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Win2k, DX9, problems and attempted fixes


DrGoatcabin

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I've recently bought Grim Fandango and can't get it to run.

My OS is Windows 2000 SP4.

I have DirectX 9.0c and Radeon 9800 Catalyst 8.08-041111a.

AMD Athlon 64 3200+

I successfully complteted the full installation and have installed the 1.01 patch.

 

When running the Grim Fandango Launcher (Grim.exe), I click the 'Play Grim Fandango' button and get an immediate application error -

 

"The instruction at 0x00000000" referenced memory at "0x00000000". The memory could not be read."

 

I notice that there is an application compatibility update for Grim Fandango, which I think was introduced in one of the Windows 2000 service packs.

I've run the Compatibility Administrator Tool 3.0, selected 'Grim Fandango' Applications list in the System Database and there appear to be 4 different sets of fixes -

Grim.exe: CorrectFilePaths

Grim.exe: CorrectFilePaths

Grimfandango.exe: EmulateHeap

Syscheck.exe: Win98VersionLie

 

None of these fixes work and result in the same crash shown above. I wonder whether they were intended for use with version 1.0 rather than 1.01.

 

Running the syscheck.exe fix with syscheck.exe on the CD (D:\INSTALL\Syscheck.exe) passes all tests, whereas without the fix, running syscheck on the CD results in a dialog saying "Unable to read the data off the CD.", but still passes all test except the "CD-ROM speed" test (indicated by a '------' instead of 'Passed'), but it still says "Your computer is qualified to play Grim Fandango".

 

Now, if I set up a dummy application fix of my own in the Application Compatibility Administrator tool with just the 'Win2000VersionLie', which shouldn't affect anything (it doesn't seem to matter which of the 132 fixs I choose), when I run Grim.exe with this dummy fix and click 'Play Grim Fandango' instead of crashing with the above exception, I get a dialog asking me to install DirectX 6 drivers. I click 'ReInstall DirextX' and get told that it is installed correctly but I get taken back to the "Grim Fandango DirectX Setup" dialog, which only lets me install or cancel.

 

If I run the 'dxdiag.exe' in the installation directory, the 'DirectX Diagnostic Tool' starts up then shows me an error -

 

"DxDiag Error"

"Error: Problem getting extra display info (result code = 0x88760231)"

 

Also, the dxdiag tool indicates several files are missing -

ddraw16.dll

ddrawex.dll

ddraw.vxd

ddhelp.exe

dxapi.sys

dinput.vxd

vjoyd.vxd

msanalog.vxd

gchand.dll

dxsetup.exe

dsetup.dll

dsetup16.dll

dsetup32.dll

 

Running the dxdiag in the grim fandango game install folder (DxDiag 4.06.00.0318) -

Display 1 -

DirectDraw: Successful

Direct3D: Successful

Display 2 -

DirectDraw: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231

Direct3D: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231

Display 3 -

DirectDraw: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231

Direct3D: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231

 

When I run grim.exe (launcher) through the Application Compatibility Tool with a dummy fix I think that it must be doing something like running the dxdiag tool, which indicates that directx 6 isn't supported.

I get the impression that either Grim Fandango is trying to use DirectX in a way in which 'directx 9.0c's backwards compatibility doesn't support or that directx's claimed backwards compatibility is simply not true, or that the latest ATi Catalyst drivers no longer support the interface required by directx 6.

If directx 9 isn't bacwards compatible with 6 and the game code is written so that it doesn't actually check to see whether it is has got a valid directx surface/resource/whatever before trying to use it, then that may explain the -

"The instruction at 0x00000000" referenced memory at "0x00000000"

exception above.

 

Next, I tried to remove directx9 (using DirectX Buster 2.1 beta 4).

After removing dx9, windows asked to restore directx from the original win2k installation disc, which I did. I also ran a directx 7 installation program from one of my games, to ensure 7 was full installed.

Running the dxdiag.exe (4.07.00.0700) that comes with this DX7 installation produces the following problems -

"The procedure entry point GetAliasedVidMem could not be located in the dynamic link library DDRAW.dll"

"Error: Problem getting extra display info, result code = 0x88760231 (unknown error)"

"DxDiag has detected that there may have been a problem accessing DirectSound the last time this program was used..."

However, in the files list, all the expected files are present apart from ddrawex.dll.

Running the tests, I get -

Display 1 -

DirectDraw: Successful

Direct3D: Failure at step 17 (Query for D3D): HRESULT = 0x80004002 (No interface)

Display 2 -

DirectDraw: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231 (unknown error)

Direct3D: Failure at step 3 (DirectDrawCreate): HRESULT = 0x88760231 (unknown error)

 

If I run dxdiag that in the grim fandango game directory (4.06.00.0318), still with DX7 installed, I still get a list of missing files -

ddraw16.dll

ddrawex.dll

ddraw.vxd

ddhelp.exe

dxapi.sys

dsound.vxd

dinput.vxd

vjoyd.vxd

msanalog.vxd

gchand.dll

dxsetup.exe

dsetup.dll

dsetup16.dll

dsetup32.dll

 

but now, when I run the Display tests, I get -

 

Display 1 -

DirectDraw: Successful

Direct3D: Successful (software only)

Display 2 -

DirectDraw: Successful

Direct3D: Successful (software only)

Display 3 -

DirectDraw: Successful

Direct3D: Successful (software only)

 

The sound tests work.

 

But then I go back to trying to run the game from Grimfandango.exe, from the launcher, and through the application compatibility toolkit, with no success; all results are identical to the ones described earlier.

I've tried reducing my desktop to 640x480x16 to no effect.

The one thing I haven't yet tried is using an earlier version of the ATi Catalyst display drivers.

 

I know the system requirements for the game state Win95/98, but even with all Win98 compatibility fixes in the application compatibility toolkit enabled, I get the same crash. I also know, from reading a few forums, that several people have been able to get the game to work under Win2k and XP.

Has anyone seen this problem before or have any ideas as to what I might try to get the game working?

 

Thanks

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still no luck.

It doesn't appear to be a graphics card (driver) issue. I swapped out my Radeon 9800 for a Geforce 4 and got exactly the same crash.

 

I also tried playing on a different machine (Win2k SP4, DX9c, Intel) and it worked... although I can't play it because that's my work machine :(

 

So, the only significant differences I can think of are Intel P4 vs my AMD 64 and sound card differences.

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