Mon Dec 06, 2004 5:19 am
How I solved the problems with my new videocard.
Recently I bought a new computer. With it came an Asus EAX600 XT (ATI) videocard (OS = WIN XP Pro).
Of course all the latest drivers were installed. When I finished installing Freelancer and started the game I got this error message:
Freelancer does not recognize your 3D Video card. Continue Yes or no?
I opted for continue. The intro video’s were played and after that Freelancer starts loading the game. Bang: CTD.
Since FL did not recognize my videocard, which makes sense being the game almost 2 years old, my first job was to make FL recognize my card.
In the Exe folder of the game there is a file called: flconfigdatabase.txt. This file holds all the references for the videocards FL recognizes and for some cards there are additonal settings to overcome known issues with these cards.
Since my card is base on the ATI RADEON chip, I checked that area to find what kind of info is placed over there.
// RADEON CLASS CARDS
//
0x5144 = "Radeon"
0x5145 = "Radeon"
0x5146 = "Radeon"
0x5147 = "Radeon"
0x5148 = "Radeon FireGL"
// = "Radeon 7500"
0x5157 = "Radeon 7500"
0x5159 = "Radeon VE"
0x515a = "Radeon VE"
0x516c = "Radeon"
0x4242 = "Radeon 8500"
0x4242 = "Radeon 8500"
0x514c = "Radeon 8500"
0x514e = "Radeon 8500"
0x514f = "Radeon 8500"
0x4966 = "Radeon 9000"
0x4e44 = "Radeon 9700"
if os > win2k
if driver < 6.13.10.6218
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
if os == win2k
if driver < 5.13.1.6166
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
if os < win2k
if driver <= 4.13.1.9069
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
break
But what kind of information should I add there for my card and where to find this info.
I found that at: Configuration – Display – Setup – Advanced – Adapter (or similar phrasing) :
Chiptype: RADEON X600 XT (03E50).
In the flconfigdatabase I inserted the following line directly under 0x4e44 = "Radeon 9700"
0x3e50 = "Radeon X600 XT".
Again I started the game, the message not recognizing my card had gone away, but the game still kept on crashing. I spent hours scanning all the video related threads here at the TLR, at Freelancer support at MS, Asus support and ATI support. I found a lot of related issues that got adressed but no solution for my card problem.
At last I contacted MS support. I will spare you the things we did try without success. But after 1 hour he asked me: did you install the game with your virusscanner still active???
And yes I did not deactivate my virsuscanner before I started installing FL. (luckily he could not see my face).
So next I uninstalled FL, removed the folders that were left, deactivated the virsusscanner and all non Windows services, installed the game again and voila I was back in business.
Btw: to deactivate non windows services: run msconfig.exe which is in the Windows\Pchealth\helpctr\binairies folder (at least on my XP Pro system) for other OS’s you might find it in the Windows\System folder.
In the tab General select Selective Startup. Next Open the tab Services. Tick Hide all Microsoft services and next select Shutdown all (or similar phrasing) and restart the computer.
Hopefully this will be of some use for some. But then again it might not, because you are all far too smart than to install anything with your virsusscanner still active.
See you in Sirius
BuckDanny
Of course all the latest drivers were installed. When I finished installing Freelancer and started the game I got this error message:
Freelancer does not recognize your 3D Video card. Continue Yes or no?
I opted for continue. The intro video’s were played and after that Freelancer starts loading the game. Bang: CTD.
Since FL did not recognize my videocard, which makes sense being the game almost 2 years old, my first job was to make FL recognize my card.
In the Exe folder of the game there is a file called: flconfigdatabase.txt. This file holds all the references for the videocards FL recognizes and for some cards there are additonal settings to overcome known issues with these cards.
Since my card is base on the ATI RADEON chip, I checked that area to find what kind of info is placed over there.
// RADEON CLASS CARDS
//
0x5144 = "Radeon"
0x5145 = "Radeon"
0x5146 = "Radeon"
0x5147 = "Radeon"
0x5148 = "Radeon FireGL"
// = "Radeon 7500"
0x5157 = "Radeon 7500"
0x5159 = "Radeon VE"
0x515a = "Radeon VE"
0x516c = "Radeon"
0x4242 = "Radeon 8500"
0x4242 = "Radeon 8500"
0x514c = "Radeon 8500"
0x514e = "Radeon 8500"
0x514f = "Radeon 8500"
0x4966 = "Radeon 9000"
0x4e44 = "Radeon 9700"
if os > win2k
if driver < 6.13.10.6218
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
if os == win2k
if driver < 5.13.1.6166
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
if os < win2k
if driver <= 4.13.1.9069
UnsupportedDriver
endif
endif
break
But what kind of information should I add there for my card and where to find this info.
I found that at: Configuration – Display – Setup – Advanced – Adapter (or similar phrasing) :
Chiptype: RADEON X600 XT (03E50).
In the flconfigdatabase I inserted the following line directly under 0x4e44 = "Radeon 9700"
0x3e50 = "Radeon X600 XT".
Again I started the game, the message not recognizing my card had gone away, but the game still kept on crashing. I spent hours scanning all the video related threads here at the TLR, at Freelancer support at MS, Asus support and ATI support. I found a lot of related issues that got adressed but no solution for my card problem.
At last I contacted MS support. I will spare you the things we did try without success. But after 1 hour he asked me: did you install the game with your virusscanner still active???
And yes I did not deactivate my virsuscanner before I started installing FL. (luckily he could not see my face).
So next I uninstalled FL, removed the folders that were left, deactivated the virsusscanner and all non Windows services, installed the game again and voila I was back in business.
Btw: to deactivate non windows services: run msconfig.exe which is in the Windows\Pchealth\helpctr\binairies folder (at least on my XP Pro system) for other OS’s you might find it in the Windows\System folder.
In the tab General select Selective Startup. Next Open the tab Services. Tick Hide all Microsoft services and next select Shutdown all (or similar phrasing) and restart the computer.
Hopefully this will be of some use for some. But then again it might not, because you are all far too smart than to install anything with your virsusscanner still active.
See you in Sirius
BuckDanny
.