Hi all,
I upgraded my Vista X32 install to Windows 7 X64. (Well not upgrade, but a wipe and re-install)
All went fine with the install and I'm quite happpy with Windows 7 except 1 thing.
My full screen 640x480 goame don't run.
Screen goes black (as if it's switched to full screen), but does nothing after that. No sound, some hard drive access, but thats it.
In that state I can't ALT-TAB, CTRL-ALT-DEL, get any response from windows itself baring seeing the hard drive light is flashing. The only thing I can do at this point is hit the reset button.
I have tried the latest Nvidia Driver, same problem, I've gone to ASUS (Actual video card manufacturer) and tried the driver from them (Which is an earlier Nvidia driver), still no go.
Switch the game to windowed mode and it works fine (I do note windows says it's reverting to windows basic colour scheme).
Boot into safe mode and the game plays in full screen 640x480 mode fine.
I have been digging and digging .
There are primarly childrens games, spore, spongebob, etc.
If it was a 32 bit app running under X64 then I'd expect safe mode to fail as well.
If it was NOT the Nvidia driver (hardware fault or the such) then once again it should fail in Safe mode as well.
This seems to be completely down to the driver.
I have managed ONCE to get it running changing my resolution to a lower one to the recommended one and altering the shortcut so it runs in compatability mode with visual themes turned off.
Although it is a way around it it is not a nice one (And in my playing I've forgotten the correct resolution).
Does anyone know of a better way to fix this?
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@senad
I would hardly call Spore an outdated game (September 7, 2008 on the shelves wasn't it), and I personally prefer spore in full screen as opposed to windowed mode.
And how does that explain the one time I managed to get it to go running in full screen with windows in normal mode?
An intelligent answer taking into account what I have already stated as opposed to laughing at the problem would be better.
W7 x64 is notorious for it's lack of drivers.In general x64 environment is not made for games.Not one game I know uses x64 kernel.So if manufacturers wont program their games for x64 bit machines why do you think Microsoft would bother.
Also very few graphic card manufacturers bother to do that also.Oh yes,they tell you that their drivers are for x64 systems but in reality are they ?
Whatever W7 detects as unknown it ships under Program files(x32).A mess really...
Nvidia is also known for shipping crap of videocards.I would personally never buy an nvidia card because they simply suck.90% of bluescreens are nvidia chipset made.
Some would argue this but never mind...I had my share of digital life and I will stay away from nvidia...Radeon graphic cards are much much better.Never had problem with them.
W7 also promotes MS development environment (visual studio,net) so you get the
'basic colour scheme' crap.Not a big deal and should not influence anything.
Remember W7 (especially x64) is a new system and it will take some time to get the right drivers. (I personally,can not find S2W benq scanner drivers anywhere and compatibility thingie just wont do)so you will have to wait a little more.
As for outdated games,a year in the industry is a very long time,he,he,he...
You are right around the drivers.
I had sort of hoped with the driver deparkal with Vista they would be ready for 7.
With reguards to spore they are still putting out updates to it and bonus packs.
Latest add-on pack is Spore Galactic adventures in shops 23 June 2009 and it supports alot of what the current graphics cards can do (including "Stereoscopic 3D" for the Nvidia 3d effect (With glasses of course)), so I'd still not call it outdated.
You SHOULD be able to play a game in full screen if the game lets you is what I'm saying.
Are you suggesting I go back to x32 (If so now is the time to tell me while it's relatively a new build).
If so, are you confident x32 will work better?
I don't want to have to go through another reformat to put down Windows 7 x32 just to have the same issue.
In saying that Vista x32 worked fine for all of these games.
Actually in re-reading your response, I will say on installing Windows 7 x64 there were no unknown devices or devices I had to search for drivers for, more the nVidia driver is not doing what it should do.
To be honest driver wise that is my only gripe so far with Windows 7 x64 and everything else is snappier/faster than vista x32.
I'm certain the speed is not an x64 vs x32, but more Microsoft learnt their lesson from Vista.
Unfortunately for me I decided to take two steps at once, New OS and also going from X32 to X64.
I'd still like to know if you think me going back to x32 would help.
Thanks.
I'm no apologist for M$ but I do think driver support in W7 64 is much improved on Vista.
What you're describing for Spore at least was a known problem in Vista64 as well. Do you get any improvement if you run it in compatibility mode forcing 640x480 setting the mode and launching from the EXE rather than the shortcut? Are you running it on a 16:9 screen?
most probably you will get the same issue on x32.but you can try...at least we will rule something out.compatibility mode is a strange thing and I think you should try the game on various scenarios over there.Worth a try...
for the sake of argument,I think that M$ was never serious about the x64 platform.
now x128 is on the horizon so I am a little skeptic...
Vista was a catastrophe (which I said from the very first day) !
Now Balmer admits it,ha,ha,ha...But never mind...I hope you get this thing working.
Good luck !
@MASQUERAID
No, No improvement forcing 640x480, and I'm not running on a widescreen. A 4:3 LCD 19 inch.
Off the top of my head I had to switch my resolution to 1152x864 and then disable visual themes and disable desktop composition.
In doing that however everything looked blurred as the driver tried it's best to scale.
@senad
I'm just burning W7 X32 off to DVD now. (You gotta love msdn subscriptions)
As a sideline, I had to set compatability mode.
Windows XP SP2
disable visual themes, disable desktop composition and disable display scaling on high DPI settings.
That for me works fine for Spore and some of the older games I have for the kids.
So as the old saying goes, if it aint broke, don't fix it.
Thanks for your help (The kids would have drived me nutty running in windowed mode)
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by: senadPosted on 2009-10-24 at 19:43:43ID: 25655309
x64 tampering protection refuses graphic card requests for altering system
graphic kernel (dos ).Thats why in safe mode you might get the stuff to work...For rest...You are out of luck as modern day money makers will waste no time on outdated games,ha,ha,ha...