FS9 video card problems

S

SSI01

Charter Member
I've got a couple of screenshots to post here that illustrate a problem I'm having with my sims:

View attachment 79359View attachment 79360

Shot 1 shows the image as it should be displayed on one version of FS9 I am running called FSSW50. There are no problems at all with this image, or this simulation. Shot 2 shows the display setup for another version of FS9 I have called FSSW60. This simulation is not reading any video card at all and has the setting as shown in the screen shot. On FSSW50 the sliders are maxed out with no problems. 3D hardware acceleration is disabled by FSSW60, and it is using the software 3D mode. How does one go back to getting this sim, and FS9, to read the AMD RADEON card I have on this machine? As mentioned, the other two sims, FSSW50 and FSGW3, are reading it just fine. Thanks!
 
I've got a little more info to provide re: this problem. Both the 1960s installation of FS9, plus FS9 itself, are giving the same message, which is as follows:
View attachment 79406

How does one go about enabling 3D acceleration for these two sims alone? The other two FS9 variations, Golden Wings and FS9 for the 1950s, are working fine.
 
If you post your system specs SS101 someone might be able to help out, without those details it's a bit of a guessing game.
FYI, I run 6 variations of FS9 along similar lines and have not had a problem, and that has been using both flavours of graphic card.
:kilroy:
 
The settings for the Terrain Detail and Water Effects are captured by the FS9.cfg.

The error message on the 3D capabilities might be related to Directx. For starters, I would run the DxDiag to run a diagnostic on your DirectX drivers to see what's going on.
:ernae:
--WH
 
As usual, Wombat's on the money, so here's the specs on the machine:

OS: Windows XP Pro Version 2002 SP3
AMD Phenom II X4 940
Processor
3.01 GHz, 3.25GB RAM
AMD Radeon HD 6850 Video Card

Here's the info on the drivers:
Main driver: ati2dvag.dll
Version: 6.14.0010.7213 (English)
Date: 7/28/2011 16:31:06

The water and terrain detail are fine in the other sims. I'm wondering if I can cut/paste the relevant sections from the other sims' config file into the two sims that are affected.

WHQL logo'd: Yes
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
VDD: n/a
DDI version: 9 (or higher)

I've done the Direct3D and DirectDraw tests, the machine says everything's functioning as it should.
 
I've tried having FSSW60 rebuild its config file but nothing has changed, I still get those awful colors, and the sim refuses to recognize any video card.
 
Your graphic card should be capable of handling just about anything in FS9.

I did have a thought on a different plane so the following 'might' be of assistance.

I had an irritating problem I ran into when I started multiple FS9 packages.
Obviously I expected the GW3 approach to be the way to go, so I configured my sims and renamed the Flight Simulator 9 folder to Flight Simulator SW, fs9.exe to sw.exe and the fs9.cfg to sw.cfg (for example).
I had a load of trouble, right across the board with the exception of GW3 and the original FS9.
Now I simply copy the complete FS9 installation into a new folder, rename it to FS9-1 (or similar) and leave the fs9.exe and config file alone, no more problems.
The only testing part is finding suitable icons for all the 'FS9' desktop shortcuts, I gave up and made my own in the end!
The 'master' installation has all the scenery that I would normally use plus extras for my cloned installations, along with those annoying installers from certain commercial vendors that insist on only loading into FS9, easily removed if needs be later.
It's not perfect but it works, and it might be the solution to your problems.
Sometimes the hardware is not to blame ...................... :kilroy:
 
You know Wombat, I think I was operating along similar lines yesterday. Based on some pretty sound advice I got here on this forum, I installed a pristine, unmodified copy of FS9 on another drive, away from THIS copy of FS9 plus the clones. I've just copied all the base folders from the original FS9 into another one marked FSSW60, and am applying the add-ons as I go along. It's a little tedious, but the end result will be a fresh install of FSSW60 that hopefully will work. I do have one question for you about the FSSW60 configuration file, though; once I get this new FSSW60 folder set up and ready for install, and I delete the "bad" copy of FSSW60, then install the new one - should I rename the .cfg file as a .BAK, and let the sim build its own config file upon initial startup?

I sure appreciate your help. My mother-in-law died in the main house next door at about 340AM on Monday morning, so that's dumped a fair amount of sudden work upon us (wife and I). Add to that I'm in the middle of schooling - today I spent about 9.5 hours in the school library on Windows 2010 getting about a third of a semester's work done in that time. We will be having to move in the fairly near future, so I wanted to get the work done well in advance (with instructor's permission), then turn it all in or release it a little at a time as originally planned. Getting five or six weeks' worth of school work done frees us up to move everything to the new residence and attend to those matters. Pretty hectic right now - sad, too.
 
I only have the two cfg files, FS9 and GW3, but I'd certainly backup or rename your existing files and see what the new installation builds.
Sad to hear of your present situation, we've only just gone through a very difficult and drawn out problem with my youngest brother, almost 99.99% solved now.
:kilroy:
 
OK - I'll let it rebuild and see what it produces. Thanks for the other info, there's more than enough difficulty for everyone to go 'round, I suppose.
 
OK - I did the reinstall of FSSW60, but moved the config file out of the folder to let the sim rebuild the file when it first started. I'm still getting the same effect with the color. I'm also still getting the same dialog box I got before, this one:
View attachment 79710

So this is happening even after a clean install of the sim.

I am running the FSSW60.exe through the GameBooster application, and am wondering if that has any effect on this as well? It shuts down all unnecessary services to help speed up the machine. The kicker is that the sims that are working - FSGW3 plus FSSW50, also use the GameBooster app and are running fine.
 
Wombat (or anyone else who might be interested) - I've discovered something that might be the cause of this little issue. It would seem when I go into my Control Panel - Display - Settings tab, I've got two monitors displayed on the screen in the box. Both monitors 1 and 2 are plug and play monitors on the AMD Radeon video card, monitor 1 is 1280 x 768, 32-bit color, monitor 2 is 640 x 480, 16-bit color. I only have one monitor hooked up to this computer, and it's monitor 1. I'd bet what's happening is that somehow FSSW60 and FS9 are reading monitor 2 as their display monitor when in actuality it should be monitor 1. How does one go about disabling monitor 2 so everything uses monitor 1 as the default monitor?

You've seen the screenshots I've posted showing the views I get with FSSW60 and FS9 - does that look like a 640 x 480, 16-bit color display to you?
 
SSI,

Go to Control Panel, System, System Properties, Hardware, Device Manager, Monitors, Select the incorrect monitor, right click it, then either Disable or Uninstall.

Then re-boot the system and try again.
 
Sounds like you've hit the nail on the head!!

Good bit of self diagnosing there fella....:applause:


When I looked at the bigger version of the pic on your first post, it's obvious it's a much lower res and colour palette.

The best fix is to go into your Display settings/screen set-up from the desktop and just remove the second screen, set it as a single monitor. Then delete the SW60 cfg, fire it up and hopefully it will see the correct monitor.....

Cheers

Shessi
 
New wrinkle - did as Milton said, and in Device Manager found the machine says I've only got one monitor installed.
 
Yes it may do, because you only have one graphics card and one monitor installed, but what does the graphic settings say? (ie the Display setting tab), this is where you set it to multiple screens OR (as you want) reduce back to one display monitor (in the Windows OS environment which is what FS9 interacts with).


Shessi
 
Went back into the Display setup, and found out how to deactivate the second monitor. FS9, as you can see from the earlier screenies, was messed up before; here's the result now:
View attachment 79761
I think we've got this one whipped. Thanks Shessi, Milton, and everyone!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top