Windows Vista/ SL hardware problems

Hi I've been a member of second life for some time now. Mostly a month and a few weeks the most.

I upgraded with a full install of win/vista. Here's the deal I'm unable too load my SL app after reinstalling it now.
I keep getting this message about my video card. My card is a (GDI Generic) which SL say's it dose not support!

I know, I know it's there for a reason but when I had winxp this all worked fine and I never got that message.
I like to know how to by pass this because I don't think this should be like this. I did get a crash once and awhile but that seemed so normal.

Could it because of the type of OS I'm using? Let me know. If it is Vista OS you might want to add this into a update for SL able to handle both xp and vista.

I just want too join you all again in the fun of Second Life. I was thinking of starting some sort of business,

Note: I have not changed my hardware in anyway.


Buck Dean

Anyone with advice or input would be helpful.

All be calling support when I get the chance tomorrow.
Anything I learn all be willing to share with anyone

Sounds like you have an ATI video card. What you need to do is make sure you have ATI's newest drivers (Catalyst 7.1) installed. You'll know it's the newest driver if you go into the Catalyst Control Center (Advanced) and it says in the Information Center that you have an Open GL version. That will get you past that first error.

Unfortunately, there is a second error that many (if not all) people get once past that: Second Life crashes when the login screen shows up (supposedly ATI's problem). To get past *that* issue, someone here posted a new Second Life client called "VistaSL", seems to work for many people. You can find that by searching here in the technical issues forum for another post on Windows Vista (one a few pages long).

As an alternative, someone mentioned a Windows XP "Omega" driver for ATI cards that will get you into the game using the normal client...unfortunately, that driver disables Vista's Aeroglass features.

Hey thanks Wibble,

All give this a try tomorrow I also contacted SL support too so, will see what happens.
All let you all know what happens.

Buck Dean

You may also wanna check out this thread here, it has very useful info in it on how to run SL under Vista, it's how I got by for a little while until I rebuilt my system from an ATI X850XT to an nVidia 8800GTX. Get towards the end of the thread before you make a choice on what version of the client to D/L as I think the latest most 'usable' version is somewhere towards the end of the thread.

/111/98/163395/1.html

Hi everyone, I've looked over your ideas and took them into ideas for now

To be honest I've spent more time seting up my notebook's new OS then trying to get SL up and running. Today I had a problem with my new firewall so that ended up on top of my list! Second Life will soon follow...

Anyways I will be looking at these more soon as I can. This one little problem won't keep me away, night or day all be back lol


Buck Dean

Hey all.. Updating on: 2-19-07

Well my compter is back to normal health and learning to take a liking to the new OS, which is cool!

Anyways I am back to working on my Second Life problem. I'm not going to give up without a fight cause I will return

Alright I installed the new (first look viewer) and I'm getting a whole new error message.
It seem's my video card drivers are out of date or unsupported. Now I did a udate for that. An update that came out in Nov. 2006. All keep posting here and their.

Just thought I should update and stuff.


Peace,


Buck Dean

Thanks for the thread link I'm all readying finding some good topics there, for sure
Let's all keep the info flowing toghter we can make


End log....

Basicly right now if youre on
Vista + Ati + Secondlife = youre screwed as ATI was so slow with implenting openGL support ~.~,it'll get there eventually right now its just sad, still they are using beta1 vista opengl limited zero crapola one's with just a new spiffy control panel :>!....very usefull

/rant about Vista wich is bascily just a new barbiefied windows -.- look at me ! i can do HUGE buttons, quadzillion colors, high resoultion, and helpfull ...er.. and BIG words like HIGH DEF gaming... waaait wait wait... hasnt this been around for years now geeez.... and the warnings every time you try to do something in Vista is just there to protect their support since 99% seems to be your fault ...coure it is, Vista ~ useable after first service pack, not before really.

The only reason everyone will end up using this is cause of directx10 if youre a gamer anyway. (going to laugh at those businesses who use this ...seriously o.o why)

You can however make a "Real administrator" not the spammy "this program want to start do you want to allow this....?"

One of the new things which were introduced by Windows Vista is brand new user accounts management, which allows system administrators to create various user accounts with strictly limited permissions. This may be handy for someone in net café or parents who want to protect the computer from their children, but it may cause also a lot of troubles for more experienced people.

The problem of UAC in Vista is that even if you set yourself as the administrator, you won’t be able to do some simple tasks and you will be still swamped by a lot of useless dialogs and confirmation windows. I’m talking avout prompts for folder/file permissions errors sometimes or you’ll need to right click and select “Run as Administrator” for most applications to work/install correctly. That’s because Microsoft made the administrators accounts (in local administrators group) run as standard users, unless we give permissions for every and each administrative tasks, with a little difference when UAC is turned on/off.

Here’s the simple solution: Remember that cute “Administrator” account you see when you login to safe mode? That’s the built-in administrator account that’s installed by default, and disabled by default too, after a little digging-in I made this tutorial that’ll let you enable and use this account in normal mode, and with a little other tweak, enjoying an XP-like administrator experience, while UAC is left ON (or off, it doesn’t matter), but with no prompts or right clicks.

1- Click Start, and type “secpol.msc” in the search area and click Enter.
2- You may receive a prompt from UAC, approve/login and proceed.
3- In the left list, choose “Local Policies”, then “Security Options”
4- Set “Accounts: Administrator account status” to Enabled.
5- Set “User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account” to Disabled.
6- Now log-off, and you’ll see a new account named “Administrator” will be available, click on it to login.

Now you are the master of your domain! I recommend if you’re going to use this method is to apply it as soon as you do a fresh install of Windows, so you can simply delete whatever administrator you created in the setup process, and make this one the “real” administrator for your PC, also you can rename this new admin account or change its password like any other account from “User Accounts” in the Control Panel. I’m sure many of you will be happy to have 100% power over their new operating system

why do all this of hassle if you can just right click on it and say run as administrator

Are you sure nag?
"Windows needs your permission to continue." Oh really? So going into the Control Panel and double clicking an icon wasn't enough of a confirmation? For those who are not sure what I am talking about, chances are great that you've never touched Vista before. When the time comes that you need to change some form of configuration, you will get a prompt asking you if it's ok to continue. It's highly annoying but in all fairness, this nag -can- be disabled on a per user basis.

I'd agree in saying that sometimes a prompt like this is important. Sure, it's a good thing to ask when you want to open up a partitioning tool, but to change the date and time? To make matters worse, any time such a prompt pops up the entire screen dims while only this window box remains in focus. While this doesn't seem like a big problem, it can happen when you are least expecting it. Because of this, it can be headache inducing after having it happen a few times... at least with me personally.

My solution to this is a new question at the installation screen.

1. Are you a noob?
   
2. 1) Yes, please.
   
3. 2) No, I am experienced.
   
4. 3) I hax Windows.
   
5. 4) Doesn't Paris Hilton have a Linux distro?
   

Depending on your answer, it would change various options to cater to what type of user you are. If you are experienced, you shouldn't need to be asked to perform various functions. Chances are good that you know full well what you are doing.

Okay, okie everyone First look viewer update:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/02/20/first-look-render-pipeline-update-58185-available/

If you wish to read what I worte it's in the feedback details on that LL update. Under Buck Dean.

I've also done a little research today. I'm thinking needs to have supported drivers for OpenGL support. For under windows vista I believe this is being worked but yet I don't know. The last known update for my drivers were Nov. 2006

Let's see what happens cause I'm going through SL withdrawal here lol

No go with the Catalyst 7.1 driver set SL crashes when trying to load the login screen, just like the regular SL client.

Buddy I take it you have a ATI driver to?


Yeah man I know what you mean but for me it's different error messages. At least with the first look viewer, I feel as if I have options with it.

Like for my error message I'm told that my video drivers are unsupported? right.
So this is what I did I went ahead and opened a online chat with HP/ compaq.

They think something with the motherboard needs to be installed some type of driver.
Well I tried downloading and installing it but it got corrupted so there going to try and fix that at there end!

They told me to get back too them within a few days to try again. I'm a bit worrie about trying new porgrams on this new OS right now. I don't want to download a driver that might cause it harm.

I hope after LL get's this first look running the way they want it to, that they'll start on a whole new one just for baby, Vista


Buck Dean

No go with Catalyst 7.2 either. No banana, no way. kthxbye

What kind of video card do you have? Mine's a ATI...

for me my mind is working on over time, on this problem that is.

Ati Radeon X1600 Mobility, but every Catalyst user has the same problems under Vista. The OpenGL drivers are just broken.

as far as i understand its a sl + ati's openGL implementation, cuz i heard some folks were able to play other games that use OpenGL so...

Now that I think of it I thought the OpenGL deal should be good SL, dose something to support the drivers but I could be wrong.

Buck Dean

Okay yeah will see what happens, I guess. Just hang in there cause I'm not giving up my ship yet! Good thing I didn't buy land yet

Alright this is Log 2-21-07,

Happy to report that my ATI drivers have been completely updated to run under Windows Vista home basic,

But I'm not out of the woods yet all. I'm now getting a new eror. My SL logon window crashs just after it opens. Not to worry though cause the crash logger pops up offering to send info, too LL

I know it's not much to go on right now but it's a huge step!

For those with windows Vista wanting to update there drivers go to, http://secondlife.com/community/drivers.php

Once there you will be able to find a possible match for your video drivers.

End log....


Buck Dean

Just installed Vista and my main worry was will SL work on it. I noticed everyone having probs with Vista & SL, but it worked for me. I didnt do any changing to AGP settings or anything. Just installed and was back into buisness.

My PC Specs
AMD Sempron 3100+ 64 bit
1279mb Memory
64 bit Vista Home Premium
Geforce 6600

yea, you should be ok, you are running an nVidia card, the bulk of the problems have been with Vista and ATI cards

Yeah those darn ATI cards darn right!

Just a following up that I still haven't been able to login yet. I'm thinking it's SL now or my video card needs a little fine tuneing, yet! I have found that it has a trace of an erorr.
The card I mean. All have to be doing some thinking on how I plan to take care of this.

Latters,

P.S. I will return...

Buck Dean

I wasn't having much luck with my Geforce 7900 GTO. Every 10 minutes or so my driver would crash and Vista would recover it - if I was in SL everything would go black and SL would hang. Also, sound drivers for anything by Creative are pretty bad as well. To keep a long story short, I had to switch back to XP until the drivers catch up to the OS.