Brand New Laptop - Video Card Issues >.<!

[Fargate]

So I just got a new laptop recently, equipped with a Radeonx1400 HyperMemory 256 MB. Anyways I decided to try out the Sims 2 on it just for the heck of it to test out it's capabilities. So the game starts up fine and everything but every time I would go into a house, and then try to get back to the neighbourhood the game would always pop up a BSD. For those who aren't familiar with the game, the point is the BSD always seems to pop up in the same place.

So the BSD says:

The problem seems to be caused by the following file: ati3duag.dll

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

If this is the first time you've seen...(blah blah restart your comp)

If problems continue disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software (blah blah blah)

The standard stuff after that tech info etc...

So as far as I can see this seems to be a video card problem...there has been no new hardware introduced as it is a brand new computer and in terms of software just basic stuff like iTunes and Firefox...which is completly irrelevant. One of my suspicions however is McAfee Antivirus which came pre-installed and never ceases with it's annoying pop ups about allow this/block this. I even tried running the game after exiting McAfee from the toolbar but still the same BSD pops up :a:.

Any idea what is going on here :huh:?

Thanks,

Fargate

[Templarian]

Okay wrote huge explanation then internet dropped... so summarised:

1.) Patch the game to the newest version.
2.) Update drivers from ati.
3.) Download 3rd party video drivers.
4.) Relize that Sims 2 is gehy and go try it with F.E.A.R.

[Fargate]

Okay wrote huge explanation then internet dropped... so summarised:

1.) Patch the game to the newest version.
2.) Update drivers from ati.
3.) Download 3rd party video drivers.
4.) Relize that Sims 2 is gehy and go try it with F.E.A.R.


3rd party video drivers?? And could someone point me in the right direction of the driver for my gfx card o.O. I looked before on the site but I can't seem to find it for some reaon :|.


Thanks,

Fargate :)

[Templarian]

NVM i can link there:
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=19546

LAPTOP XP DRIVERS.

[Fargate]

NVM i can link there:
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=19546

LAPTOP XP DRIVERS.

Dead link says something about it being expired o.O.


Fargate :)

[Templarian]

Wow thats a dumb site. its there they have a HUGE LINK at the top called drivers... i found it pretty easy to navagate to. (I like Nvidia's site more).

[ya3]

Does this work?
http://support.ati.com/ics/support/DLRedirect.asp?fileIDExt=266c430a5f40c90947ba9db58 2a37f54&accountID=737&deptID=894

[Fargate]

Bah, no ya3 if I try yours it immediately displays a popup saying "This software update cannot be installed on your system.Please contact your notebook manufacturer for driver updates."


:|


I also tried installing the ATI Display Driver from the driver download section on the ATI site, and even that won't go. I try and install it and it promps me with an INF error and says Video Driver not found. It also mentions that I should try running setup again after I setup my display adapter with a standard VGA driver. Whatever that means. I thought the catalyst bit was the driver update though? Am I after the wrong driver or something, it's not exactly clear on their site plus my vCard isn't explicitly listed on there

I even tried the separate Catalyst file ONLY from the ATI and that seems to have installed properly...however I am still encountering the exact same problem :|.


Where the hell am I supposed to be getting all of this o.O.

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[kirupa]

Use the omegadrivers for gaming: http://www.omegadrivers.net/ They are modded ATI and nVidia drivers, so make sure you get the ATI one. Those drivers work on laptop Mobility cards also.

If you have the time, I would just do a clean install of your entire system. OEMs tend to put a lot of unnecessary software preloaded when you buy from them :)

EDIT: To use the ATI drivers, you'll need to mod it using the Mobility Modder: http://www.driverheaven.net/patje/ (You won't need this link for the Omega Drivers)

[Fargate]

Use the omegadrivers for gaming: http://www.omegadrivers.net/ They are modded ATI and nVidia drivers, so make sure you get the ATI one. Those drivers work on laptop Mobility cards also.

If you have the time, I would just do a clean install of your entire system. OEMs tend to put a lot of unnecessary software preloaded when you buy from them :)

EDIT: To use the ATI drivers, you'll need to mod it using the Mobility Modder: http://www.driverheaven.net/patje/ (You won't need this link for the Omega Drivers)

Aha...so now do I install both or is this a one or the other kind of thing?

Thanks,

Fargate :)

EDIT: Ok so I tried OmegaDrivers and I've stopped getting BSD's, However there are some rather undesirable settings that have also resulted.

When I play games and on the welcome screen there are two large black bars on either side. I suspect this is because the display reverts to 4:3 at these times and my laptop is widescreen and normally operates at 16:9. How do I fix it so it is always operating consistently at 16:9, having it switching to 4:3 is very annoying and rather ugly.

The other thing that bothers me about this driver is that there's an overclocking feature?? What's that about? I know overclocking is dangerous so I wouldn't want to have any messed up settings that could result in an exploding computer or something :|. What are you supposed to do with that, what settings should you have?

Just at a glance at the settings it seems that the driver is using and modding the video card in rather unconventional ways...is it being put under more strain with the Omega Drivers?

I can barely make sense of most of these settings having very little dealings with video card stuff, it seems pretty over my head :P.

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[Fargate]

Aha...so now do I install both or is this a one or the other kind of thing?

Thanks,

Fargate :)

EDIT: Ok so I tried OmegaDrivers and I've stopped getting BSD's, However there are some rather undesirable settings that have also resulted.

When I play games and on the welcome screen there are two large black bars on either side. I suspect this is because the display reverts to 4:3 at these times and my laptop is widescreen and normally operates at 16:9. How do I fix it so it is always operating consistently at 16:9, having it switching to 4:3 is very annoying and rather ugly.

The other thing that bothers me about this driver is that there's an overclocking feature?? What's that about? I know overclocking is dangerous so I wouldn't want to have any messed up settings that could result in an exploding computer or something :|. What are you supposed to do with that, what settings should you have?

Just at a glance at the settings it seems that the driver is using and modding the video card in rather unconventional ways...is it being put under more strain with the Omega Drivers?

I can barely make sense of most of these settings having very little dealings with video card stuff, it seems pretty over my head :P.

Thanks,

Fargate :)


*bump*

Can anyone provide me with any info on the above =)?

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[Theros]

Uh, for the settings on overclocking, that depends on the model, I don't have a ATI so I have no idea... The trick is to start at stock, then increase mhz and clock speed by like increments of 5 or 10 at a time. Then do a safety check with your driver forceware. Keep in mind don't over do it or you'll need better heating

[Fargate]

Uh, for the settings on overclocking, that depends on the model, I don't have a ATI so I have no idea... The trick is to start at stock, then increase mhz and clock speed by like increments of 5 or 10 at a time. Then do a safety check with your driver forceware. Keep in mind don't over do it or you'll need better heating

Err well I really have no idea what you mean. I think it's best I just leave it alone, I'm not even sure where to find the settings...it will never automatically engage overclocking though right? If so please tell me how to disable such a feature! All software runs well enough no need for the excess strain and increasing my risk of hardware failure :P.

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[ya3]

it will never automatically engage overclocking though right?
Hahah, no! :sen: Of course not!

You may want to try selecting a widescreen resolution in your games, too. (eg. 1280x960)

Referring to them as 4:3 and 16:9 is technically wrong since not all non-widescreen formats have a 4:3 ratio (eg. 1280x1024) and not all widescreen resolutions are 16:9. Usually 16:10, in fact.

[Fargate]

Hahah, no! :sen: Of course not!

You may want to try selecting a widescreen resolution in your games, too. (eg. 1280x960)

Referring to them as 4:3 and 16:9 is technically wrong since not all non-widescreen formats have a 4:3 ratio (eg. 1280x1024) and not all widescreen resolutions are 16:9. Usually 16:10, in fact.

Yeah I have done that for some newer games and that works fine but for some of the older games I can't figure out how to reconfigure it so they are universally widscreen throughout gameplay. Before I installed the omega driver they sort of smart stretched themseleves at the very least which is better than the annoying black bars. But now with the Omega driver installed it seems to have a new option in place which I cannot find, something that must dictate ratios/ stretch options. Anyone know where I might find this =)?

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[kirupa]

I don't know about a setting to disable the stretching "feature". I kind of prefer playing games in their proper aspect ratio, for having everything stretched horizontally looks kinda odd.

:geek:

[Fargate]

I don't know about a setting to disable the stretching "feature". I kind of prefer playing games in their proper aspect ratio, for having everything stretched horizontally looks kinda odd.

:geek:

But the bars, the black bars, they're too annoying :P! It's much nicer playing things fullscreen. Before I installed the driver they were sort of stretched and they really didn't look that bad. And some older games like NFSHP2 worked perfectly that way. Now I can change it in the options menu for example in SOME games (i.e. NFSHP2) but that still won't affect the menu's themselves and it has to change resolution mid game upon entering actual gameplay. Much worse than before and causes more delay.

There has to be a setting/a preference for this o.O

Thanks,

Fargate :)

[kirupa]

Well, if you really want to get widescreen back, uninstall the Omega drivers, download + extract the official ATI drivers to a location on your comp, run the DriverHeaven ATI Mobility Modder, and install the newly-modded official ATI drivers ;)

[t0mm0]

Fun fun fun