Can anybody help me?

[Skywalker82]

If I start Civ3 it freezes before the intro starts. I use a 15" analog monitor, with 60Hz refresh rate, max resolution 1024x768.
Computer config:
P4-2GHz
Abit Siluro Geforce 4 Ti 4200 Tv-out
512 MB DDR RAM
SB Live! 5.1 Player

I tried a 17" monitor and it worked fine.
I tried to play on two monitors (one was the 15" and the other was 17"), it worked fine, the 15" monitor showed the same picture as the 17" monitor. I don't know how it is possible.
I need help to get it work properly on the 15" monitor without the use of other monitors.
Can somebody help me???

 

[ainwood]

Is the 15" monitor an "old" one? Does everything else work OK on the 15" monitor?

 

[Chieftess]

What kind of monitor is the old one? Does it support the resolution needed? What is its' max. resolution?

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Originally posted by Skywalker82

I tried to play on two monitors (one was the 15" and the other was 17"), it worked fine, the 15" monitor showed the same picture as the 17" monitor.

If it worked fine, I'm not sure if I really understand the problem or the question. Your description here seems to be normal.

What am I missing?

 

[Skywalker82]

The type is KFC. The monitor is old type.
All other programs are running corretly.
The max res is i think 1024x768.

To Cartouche Bee:
I tried it with two monitors at the same time.
Clone mode in nWIEW.

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Using 2 monitors would be great but there would be more than a few technical problems.

I not sure about the vVidia - nView but "Clone mode" would imply that both monitors would display the same thing. (which was your result)

You want to setup the dual monitors so that you have an option to select monitor orientation, that way when you are in "normal" windows you can drag windows from one monitor over to the other monitor in a somewhat seamless fashion.

However, the problem is the DOS like implementation of DirectX. I believe that even if you have your system set up to function correctly under windows with 2 monitors that you would at best only be able to play the game on the primary monitor. That mode of DirectX really is not a fully compliant windows system and that is why Civ does not play in a window, it's basically a hack to permit higher level graphics (not that civ actually presses the envelop here) without the encumbrances of windows.

Your original post implied that when you tried to start the game with the 15" monitor attached alone that the game would crash (stop responding). When you have only a single monitor attached have you tried starting the game with the 17" monitor, getting past the movie and start playing the game, then unhook the 17 inch and attach the 15 inch monitor? This may help you determine if the monitor is capable of handling the output of the game once it starts.

 

[Skywalker82]

I got no problem to run civ3 or something else on two monitors the same time in clone mode. They displayed the same thing and correctly.

I have tried to start the game when clone mode was set and the 17" monitor was attached too. It works fine. Then I unplugged the 17" and played only on the 15" it worked fine. (17" monitor was used as boot monitor to start the game. )

Originally posted by Cartouche Bee

When you have only a single monitor attached have you tried starting the game with the 17" monitor, getting past the movie and start playing the game, then unhook the 17 inch and attach the 15 inch monitor?

No I haven't tried yet.

 

[Cartouche Bee]

As long as you use the "clone mode" you will get the exact same picture on both monitors.

So what exactly would you like to be able to do?

I was under the impression that you want to have the 17" as your boot monitor and the 15" for playing civ.

 

[Kenshin]

You sure you have the correct monitor.inf file on there? Make sure its not a plug and play monitor. The game shouldn't "lock" if its a monitor problem, it should just blink your monitor off and/or display a message saying "out of synch" or "out of range" etc. So, try at least changing the monitor driver to be a 'super vga 1024 x 768'. If that doesn't do anything, add "Refresh=60" to your civilization3.ini file and see if that does anything to help.

 

[Kenshin]

You sure you have the correct monitor.inf file on there? Make sure its not a plug and play monitor. The game shouldn't "lock" if its a monitor problem, it should just blink your monitor off and/or display a message saying "out of synch" or "out of range" etc. So, try at least changing the monitor driver to be a 'super vga 1024 x 768'. If that doesn't do anything, add "Refresh=60" to your civilization3.ini file and see if that does anything to help.

 

[Skywalker82]

It doesn't says a message like "out of synch". It simply freeze. I can't get back to windows and then I have only one option and that is to reset my comp.
I tried already to add 'Refresh=60' to the ini file. I tried also change to super vga 1024x768. I have set the driver from an other type of KFC monitor ( KFC-CA17 ). This type is the nearest type of the monitor I have. I will buy a new monitor if I will have enough money for it.

 

[Kingpin]

I use a dual monitor system to run Civ3 with no problems. It runs only on the primary monitor. It does sound like Civ3 is trying to use a refresh rate which your monitors cannot handle. I had that problem at first, too. Refresh=60 helped, though. You did put that in the Civilization3.ini file, right?

 

[suchomimus]

Wrong path, boys. Just one more step down that road, though -- nVidia released a new (and massive) driver install file a couple of days ago. Also, I was unaware that Kentucky Fried Chicken made monitors.
.
Skywalker, your new path to Civ3 enlightenment starts at your sound card. The SB-Live! was all that when it was new. Lately it has been lambasted in many techie resources and blamed for crashing many newer games, even with Creatives latest drivers.
Even an old SB-16 may eliminate the gags. Do you have another sound card to swap in? . . . . .Love, Darth.

 

[cavemanf16]

Civ3 requires DirectX 8.0a to run, and Civ3 PtW requires DirectX 8.1 to run. If you are indeed stuck on DirectX 5, you should upgrade it. support.microsoft.com has the direct download of DirectX 8.1 for ya.