a loss as to what to do...

[Schrullenhaft]

Your FIC SD11 motherboard has an AMD 750 series chipset for the northbridge (which controls the AGP slot among other things).

Download and install the AGP Miniport Driver v. 4.71:

http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/bin/

Looking at the FAQ for the SD11, it looks like FIC claims that it has a problem with 32Mb AGP video cards due to their electrical current requirements. I'm not sure if the Matrox G400 you have falls into this category or not. If the only problem you're having is in CM, then your card is probably fine (this problem would most likely occur no matter what you were doing in Windows).

Q: When I use S3 Savage 4 Pro with the FIC mainboard, the display card gets hot in a short time, and then the system crashes. I can use windows, run other programs, but after a while the system crashes so, what should we do? Is there any solution to work S3 Savage4 Pro with the SD11 Mainboard and AMD-K7-650?

A: Do not use any 32MB on board AGP devices since they draw more current than the SD11 can handle. It was designed for AGP 1.0 spec. (2A 3.3V), but most 32MB on board AGP are compliant with AGP 2.0 (6A , 3.3V). The S3 Savage 4 Pro, ASUS V6800, TNT2 Ultra and GeForce 256 all fail to work with the SD11.

Though this warning from FIC is on the conservative side (some of these cards may work with the SD11), you should be wary of purchasing a new 32+Mb video card for your current motherboard.

I wouldn't worry about the "DX certification" for the SB Live driver. I'm running one and it isn't a problem. A good number of the drivers out there for sound and video are not certified.

[savatage]

Downloaded the AGP driver but it still crashes... I have problems with other games as well. Like Vampire... Wha do I do know? Do I bug FICA to fix this problem or what?? I will contact them as see what happens....

[Schrullenhaft]

Unfortunately there is nothing that FIC can do about the SD11. They would have to redesign the board in order for it to be compliant with the v. 2.x AGP spec., which probably isn't going to happen (it would require swapping out your motherboard anyway for a redesigned SD11).

If this problem really concerns you, you may want to look for another SLOT A motherboard for your Athlon. An ASUS K7V-T should work (but it may cost over US$150).

[savatage]

I was just looking at the ASUS motherboards, the K7v-t looks cool... Price does not concern me right now... I just want to play CM DAMN IT!!!! Thanks for the info... Any suggestions as to which board is the better one? I have an old ISA modem but I can get a new PCI one if need be...untill my DSL line gets here.... Thanks....

[Schrullenhaft]

I recommend ASUS boards since they manufacture a relatively stable product most of the time. There are other good boards out there (Abit, Tyan, AOpen, Gigabyte - some more stable or feature-rich than others). Unfortunately most of the SLOT A boards will probably disappear since AMD is focusing on SOCKET A. So a VIA KX-133 chipset-based board is probably the latest/last you'll see for the SLOT A's.

For ISA support I'd recommend the ASUS K7M, but it is based on the same AMD-750 chip like your FIC SD11. Here's an FAQ on the AGP video compatibility (in this case a GeForce):

Question:

My ASUS K7M motherboard seems to have compatibility problems with nVidia GeForce-based AGP VGA adapter. It crashes on me intermittently. What can I do?

Answer:

From the QA Testing, we have observed potential issues when nVidia GeForce-based AGP VGA adapters are installed in an AMD K7 motherboard with Athlon processor and AMD-750 core logic chipset. This chipset cannot run AGP 2X/4X with command and data in the same cycle, which is one of the functions featured in nVidia's GeForce 256. To solve this problem, it is recommended to use driver 3.62 or newer available on ASUS website. The driver will detect the AMD 750 chipset and set the AGP bus to 1X.

Whether this board would be compatible with your G400, I'm not sure. But since they mention a logic problem and not a power/current problem, it may work.

However I would recommend the K7V-T since it is based on a newer (VIA) chipset. The only problem is that a lot of these boards are dropping ISA support. That's unfortunate since some ISA modems are better than their PCI counterparts (which still work, but make the CPU do more of the job).

[This message has been edited by Schrullenhaft (edited 09-25-2000).]

[Cor Punishment]

After reviewing several messages in the boards, there is some sort of correlation between AMD and AGP cards. I do not know what it is but there seems to be something. I have a PCI card and an 'older' Intel II-350 chip and everything runs perfect. I have a few friends with much more powerful systems than mine and can't run the demo. Several have bought the game anyway just to have it for later. In the meantime we HOTSEAT off of my computer.

This is not a slam on your system, just an observation from other posts. The K6-2 appears to have its share of problems also.

[savatage]

When I hear back from ASUS about the K7V-T and the Matrox G400 working together well I plan on getting a new board....