Originally posted by Unregistered I have windows 2000 installed on my laptop with an ATI Radeon 7500 graphics card

Uh-oh...laptop.

but when I try to run VDMS for settlers 2 it comes up with an error:

"OUTER MAIN LOOP ERROR! No VESA-Driver found!!"

Using "Quick Search" (near the top of the page):

showthread.php?threadid=598&highlight=SETTLERS
showthread.php?threadid=1338&highlight=SETTLERS

A couple people seem to have claimed to get it up and working:
showthread.php?threadid=1500&highlight=SETTLERS
showthread.php?threadid=1835&highlight=SETTLERS

1) I would like to know where I can find a compatible VESA driver for my graphics card.

2) I would like to know how to install this driver without damaging my existing graphics settings. Basically I only want the VESA driver to kick in when specifically requested by a DOS program in VDMSound and not at any other time.

What complicates matters is that Win2K handles VESA differently from DOS. The kind of driver they are talking about almost never works properly in Win2K or XP. Also, some DOS titles have specific compatibility issues with laptop displays (like Albion, also made by BlueByte).

Hrrmm. Maybe running it with NOLFB might help...Any experience with using NOLFB?

Thank you for your reply, unfortunately I don't have any experience with NOLFB.

I have found a generic SVGA driver for Windows 3.1, would this solve the problem? I would like to append this driver to my current driver and not replace the current one. I am concerned that if I try to install it will corrupt my existing drivers.

Regards

Stephen

~heh~
Okay. Are you running Windows 3.1? No? THEN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT INSTALL A DRIVER FROM IT. Simple computing sense, do not try to use a driver for a different version of *!*@* unless you want to reformat your system. Sorry for being harsh and blatant, but, uh, DUH!

What you are asking is not possible and demonstrates that you do not understand enough about your system to be asking such a question, no matter how harsh that sounds.

To give a similiar analogy to your request to mix a Win 3.1 SVGA driver with your Win2K video driver when you feel the need, that would be as would the following:

You really like the power and responsiveness of your V-8 NorthStar engine powered Cadillac, but you occasionally have to drive to your mother-in-laws to make your wife happy. However, since you do not like making such visits, you want your local mechanic to temporarily remove the NorthStar V-8 engine and bolt on a VW Beetle four cylinder engine to your Cadillac so that your financial outlays from gasoline usage would be minimal for those uncomfortable unavoidable "visits". Oh, and put the NorthStar V-8 engine back in afterwards... Of course your local mechanic tells you in the nicest possible way that the world you are living in is not the real one the rest of us inhabit.

You see, the VW Beetle four-cylinder engine was NOT meant to to mated to a Cadillac engine bay and transmission, any more than a video driver from a previous Windows version or another video adapter would be expected to work in Windows 2000.

Either you find a Win2K driver that supports VESA modes that you desire, or you go without under Win2K.

dvwjr

Err...I think the previous two posts cover the Windows 3.1 driver question...soooo...back to Settlers2.

Everything found indicates that the problem is directly related to specific hardware. Here are your options:

1) Try SciTech Display Doctor v7.0 Beta

Be aware that this program is not for the feint-hearted. It's highly technical and it's a Beta. A scary combination.

2) Set up a dual-boot with Windows 98.

This is also not for the feint-hearted and quite technical.

Either method will almost certainly require that you bring in a local "expert" (that you can trust) to do this for you. Also, as I mentioned before some DOS titles have specific compatibility issues with Laptop displays, so neither of these methods guarantees success.

Running it in "Virtual PC" might be a third option. I'll have to check and get back with you.

Win2k and VESA driver problem...

Try to run in fullscreen mode. (Yes, it was me who posted about fullsceen yesterday...) There is an option in the launchpad I've heard.

/Charlii

Originally posted by Unregistered Win2k and VESA driver problem...

Try to run in fullscreen mode.

That won't help. The problem isn't him starting in a window (mine started in a window and ran fine), the problem is that it refuses to see his video as VESA compatible. This (primarily) has to do with the way an NT Operating System handles VESA.

BTW, I tested "Settlers II" in Virtual PC v5.1 (running DOS 6) and it seems to run fine (slight, occasional clipping of audio).

Ok, it works fine for you, but that doesn't mean that it can't be the problem. All I'm saying is that enable Basic VESA Support in the launchpad is so much easier that anything you've said. If it doesn't help he has lost five minutes of his life for nothing, but I think he'll survive...

btw, I have bad experiences from using Display Doctor on fixed-resolution flatscreens. They often give a "resolution out of range" error.

/Charlii

I've been searching so much to get an issue :

At ATI's, in the Support section, it is said : some Radeon Grafic Boards are not fully OLD O.S. compliant !

Unless otherwise yours fully supports old display standards... in this case updating your Win 2K could help.
So
- look for Win 2000 Service Packs and get them all !
- ATI - Full Screen DOS games go out of sync on some systems (click here)
- get the ATI - DOS INSTALL Utility (click here) and see if it fits your board...
- ATI - Embedded Display Group Software Support Matrix (click here)
- read at ATI's their GAME ISSUES !

Specificly about Settler2 :
- This game needs to run under "pure" DOS in your case.
- Have you read the Settlers II README.TXT ?
- Have you been to the BluByte site (click here) ?
From there you could find some Settlers forums and who knows...

Last you could manualy alter the SETUP.INI within the S2GOLD or SETTLER2 folder. But you have to know what you are doing otherwise you'd have to re-install the game.
Make a copy of it before any "home cooking"...
Have a look at mine :
[SYSTEM]
VESA=Y
FPU=Y
SOURCE_PATH=.\
LANGUAGE=2
EDIT_SCREEN=2
[VESA]
MODE_1024x768x16.2M=Y
MODE_800x600x16.2M=Y
MODE_640x480x16.2M=Y
MODE_1024x768x64k=Y
MODE_800x600x64k=Y
MODE_640x480x64k=Y
MODE_1024x768x32k=Y
MODE_800x600x32k=Y
MODE_640x480x32k=Y
MODE_1024x768x256=Y
MODE_800x600x256=Y
MODE_640x480x256=Y
MODE_640x400x256=Y
MEMORY=2359296
VESA_VERSION_SUBNUMBER=0
VESA_VERSION_NUMBER=2
OEM=STB

Read you soon somewhere on the web 😁 😉

Originally posted by Unregistered Ok, it works fine for you, but that doesn't mean that it can't be the problem.

My point was that the problem had to do with hardware incompatibility rather than the startup method.

Having said that, I did dig up an earlier post that I had thought ended in failure, but it actually ended with a lack of response from the user:
showthread.php?threadid=598&highlight=Settlers

Apparently he was able to bypass the VESA error, but then came across a port problem. Unfortunately, that was a GeForce2 (as opposed to the Radeon chipset) so I'm not sure how relevant it may be here.

This person fixed their port problem without specifying how. Hazarding a guess, this may be like the port error messages seen in "System Shock", which were caused by BIOS-disabled ports. Enabling them in the BIOS fixed that problem.

All I'm saying is that enable Basic VESA Support in the launchpad is so much easier that anything you've said.

Well I'm not saying it to make his life more complicated. I'm saying it because those three methods have the best chance of success with his present hardware. Although the first two require a major effort and the third costs real money (except for the time-limited demo).

btw, I have bad experiences from using Display Doctor on fixed-resolution flatscreens. They often give a "resolution out of range" error.

That's why I said Be aware that this program is not for the feint-hearted. It's highly technical and it's a Beta. A scary combination. Some swear by it, others swear at it.