|
Joseph' Story on XP
(and maybe on WinMe too, you
never know)
A couple of XP PRO
users, and several XP Home have had trouble getting Joseph to run.
Most, but not all, get the error
message:
"Fatal engine
error E356 and Problem with WDL script."
E356 is a generic
error message and WDL script is an opening file in the game.
In some cases, the program opens and
crashes in the first level.
We know this:
The problem appears to
be related to the brand of graphic video
chip
on the computer and the particular version of the video driver that came
with that computer (even new computers). The problem has NOT been reported on Windows 98/Me.
The driver either completely fails, or crashes when the game is trying
to change levels and system resources get hit, thus sending the driver
over the edge.
Tellingly....the problem has NOT been reported on XP computers which have true video cards.
Customers with XP Home
and Pro and an
Nvidia
integrated graphic chipset
do not experience this error
message.
Some customers with XP
Home or Pro and an
older version Intel
integrated graphic chipset
have experienced this error message.
Newer versions of the Intel chip do not have this problem.
Solutions:
The first thing to do is to
UPDATE your video driver. If you have an older Intel integrated
video chip, then Intel has very likely issued an update to that
chip's driver (ie "fix").
Check your
computer manufacturer's website for an updated video driver. New drivers are often
issued to solve problems -even for "new" computers.
For easy instructions on how to find
out what kind of CHIP and DRIVER you have... go to
www.sundaysoftware.com/dxdiag
OTHER SOLUTIONS that have worked
for our customers:
A customer with this problem recently
installed the FREE upgrades for XP Pro -Service Packs 1 and 2
from the Microsoft website, and the problem was cured. So
apparently Microsoft/Intel worked to solve the problem affecting
some of the chips and drivers.
A customer with XP Home and a new
Dell laptop with Intel integrated video chip, corrected a similar
graphic problem by going to Dell's website and downloading the
latest updated video/graphic drivers. Read how they
did that, and why it needed to be done. Even on a
'new' computer the driver may be months older than what is currently
available by download, and often the new version of the driver was
created to 'cure' problems.
Another customer turned down the
Windows Hardware Accelerator 'two notches' and the problem of
freezing/not running went away. The accelerator slider is located by
going into the Windows Control Panel, opening DISPLAY, clicking the
SETTINGS tab, clicking ADVANCED, then clicking the "Troubleshoot"
tab. You'll see the slider there.
A customer with XP Pro who had the Intel graphic chipset and
who had the error message went and installed a separate videocard
(an ATI Radeon 7000, $30 from www.Tigerdirect.com) and the problem disappeared. The videocard
also had double the videoram as the chipset could access.
Read this case in
point about why even a brand new computer might need updated
drivers.
We have had one XP Home laptop user
report a problem when entering the helicopter at the
end of the game. We believe this is a resource conflict --the system and
videochip/driver fighting for limited resources. They solved the problem by
setting the Window Compatibility Mode option for Joseph to "Run as
Windows 98". Apparently the compatibility setting handles the
video/sound drivers a little easier on that computer. We therefore
recommend that XP Home or PRO users do the same to see if it correct
THEIR problem.
To set your Windows Compatibility Mode
for Joseph to "run as Windows 98" do this: Right click the
Joseph start up file under Programs ->Joseph. Select "properties" then
the "compatibility" tab from the panel. Select "run as Windows 98" and
select OK. This change will take effect each time you run Joseph.
Another thing to check.... make sure you are running Joseph
in 800x600 resolution, not something bigger.
And as mentioned on our regular
Joe-Tech page, Joseph may run fine until you
try to save a game, and then it freezes up, forcing you to reboot
the computer. The solution is mentioned above... turning down your
graphics hardware accelerator a notch or two.
| Why do some people experience these problems?
The Problem:
The myth of "full compatibility." There are hundreds of
types of video chips and video cards on the market, all with
various video driver software that have been built to run
them, then updated by the manufacturers. Add to that all the
different versions of the operating systems and then you
have the 3D program itself.
The Solution:
Buy only brand name computers with BRAND NAME "true" video
cards (such as nvida or ati). If you buy budget computers,
you are likely going to get budget video chips. Early
Intel videochips were not good. S3/Via brand chips are
bottom of the barrel. Avoid them. Many newer video "chips"
are pretty good. But not all.
Keep your video drivers up to date.
Manufacturers are constantly tweaking their drivers to solve
compatibility issues. |
|
WHY you may need the LATEST Video Driver even
for your "NEW" computer...
CASE IN POINT: In October 2005 I installed Galilee
Flyer CD on a BRAND NEW Dell laptop (Inspiron 6000).
Galilee Flyer was made with the same program that Joseph's
Story CD was made with.
My new laptop
had an integrated graphics/video chipset (the Intel 915 / 910)
with TONS of videoram. But...When I clicked the "start" button
in Galilee Flyer I received the following message: "insufficient
memory for D3D textures."
Then the program crashed. So I checked the date of
the installed videodriver on my new October 05 purchased
computer. The driver date was January 2005. Sounds new, right?
But I knew better. Developers are constantly "fixing"
videodrivers. So I went to Dell's support.dell.com website and
downloaded the very latest videodrivers for my brand new
laptop. They were dated August 2005. I installed them with just
a few easy clicks, and Galilee Flyer now works fine.
To find out the DATE of your videodrivers in Windows Me/XP,
do this: 1) Click Start, Control Panel, Display.
2) Click the Settings tab on the Display control panel. 3) Click
the Advanced button. 4) Click the Adapter tab. 5) Click the
Properties button, then click the Drivers tab. Buried it,
didn't they! From there you can see the driver version and
date. Write those down, then go to the computer manufacturer's
website FIRST to see if they have an updated driver.
When you get to the Driver
Details window there's a button labeled "update driver." I
tried that, but Dell's version of Windows XP won't update the
driver that way. So I went to Intel's website and downloaded the
latest driver for my chipset (a nice little executable file),
but Dell Windows XP wouldn't install either. And error message
said "go to the computer manufacturer's website." When you own a
Dell you must go to the Dell website and look up your computer
model and look on their list of available upgrades (under
"video" or "graphic" drivers). I can only assume it's the same
with some other computer brands. FYI... I tried clicking
the Dell Support icon on my desktop, but it's useless. I had to
go to the Dell website. (Why is this a goofy process? Who knows.
I like Dell computer, but there are some odd things like this.)
Dell had the latest drivers, and they worked! If your
computer doesn't have an internet connection don't worry. The
driver files come an executable file which can be burned to a CD
and transported to your computers.
So bottom line... GO FIRST
to the manufacturer of your computer's website -especially if
you have a Dell
www.dell.com/support.
Please
be careful if you don't know what you're doing. Find
someone who does know.
<>< Neil MacQueen, Sunday Software |
Stuck in the Joe labyrinth?
Not sure what to do next?
Looking for the clues/shortcuts?
Read the Joe Teaching Tips. |
