[Longshot]

Hey guys,

I am having problems getting the SCP version of FreeSpace 2 to run. I am attempting to run this on my Asus G73 laptop. I have no problems running FreeSpace 2 as normal, and I verified it was working by playing a campaign mission.

Basic specs:

Windows 7 64-Bit
8GB RAM
ATi Radeon HD5870

I have verified I have OpenAL installed, and I have tried reinstalling both from the original CDs and reinstalling manually (twice) and through the Java installer (twice). They all result in a single problem. The EXE crashes out and fails to start. Here is my fs2_open.log:

Code: [Select]

==========================================================================
DEBUG SPEW: No debug_filter.cfg found, so only general, error, and warning
categories can be shown and no debug_filter.cfg info will be saved.
==========================================================================
FreeSpace version: 3.6.12
Passed cmdline options:
  -spec_exp 8.2
  -spec_static 3.5
  -spec_point 8.6
  -spec_tube 1.0
  -ambient_factor 70
  -mipmap
  -missile_lighting
  -glow
  -spec
  -targetinfo
  -snd_preload
Building file index...
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\multi-voice-pack.vp' with a checksum of 0xd50e7442
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\Root_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x747372cc
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\smarty_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xddeb3b1e
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x164fe65a
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_hi_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xa11d56f1
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\stu_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xd77da83a
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango1_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x4c25221e
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango2_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x86920b82
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango3_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x705e8d71
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\warble_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xd85c305d
Searching root 'C:\FreeSpace2\' ... 8 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\multi-voice-pack.vp' ... 307 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\Root_fs2.vp' ... 157 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\smarty_fs2.vp' ... 10 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_fs2.vp' ... 3027 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_hi_fs2.vp' ... 1337 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\stu_fs2.vp' ... 2355 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango1_fs2.vp' ... 32 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango2_fs2.vp' ... 15 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango3_fs2.vp' ... 10 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\warble_fs2.vp' ... 52 files
Found 11 roots and 7310 files.
Setting language to English
Initializing OpenAL...
  Using 'Generic Software on Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)' as OpenAL sound device...
  OpenAL Vendor     : Creative Labs Inc.
  OpenAL Renderer   : Software
  OpenAL Version    : 1.1

... OpenAL successfully initialized!
Initializing OpenGL graphics device at 1024x768 with 16-bit color...
  Initializing WGL...

My best guess is it's pissy about the video card, but I recently updated the drivers when Minecraft was also pissy. My mountain of Steam games all run fine, and again, FreeSpace 2 runs fine by itself.

Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.





(Solution in my most recent post)

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Well first you need to set to 32 bit color.  That's not your main issue though.  If you search there is a fix for the HD5870 around.

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=71285.0

[Longshot]

I have 10.8 installed straight off of ASUSTek's website, and I have just re-tried it with 32-bit and my real video settings to no effect.

Code: [Select]

==========================================================================
DEBUG SPEW: No debug_filter.cfg found, so only general, error, and warning
categories can be shown and no debug_filter.cfg info will be saved.
==========================================================================
FreeSpace version: 3.6.12
Passed cmdline options:
  -spec_exp 8.2
  -spec_static 3.5
  -spec_point 8.6
  -spec_tube 1.0
  -ambient_factor 70
  -mipmap
  -missile_lighting
  -glow
  -spec
  -targetinfo
  -snd_preload
Building file index...
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\multi-voice-pack.vp' with a checksum of 0xd50e7442
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\Root_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x747372cc
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\smarty_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xddeb3b1e
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x164fe65a
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_hi_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xa11d56f1
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\stu_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xd77da83a
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango1_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x4c25221e
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango2_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x86920b82
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango3_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0x705e8d71
Found root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\warble_fs2.vp' with a checksum of 0xd85c305d
Searching root 'C:\FreeSpace2\' ... 9 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\multi-voice-pack.vp' ... 307 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\Root_fs2.vp' ... 157 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\smarty_fs2.vp' ... 10 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_fs2.vp' ... 3027 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\sparky_hi_fs2.vp' ... 1337 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\stu_fs2.vp' ... 2355 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango1_fs2.vp' ... 32 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango2_fs2.vp' ... 15 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\tango3_fs2.vp' ... 10 files
Searching root pack 'C:\FreeSpace2\warble_fs2.vp' ... 52 files
Found 11 roots and 7311 files.
Setting language to English
Initializing OpenAL...
  Using 'Generic Software on Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)' as OpenAL sound device...
  OpenAL Vendor     : Creative Labs Inc.
  OpenAL Renderer   : Software
  OpenAL Version    : 1.1

... OpenAL successfully initialized!
Initializing OpenGL graphics device at 1920x1080 with 32-bit color...
  Initializing WGL...

[The E]

An error like that almost always indicates a corrupted driver. Please reinstall it.

[Longshot]

I already reinstalled the drivers three days ago by removing them, cleaning the registry and reinstalling.

[The E]

What happens if you use one of the nightly builds (found here: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?board=173.0 ) or the Antipodes 6 build ( http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=71842.0 )?

[Longshot]

Same thing, it crashes before launching. I'm going to try reinstalling drivers again tonight after I get out of work. I don't have high expectations on it fixing the issue however.

[General Battuta]

I know we have users who run FSO happily on this series of cards, but usually the crash involves post-processing. 

[Longshot]

Yeah, I just uninstalled the drivers, cleaned the registry, rebooted, reinstalled new ones and it does exactly the same thing with the same error message. Any other ideas? I've tried various compatibility modes and throwing chicken bones at a pentagram while listening to Slayer backwards, but no luck.

[General Battuta]

Buuuuuh.

Okay, turn off mipmapping and sound preload.

Also consider going to the Test Builds subforum of the FreeSpace Source Code Project forum here, and getting Antipodes 6b, and trying that.

[Jeff Vader]

throwing chicken bones at a pentagram while listening to Slayer backwards

That should be pig bones while listening to Mayhem (forwards or backwards, it doesn't matter) while being surrounded by black candles... no wait, that was for HP printers.

But hmm. The game fails with some OpenGL stuff, meaning that either the drivers are improperly installed (somewhat unlikely if you've tried reinstalling them completely already), or possibly that the drivers are faulty. Regardless of other 5870 users' opinions, have you or could you try some older drivers and see if they help?

[General Battuta]

Yeah, rollback to older drivers, see what happens. That's fixed ATI problems for me in the past.

[Longshot]

I got it working!

Here is what ultimately solved the issue for me:

• Updated the ASUS BIOS to v211
• Updated the vBIOS for the video card
• Installed new drivers again off of ATI's website, rather than the ASUS website.
  

The BIOS update was only done for vBIOS preparation. I came to this conclused after looking at the Windows 7 crash. It was complaining about an aticfx32.dll, at which point I noticed that file did not exist on my PC. For some reason the ASUS version of the drivers did not include this file. I'm not 100% certain of the need for it, but it led me to poking around the notebookreview forums. The last time I installed the ATI official mobility drivers it acted weird and didn't fix my Minecraft issues, so I used only the ASUS drivers on reinstall.

Long story longer, it was a GSOD issue for my specific laptop (ASUS G73JH), so to anyone else that has this issue, this fix worked for me.


http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/515309-how-fix-your-gsod-blues.html

I ran it last night with every option on (including post processing, mipmapping, and I still blasted Slayer ) and it ran like a trooper easily getting over 60fps at all times. I ran through 5 missions without a hitch.

Thanks for the assist guys, hopefully my finds will help someone in the future, because this was a really obscure problem that literally only affected Minecraft and FS SCP it seems. I had zero problems with like 20+ steam games.