planes turn to black dots

[homersipes]

sometimes I have to keep hitting the esc button to get other players planes to go back to normal small dots.  they turn into big black dots, until I get really close within 200 yards I cant even make out the plane that I am shooting at, kinda a pain in the butt.

[The Fugitive]

Sounds like an older ATI video card. Some of the drivers will do that. Run a Dxdiag and copy and paste the top third (up to and including the sound devices) here and maybe someone can suggest a fix.

[fuzeman]

sometimes I have to keep hitting the esc button to get other players planes to go back to normal small dots.  they turn into big black dots, until I get really close within 200 yards I cant even make out the plane that I am shooting at, kinda a pain in the butt.

Spot on by Fugitive, sounds like a video driver issue  DOH!!
As mentioned , dxdiag can only help.

[homersipes]

ok I am kinda computer dumb, I have no idea how to do that lol.  I have a toshiba laptop that is about 6 years old and it uses windows vista.  Beyond that I have no clue how to tell what else is in the system so if someone could help muchly appreciated.

[skorpion]

ok I am kinda computer dumb, I have no idea how to do that lol.  I have a toshiba laptop that is about 6 years old and it uses windows vista.  Beyond that I have no clue how to tell what else is in the system so if someone could help muchly appreciated.

go into your start menu and click on "run" and type in DXDIAG then after that the "DXDIAG" should show up.

[The Fugitive]

once it shows up there is a button at the bottom that says "save as text". Click that to save it to someplace you can find it, the desktop is good. Close the Dxdiag window and double click the file you just saved to the desktop. It will ask you what to open it with, scroll down and click notepad. When it opens hold the left mouse button down and starting from the top and highlight all the way down to "sound devices". Right click a select "copy". Then open this thread and select Post reply like you normally do, right click in the text field, select "paste" and it should put in the first section of your Dxdiag report.

Good luck!

[Jed]

 I Run a Toshiba satelite newer laptop. I have the same problem.  Can't afford new PC right now.   I turned the ground detail down to lowest setting and took away the good terrain. I keep Plane detail High and this has helped me.   85% of the time I see planes.   15% of the time when there is a lot of action I end up fighting black squares with wings..

[homersipes]

Time of this report: 9/18/2011, 20:40:05
       Machine name: HOMERANDAMAN-PC
   Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.110617-0336)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: TOSHIBA
       System Model: Satellite A135
               BIOS: Ver 1.00PARTTBL0
          Processor: Genuine Intel(R) CPU           T2080  @ 1.73GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
             Memory: 1014MB RAM
          Page File: 1492MB used, 792MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 7.00.6002.18107 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.
Display Devices
---------------
        Card name: Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family
     Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
        Chip type: Intel(R) GMA 950
         DAC type: Internal
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_27A2&SUBSYS_FF021179&REV_03
   Display Memory: 251 MB
 Dedicated Memory: 0 MB
    Shared Memory: 251 MB
     Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (59Hz)
          Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
      Driver Name: igdumd32.dll
   Driver Version: 7.14.0010.1437 (English)
      DDI Version: 9Ex
   BGRA Supported: Yes
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 2/11/2008 19:36:08, 3301376 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: Yes
  WHQL Date Stamp:
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-64E2-11CF-5477-08DFA2C2CA35}
        Vendor ID: 0x8086
        Device ID: 0x27A2
        SubSys ID: 0xFF021179
      Revision ID: 0x0003
      Revision ID: 0x0003
      Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C
 Deinterlace Caps: {AEDC1D5D-8546-440E-AAB
-----------
            Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0862&SUBSYS_11790104&REV_1000
        Manufacturer ID: 1
             Product ID: 100
                   Type: WDM
            Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5322 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: Yes
          Date and Size: 11/8/2006 22:09:24, 1647976 bytes
            Other Files:
        Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
         HW Accel Level: Basic
              Cap Flags: 0xF1F
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
            Description: Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio)
  Default Sound Capture: Yes
  Default Voice Capture: Yes
            Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5322 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
          Date and Size: 11/8/2006 22:09:24, 1647976 bytes
              Cap Flags: 0x1
           Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

-------------------
DirectInput Devices
-------------------
      Device Name: Mouse
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Keyboard
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Saitek X52 Flight Control System
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x0
Vendor/Product ID: 0x06A3, 0x075C
        FF Driver: n/a

Poll w/ Interrupt: No

-----------
USB Devices
-----------
+ USB Root Hub
| Vendor/Product ID: 0x8086, 0x27CA
| Matching Device ID: usb\root_hub
| Service: usbhub
| Driver: usbhub.sys, 4/11/2009 00:43:16, 196096 bytes
| Driver: usbd.sys, 1/19/2008 01:53:17, 5888 bytes

----------------
Gameport Devices
----------------

------------
PS/2 Devices
------------
+ Standard PS/2 Keyboard
| Matching Device ID: *pnp0303
| Service: i8042prt
| Driver: i8042prt.sys, 1/19/2008 01:49:18, 54784 bytes
| Driver: kbdclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 35384 bytes
|
+ HID Keyboard Device
| Matching Device ID: hid_device_system_keyboard
| Service: kbdhid
| Driver: kbdhid.sys, 4/11/2009 00:38:40, 17408 bytes
| Driver: kbdclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 35384 bytes
|
+ Terminal Server Keyboard Driver
| Matching Device ID: root\rdp_kbd
| Upper Filters: kbdclass
| Service: TermDD
| Driver: i8042prt.sys, 1/19/2008 01:49:18, 54784 bytes
| Driver: kbdclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 35384 bytes
|
+ Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad
| Matching Device ID: *syn0704
| Upper Filters: SynTP
| Service: i8042prt
|
+ HID-compliant mouse
| Matching Device ID: hid_device_system_mouse
| Service: mouhid
| Driver: mouhid.sys, 1/19/2008 01:49:16, 15872 bytes
| Driver: mouclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 34360 bytes
|
+ HID-compliant mouse
| Vendor/Product ID: 0x1C4F, 0x0003
| Matching Device ID: hid_device_system_mouse
| Service: mouhid
| Driver: mouhid.sys, 1/19/2008 01:49:16, 15872 bytes
| Driver: mouclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 34360 bytes
|
+ Terminal Server Mouse Driver
| Matching Device ID: root\rdp_mou
| Upper Filters: mouclass
| Service: TermDD
| Driver: termdd.sys, 4/11/2009 02:32:52, 53224 bytes
| Driver: sermouse.sys, 1/19/2008 01:49:16, 19968 bytes
| Driver: mouclass.sys, 1/19/2008 03:41:52, 34360 bytes
thanks for the help

[Tigger29]

Display Devices
---------------
        Card name: Mobile Intel(R) 945 Express Chipset Family
     Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
        Chip type: Intel(R) GMA 950

This is your problem right here.  Intel graphics do NOT play well with games.  Since this is a laptop you cannot upgrade to a graphics card.  Simple put there's nothing you can do but to either wait for an updated driver that fixes this (don't hold your breath) or to buy a new computer.

[The Fugitive]

I agree, sorry that is a pretty weak computer to play 3d games on. The best you can do is to turn down all the eye candy, textures to 128 and everything else as low as it will go. I think you should leave mipmapping on if I remember right. Also, you should streamline vista as much as you can so that it doesn't use resources in your laptop that the game could use. If you hit the cntrl, alt, and delete keys at the same time it will open a window. Click on the tab at the top that says "processes". at the bottom left of the window it should have a number of processes you are running. The smaller the number the better. Vista should be atleast in the low 30's. The more you have the harder your computer has to work to run the game.

[Skuzzy]

I am not sure that computer will ever play the game well.  With only 1GB of system RAM, and 250MB of it being used by the video chip, Vista is going to be chugging along pretty badly.

In order to have any chance at all, you need to make sure you disable any and all processes running in the background, that you can, and then minimize everything in the games "Video Settings".

[homersipes]

hey thanks for the input, I kinda figured  that was the way of it though lol.