Author Topic: Problems Since Vista (Read 1074 times)

Saxman · « **on:** March 24, 2007, 12:02:04 AM »

Recently I installed Vista on my machine, and since then I've been running into LOTS of problems. The clipboard has been buggy, appearing darkened out and the "flip out" section used for E6B, etc., constantly spins around the ring. Generally if I reboot the PC it corrects the issue, but I find I'm having to reboot EVERY time I go to play. Also, tonight the game was outright and CONSTANTLY locking up, flashing me to a dark "night" screen.

Also, while not a new issue since I upgraded to Vista (I originally played on XP) is that unless I alt-tab to desktop and back to the game certain graphical features (specifically ship wakes, clouds, damage decals) don't display properly, often times incorrectly being tiled across the entire screen. Ground objects also vanish from certain angles. Alt-tabbing out and back in fixes this and for the rest of the time I'm in the game it's fine. What IS new is that before Vista I didn't have much trouble other than a bit of inconvenience of having to Alt-tab in-flight (doing it in the tower didn't always fix it). However since I updated to Vista this has been causing the game to freeze, meaning I've wasted the entire time I spent hassling to get it running in the FIRST place.

Relavent System Specs:

Vista Business 32-bit version
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
2GB Corsair RAM
Radeon X1900XTX
DirectX v10

Drivers for the video card are current.

The Cloud Bug. This also happens if I have a bullet hole somewhere, and with ship wakes. Normally I would Alt-Tab out then back in and be fine, but ever since installing Vista this makes the game lock up--sometimes the entire computer.

The Clipboard Bug. This happens completely at random when starting the game. The "fold out" page also has a tendency of rotating completely in a circle on its ring. That part of the clipboard is also rendered unclickable. Generally a reboot allows me in, but I'm at the point where I have to reboot practically EVERY time.

DAVENRINO · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2007, 02:08:08 AM »

Hmmmm...... I am just wondering why you "UPGRADED" to Vista.

I think I will just stay with my POS XP Pro.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2007, 06:00:04 AM »

What you are experiencing here are problems with the Vista motherboard drivers for your computer. Nothing we can do anything about. Those bugs, plus the bugs in the operating system itself will pretty much assure inconsistency in your computer, at best.

Saxman · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2007, 08:10:34 AM »

Now what about the cloud bug? THAT one has been around since I had XP installed.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2007, 02:46:14 PM »

Saxman, if you upgraded to Vista from XP and kept the same hardware, I'd suspect you have a hardware issue. A driver issue might be possible if you installed the same driver number and that driver was for XP/Vista.

If possible, try to buy another X1900XTX and before you put it in your system, unistall your current driver first. Shut down and place new vid card in. Reinstall driver (get from internet) and then see what happens. If you still have the same problem I would suspect the Power Supply Unit and I would return the new vid card ASAP to the store to avoid charges. Make sure to keep the box and all items in the box so you may return it.

BTW, I'm not a professional PC technician, but I do maintain computers software/hardware at the place I work (12 computers in system).

Saxman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2007, 03:03:10 PM »

Well, if I had 400-odd bucks that might be an option, but seeing as I was stretching the budget on the first card as it is...

ANYway, if you're referring to the issue with the tiled-to-infinity clouds/damage/wakes/etc I'd be ready accept it as a hardware issue IF it wasn't corrected by alt-tabbing to desktop then alt-tabbing back into the game, which I'd be fine with continuing to do if not for the frelling crashes.

This also wasn't a literal upgrade (I admit I had a poor choice of words). This was a full HD format with Vista installed from scratch.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2007, 03:42:15 PM »

Then try to install a cheaper Video card. Remember if you use your CC or debit card, you will be out a few hundred for a few days until they refund you the money after you return the video card. The sooner you do this, the better you have of getting a warranty replacement on the video card if that is the problem.

Or you could try to buy a new Power supply first, they only cost $100 or so. Make sure you get a higher wattage than your current one, if you feel you have an overkill PSU, then just get a new one. Spend an hour taking the current one out and putting in the new one.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2007, 03:43:13 PM »

Or you could do nothing and wait for something to give you a magic pill (software update).

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2007, 05:43:33 PM »

Graphic artifacts are normally related to heat/power issue with the video card RAM.

Saxman · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2007, 11:35:20 PM »

Replaced the power supply, upgraded from a 450W to 550W. The fan stopped working on the old one which WAS causing some heating issues, but nothing in the computer about to melt range. Also the increased power should be enough with my hardware to resolve any issues resulting from an over-taxed PSU.

So far, problem NOT solved.

I'm VERY reluctant to believe the video card ITSELF is the problem, as even before installing Vista Aces High was the ONLY game I had the artifacts issue with clouds/damage decals/etc. I'm not talking old stuff, either. Out of Pacific Fighters, Dungeon Siege 2, Half-Life 2 and HL2: Episode One, Elder Scrolls IV and Neverwinter Nights 2, NONE of them gave me any problems except for PF and DS2 not liking me trying to run them on dual processors (Alt-Tabbing out to desktop and telling the game to stop running on both processors in Task Monitor fixed those issues).

I may pick up an extra fan to mount above the video card, however I doubt this will make much difference as the only place I can fit it would be blowing on the UNDERSIDE of the card (the top where most of the components are already has a pretty hefty fan built- sitting on top of it and blocking off one of my PCI slots.

VSkwidd · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2007, 01:43:12 AM »

Ok, I am getting Vista Ultimate from my Uncle Matt (Microsoft programmer) for $45 so naturally I jumped on the deal, it will be installed on my next computer ALL FRESH BRAND NEW PARTS. FROM CASE, TO SAITEK X52 PRO (sorry caps). According to my uncle, in his oppion (a little bit of a biased one) the primary compatibility issues is that most of the 3rd party type drivers just plain hate Vista, partly due to it still being fresh software. So, there is still a possibility that (when i get my new computer) I will have driver issues, am I correct?

as for the cloud and visual bugs and such, you probably also get this bug where if you go really REALLY HIGH UP with graphics low, then dive straight down, that your clipboard randomly glitches and pops infront of your face, if so, thats probably a video card issue, as it is on mine deffinately, (hp pos).

Skuzzy · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2007, 06:19:21 AM »

The issues Saxman is having is particular to his machine. Probably more particular to the CPU and motherboard chipsets. There are many reasons why one game will act differently then others will.

Aces High II is one of the few games which is natively multi-threaded and uses a high resolution timer. This showed problems under XP which other games had no issue with. AMD released a patch which fixed the problems under XP, but sounds and appears like the issues are in Vista as well.

I am running Vista on my office sysem now and the game works fine. But I am using an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU with an ATIX1600XT. Intel's dual-core/HT enabled CPU's have never had problems like the dual core AMD CPU's have shown.

And those cloud artifacts are normally due to memory issues with the video card. But could also be related to motherboard drivers.

All I can do is make suggestions here. The problems you are having appear to be unique to your system. If you have an NVidia motherboard chipset, I have heard from others at other forums there are many problems with the Vista drivers for those mothernboard chipsets. I do not know how they may manifest themselves in the game though.

EDIT: Let me take another jab at this. Saxman, if the artifact issue was a game bug, it would show itself in every ATI video card based on that GPU.

Syrusoo · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2007, 08:05:51 AM »

Skuzzy is right and thanks for the screen shot my friend was having the exact same problem i located the file skuzzy was talking about here is a link to it. Fixed the problem.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_13118,00.html

its the AMD Dual-Core Optimizer 4 meg file.

Hope it works for you too.

Saxman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2007, 05:30:50 PM »

I'll try the dual-core Optimizer as well, and see if that makes a difference.

---------------

Edit. The artifacts problem remains. Haven't tried it to see if it prevents the crashing out when I alt-tab without rebooting, yet.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2007, 06:42:16 PM »

I do not believe the dual-core optimizer is for Vista.