Demo Black Screen

[Cath0de]

I downloaded the CMBO demo. After extracting all the files, when I start the game. I get a black screen. I read the other post on this, and I also don't have the preferences thing, but I didn't get one in my demo download. How do I fix it?

[Schrullenhaft]

The Preferences file is generated when you set you resolution, it doesn't come with the installed files.

What plaform are you on, Mac or PC ? What OS/Windows version are you running ? If you're running on a PC, what version of DirectX do you have installed (Windows 98 2nd Edition and later install a version of DirectX that is sufficient for CM) ? What video card do you have ? What driver version do you have installed ? Have you tried to run the DirectX tests and have them pass ?

When you get a black screen do you see anything else in it, something distorted possibly ? The very first thing that should come up is the resolution selection screens. I believe that the Demo maxes out at 1024x768. If you're running your desktop at a resolution that is higher than that is should attempt a 1024x768 resolution at a high refresh rate (whatever your video driver might be capable of). If you never see the resolution selection screen (which is just a black screen with a white box (usually) with black text telling you the resolution and refresh rate (and possible the some video card info), then there may be something about your setup that is interfering with CM.

[Cath0de]

I have WindowsXP with DX 8.1. My desktop resolution is set at 1024x768. When I start up the demo, my monitor turns black and goes into 'idle' mode (like what happens when your monitors on but your CPU is off). I have a Geforce3 Ti 500. Please help me. Also, how long does CMBO take to deliver from battlefront.com?

[BeWary]

Check your FSAA (Full Screen Anti-Aliasing) setting under Display->Properties->Advanced-><your card>. It should be set to 4X or off (I think 4X works). But I do know if it's set to Quincux it may cause the problem you're having.

BeWary

[Cath0de]

It was set to 2x and i changed it to both 4x and off and it still doesn't work. GRR!

[Schrullenhaft]

What driver version do you have ? XP comes with Detonator version 12.40, have you installed something newer ? If you have, then you may want to uninstall the driver and attempt to have XP use the 'VGA Save' or 'SVGA' driver. Most likely it will detect your video card as a GeForce and install the drivers it has. Therefore you want to make sure that you uninstall the drivers (and possibly manually delete the .INFs, .SYS files, etc.). We want to get rid of any files that NVidia may have installed.

Once you've done this (and rebooted) you can attempt to install the latest drivers again (I suggest something later than 27.xx/28.xx since they fix the 'white transparency' problem the earlier drivers had). You may want to get them from the NVidia site rather than from some driver site since they should have an installer (which they sometimes don't from driver sites). With these installed you'll probably want to check your monitor definition. I suggest trying something other than 'Default'. 'Plug and Play' or a specific model would be much better. Set your desktop to 16-bit color or higher and 1024x768 again. Make sure that you don't have any screen-savers loaded and possibly turn off power saving features.

Run the DirectX Diagnostic (C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DXDIAG.EXE) and go to the Display tab and check the settings there (you don't want any of them disabled) and run the diagnostics and see if they pass.

Hopefully something in here should get you running so that you can select the resolution and play CM.

[Cath0de]

Ah thank the lord! I re-checked my DirectX options, with no faults, and then turned on anisotropic filtering 8x, and it works! It works! Thank you mysterious tech guru!