Client won't launch

Hi all,
I have been using Second Life successfully on my laptop for about 6 months. A week ago or there abouts I deleted the client from my harddrive. Last night I decided to download it again. However, when I try to launch the client, it starts detecting hardware and then the process simply ends a few seconds later. I have made no changes to my system since last time I used Second Life.

Any ideas what might be behind this?

Just posted on the 'current version' thread. Wondering if it's a Vista issue as the same happened to me but I can still get in, with the new version, on an old XP pc. Have submitted support tickets but heard nothing. 10 days now, which is not good. Any of this ring true for you?

Possibly due to one of the recent updates to Vista in that case. I've been using it fine on Vista until recently too. I still call that an SL problem though, since it's LL's responsibility to make their software compatible with popular operating systems, and not the other way around. And yes, it works on my XP desk top just fine.

is vista really popular? i thought people accepted it only after being forced to use it

anywho, other things to consider, what is your video card?

cause i just ran SL perfectly fine on vista last night

Hm - my video card is Nvidia GeForce 7950 GT with the latest drivers. Makes no odds really as there's certainly nothing so slick on the old PC! I checked all my updates and there had been nothing for a couple of weeks prior to this glitch so who knows. I like Vista actually, nice OS, smooth, shiny, with a better interface. Ya pays your money....!

What version of Vista? Mine's Premium.

My video card is the same ATI XPress 1200 I have been using all along. I have run SL successfully for 6 months on this laptop until a week ago.

So it runs on Vista for you but not for me; our graphics cards are up to date and punchy - and anyway, the one on my old computer is lower spec but works - and there haven't been any updates post installation. Guess it's up to the Linden lab then. Finally got a reply from them - they closed the ticket because I'd been in SL even though I said I was accessing via an old PC. Opened it again...!

Keep at them, and post here if you get a response. It's really starting to get on my nerves. If I were paying for it, I'd have cancelled my account by now

Conan, have you tried a clean deinstall of SL? How did you delete it in the first place?

Yes, I've done it over and over and over again. And then again for good luck.

... with a shamrock and a rabbit's foot for good measure! Last night though I downloaded a whole lot of stuff I had no idea about but came from Nvidia and got as far as the logging in screen. Tantalizing frozen SL images and an unmoving teleport bar - Aaaargh! Trying again in a minute or so - watch out for mushroom cloud over UK....

Just to make sure-with "clean" I mean the kind of deinstall where you remove every last little bit by hand, even from the registry, after a normal deinstall. There must be some instructions around the knowledge base for that too.

However, a few more downloads - possibly of the same stuff - and I actually got in last night. Had to do a re-start first but heck. Fingers crossed for another successful login later today! Not sure I could say I had a solution though.

Finally made it, possibly due to downloading everything associated with my graphics card and keeping at it until it gave in! Came back in stages: detecting hardware (crash), then loading software (crash), then intialising (crash), then the login screen and - heck - almost a successful entry (crash) and finally the real deal. Even then, it would only launch after a re-boot and without Outlook 2007 running but now it launches fine whatever else is open and even the new version works. So - just keep at it til your fingers bleed and throw every upgrade at your graphics card!