GPL + W2K - Help!

Please Help! I was finally persuaded on alt.games.nfs to get GPL (N.B.: for 9.99UKP at HMV (or 3 games for 22UKP)), but it just goes back to desktop after showing the initial splash screen. Spec: IBM Thinkpad A21p/2629-HTG + 128Mb Laptop (PIII 850, 256Mb, 32Gb, ATI Rage Mobility 128 + 16Mb) W2K + Sp1 + DX8a + Hotfix Q280838 + W2K App Compatiblity Update (this installed since first attempt at GPL). What I tried : 1.Installed GPL/ using softdll.dll. 2.Installed 1.2.0.1 patch. + used core.ini.sample as basic core.ini. 3.Installed/tried rastd3d7. & copied right bits to core.ini. 4.Ripped it all out again, installed W2K Compat. Update, & did steps 1-3 again. 5.Installed/tried rastOGL. & copied right bits to core.ini. 6.Installed gpl_cpufix_uk (what the heck - I'll try anything!). 7.Set all core.ini/Communications/disable_* to 0. 8.Upgraded ATI drivers from M6.31.44-T02 to M6.31.77-TO1 Any other suggestions? Anyone else got this going on this laptop? (I've managed to install with no probs on my aging W98/Cel400/128Mb/MatroxG200, but the laptop is faster!) -- Remove guts to reply

Hi Jan, If you find out, please let me know. I've got the Editor of Car & Driver magazine half interested in GPL, but he, too, keeps CTD and nobody seems to know why. The consensus is that it's gotta be driver-related, but I dunno. Have you messed with the BIOS? Stuff like AGP aperature? Keep me posted. --Steve Smith "janS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9g7q2d$qfa$[email hidden]... > Please Help! > > I was finally persuaded on alt.games.nfs to get GPL (N.B.: for 9.99UKP at > HMV (or 3 games for 22UKP)), but it just goes back to desktop aftershowing

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> the initial splash screen. > > Spec: IBM Thinkpad A21p/2629-HTG + 128Mb Laptop > (PIII 850, 256Mb, 32Gb, ATI Rage Mobility 128 + 16Mb) > W2K + Sp1 + DX8a + Hotfix Q280838 + W2K App Compatiblity Update (this > installed since first attempt at GPL). > > What I tried : > 1.Installed GPL/ using softdll.dll. > 2.Installed 1.2.0.1 patch. + used core.ini.sample as basic core.ini. > 3.Installed/tried rastd3d7. & copied right bits to core.ini. > 4.Ripped it all out again, installed W2K Compat. Update, & did steps 1-3 > again. > 5.Installed/tried rastOGL. & copied right bits to core.ini. > 6.Installed gpl_cpufix_uk (what the heck - I'll try anything!). > 7.Set all core.ini/Communications/disable_* to 0. > 8.Upgraded ATI drivers from M6.31.44-T02 to M6.31.77-TO1 > > Any other suggestions? > > Anyone else got this going on this laptop? > > (I've managed to install with no probs on my aging > W98/Cel400/128Mb/MatroxG200, but the laptop is faster!) > -- > Remove guts to reply > >

I got it to run after a hell of a time. It seems the root of the problem was in the core.ini file settings. Lose all lines from the core.ini except the lines added by copying from rastd3d7.txt. This will help eliminate confusion (you can add them later if needed. The core.ini settings needed to be different (tweaked) from what was in My Win 98 machine. The compatiblity update was no help for me. Hope it is not DirectX8 thats the problem. Hope it is not ATI. There have been rumors about both of these. If you want Core.ini settings I have them at home. Reply to author and I should get them to you tonight. Wishing good luck to you. janS wrote in message <9g7q2d$qfa$[email hidden]>...

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>Please Help! > >I was finally persuaded on alt.games.nfs to get GPL (N.B.: for 9.99UKP at >HMV (or 3 games for 22UKP)), but it just goes back to desktop after showing >the initial splash screen. > >Spec: IBM Thinkpad A21p/2629-HTG + 128Mb Laptop >(PIII 850, 256Mb, 32Gb, ATI Rage Mobility 128 + 16Mb) >W2K + Sp1 + DX8a + Hotfix Q280838 + W2K App Compatiblity Update (this >installed since first attempt at GPL). > >What I tried : >1.Installed GPL/ using softdll.dll. >2.Installed 1.2.0.1 patch. + used core.ini.sample as basic core.ini. >3.Installed/tried rastd3d7. & copied right bits to core.ini. >4.Ripped it all out again, installed W2K Compat. Update, & did steps 1-3 >again. >5.Installed/tried rastOGL. & copied right bits to core.ini. >6.Installed gpl_cpufix_uk (what the heck - I'll try anything!). >7.Set all core.ini/Communications/disable_* to 0. >8.Upgraded ATI drivers from M6.31.44-T02 to M6.31.77-TO1 > >Any other suggestions? > >Anyone else got this going on this laptop? > >(I've managed to install with no probs on my aging >W98/Cel400/128Mb/MatroxG200, but the laptop is faster!) >-- >Remove guts to reply > > >

I just remembered... had to add a memory hole at 15-16 MB In Bios settings. Dont remember why, or where but I read this somewhere. It helped. Maybe somebody... John G wrote in message ...

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>I got it to run after a hell of a time. >It seems the root of the problem was in the core.ini file settings. > >Lose all lines from the core.ini except the lines added by copying >from rastd3d7.txt. This will help eliminate confusion (you can add them >later if needed. > >The core.ini settings needed to be different (tweaked) from what was in My >Win 98 machine. > >The compatiblity update was no help for me. > >Hope it is not DirectX8 thats the problem. >Hope it is not ATI. > >There have been rumors about both of these. > >If you want Core.ini settings I have them at home. Reply to author >and I should get them to you tonight. > >Wishing good luck to you. > > > >janS wrote in message <9g7q2d$qfa$[email hidden]>... >>Please Help! >> >>I was finally persuaded on alt.games.nfs to get GPL (N.B.: for 9.99UKP at >>HMV (or 3 games for 22UKP)), but it just goes back to desktop after

showing

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>>the initial splash screen. >> >>Spec: IBM Thinkpad A21p/2629-HTG + 128Mb Laptop >>(PIII 850, 256Mb, 32Gb, ATI Rage Mobility 128 + 16Mb) >>W2K + Sp1 + DX8a + Hotfix Q280838 + W2K App Compatiblity Update (this >>installed since first attempt at GPL). >> >>What I tried : >>1.Installed GPL/ using softdll.dll. >>2.Installed 1.2.0.1 patch. + used core.ini.sample as basic core.ini. >>3.Installed/tried rastd3d7. & copied right bits to core.ini. >>4.Ripped it all out again, installed W2K Compat. Update, & did steps 1-3 >>again. >>5.Installed/tried rastOGL. & copied right bits to core.ini. >>6.Installed gpl_cpufix_uk (what the heck - I'll try anything!). >>7.Set all core.ini/Communications/disable_* to 0. >>8.Upgraded ATI drivers from M6.31.44-T02 to M6.31.77-TO1 >> >>Any other suggestions? >> >>Anyone else got this going on this laptop? >> >>(I've managed to install with no probs on my aging >>W98/Cel400/128Mb/MatroxG200, but the laptop is faster!) >>-- >>Remove guts to reply >> >> >> > > >

I'll check this out Thurs (got no time till then). Instead of trying to fix it last night, I put the TM Ferrari FF wheel on the other box - I'm getting the hang of it (managed at last to consistantly get around silver in the GP Ferrari (with Alison's Neutral setup) without crashing, albeit a bit slow? (~2:05). The box does 36fps with d3d7,800x600 & all settings (except mirrors=car+track) if nothing else is around, down to ~14fps at a 20-place grid) A couple of not depressing questions (to anyone)- 1. If I come off (typically at Copse at the moment) & get back on, the board seems to give me a sub-2 minute time. Is this right? (or is it telling me 'you came off after 1:nn, you pathetic idiot')) 2. The FF feels too light/doesn't seem to do anything when I come off. I based it on Simon Browns email from 7/6/01: [ Joy ] allow_force_feedback = 1 force_feedback_damping = 5.000000 force_feedback_latency = 0.035000 max_steering_torque = 300.000000 Gain Settings ~~~~~~~~~ Overall Device Gain = 100% Spring Gain = 0 % Damper Gain = 100% Default Spring = 13% What do I change? Poisonally,The FF doesn't feel as good as NFS:PU though. It feels about on par with SCGT. "John G" <typejATearthlink.net (Make AT @ to reply)> wrote in message news:_5SV6.2245$[email hidden]... > I just remembered... > had to add a memory hole at 15-16 MB > In Bios settings. Dont remember why, or where but I read this somewhere.It > helped. > > Maybe somebody...-- Remove guts to reply

Welcome to this board, Jan... I can't help with the computer settings for a laptop, but to increase the fps, try sliding the detail bar to halfway or so. Also, the game maxes at 36fps. Now for the depressing part.... A 2 min time at Silverstone is really pretty darn slow; I do a 1:33 pretty routinely with my personal best being a 1:31.7 (after quite a bit of practice), and I am not fast by any stretch of the imagination. My point is that since the board gives you info on one lap ago (the lap before you went off), there's a decent chance you actually did the sub 2 minute lap. As far as the force feedback goes, Silverstone is a pretty flat track and won't give you an idea of what the ff can really do... try Watkins Glen, and read the FAQs at Alison Hine's site for more tips (http://eaglewoman.simracing.dk/ ) enjoy, David janS <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9gac9c$avn$[email hidden]... > I'll check this out Thurs (got no time till then). > Instead of trying to fix it last night, I put the TM Ferrari FF wheel onthe > other box - I'm getting the hang of it (managed at last to consistantlyget > around silver in the GP Ferrari (with Alison's Neutral setup) without > crashing, albeit a bit slow? (~2:05). The box does 36fps with d3d7,800x600& > all settings (except mirrors=car+track) if nothing else is around, down to > ~14fps at a 20-place grid) > > A couple of not depressing questions (to anyone)- > > 1. If I come off (typically at Copse at the moment) & get back on, theboard

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> seems to give me a sub-2 minute time. Is this right? (or is it telling me > 'you came off after 1:nn, you pathetic idiot')) > > 2. The FF feels too light/doesn't seem to do anything when I come off. I > based it on Simon Browns email from 7/6/01: > [ Joy ] > allow_force_feedback = 1 > force_feedback_damping = 5.000000 > force_feedback_latency = 0.035000 > max_steering_torque = 300.000000 > > Gain Settings > ~~~~~~~~~ > Overall Device Gain = 100% > Spring Gain = 0 % > Damper Gain = 100% > Default Spring = 13% > > What do I change? > > Poisonally,The FF doesn't feel as good as NFS:PU though. It feels about on > par with SCGT. > > > "John G" <typejATearthlink.net (Make AT @ to reply)> wrote in message > news:_5SV6.2245$[email hidden]... > > I just remembered... > > had to add a memory hole at 15-16 MB > > In Bios settings. Dont remember why, or where but I read this somewhere. > It > > helped. > > > > Maybe somebody... > -- > Remove guts to reply > >

Thanks for that. Just to try and excuse the bad time, I've done about 10 laps on GPL ever (I'm starting on silver as I used to sim-race it a lot on Revs about 18-ish years ago :) ). I'm just going to a) get it running on the laptop a bit more and b) practice, practice, practice. One day I'll too reach GPL-nirvana (and then WSC will have been out for so long you can pick it up for 10<insert currency here> at your local asda/wal-mart)... "David Montani" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bxnW6.1503$[email hidden]... > Welcome to this board, Jan... > I can't help with the computer settings for a laptop, but to increase the > fps, try sliding the detail bar to halfway or so. Also, the game maxes at > 36fps. Now for the depressing part.... > A 2 min time at Silverstone is really pretty darn slow; I do a 1:33pretty > routinely with my personal best being a 1:31.7 (after quite a bit of > practice), and I am not fast by any stretch of the imagination. My pointis > that since the board gives you info on one lap ago (the lap before youwent > off), there's a decent chance you actually did the sub 2 minute lap. Asfar > as the force feedback goes, Silverstone is a pretty flat track and won't > give you an idea of what the ff can really do... try Watkins Glen, andread > the FAQs at Alison Hine's site for more tips > (http://eaglewoman.simracing.dk/) > enjoy, > David-- Rip out guts to reply

Ok guys 'n' gals, I've finally cracked it! After a final go by downloading & installing W2K Sp2 (which made no difference) I thought "maybe it's becuase I didn't install it to the C: drive" (assuming most people do), but I was short by about 40Mb there. So I'll try the D: drive - copied it over and it works. So: Hints: Don't install it to an X/any-daft-letter drive on at least W2K (don't ask). Or it could be that my X: is a large (~13Gb) partition (My D: is 8Gb). Both are NTFS. Thinkpad A21p's like the D3D driver. For all eye candy on, 800x600 is fine, & it can just about do 1024x768. rastOGL renders poly boundaries as black lines, & does about 27fps at 1024x768xall-candy. Questions: Is "serious replay stuttering with rastD3D7" a common problem (doesn't happen in the Celery/G200 box), & if so, is there a workaround (it's not that urgent). Are numeric keys the only keys you can drive with? I usually prefer cursor left/right & A/Z for throttle/brake (bit tricky on a laptop keyboard)... I <[email hidden]> was at my wits end and said... > Please Help! > > I was finally persuaded on alt.games.nfs to get GPL (N.B.: for 9.99UKP at > HMV (or 3 games for 22UKP)), but it just goes back to desktop aftershowing > the initial splash screen.<snipped...> -- Remove guts to reply