can you please get 1.9 back

Hi DB,
You gotta see it from there perspective also. They get a lot of complaints from people who didn't read or choose to ignore that warning and the requirements on the website. So they have to spend time on going through crash reports/emails/phone calls/forum posts from unsupported hardware which weren’t suppose to work right with SL to begin with. If they just blocked them from SL it would cut down on a lot of this which they already warned people about. There is no doubt you are right about some with unsupported / incompatible hardware and getting to work, you are proof. Also there are a bunch of people who meet the requirements and still crash, doing this would help Linden Labs focus on those better and may even get it resolved quicker in my opinion. Just my opinion though, they could have different reasons but those make sense to me.

okay this new update today has TOTALLY locked my system out of sl.. its like would you attempt to run sl even if your going to crash so.. of course.. I click yes then again another window pops up saying, well... your graphics card is unsupported shutting down.... sooooooooo ummmm....... if I don't go out and buy a new pc (I use a laptop) I can't play SL anymore? so... should I just shut down my island now or.....what...? heh... Yeah I really want the option to play.... this is not a good move. I just bought this pc!

If you only just bought it and it's incompatable then I'm guessing you bought one not suited to gaming. Do you happen to have the make/model/spec to hand?

not the best pc in the world but its not bad!!! Its a laptop capable of rendering. Processor Intel Pentium M 1731MHz
Display Card Intel(R) Mobile 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Family
Memory 512MB
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP (JAPANESE VERSION)
Display Card Memory 128MB
Display Driver Version 6.14.10.4332
DirectX Version 9.0c
Optical Drive CD/DVD
Sound Card Realtek HD Audio output

Display Card Intel(R) Mobile 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Family

^not compitable with SL, youll have huge issues with that one,

Unsupported laptop graphics cards:

� nVidia: Riva TNT
� ATI: Mobility Radeon 7000 and 7500, 320M and 340M
� Intel: All Intel Extreme graphics


Lee Linden
I'm actually curious for residents' opinions... would it be better to continue to allow unsupported cards to attempt to run SL, knowing that most will crash, and the few that don't will likely be unusable in the future? Or would it be better to detect these cards and absolutely refuse to run SL under them?

Let them get a popup notifying them, it might work, but not supported, its easy to get burned "it works now" next update or a few later, boom it wont, so they will only trick themself in the end having a unsupported card.

"Launch Secondlife on your own risk, knowing your video card is not supported" sounds like a bomb threat

Yes I'm aware that my system is not compatable however SL is telling me that I can't run it and there is no available fix. If I enter and crash or my pc blows up thats a risk I'm willing to take.. but this new update is completely shutting my pc out. It says my graphic drivers are unsupported.. well.. my graphics CARD isn't but I updated to the latest directX driver...

This is how it goes:

1. Click SL icon
2. SL opens up a popup that says my graphics card is unsupported, however it says I may run second life at my own risk. I, of course click Yes.
3. Another popup follows directly after saying 'unable to run second life because your videocard drivers are outdated, or unsupported' there is only an OK option to click... so.. I click it.
4. Little sl window thingy pops up saying 'shutting down' (SL)
5. Gets angry and posts on forum.

LOL there you have it..

Yep definatly looks like the changes have finally hit a point where unsupported cards no longer work.

Trust me the changes ARE an improvement. There where tons of issues with the previous graphics engines, in fact I think the reason it worked on cards like yours is because it probably hit the CPU hard and used software solutions for stuff that should have been hardware.

Now they've corrected tht deficiency I'm guessing they're using hardware features that just don't exist on the ancient graphics cards.

Hmmm.. so.. what.. is.. this an error.. this is not funny ^^;;; I dont have money for a new pc and I cant install a new card in to this laptop...................... um.. I have an island and friends and.. well you know... its not an easy thing to hear 'your unsupported so go away' hm. Well... any suggestions? ^^;;;

And many supported cards no longer work acceptably.
Not for my nVidia fx5600.

I don't think anyone is saying go away, however when people play 'games' it's a fact that from time to time upgrades are needed. Go's with the hobby. Sadly people running laptops have the hardest time, those with PC's with unsupported cards face a £100 tops upgrade to get supported. Laptop owners are nearer £500 .

As for the guy with the fx5600, wht issues are you having?

For me I've been able to turn on lighting, fire up stuff like AA, AF etc. and finally get the whole game to run reliably at a decent FPS with all the effects activated.

Doesn't look like you do meet the requirements Leyla, maybe asking for peoples specs arent such a bad idea now.

You're absolutely correct. If you don't meet Minimum System Requirements, SL won't run. There is no fix. That's why they're Requirements.

There's no hidden code there that says "we're running Intel, close out now!" We're doing just what you want; we try to run anyway. The problem is, we say "draw this" and Intel Graphics says "omg I can't draw that blargh" and crashes, or quits, or otherwise bails out.



We're currently focused on improving performance and stability, and reducing crashes, for people who do meet those Minimum System Requirements. We certainly hope to add more of the features that were in Preview, but getting crash rates back to a happier level is a priority. I'd hate to see time and focus taken away to make a separate executable specifically for incompatible hardware, if it means people with compatible hardware have to wait longer for a crash fix. Making two flavors of SL just sounds unnecessarily complicated, as well.

We're not against helping residents with incompatible hardware, but helping residents with compatible hardware has to be first.

hehe erm errr *counts on fingers* $600ish?

Remember also this is a price for a NEW system, on a budget a second hand system suitable for SL can be got for less. For example :-

AMD Athlon XP 2000 (or thereabouts) CPU
ATI 9600/9700/9800 Graphics
1 gig Ram

Could probably be picked up second hand one of those for $300 or less.

Okay so this IS an error.... SL is saying my video driver is out of date but I updated it. It IS locking me out, I'm not saying I can't log in or I log in and crash, there is no SL, the program will not open. I get a message telling me to update my card and then SL shuts down. Is this supposed to be like this?

This thread may also be useful for anyone who hasn't seen it already.

Truthfully, I think they should just put in the code to totally deny older cards from even trying to boot the game. Not only that, but I think they should send a virus that overloads the video card and destroys it.

Why would I say such a horrible thing??

Because I don't want to see Second Life's evolution stopped by whining young-buns who don't have a job and mommy and daddy wont buy them a 100$ video card.

Oh my god!!! Mommy come quick, this game that has said it won't run with my video card for THREE YEARS actually won't run with it now, I need a ba-ba and a burping!!;_;


If you are running a Radeon 7000, and you have a source of income, and you are saying you can't upgrade or, better yet, DONT WANT TO. Then you should simply take a pencil, or more likely easily available, a crayon, and shove it up your nose, into your brain, and die.

Satori, to do so would make LL open to legal ramafications (with regard to the virus anyway). Also keep in mind that SL is suposidly only for 18 and over. So kids are not supose to be here anyway. So one has to assume they are a adult. I do agree however that one can't expect a old unsupported card to work forever and you can't complain about it when SL suddenly does not work with it. I will grant you that. But many times it does work anyway and you shouldn't just lock people out. There are cards that are "supported" that don't work. Just like there are "unsupported" cards that do work. And there are even some "unsupported" cards that work BETTER than "supported" ones. Crazy I know but it is true.

I can certainly understand the position they are in. Some people do not have a lot of money to throw around at new video cards for SL every six months or so (if they want great frame rates anyway). Do I want the improvment of SL to stop? No. However I do think that new versions should be better tested (and to listen to the residents that are helping LL test) in the case of the latest upgrade. But that is the subject of another thread.

One other thing to keep in mind, sometimes people save up to buy a new card only to find out it won't work well with SL, their motherboard or both. So upgrading is not always as easy as it is often made out. Not to mention many wouldn't know HOW to upgrade even if they have the means or too spooked to try. So there are other reasons. Granted some may have the means, the knowledge, and are just being stubborn/anoying. But I still think the pencil method is a bit harsh. I would rather suggest they find something else that will run on their current hardware.

-DB