If all else fails, use the Windows rollback feature to go back to the old driver. Have no idea what this could be - new drivers work fine here. Have you gone into the settings and made sure they're right? Did you disable your virus scanner to install the new drivers like it says?

You might also try reinstalling Freelancer, but that's a longshot.

same thing happened to me. virus scanner was disabled. what settings are you refering to? video card, game settings? I get to the same place as thunder_gbr. black freelancer box then blank screen. I uninstalled then reinstalled the nvidia driver in add remove programs. still didn't help. game had been running perfectly with NO problems.
which files do i need to save then reinstall in my game so i don't lose my save games? thanks

maybe i should add i was using the 41.09 dets. win98

ok tried reinstalling the game. same problem. rolled back to the 41.09 dets and all works ok. I don't know but I'm staying away from the newest dets for awhile.

I was referring to the Windows driver settings. Hmm...very odd. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Yep, having the same problems too. I just reverted back to 41.09 and everything's okay again

There is an MS update on Windows Update dealing with computer CTD's or lockups and video playback in games...

Knowledge base article 327979:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=327979

Check to see if you have that installed, if not, maybe your problem.

Scrap the Detonators driver and use Nvidia's GLsetup utility instead. No real need for Det Drivers ATM. Maybe when Doom3 comes out there will be need for them but the Standard GLsetup drivers are more than good enough for the Latest batch of games (only games with new calls are Freelancer and Warcraft3), and much more stable then Detonator drivers.

GLsetup has nothing to do with NVIDIA...

In fact, Freelancer has nothing to do with OpenGL either (which is the only reason to use GLsetup).

True, but GL setup contains the latest Nvidia drivers for all of their chipsets. It is not only for OpenGL.

BTW: GLsetup was origonaly created by Nvidia and idsoftware (For Quake 2) and then passed on to a third party as a reference driver storage app. (it's now an open source app) It only holds reference drivers for videocards. Detonator drivers also came about at nearly the same time but didn't become a big thing untill the Quake3 test release (required Det version 6).

I recommended the GLsetup utility because the latest detonator drivers do not contain the latest Nvidia code release (March 13, 2003) where as GLsetup does.

This could be why the latest Detonator drivers are crashing Freelancer.

Want to know the history of Detonator and Glsetup and what they really are?

Here you go! Notes from one of the developers of both Detonator AND GLsetup. Dig in his archives but you've only got about 3000 pages of devolpment notes to page through, but inside are a complete history of the developement of both Detonator and GLsetup through the eyes of the CEO of one of the companies who helped make them. He also parcipated in the design of both the Voodoo (3dfx) series and GeForce (Nvidia) series of video cards.

Guess what, By Christmas Detonator and Glsetup will both be pretty much dinosaurs as the guy is working (with Nvidia) on even a new driver standard to ensure his latest creation plays on your machines. Who is it? There is only one man on the planet that the videocard makers bow down to. Click and find out who.

How do I know all this? That's my little secret.

Actually, I read the notes.

I care not what John Carmack thinks or says -- yes, he is a smart guy, but he's not the entire industry (father figure yes, but there's plenty of others out there just as talented if not moreso).

And as far as using the "latest" NVIDIA code, I am a 3D graphics developer... and I will stay as far away from "beta" drivers as I can. You know why? Yes -- *I* personally have submitted and talked to NVIDIA driver developers regarding bugs in the drivers over the years. Using beta drivers isn't worth it.

Quick edit -- BTW: The driver team on the NVIDIA crew is a heck of a lot more talented than Carmack is at writing drivers. One of the guys I had the pleasure of working with was under 20 years old holding a Master's degree, and has a heck of a talent for squeezing performance out of his video cards with the driver's he writes.

Edited by - Miral on 31-03-2003 03:11:57

OK i returned to 30.82 and everything is perfect again. Guess ill wont be updating drivers soon.

ps. Sorry for my bad english, but its not my native.

The solution on the windows update page is for the xp, what about win98se?
Beside Freelancer, I'm playing some other games which benefits from the 43.45 driver (i.e.no more random freezes on Return to Castle Wolfenstein, mouse isn't flickering on Dungeon Siege anymore). Woe is me.

i got the same problem too, now i guess i'll have to change back to 41.09!
is there another solution to this coz newer drivers are supposed to be better
than older ones?

pls help,
thx

my specs:
p3 733mhz
win98se
384mb pc133 sdram
gf4mx 440 128mb ddr pci
sblive 5.1 se
wintv go