g400 and busmastering

[Scytale]

http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/004604.html

[BigBug]

g400 and busmastering

Hi!

I have a problem with my newly bought G400 32Mb OEM.

When bus mastering is enabled in
Matrox Powerdesk -> options
I encounter problems with programs using
D3D in directx. Even the g400 techdemo wont work.
the program crasches and I am thrown out to the windows desktop. However, If I disable bus mastering in the options meny, it works fine for directx, as far as I can tell.
On the other hand, I need to have bus mastering enabled for quake3v1.08 to run. Othervise q3 hangs. So, the busmaster setting is ok to have enabled under opengl.

Bus mastering is enabled by default when I install the drivers,
so I figure it should work, especially for the techdemo.

hardware:
matrox g400 32Mb
abit be6
p3, 450Mhz
sb live!
128 Mb pc100 sdram
ibm xp22 13Gb UDMA66 drive, udma66 enabled

I use win98 (first edition).
I use the 5.25.019/4.11.01.2110 drivers from matrox.
I use the directx6.1 drivers.
No conflict or problems regarding drivers or hardware are reported in the system devices map.
Except for the above problem, everything works fine.

Have you heard of this problem before?
Grateful for advice.

/ BigBug

[Skynet8]

Hi. I've the same problem as you. I'm quite certain the the G400 and the SBLive! EAX can't quite coexist. With bus mastering, games crash only when EAX kicks in. Without BM, games run fine. Even with PD 5.25 and LiveWare 2.1, this problem still happens. I've already ensured that the G400 and SBLive! share different IRQs (IRQ 9 and IRQ 4 respectively), but with BM games still crash. Soo... there's nothing much I can do except disable BM.

Maybe tech support can help...

[BigBug]

dont know if it is related to EAX.
In directx diagnostic, it says everything
is peachy, but if I press "test D3D" a button comes up saying "... render by software, press ok" something, and when I press ok it bugs out and leaves me at the windows desktop. Doesn't seem to be related to EAX, or...? Similar results anyone?
Anyone have a clue why busmastering works in q3v108, (or why it wont run without it?) when it doesnt work for d3d (my assumption)?
I mailed matrox techsupport (europe) last thursday, but have gotten zero response. :-(

Just for clarifacation:
I have no IRQ conflicts. G400 is not sharing IRQ with anything. SBLive! shares with USB.
I have flashed both the BE6 and G400 with the latest BIOS.

/BigBug

[SteveC]

I wouldn't email europe - email canada, more likely to get a response that vaguely helps.

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

PS: Some or all of the above message may be wrong, or, just as likely, correct. Depends on what mood I'm in. And what you know. ;¬)

[AlanOgilvie]

BigBug,

I've seen that problem with the Direct3D tests before. In my case, something (SBLive seems favourite) replaced VMCPD.VXD, D3DRGBF.DLL & D3DRG16F.DLL with older versions. Restoring the versions from the Windows 98 CD fixed the problem.

Now, if I can only find out why my Hauppauge TV card won't work with my G400...

[finn]

BigBug, I have exactly the sake problem as you do! Just wanted to let you know that there are more ppl out there with the same problem.
I just got an answer from matrox support in europe

---------------------

Sehr geehrter Kunde / Dear customer,

You have the latest SB Live driver ! It´s really important.
Look if the grafikcard has an own interrupt: control panel -->
system --> device manager --> doubleklick at the icon computer.
The actual driver for the G400 ist 5.25.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards
Matrox Technischer Support

------------------

Well, I guess those SB Live!-drivers must be really important...

[BigBug]

Finn, nice to know I am not the only one. :-)
I think this forum is great, so thanks to
all you guys running this site and everybody
participating.

I also got a reply from techsupport just now.
----
Sehr geehrter Kunde / Dear customer,

Install the latest soundcard drivers, make a bios update for the abit
mainboard and check the settings like FSB.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards
Matrox Technischer Support
----

Well, that really helped! ;-)

I'll try restoring the old win98-files
that sblive might have replaced. thanx for the tip, AlanOgilvie!
/BigBug
ps. anyone, how do u include those smileys? ds.

------------------
PIII 450, BE6, G400 32Mb DH, SBLive!, 128Mb RAM, IBM XP22 13,5Gb UDMA66, Quantum 10,4Mb, HP 8100i, Pioneer DVD 6x, Nokia 446XS.

[BigBug]

well, what do you know. I feel stupid.
lessee if this works.
well, there are good days and there are bad days.

[AlanOgilvie]

Silly question: has anyone made Matrox aware of the bus mastering problems several of us are seeing? (In my case with the Hauppauge TV card, others have problems with G400 + SBLive)?

If so, any ETA for a fix?

[BigBug]

YabbaDabba!
Thanx AlanOgilvie, your tip paid off.
I replaced VMCPD.VXD, and the problem is gone. Everything (except Descent3) works as it should with busmastering enabled. It sure feels great.


/BigBug with AlmostNoBug

[Ricardo]

Try Descent3 with PowerDesk 5.11.012

[AlanOgilvie]

Skynet8,

Don't worry. My system came preinstalled (with all sorts of cr*p); it was after I installed the Live!Ware 2.0 drivers I discovered this problem. (There's an entry in Microsoft's support database about some graphics card replacing VMCPD.VXD with an old copy, which is where I got the clue from.)

After I had to reinstall my system (to discover that the Hauppauge card and my G400 *still* don't work!), I too found that VMCPD.VXD wasn't installed. Presumably I didn't install some piece of optional s/w from the Win98 CD. I saved 500MB though...

[jsb]

Were can i find VMCPD.VXD that is 4.10.1998 and not 4.10.1413

[Skynet8]

how come I don't have those 3 files anywhere in my hard disk? I've the latest drivers for all my hardware and BIOS, but my sblive!/g400 combo doesn't work with bus mastering enabled? When are those 3 files installed?