[Woolie Wool]

Reinstall a decent Windows version.

[IceFire]

No problems under Windows XP on several machines.  This latest machine seems to have an annoying pop-click noise in FS2 and Raven Shield but nowhere else but nothing on this very strange level.  No afterburners?  Are you sure something else isn't not working...how fast is the machine?

[Assassin]

Originally posted by IceFire
No problems under Windows XP on several machines.  This latest machine seems to have an annoying pop-click noise in FS2 and Raven Shield but nowhere else but nothing on this very strange level.  No afterburners?  Are you sure something else isn't not working...how fast is the machine?

Thanks for the reply IceFire.

My computer isn't slow at all... P4 2.4Ghz, 1 gig DDDR RAM, Radeon 9500, etc. etc.

I lack the lateral thinking skills to think of how this could be anything other than an XP/FS2 compatibility problem.

[TopAce]

A bit daring question:
Virus? I have had a virus in one of my RAMs, and windows and my whole machine did weird things. Your machine doesn't appear to be an old configuration, isn't it a hardware problem?
Try installing from another CD onto your machine.
Try installing from your CD to another machine.
Aren't any other games(programs) doing weird things?

[Executor]

I just got a P4 2.6C GHz with a Radeon 9700 Pro last week, and the afterburners don't work for me now too (I had to play through FS1 without them). I'm using WinXP, but I played FS2 under WinXP on my Athlon800 previously and I had no problems, so I don't believe the OS is the problem. I don't understand why the processor type or video card should affect whether afterburners function, though.

[Executor]

Woohoo! Solved the problem in only a few minutes. It seems it is WinXP after all, but I don't understand why it's only affecting my P4 and not my Athlon.

OK, here's what I did.
1) Go to your FreeSpace 2 directory.
2) Right-click on FS2.exe and select Properties.
3) Select the Compatibility tab.
4) Check off the Compatibility Mode option and select Windows 98/Windows Me. If it's available, check off the "Turn off advanced text services" option as well.
5) Click OK.
6) Double-click on FS2.exe to play the game. Afterburners should now work properly.

EDIT: One other thing. Make sure you start the game by running FS2.exe and not the FS2 Launcher program (Freespace2.exe) because if you run the launcher it won't use the compatibility settings.

[Flipside]

LOL Just remembered that's what I did!

Flipside

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Executor
Woohoo! Solved the problem in only a few minutes. It seems it is WinXP after all, but I don't understand why it's only affecting my P4 and not my Athlon.

It's a recent XP fault. First time I heard of it was only a few months ago and since then I've heard of four cases or so. Something in an update most likely is causing the problem.

[phreak]

time to add that to your FAQ

[karajorma]

Originally posted by PhReAk
time to add that to your FAQ

Well you've spoiled the suprise now It will be added next time I add to the FAQ.

[Garfield3d]

Well darn. I just got a new computer too and the afterburners seem quite kaputzed for me as well.

After doing a fresh install of the SOTY edition (so it's stuck at version 1.20,) I hit the afterburners only to... well, not afterburn. There was the deadening clicking sound of exhausted afterburners as if I had just used all my afterburn reserves, yet my afterburner reserve was completely full. The ship didn't jump above max speed either. Oddly enough, when I'm below maximum speed, I can use the afterburning key to accelerate at a normal rate, but my reserves will not be used and I don't get the ever-pleasant jolt of an afterburn. I've also tried remapping keys and porting other pilots from the old machine and the condition remained unchanged.

It's rather depressing as this computer is only 26 hours old, hand built so no anti-FS2 technician had a chance to club the ol' game. As for the specs:
P4 2.8C
Asus P4P800 Deluxe
512MB PC3200 RAM
120GB HD
Radeon 9800 Non-Pro (but liberally overclocked; latest Catalyst drivers... 6.xx'ish)
XP Professional (SP1)

My computer that could run it was:
Celeron 433
384 PC100
10GB HD
Geforce 2 GTS
XP Professional (SP1)

And the compatability mode suggestion solved it. =) Thanks guys.

[Assassin]

Does anyone else still have problems with energy allocations? I cannot manage shield/weapons/engine power.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Assassin
Does anyone else still have problems with energy allocations? I cannot manage shield/weapons/engine power.

I've heard of Win95 compatability mode fixing that one. Which mode are you using?

[Executor]

I had that problem too, but I fixed it by pressing Num Lock.