Help!! GP2 Keeps Crashing!

I recently purchased "Grand Prix II" largely based on the unanomous glowing reviews. However, the game keeps constantly crashing on my system!! My machine is: Tyan Tomcat III motherboard w/512 cache Intel Pentium 166 Mhz with MMX 32 megs 60 ns EDO RAM 4 meg Matrox Mystique video card Creative Labs 16-bit Sound Blaster NEC 8V CD-ROM Mag Innovision DX 1795 monitor The intro screen runs just fine. Sometimes it crashes immediately afterwards and sometimes it doesn't. When I AM able to play a race it inevitably crashes at its conclusion!! The monitor goes blank and I have to reboot. This also happens whenever I attempt to end a race early and hit the "Escape" key. Believe me, I have tried EVERY suggestion in the manual!! I've tried running through Window's '95 AND pure DOS. I've tried it with AND without the "video: vesa" switch. I've run it with AND without the "nosound" switch (even though my sound card always passes the sound test during setup). I have the memory settings configured precisely as the manual recommends. Heck, I've even reinstalled in the default directory!! I'm at my wits end here. It's a dynamite game/sim and I do NOT want to have to return it!! I have already read the FAQ on Micro- prose/Holobyte's Web site and it offers no solution. One note - when I execute the game in DOS it always asks me to install the CD in the drive even though it's already in there. Also, do I have to re-calibrate the joystick everytime? Any advice and sage wisdom will be GREATLY appreciated!! I already wrote Microprse/Holobyte tech support and here's the reply I got. In other words, they don't know!!! Thanks Oodles, Houston,TX

: I recently purchased "Grand Prix II" largely based on the : unanomous glowing reviews. However, the game keeps : constantly crashing on my system!! My machine is: : Tyan Tomcat III motherboard w/512 cache : Intel Pentium 166 Mhz with MMX : 32 megs 60 ns EDO RAM : 4 meg Matrox Mystique video card : Creative Labs 16-bit Sound Blaster : NEC 8V CD-ROM : Mag Innovision DX 1795 monitor I am not positive, but I think you need to upgrade the BIOS on your video card. I am pretty sure there were posts in the past about this problem with GP2. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

There's your problem. Early versions of the mystique were incompatible with GP2. Their tech support dept. promised a bios update. Dunno if it's been released, as I returned the card in disgust.

>> 4 meg Matrox Mystique video card >There's your problem. Early versions of the mystique were incompatible >with GP2. Their tech support dept. promised a bios update. Dunno if it's >been released, as I returned the card in disgust. I've seen posts of people who said the bIOS was available at Matrox's website. JH =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= When everything else failed, we can still become im- mortal by making an enormous blunder.... John Kenneth Galbraith =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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> I recently purchased "Grand Prix II" largely based on the > unanomous glowing reviews. However, the game keeps > constantly crashing on my system!! My machine is: > 4 meg Matrox Mystique video card > Thanks Oodles, > Houston,TX

It's definitely the Mystique causing the problem. Matrox now have a v1.3 bios patch for download at www.matrox.com I downloaded this for someone I know with the same problem. Don't know yet whether it cured it. However, there is another way round it, which I discovered by trial & error. The problem seems to relate to the card having trouble with the game's use of both vga and svga (i.e. vga in-game graphics, and svga menus). The problem seems to disappear if you run both the game AND menus in vga, OR both the game AND menus in svga. To get the game to run in the first place, you need to start it in vga, execute the GP2 game by typing GP2 video:vga at the prompt (in Dos mode) This will start the game with vga menus as well as vga in-game graphics. Then in the graphic options, change the graphics to svga. Then exit the game, and restart it, WITHOUT the video command. It should now run OK, with svga menus, and svga game graphics. I hope this works for you. Keith Windsor, UK

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> I recently purchased "Grand Prix II" largely based on the > unanomous glowing reviews. However, the game keeps > constantly crashing on my system!! My machine is: > Tyan Tomcat III motherboard w/512 cache > Intel Pentium 166 Mhz with MMX > 32 megs 60 ns EDO RAM > 4 meg Matrox Mystique video card > Creative Labs 16-bit Sound Blaster > NEC 8V CD-ROM > Mag Innovision DX 1795 monitor > The intro screen runs just fine. Sometimes it crashes immediately > afterwards and sometimes it doesn't. When I AM able to play a race > it inevitably crashes at its conclusion!! The monitor goes blank and > I have to reboot. This also happens whenever I attempt to end a race > early and hit the "Escape" key. > Believe me, I have tried EVERY suggestion in the manual!! I've > tried running through Window's '95 AND pure DOS. I've tried it > with AND without the "video: vesa" switch. I've run it with AND > without the "nosound" switch (even though my sound card always > passes the sound test during setup). I have the memory settings > configured precisely as the manual recommends. Heck, I've even > reinstalled in the default directory!! > I'm at my wits end here. It's a dynamite game/sim and I do NOT > want to have to return it!! I have already read the FAQ on Micro- > prose/Holobyte's Web site and it offers no solution. > One note - when I execute the game in DOS it always asks me > to install the CD in the drive even though it's already in there. > Also, do I have to re-calibrate the joystick everytime? > Any advice and sage wisdom will be GREATLY appreciated!! > I already wrote Microprse/Holobyte tech support and here's the > reply I got. > >Unfortunately, I do not have GP II. But I will advise you to check out > >the rec.autos.simulators newsgroup, and you should get all the > >assistance you need. There are, I'm sure, plenty of GPII websites > >created by racing fans that offer lots of help also. Good luck! > > Joey > In other words, they don't know!!! > Thanks Oodles, > Houston,TX

JOey I've had the same problem. It is caused by your Mystique video card To solve it, go to the Matrox site and download the latest version of the bios: bios 1.3 and install it, That should do it. It dit for me and a lot of others. Good luck, -- Claude Marcil, Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada, Autour du globe sur le NET. Around the globe on the NET.