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New Computer...and now SL crashes on it before the log in page pops up
Trishy Bookmite
Registered User
Join date: 15 Jul 2008
Posts: 14
02-10-2009 15:40
I just bought a new computer
Dell XPS with Core i7-920
Windows Vista 64-bit
ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics

I installed SL but i can not get it to run. The program crashes before the log in screen even loads. i have checked my security settings, my drivers, the display, everything that I can think of that might be getting in the way. Does anyone here have any ideas that could help me?

Thanks.
Ghosty Kips
Elora's Llama
Join date: 2 May 2008
Posts: 2,386
02-10-2009 16:22
From: Trishy Bookmite
I just bought a new computer
Dell XPS with Core i7-920
Windows Vista 64-bit
ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics

I installed SL but i can not get it to run. The program crashes before the log in screen even loads. i have checked my security settings, my drivers, the display, everything that I can think of that might be getting in the way. Does anyone here have any ideas that could help me?

Thanks.


Downgrade to XP. :)

Seriously though, aside from a fresh install of the OS - not the Dell recover disc, an actual fresh install - I'd contact support on this, esp. if you're a premium member so you can get some voice support. Without being able to look into your system to see what the matter might be, I'm almost willing to blame Vista outright, however.
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Phil Deakins
Prim Savers = low prims
Join date: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 9,537
02-10-2009 16:30
I run SL fine on both my Vista machines.
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Qie Niangao
Coin-operated
Join date: 24 May 2006
Posts: 7,138
02-10-2009 16:31
Does anyone know where Vista hides the log files? If they can be located, they may give a clue about what the viewer is trying to do when it crashes.

My hunch is something with the graphics drivers. Might be worth searching the jira for 4850-specific troubles. (This thread may be relevant, or outdated: /327/1f/298023/1.html.)
Kornscope Komachi
Transitional human
Join date: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 1,041
02-10-2009 16:32
Can programs be run in a terminal/console in windows, with a debug option even?
It may help to see what is spits out when it crashes.

Though it does seem like a graphics issue when this happens.
DirectX maybe.
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Trishy Bookmite
Registered User
Join date: 15 Jul 2008
Posts: 14
02-10-2009 17:00
i am sure that it is not Vista, even though i like XP better (BTW...XP is no longer available for sale). Most of my RL friends on SL and my SL friends have Vista and SL works fine. I made sure that this graphics card would support online gaming, and since I had an intel extreme graphics card on my last comp ( i was on SL, but limited to where I could go and what i could see) that was 7 years old, i don't know why this one would crash.
Alvaro Zapatero
O.o
Join date: 7 Jun 2008
Posts: 650
02-10-2009 17:03
Shoulda bought a Mac.
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Butch Pinion
Registered User
Join date: 21 May 2007
Posts: 39
Not Vista
02-10-2009 17:05
Although I do like XP better, don't think it's Vista, more likely the graphics drivers. I had some troubles with my Vista Machine and SL. Have a Nvida 8700. updated the drivers ans problems solved.
Trishy Bookmite
Registered User
Join date: 15 Jul 2008
Posts: 14
02-10-2009 17:09
updated the drivers
did not solve anything
Anti Antonelli
Deranged Toymaker
Join date: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 1,091
02-10-2009 17:09
Try uninstalling your video drivers then download and install the Catalyst 8.12 drivers (previous version) here:

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/vista64/previous/common/common-cat812-vista64.html

I just got done helping a friend through the exact same issue, apparently Windows Update pushed a new driver version down the pipe recently and it has some issues on some systems. The linked version works fine for me (Vista x64, Radeon HD4870) and fixed up my friend too (Vista x64, Radeon x1950XT).
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Alvaro Zapatero
O.o
Join date: 7 Jun 2008
Posts: 650
02-10-2009 17:10
Update to a Mac... will solve everything.
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SuezanneC Baskerville
Forums Rock!
Join date: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 14,229
02-10-2009 18:23
You could try turning off Aero, in addition to the above mentioned driver.
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Qie Niangao
Coin-operated
Join date: 24 May 2006
Posts: 7,138
02-11-2009 01:37
I expect that Anti's suggestion to downgrade the drivers will either solve the problem or at least be informative. But just in case...
From: Kornscope Komachi
Can programs be run in a terminal/console in windows, with a debug option even?
It may help to see what is spits out when it crashes.
The viewer can certainly be run in "console mode", but AFAIK, that just makes it put to the screen what it always puts in a log file. Anyway, here's how to specify client parameters: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Client_parameters, and "--console true" should get that window on the screen for as long as the client is running, although I think it will disappear when the client crashes.

Stealing from one of SuezanneC's posts, my best guess for logfile location on Vista is
"C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\SecondLife\logs\SecondLife.log".

(No idea why the forums software insists on showing a space between the "g" and the "s" of "logs" in that pathname; it doesn't belong there, but I can't seem to make it go away.)
bilbo99 Emu
Garrett's No.1 fan
Join date: 27 Oct 2006
Posts: 3,468
02-11-2009 02:24
Didn't someone recently have similar and they found switching to Administrator mode worked?
JFI when I started up with this present Vista, I'd got SL working but a subsequent Windows 'update' reduced the resolution to VGA and failed to see my graphics adapter at all. A roll-back sorted that one grr!
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DancesWithRobots Soyer
Registered User
Join date: 7 Apr 2006
Posts: 701
02-11-2009 03:05
From: Alvaro Zapatero
Update to a Mac... will solve everything.


*sigh* This kind of thing should have gone out during the first computer war in the 80's.

Congrats on being my first BB mute.

BTW, I use and professionally maintain Macs, Linux boxes and Windows.
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Alvaro Zapatero
O.o
Join date: 7 Jun 2008
Posts: 650
02-11-2009 06:02
From: DancesWithRobots Soyer
Congrats on being my first BB mute.

WOOHOO!

My first mute!

My moms will be so proud!
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Brenda Connolly
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Join date: 10 Jan 2007
Posts: 25,000
02-11-2009 07:07
Geek Fight!

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