Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) Technical Problems Video display lost

First of all, my game originally worked just FINE and now does not, so I'm hoping to find out what went wrong... problem is when running the game, I get sound just fine but no picture, just black screen. I don't know if the game works any further than startup screen as I can't see it! Not only this, but I am then permanently stuck in black screen until I reboot the computer, then after it reboots I must manually turn the monitor off and on before I get any display! Then I have picture until I try to run the game again... There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the monitor itself. I have loaded latest drivers for my video card, uninstalled and installed game several times, installed patch 1.46, installed latest directX 9, no programs running in background, etc. - I have tried all the suggestions I've seen on this forum. Does anybody have any ideas? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I will post my specs if you think it might be enlightening, however as I mentioned I had no problems when I first started playing the game.

If you run dxdiag (click Start | Run, type in dxdiag and hit Enter), does it report any problems?

Did you change your monitor resolution or refresh rate? Since you have to turn the monitor off and on again to reset it, DirectX might be trying to switch to too high a refresh rate, or something. After starting the game, did you try turning the monitor off and on again? If so, does that help, or go you need to reboot first to get out of the game?

Do you have any video filters recently installed? At least the ReClock DirectShow Filter needs to be disabled to play the game videos. In Windows Explorer, if you browse to the '..\Beyond Divinity\Static' folder, can you view the 'intro.mpg' video?

Every time I run DiagX it says everything is normal ( I have DirectX9c). When my screen goes to black, I must totally reboot my computer before I get anything again. I am not aware that I have any video filters - I have checked for the one you described and I do not see any signs of it. I have tried running the game with hardware acceleration turned completely off and with my resolution set at the minimum (800x600), with no success. Is there anything else I can fiddle with in terms of refresh rate? What is baffling me is that the game initially worked fine and all of a sudden when I tried to run it I got the message that it failed to shut down correctly or some such thing and did I want to reset the config, and that's when it wouldn't work. Subsequent uninstalling and reinstalling were ineffectual. By the way... when I get this message, the "reset" button is not activatable - it is grayed out and clicking it does nothing.. I must just pick a resolution and click apply.. what's the deal with this?? I am completely stymied....

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I can play the mpeg videos just fine (in RealPlayer).

In the dxdiag Display tab, did you try clicking the 'Test Direct3D' button? Do you have any other DirectX games, and are they having similar problems?

What resolution is your desktop set to? Try having your desktop colour depth at 16 bit (high colour) and the resolution the same as the game is set to (the minimum is 640x480, BTW).

When you un-installed the game, did you browse to the Beyond Divinity folder, and make sure there were no files left (except within the savegames folder) before re-installing?

Even if the reset button in the configuration program is greyed out, you can still delete the config.div, slashed.cfg and slashed-d3d6.cfg files in the Beyond Divinity folder (if they exist), to force the configuration program to recreate them the next time it (or the game) is started.

In the configuration program, does running the test cause any problems, or is it just the game?

I have tried the following:
Reset display to 16 bit color and lowest resolution - my resolution slider will not let me go below 800 x 600 pixels, this is the far left end.

Overriden the refresh rate in dxdiag to 60.

Shut down every single extra process I can.

Downloaded and installed patch 1.45.

Downloaded and installed the Microsoft Game patch referred to elsewhere in this forum (Microsoft KB article 327979).

My problem continues, regardless of whether I run the Test mode or load the game. This is what my config.div file says:

// display width
width 640

// display height
height 480

// Allow FSAA mode.
fsaa 0

// Use Fog.
fog 1

// activate smooth mode
smooth 1

// disables fog rendering
no fog

// set the color mode
rgb 555

// Select alpha bit
Alpha bit 1

My slashed.cfg file is nothing but blank.

I don't seem to have the other slashed-d3d6 file.

I ran dxdiag again and this time ran the test direct draw and test direct 3d options. Here are my results:

System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 8/6/2004, 18:34:59
Machine name: SEMRA
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 1 (2600.xpsp2.030422-1633)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gateway
System Model: E-2000
BIOS: BIOS Date: 04/30/02 08:08:01 Ver: 08.00.00
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1.80GHz, ~1.8GHz
Memory: 254MB RAM
Page File: 190MB used, 650MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINNT
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.0001.0904 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found. DirectDraw test results: Failure at step 7 (User verification of fullscreen bouncing): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code) Direct3D 7 test results: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code) Direct3D 8 test results: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code) Direct3D 9 test results: All tests were successful.
Sound Tab 1: DirectSound test results: All tests were successful.
Sound Tab 2: DirectSound test results: All tests were successful.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2562&SUBSYS_2000107B&REV_01
Display Memory: 64.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: KDS Visula Sensations VS-190is/VS-190p
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.3722 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 11/20/2003 09:26:00, 36927 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ialmnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 11/20/2003 09:25:00, 95579 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6622-11CF-417D-0A00A0C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2562
SubSys ID: 0x2000107B
Revision ID: 0x0001
Revision ID: 0x0001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_B ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Failure at step 7 (User verification of fullscreen bouncing): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D7 Test Result: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D8 Test Result: Failure at step 32 (User verification of Direct3D rendering): HRESULT = 0x00000000 (error code)
D3D9 Test Result: All tests were successful.

As you see, my problem occurred again when testing the full screen direct draw (black screen, had to reboot and turn off and on monitor)

and when I ran the direct 3d d3d7 and 3d38 (black screen, reboot, etc etc)

Any ideas, Raze?

All other games I have ever played, including Morrowind, Neverwinter Nights, Dungeon Siege, Temple of Elemental Evil to name some of the latest, have never given me any problems.

Try updating your video drivers (search for '82845G' on Intel's site). Perhaps (hopefully) that will fix the problem with Direct3D 7 and 8 functions.

Have you checked the Windows update site for the latest critical updates? Maybe try re-installing DirectX.

Have you tried any of those other games recently (after you started having this problem with BD)? Since the dxdiag tests have this problem, I would think other games would as well.

I have updated the video driver, no change. Reinstalled DirectX 9c, no change. I've read about removing the display adapters in safe mode, but I can't get my computer into safe mode (or I probably can, but can't see anything on the screen)Is it safe to try and do this when not in safe mode? All my games seemed to work fine before and after these problems, including BD the first time I installed it! Is my DirectX somehow corrupt? The only thing I haven't tried is uninstalling DirectX, and I have heard this may not be such a great idea... What to try next? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

Just tried playing Morrowind again - no problems. How is it possible that a DirectX that fails some of its own tests can run a sophisticated game like Morrowind????? Aaagghhh...

Hitting F5 or holding it down as Windows loads should put you in safe mode, and IIRC F8 brings up a boot menu. The problem with removing drivers in normal mode is that at least some of the files will be in use, so Windows will not let you delete them. Installing generic drivers and rebooting would do the same thing as booting into safe mode, just a bit more involved.

I don't know if DirectX is corrupt or if there is just a conflict with something else. Apparently only some of the functions cause a problem, which Morrowind does not use.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Okayyyy, looks like its my monitor after all. I got the computer rebooted in safe mode, and couldn't get any display at all! Took it in and they hooked it up to a different monitor and it worked fine. Took the computer home, borrowed my ex-husband's monitor, which I had sold to him two years ago when I got this one, got video fine, directx worked fine, game worked fine, no problems! Plugged in my monitor again, was able to get display now that I could reboot in normal mode, but same problems occurred with game and directx. Now I just don't know whether this can be fixed, or if I need a new monitor... it's a two year old 19" KDS. I'd really like to be able to get out of shelling out a bunch of cash for a new monitor.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

Check KDS' web site for updated monitor drivers / inf files; it is possible the current drivers became corrupt. If possible, check your monitor on a different system, and see if you can duplicate the problem with the 640x480 resolution in safe mode.
If that doesn't help, the monitor should still be under warranty. Contact KDS for an RA number; that may be required at a service centre (there is one in Calgary and Edmonton) or it might speed things up a bit.

There was no available update, but I tried uninstalling my monitor driver and letting it reinstall from my drivers disk, and it worked!! Now my directx and BD and everything else is working again!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> What happens to these drivers, how do they become corrupt? Viruses? Anyway, if anyone else is having black screen problems, this might work for you too. Thank you Raze, for all your help and suggestions. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />