Race Sim Central
Rec.Autos.Simulators Archive

F1RS Tale of Woe and NEED HELP!!

5 posts by 3 people · 05 May 1998 - 09 May 1998

I've tried just about everything but I'm out of options. Maybe someone there can help. I've owned F1 for about a week. When I start the game (from Explorer) it loads just fine, recognizes my NASCAR Pro steering wheel, and seems to show great graphics. But about 10 or 15 seconds into the game, the graphics freeze and must be restarted using CTRL-ALT-DEL keys. If I don't turn off the computer, the next time I start the game, the game freezes after clearing a black rectangle in the upper left corner of the screen. If I turn off the computer, the game starts just fine but the graphics freeze about 10 or 15 seconds into the game. I've heard such great things about this game, that I'd like to have it work, but I'm out of ideas. I'm running the following equipment: Pentium Pro (Micron Millenia Pro2) with 200 MHz chip 64 Megs RAM C:\ drive installation of UbiSoft folder has 409 MB free after installation f1voo installed (2322 KB) with F1RS109V (1153 KB) patch installed 212 files, 30 folders for 187 total MB in installation Adaptec SCSI hard drive controller (AHA 2940U PCI controller) IRQ 09 = IRQ holder for PCI Steering IRQ 09 = Matrox Millenium II PowerDesk IRQ 15 = IRQ holder for PCI Steering IRQ 15 = Adaptec SCSI PCI Controller Matrox Millenium II Video Card with 4 MB installed. I've tried running the card with the following either all on or all off: Use PCI Bus Mastering Use Automatic PCI Bus Retries Use Device Bitmap Caching Use Rectangle acceleration Use Polygon acceleration Use Circle & Ellipse acceleration as well as Graphics Hardware acceleration either on or off. I also have a Diamond Monster 3D one card installed with the following drivers: glidedll 2.1.1 glide2x.dll 2.4.3 glide2x.ovl 2.4.3 SS1init as well as other drivers The refresh rates for the Monster 3D card are: I've called Matrox, Diamond, UbiSoft, and Micron (the computer manufacturer) several times (everyone has been very nice), I've removed and reinstalled all of the PCI and ISA cards and reinstalled them one at a time to reset the IRQ settings. Micron told me that the IRQ settings are OK (although I can give you the Memory Locations for each of the devices if you need them). I've tried running the game from 800 x 600 (16 bit) on the desk top, 1024 x 768 (32 bit), with all backround programs on, with all backround programs off (except Explorer and Systray), I even plugged in my old two button mouse then tried with my Logitech mouse with the wheel. I keep getting the same results. I even replaced the Diamond Stealth 2000 video card with the Matrox Millenium II card but I keep getting the same results. Any further suggestions? No matter what I've tried, the game freezes at about 10 or 15 seconds and requires restarting the computer to avoid the black rectangle in the upper left corner. work from home so I'm always here. I hope you can help me out. I'm out of ideas and none of the vendors of the hardware seem to have any further ideas either. Just a little further information: the Matrox driver version of MGAPDX64.DRV is 4.10.01.3810 and is the installed version. As I noted above, there doesn't appear to be an IRQ conflict, and the MGA Diagnostic notes "No Conflict." Any further ideas? Mike Allen
Hi Michael: When I started purchasing 3DFX titles, last December, I was unhappy to see that they would all freeze my PC dead as soon as the 3DFX screen came up. Once during that month, for a fraction of a second, I saw a landscape out the windshield of Longbow, then the system went to black and froze again. My machine is one of the first debugged PPros, over 2 years old. After a month of frustration, I attempted to re-burn the BIOS. Supermicro didn't have any new flashes of me. I had to replace the motherboard. The new motherboard, a Supermicro P6DNF, runs F1RS fine. I have no idea what a Micron Millenia Pro2 is. But if it's not brand new, you might want to see if a new BIOS will fix your problems. You should be able to find a BIOS image and instructions at Micron's site. If no BIOS upgrade is available, and you decide to replace your motherboard, I suggest not getting a Supermicro. If you do flight sims, Supermicro has some weird keyboard interface design that causes problems for Thrustmaster equipment. I'm still trying to get my TM gear to work with my Supermicro. If I had it to do over again. I would get some other manufacture's motherboard. Larry
Vam 07 May 1998#407793
I also had all kinds of grief with my PP200+3dfx , very early release pp200. Moving to a Pentium II 333 machine fixed all my problems. Vamp
Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if that isn't the problem. I checked, the BIOS version is a Phoenix 4.05 on a Lightning motherboard (whatever that is) and the date of the BIOS is October 1996. That easily could be the problem. As you may have read, US West is now offering ADSL here (Minneapolis) and I'm supposed to have a technician install the equipment in mid-July. BUT, I'm using all the PCI and ISA slots on the motherboard. (Millenium II, Monster 3D (version 1), SCSI adapter, Iomega controller, and modem card. Should I invest in a different motherboard and if so, which one? Can I get something with a better choice in CPU and more slots? Mike
Quoted text (9 lines)> > My machine is one of the first debugged PPros, over 2 years > > old. After a month of frustration, I attempted to re-burn the > > BIOS. Supermicro didn't have any new flashes of me. I > > had to replace the motherboard. > I also had all kinds of grief with my PP200+3dfx , very early release > pp200. Moving to a Pentium II 333 machine fixed all my problems. > Vamp
<Snip> The newsgroup you need to check out is: misc.forsale.computers.pc-specific.motherboards You sound like you are as attached to your PPro as I am to mine. But P2/300 systems are becoming main stream. Investing in PPro technology needs to be done carefully. I think you will find the PPro/200 + 3DFX does a fantastic job for F1RS, full detail, glassy smooth frame rates, and I do see pauses for a small fraction of a second, once or twice in some races, none in others. So I think it was worth $300.00 for a new motherboard which would allow me to use all of my 3DFX sims. The fact that this Supermicro motherboard has so far proven incompatible with my Thrustmaster equipment, required for flight sims, has turned this into a very bad deal. Bill Gate's new "Standard" PC platform is an all PCI, USB and AGP bus. No ISA slots. If compatible sound cards and joystick cards are available for PCI, and if anyone is doing a PCI only motherboard with enough slots, I'd go with one of these. Larry

Sponsors

Affiliate Links

Sim Gaming Expo MOZA Racing Sim-Lab Fanatec TrakRacer Asetek Internet Privacy From NordVPN Dreamhost Capital One Credit Card Application Fanatical CDKeys Amazon Amazon UK Project Motor Racing iRacing Get your racing gloves, boots and more from Demon Tweeks. Enlist at Roberts Space Industries, developers of Star Citizen and Squadron 42


Back from the ashes since July, 2019. First created in 2001 with the merger of Legends Central (founded 1999) and simracing.dk.

A site by a sort of sim racer, for sim racers, about racing sims. News and information on both modern and historic sim racing software titles.

All products and licenses property of their respective owners.


Facebook Threads Bluesky Twitter Mastodon Instagram YouTube Tiktok Twitch Reddit Google News Apple News Subscribe via WordPress Flipboard eBay

Race Sim Central © 1999-2026 | Some links pay RSC a commission. Advertising does not equal endorsement.Cookie Policy