800x600 error turns up again

[theland]

I'm having difficulty with the 800x600 error described in the CMAK manual.

I try to play it and get an error message saying "800x600 resolution required" when my desktop is already at 800x600 or better.

Solutions I have tried are:

1. Resize desktop and alter colour depth (various)

2. Delete prefs files (the only option I am then offered is 640x480 software mode)

3. Reinstall 45.23 graphics drivers for GeForce2

4. Reinstall Direcx 9.0b

5. Recover Windows system files from backup and then do 3 and 4 again

6. Use Detonator Destroyer to uninstall drivers then reinstall drivers and directx

The problem persists, despite all of this. Dxdiag confirms the version of DirectX I'm running, but it indicates problems initialising Direct3d (suggesting a wider problem than just CMAK!)

CMBB and CMBO run slowly and only the left-hand 7/8 or so of the screen is visible - the rest 'falls off' the monitor.

System:

Athlon 1.2GHz

256MB RAM

GeForce 2 MX

19" NEC MultiSync monitor

Any help much appreciated.

[Schrullenhaft]

If the Direct3D test indicates a problem, then it will be impossible to play CM (or at least CMBO would run in 'software mode' - CMBB should have the screen 'cropped' which would make it unplayable). I have no idea why CMBO & CMBB continue to play if you get this error.

The 7/8ths of the screen you can see with CMBO & CMBB seems to suggest you are running a resolution and/or refresh rate that your monitor is either not fully capable of displaying or is not 'setup' to display properly. I usually suggest that people run CM at the same resolution and refresh rate as their desktop. If they do then their monitor settings should already be optimized for displaying CM. In your case it seems you have a different resolution and refresh rate set for CM and your monitor isn't adjusted for it nor are they using resolution and refresh rate defaults that the monitor may be 'hard coded' for. Adjusting your monitor's settings may adversely affect your normal desktop screen. That's why selecting a resolution and refresh that matches your desktop is ideal (assuming you can run CM at a tolerable speed at that resolution).

Which version of Windows are you running ? What chipset is your motherboard based on (i.e. - VIA, SiS, ALi etc.) and have you installed drivers for it ? If you haven't, then this is the first thing I suggest that you do - install the drivers for the motherboard chipset. Often these may affect AGP settings and compatibility.

I suggest running the 'Add/Remove Programs' control panel to remove the NVidia drivers. However don't reboot when prompted. Instead run the Detonator Destroyer or the Detonator R.I.P. program to make sure that all .INF files and drivers have been removed. Reboot.

Depending on which version of Windows you have your video card will either be detected and have a device driver automatically installed for it (WinXP, the 12.40 Detonator) or you'll be prompted for a driver. If you're not running Win XP, then install the SVGA driver (or whatever they may call the default VGA driver). DO NOT INSTALL ANY NEWER DETONATOR DRIVERS YET. This should require a reboot.

Once you've rebooted you can reinstall DirectX 9.0b if you care to. I'd guess that your DirectX install is probably fine, but it may be worth it to do this. Before installing anything though you need to make sure that your anti-virus is disabled, just in case it is messing things up. I also suggest killing anything that is running and temporarily paring down your software environment to just the absolute necessities (kill any programs in the System Tray; use Ctrl-Alt-Del to kill any Programs or Processes that you can, etc.).

If you didn't reinstall DirectX then you can proceed to installing your choice of NVidia Detonator. The 30.82/30.87 is the driver we recommend if CM is your main addiction. If you're playing other games, then you may want the later versions of the Detonators depending on their preferences. 45.23 or newer should be OK in that regard (you'll just have some problems with text and FSAA - which you can work around). Reboot once this is completed.

If you did reinstall DirectX, then you'll need to reboot and when you've come back up you'll need to go through the process again of shutting down your anti-virus and almost all other programs. At this point you can install the video driver and reboot.

Once the driver has been installed try the DirectX Diagnostic 3D tests again and see if they pass. If they don't, then you have some deeper issues with your current software setup. Have you changed any hardware lately or installed newer drivers for anything ? Have you installed any Microsoft updates lately ? Have you changed any CMOS/BIOS setup settings lately ?

It may come down to reformatting your hard drive and installing Windows from scratch.

[theland]

Merci bien.

Should've mentioned it's running Windows ME. I am pretty sure it's a VIA motherboard but that has never been an issue before.

I'm not entirely sure the drivers for the monitor are correct but I have difficulty finding any for it, and Windows claims it doesn't need any (?)

Thanks for your help - will try again this evening.

Chris