VOGONS


First post, by marianoryu

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Hello, I have a list of old games I'm trying to run (FIFA 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, Army Men RTS, MechCommander 2) on Windows 11.

Most of these games will start, then crash after displaying a black screen. Some others, like Army Men RTS and MechCommander 2, will crash 9 times out of 10, but start normally at the 10th try.

I've been trying to pinpoint the cause of this unsuccessfully for weeks, and know of no other place where I could ask for help.

Thank you very much in advance!

Reply 1 of 15, by giantclam

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Search google for the string 'Guide to Playing Mechcommander 1 and 2 on Modern Systems' ....that only covers Mechcommander but it's a starting point =)

Reply 2 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Primarily you "may" have to paste anything like DDrawCompat or dgVooodoo2 to the game folder

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 3 of 15, by marianoryu

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giantclam wrote on 2023-10-30, 02:54:

Search google for the string 'Guide to Playing Mechcommander 1 and 2 on Modern Systems' ....that only covers Mechcommander but it's a starting point =)

Yes, I have done this, but I run into this issue nonetheless.

BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-10-30, 07:51:

Primarily you "may" have to paste anything like DDrawCompat or dgVooodoo2 to the game folder

I tried both options before making this thread. I generally try to solve my own problems, but there comes a point in which I am well and truly stumped.

I have also tried some of these in several machines (Army Men RTS and the FIFA ones at least), and they worked there with no issue, so it has to be something related to this machine.

Reply 4 of 15, by giantclam

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Can you detail your machine makeup?

Reply 6 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Did you try hooking games to DxWnd?

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 7 of 15, by marianoryu

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BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-10-30, 12:44:

Did you try hooking games to DxWnd?

I'm illiterate regarding DxWnd, I don't really know how to use it (never got any games to work successfully). I would rather avoid it if possible, but if there's no other choice I'll take what I can get.

Reply 8 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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marianoryu wrote on 2023-10-30, 13:50:
BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-10-30, 12:44:

Did you try hooking games to DxWnd?

I'm illiterate regarding DxWnd, I don't really know how to use it (never got any games to work successfully). I would rather avoid it if possible, but if there's no other choice I'll take what I can get.

I guess I have to try getting MechCommander 2 to run with DxWnd first.

Since I maintain that. If it doesn't work, I will check + dgVoodoo2/DDC attached.

Update: Checking MC2 first was a bad idea. I will look for a FIFA game

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Reply 9 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Finally got access to FIFA 2004 game (I don't own 2005, 2006, 2007 so I will have to get it by other means, but let's hope I don't have to):

file.php?mode=view&id=177413

I used DxWnd for it: I launched it, drag and dropped the fifa2004.exe and double-clicked the entry. If that doesn't work, let me know.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 10 of 15, by marianoryu

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BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-10-31, 05:49:
Finally got access to FIFA 2004 game (I don't own 2005, 2006, 2007 so I will have to get it by other means, but let's hope I don […]
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Finally got access to FIFA 2004 game (I don't own 2005, 2006, 2007 so I will have to get it by other means, but let's hope I don't have to):

file.php?mode=view&id=177413

I used DxWnd for it: I launched it, drag and dropped the fifa2004.exe and double-clicked the entry. If that doesn't work, let me know.

Unfortunately, still no luck. I get the black screen and the crash to desktop.

Reply 11 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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marianoryu wrote on 2023-10-31, 23:32:
BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-10-31, 05:49:
Finally got access to FIFA 2004 game (I don't own 2005, 2006, 2007 so I will have to get it by other means, but let's hope I don […]
Show full quote

Finally got access to FIFA 2004 game (I don't own 2005, 2006, 2007 so I will have to get it by other means, but let's hope I don't have to):

file.php?mode=view&id=177413

I used DxWnd for it: I launched it, drag and dropped the fifa2004.exe and double-clicked the entry. If that doesn't work, let me know.

Unfortunately, still no luck. I get the black screen and the crash to desktop.

Logging then. Once you open DxWnd, go to Options in Menu bar and check Extended mode.

Now right click on the FIFA2004 entry in DxWnd and go to the Logs tab and enable the following:
Overwrite
Debug
DxWnd hacks
DirectDraw trace
Direct3D trace
System libs

and post it here.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 12 of 15, by marianoryu

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Here is the DxWnd log, I am adding it as an attachment since posting it in full exceeds the maximum number of allowed characters.

Reply 13 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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marianoryu wrote on 2023-11-04, 00:02:

Here is the DxWnd log, I am adding it as an attachment since posting it in full exceeds the maximum number of allowed characters.

IDirect3D8::GetAdapterIdentifier: adapter=0 flags=0x2
Driver=dgVoodoo DirectX Wrapper
Description=AMD Radeon RX 6800

You didn't remove dgVoodoo2 from your folder. This causes differences in logging, remove dgVoodoo2 and try what I said with these changes:

New changes:

Try changing DirectX/DirectX version hook in DxWnd from Automatic to DirectX8
Change Direct3D (2)/Force Vertex Proc. to Software system or mixed. If neither helps, change it to hardware system

Your log ends in a Vertex buffer creation failure, thus the latter setting. This has been experienced earlier thus I proposed this change.

If it still fails, create a log again with the earlier settings + New changes (force vertex proc=software system/mixed only here) + Compat/Handle exceptions

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Reply 14 of 15, by marianoryu

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I tried software, mixed and hardware, but no luck yet. Here is the log.

Reply 15 of 15, by BEEN_Nath_58

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marianoryu wrote on 2023-11-04, 11:57:

I tried software, mixed and hardware, but no luck yet. Here is the log.

I checked your log, with a bad news. The problem has varying degress of problem:

  1. when I run the game it gets a checkformat=23 (R5G6B5). My driver queries it more than your card does but there are bigger issues. I also get a checkformat=26 (A4R4G4B4) which doesn't even appear on your case at the same point.
  2. My driver even defines a backbuffer format (which on Windows 8+ is always X8R8G8B8). Your case doesn't even talk of this. The game then checks for DEPTHSTENCIL and... your card doesn't even get there.

The good part is your AMD RX6800 has a vendor driver for Direct3D8 (rather than MS D3D9On12).

But the problem could lie somewhere else, so you could have a final look at these:

  • Change DEP settings. By default, it is set to the top setting for "essential Windows programs and services only". Set it to the next option "for all programs and services except those I select", click on Add, add FIFA2004.exe to it and Apply, then restart the PC and then try the game. If it doesn't work, revert to the previous setting. It has helped me once in Diablo game.
  • The last set of settings from DxWnd that could help: Direct3D/Enumerate 16 bit modes + Trim texture formats + DirectX/Version hook - DirectX8 + Set texture pixel format + Video/Initial color - 16BPP + DirectX(2) - Recover exclusive mode error (you may also try once DirectX2/Set minimal caps along with other settings)
  • Make sure Core isolation/Memory integrity is DISABLED in Windows Defender. Else it will make games unplayable, it was enabled by default on my Windows 11.
  • If neither of that works, you'll probably have to announce the problem on dgVoodoo2 forums or DxWnd forums. The former is what I recommend first, you may have to present with a dgVoodoo2 log (to get that, download DbgView and run it and Connect to Local Machine, then run the game with dgVoodoo2's debug build, save whatever text that appears in DbgView and post it to their forums). Remember to change Output API to D3D12 for AMD since D3D11 reportedly has bugs on AMD.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058