OpenGL and Direct3D not working with G400 32MB DH

[supham]

I can't use the OpenGl or Direct3D mode on Half-life or any other games I try.

Also I ran the DirectX 7 diagnostics program and tested Direct 3D and found it show the test in software mode but not hardware.

I am running on Windows 98 SE with

AMD k6-400
Via MVP3 motherboard
Matrox G400 32MB Dual head
Soundblaster 16 PCI
Realtek network card

I have installed the latest drivers for my VIA motherboard and I have used the latest Win98 drivers (Beta 5.5 and 5.41) and drivers packaged with card on CD-Rom.

Please could some-one give me any suggestions on any fixes.

Thanks
scott@supham.freeserve.co.uk

[Gurm]

Use the 5.30 drivers, newer ones are known not to work with AMD chipsets.

- Gurm

------------------
Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Kruzin]

Make sure you are in 16 or 32bit mode (24bot color deos not get hardware acceleration).
Also be sure you have an IRQ assigned to the card (3D wont work without an IRQ).

[Marcelo]

Is the AGP clock and FBS clock ratio right on your motherboard/bios?
Actually does it matter for G400?
I only know it mattered for my old G200 where no 3D application can work if set at 100Mhz for AGP.
I never tried to change any of the ratio when I got G400.

[This message has been edited by Marcelo (edited 07 February 2000).]

[RAB]

supham,
One simple thing to check. Always turn your monitor on before you start your computer. Sometimes, my G400 won't initialize properly if I wait to turn on the monitor after the computer. It will default to a 60 hz refresh and sometimes, but very rarely, to 16 colors instead of the normal 85 hz and 16 million colors.

If that's not it and you are using 16 or 32 bit color and you have an IRQ assigned to VGA in your bios, then my next guess is that your sound card is in the slot closest to the G400. If it is, delete it in device manager and move it as far from the AGP slot as you can. Sound cards and G400's just don't like being near each other. Also, I've found that the network card has to be the first PCI device below the G400. If you can, leave an empty slot between each card, particularly between the sound and NIC.

If that doesn't work, you might have to post your IRQ list for us to disect.

Gurm,
I'm using the 5.41 drivers on both of my VIA chipsets and they work just fine. One has a G200 and the other has a G400. They are both overclocked as well. No problems with either one. I think the trick is the order of the PCI cards.

RAB

[This message has been edited by RAB (edited 08 February 2000).]

[supham]

I have tried the 5.30 drivers which get me further into the loading of Half-life but i still can't get OpenGL or direct3D to work properly.

Also my PCI slots are already in the order you mention.

any help?

Thanks

[RAB]

The more i thought about it last night, the more it sounds like video driver problems.

1. Did you use the Matrox uninstaller when you changed drivers? If not, switch your video drivers to VGA, reboot and run the unistaller. Reboot and then install whatever version of the Matrox drivers you want.

2. It sometimes helps to reinstall the VIA AGP drivers after you install new drivers. It won't hurt and that way you know they are installed.

3. From your symptoms, this is the least likely fix, but turn off DMA on your CD-ROM in device manager or VIADMATOOL depending on which version of the VIA drivers you use. You might try this first, since its the simplest. CD-ROM's never use DMA on VIA boards unless you want problems. (Some DVD's can use it though).

RAB

[Maggi]

Did you check what Kruzin suggested ???

Don't use a colordepth of 24bpp ... it's not hardware accelerated.

------------------
Cheers,
Maggi

Despite my nickname causing confusion, I am not female ...

[supham]

I have tried the latest AGP drivers for my motherboard after installing 5.30 drivers and this didn't work. Also I run my desktop in 1024x768 in 32bit colour at 85Hz.

Has anyone got any more ideas as I have tried all the solutions mentioned.

[HollyBerri]

Errr... reinstall DX7???

Don't forget to include the DX6 DirectMedia patch.

Errr... reinstall Windows over your current installation?

Sounds like the original installs may have been bad.... that's about all that's left...

• Is PD running correctly in all other ways?
• Are all your tabs present in the Display Control Panel?
• Is the card listed in the Display Control Panel as the G400-DualHead?
• Are you using DualHead? If so, I think that 5.30 needs it disabled to run OGL (but correct me if I'm wrong, somebody).
• Is your monitor listed correctly in the PD Control Panel? And in the Display Control Panel ("Plug and Play Monitor" is deadly)?
• Does your monitor support the resolution and refresh rate you have it set to in the Display Control Panel? Does it support the resolution you're trying to get in games? Naturally, if your monitor is listed wrong, and the listed monitor does <u>not</u> support, say 1024*768, even if your physical monitor does, it can only be bad news as Windoze tries to figure out wtf is going on....

And how do you know it's D3D and OGL that's the problem? Are there any yellow exclamation points in the Device Manager next to any of the sound components? Heck, is there a yellow exclamation point next to the G400?

What are the symptoms you're experiencing, anyway? Crash back to Windows during initial loading? Freeze on black screen during initial loading, must CTRL-ALT-DEL to get out? Freeze to black screen during initial loading, must hit reset to get out? Title screen/intro runs fine, but maps freeze on loading?

Each of these symptoms points to a different problem. Please help us by giving us a few more clues.

---------------------------------------
Holly

[This message has been edited by HollyBerri (edited 09 February 2000).]

[supham]

I have re-installed DX 7 and had no joy.
Next I have re-installed Win98 SE and re-installed all the drivers and still the same. It shows the Half-life menu but after picking either Direct 3d or OpenGl mode it freezes on the loading screen and pressing the restart button on the case is the only way out.

I also downloaded PowerStrip which has recognised my montior and has installed a monitor driver which Windows accpeted.

I am not using Dual Head and it is disabled.

I have no yellow exclamation marks on any of my device or any IRQ confilcts.

Any ideas

Thanks

[Green]

IRQ list? Please?

Green

[supham]

Sorry about the long time to reply, but here is my IRQ list

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
2 Programmable interrupt controller
3 Communications Port (COM2)
4 Communications Port (COM1)
5 Realtek RTL8029(AS) PCI Ethernet NIC
5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
6 Standard Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port (LPT1)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
9 Creative Sound Blaster 16 PCI
9 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
10 VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
10 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering
11 Matrox Millennium G400 DualHead - English
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
14 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller
15 Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
15 VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller

Hope this helps?

Also i have seen there are new drivers for Windows 98 should I try these?

Thnaks

[VooDooD]

You have ofcourse disabled PCI Snooping and video bios shadowing and ramped up the AGP aperture size to 256Mb?

[Walrus Bonzo]

Hey wait a sec guys. Is it just Half-Life your having the problems with?

I never used to be able to get Half-life to work in either D3D, OGL or Software.

I then installed the latest patch and it NOW works!

Try It!!