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Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: Falewick on March 14, 2006, 02:01:30 am

Title: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Falewick on March 14, 2006, 02:01:30 am
Hi,
i had a well-working 3.6.7 release w/5.3 launcher and 3.6.7 VPs (patches 1,2) but as soon as i upgraded the catalysts 5.13->6.3 the game restarts my pc just after splash screen.
Using openGL.
Anyone else experiences this?
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: JuggernAlz on March 21, 2006, 02:18:04 pm
Hi! Maybe your problem is the same of mine: try deleting the .avi cutscenes!
I don't know why, but i'm experiencing crahes like yours since i installed those movies...


p.s. sorry for my english, hope i didn't write serious errors  :confused:
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: starfox on March 21, 2006, 04:02:13 pm
Greetings !
It appears I do have the same problem...
After installing ATI Catalyst Control Center & latest drivers that came along with it, the PC reboots shortly after I hit the "Run" in the launcher.

I'm using OpenGL, the latest SCP build & Media_VP stuff...
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: phreak on March 21, 2006, 04:06:29 pm
I tried to install the 6.3s the other day to try and resolve some graphical issues with C&C Generals.  Turns out I lost all D3D Hardware support so I guess the same thing is happening in OGL.  I ended up using a system restore to go back to 5.10 im running now.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: StratComm on March 21, 2006, 04:17:16 pm
The 6.3 control center is ****, to put it kindly.  I want a video driver, not an extra menu item in every single context menu in the system.  It's great that ATI doesn't ask you to upgrade for no reason (only upgrade if you are experiencing a problem, blah blah blah) but sometimes we need to be able to get ahold of older versions because the new ones break too much stuff.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Cobra on March 21, 2006, 05:52:43 pm
Plus, the new drivers tend to slow down the computer for some reason. Before i got the 6.3 drivers, FSO was running fairly smoothly. When I got the 6.3 drivers, it started to play like a piece of **** that my GeForce was.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: bonusbartus on March 21, 2006, 05:53:15 pm
just use the omega drivers they dont have that controllll center *****
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Trivial Psychic on March 21, 2006, 10:01:43 pm
just use the omega drivers they dont have that controllll center *****
Amen to that. :yes:
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Falewick on March 22, 2006, 12:19:42 am
Or, you can download just the drivers without the control center ati has them marked "Low Speed (Dial-up) - Display Driver Only" (~10MB) and you may use ATI tray tools to setup them. NO f***** "wannabe useful" Control Center. Highly recommended.

BUT... i was experiencing crashes even using these "lite" drivers (in 6.3) :shaking:
But get rid of control center anyway.
So guess I'll stick with 5.13 for a while longer.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: JuggernAlz on March 22, 2006, 03:25:42 am
After some tests:

CAT 6.3 with cutscenes: crash the system when the intro is loaded
CAT 6.3 without cutscenes: no crash
CAT 6.3 with or without Control Center: same problems like before
CAT 5.1: no problem at all

Is it a problem with Xvid codec? No... my "zoomplayer" works even with 6.3 playing xvids...
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Falewick on March 22, 2006, 03:57:54 am
5.13 are okay, so if you dont have to upgrade for some reason then stick with these, they're pretty recent (january 10th 2006) Everything runs fine.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: starfox on March 22, 2006, 05:46:17 am
I deleted the AVI-cutscenes, that indeed resolved the "reboot problem"
Kudos to the JuggernAlz for pointing that out....
 :)
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Skippy on March 22, 2006, 05:48:39 am
Remember to run catalyst uninstaller before installing the new ones
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: CP5670 on March 22, 2006, 11:48:32 am
Is this problem reproducible for everyone with the 6.3 catalysts? I am considering a switch to an ATI card soon but issues like this that I keep hearing about their drivers are turning me away.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: karajorma on March 22, 2006, 12:26:33 pm
I'm running 6.2 and so far haven't had any issues of this sort so it's probably due to something they introduced in this version.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: JuggernAlz on March 22, 2006, 01:56:30 pm
I am considering a switch to an ATI card soon but issues like this that I keep hearing about their drivers are turning me away.

Oh... ehm... i think you shold not be scared (is it right "scare"?? OMG i have to learn english :) ) of CAT drivers: usually they do their dirty work... IMO Ati card are better than nVidia but i don't want to start this infinite discussion now ;)

p.s. you're wellcome starfox
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Johnmike on March 25, 2006, 10:38:21 pm
Did some testing, since I get the same kind of thing.  Took a while since lol rebooting forever.


Tests done on Optimized Inferno Build CVS as of 3/23/06.  Media VP version is 3.6.8-Delta.


Windows XP x64
Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego
2GB Corsair XMS 400mhz
ATI All-In-Wonder X800XT (AGP)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
ASUS A8V with VIA K8T800 Chipset
Seagate 80GB SATA Hard Drive
Saitek Cyborg Evo joystick
Logitech G5 mouse
Saitek Eclipse keyboard

(Peripherals with drivers listed in case of driver issues)


All drivers are up to date.





Downloaded the latest (posted) CVS build, it was working fine.  I was running the 6.1 and later the 6.2 Catalysts.  I decide to check ATI for an updated driver again, and find 6.3.  I download it, everything goes smoothly.  Then I try to run FS2 Open in OpenGL, my default setting.

I get the splash screen, reading "Freespace 2 SCP."  All looks good, then my adapter changes display modes as if it's going to play the intro video (before going into pilot select).

Whoops!  Blue screen, sort of like the BSOD with no words.  My speakers make this strange static noise that lasts for less than a second, maybe three times and five to ten seconds apart.  The system hangs there for thirty seconds or so, and then reboots itself.  (Note:  When I retried this without the VP's I got a different static pattern.  Roughly once every 1-2 seconds, and sounded like a heartbeat.  Lasted for thirty seconds to a minute, probably closer to the latter.  The sounds made during the blue screen seem to vary with no consistency, but I haven't tested this much.)  After it reboots, the computer works like nothing happened.  I try FS2 Open again, same problem.

I wondered if this was a driver setting, so I set them to default and tried again.  No dice.  I tried uninstalling and removing the 6.3 Catalysts with their default uninstaller and a third-party removal program.  I then reinstalled it and tried FS2 Open again, but to no avail.

Trying FS2 Open using the Direct 3D8 option in the launcher,  it worked fine and entered a mission.  Well, it froze halfway through the mission (music kept playing, but everything else halted) but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and blame it on the stability of Direct 3D in FS2 Open (it's happened before on my system in that mode).


I gave OpenGL an attempt after deleting the movies (avi's).  I get to the splash screen, and what do you know, the pilot select screen loads.  I load a mission and it works fine.  As far as I can tell, it's a problem playing the avi video inside of OpenGL mode using ATI's 6.3 Catalyst drivers.



Note that I retried this without the Media VP mod selected and no command line options.  I get the same error with the movies (in OpenGL), and it works without them (although quite a bit uglier and faster loading).



Screenshot of it working in OpenGL with ATI's 6.3 Catalyst Drivers, 3.6.8-Delta Media VP's, and my set of command line options.
http://www.deathwinds.com/Hosted/Johnmike/fs2.jpg



Edit:  So I tried it in Windowed mode.  I'm still running the 6.3 Cats, and I put the movies back in the data\movies folder.  Lo and behold, the intro movie plays in windowed mode when running in OpenGL.  Then I get to the pilot select screen and can play the game normally.  That means that this problem only happens in full screen mode.  Hm...
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: karajorma on March 26, 2006, 05:06:33 am
Did some testing, since I get the same kind of thing.  Took a while since lol rebooting forever.

While I admire your dedication to the cause you might have been able to avoid some or all of the reboots by running FS2 in a window. The option is available from the launcher under Dev Tool.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Johnmike on March 26, 2006, 11:24:04 am
Only it doesn't happen in windowed mode, apparantely.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: CP5670 on March 26, 2006, 11:55:23 am
So basically the problem is caused by the combination of 6.3, movies, OGL and fullscreen?

Oh... ehm... i think you shold not be scared (is it right "scare"?? OMG i have to learn english :) ) of CAT drivers: usually they do their dirty work... IMO Ati card are better than nVidia but i don't want to start this infinite discussion now ;)

p.s. you're wellcome starfox

It seems there is definitely some problem here that's consistently occurring for everyone. This is just the sort of crap I want to avoid, seeing as I'm getting enough of it as it is. :doubt:
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Johnmike on March 26, 2006, 12:17:49 pm
I've stuck with ATI and have loved them, but their driver issues...  They refuse to release the Multimedia Center for the All-In-Wonder for x64, and porting it isn't too hard for them.  It's just not important, and this might just alienate some of their customers.  Unfortunately, I guess they're right having their priorities set on benchmark scores for their mainstream products because of nVidia.  Ah well.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: Gregster2k on April 03, 2006, 05:56:37 pm
Those of you with the PC rebooting need to go into

1. Open System Properties, click Advanced tab.
2. Click Settings button, in the Startup and Recovery section.
3. Look down at the System Failure section, and UNCHECK "Automatically restart".
4. Hit OK on that window and then hit OK on System Properties.

Your system will now generate an actual BSOD when it BSODs, rather than reboot and tell you nothing about the nature of the problem.

Me, I'm running on Catalyst 5.6 myself, haven't tested with FSO but when I tried to upgrade to Catalyst 6.3 (Omega Drivers) today I ran into intermittent inexplainable slowdowns in games which shouldnt have slowdown and ended up returning to my Cat 5.6. The reason I upgraded was Half-Life 2 was having SERIOUS display corruption issues (things were disappearing, the floor was becoming the sky...uhh...its not explainable, really).

Oh well, I can live with one game screwing up so the rest of my games don't. I HAVE NOT TESTED the following driver with FSO yet, but I will someday. However this driver hasn't failed me yet for other games, just Half-Life 2:

NGO ATI Optimized Driver v1.5.7 (Catalyst 5.6) (NGO stands for New Gaming Order fyi)
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: CP5670 on April 05, 2006, 06:46:33 pm
Is this still an issue? This is really the only thing holding me back from jumping on one of the X1900 discounts going on at the moment.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: road_dancer on April 06, 2006, 06:25:37 am
It's worth trying the Omega Drivers from here http://www.omegadrivers.net/, in my experience, they sort out most of the problems with ATI drivers.
As a side note, I do experience some wierdenss with the movies, I'll have to try them in windowed mode and D3D and see if the problem is related to this one. I get mode switching, and then dropped to the desktop. FSO is still running, and clicking on the taskbar icon brings up the game and the movie, only the movie is tiny, and crammed into the upper left corner of the screen. Odd, and everything else runs perfectly.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: neoterran on April 06, 2006, 12:18:01 pm
I don't know if you guys noticed this, but both ATI's and Nvidia's drivers suck. They heavily optimize newer drivers for the newest most popular games and sometimes this breaks stuff in other games. It's pretty crap.
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: CP5670 on April 07, 2006, 01:10:00 am
Breaking old games seems to be more of an ATI thing from what I can see, especially since it has happened before with FSO. (Nvidia drivers have their own problems though, particularly with SLI)

There is supposed to a catalyst 6.4 coming out in the next few weeks, so maybe I should wait for that. On the other hand the rebates on many of these things are only valid for the next five or six days. Decisions, decisions...
Title: Re: an issue with new catalyst?
Post by: SuperCoolAl on April 09, 2006, 09:55:39 am
Happens to me too. Mobility Radeon X700, Cat 6.3, cutscenes BSOD with a STOP 0x0000007F error in OpenGL.