Funny problem & results.

[Bill69]

Hi all,

Can anyone let me know what's going on here?

Firstly I don't usually have many problems with Trainz or with my computer setup, but yesterday my monitor suddenly developed a red transparent overlay. Looked like some one had put a red filter over the screen. At the time I had been running Trainz for about five hours so I thought it might be the video card overheating, so shut everything down and left it to cool. This morning on rebooting the comp. I received a message that Windows had to be activated or would stop working in three days. Got on the phone and activated Windows then tried to run Trainz again. Well Trainz did run but very slowly then on looking at my perfomance settings I found them to be nothing like I had setup before. Then when I connected to the internet I found all my URL history had disapeared, all addresses in my email address book gone, and many other settings reverted to default. This is a problem I have never struck before in all the years I have been using computers. Has anyone else had this happen.

Cheers,
Bill69

ps. my monitor is a brand new Viewsonic VA903m running on 1152 x 864 resolution.

Bill69

 

[djpip]

Monitor issues

Hi,

I have no idea what happened to your emails and everything, but if your monitor produces a red overlay or filter over everything, your monitor cable may be loose or dammaged. Try re-connecting it.

Cheers
DJ PIP

 

[Bill69]

Red overlay

Hi djpip,

Thanks for your reply, but I have checked all monitor connections on the outside anyway. If there is a loose wire it must be inside the monitor. Also the loss of settings seemed to be connected to the monitor problem as they all happened at the same time. Even if the monitor lost all connection for a fraction of a second it should not have effected computer settings.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[Capt_Scarlet]

What about reinstalling your graphics drivers and also check if there are any drivers needed for the monitor. As to the other problems maybe you should do a check on your hard drive to see if there is a potential hard disk problem.

John

 

[GP_38-2]

I was just talking with a buddy of mine and he had a red-overlay issue as well with Medal of Honor:Airborne on his nVidia GO 6800GS (laptop).
I'm guessing it's a drivers related issue.

As for the Windows message and missing URLs/emails
It almost sounds like Windows just reset itself back to an earlier registry.

What sort of computer do you have? (Specs)

 

[kcdowdy]

Humm, You aren't a "Devils Child" Are you? Might have done this Devil-Ish act.


Maybe you are having a hard drive "Leak".

 

[Bill69]

Red overlay

Hi Don,

Graphics drivers are up to date and trainz is running well now, so no need to reinstall drivers. Monitor driver installed when I received the monitor. Norton Disk Doctor reports no problems with any of my hard drives. Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi GP_38-2,

Interesting someone else has had this red overlay problem. Yes I thought windows registry may have reset, but why no error message?

Can't post specs ATM Imageshack seems to be having problems.

Trainz diag reports all functions as passed. Basic specs are 3 gig pentium 4 processor, ATI 9600 pro graphics card with 256M, 2gig DDR400 memory.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[GP_38-2]

Hmm now that's a puzzler.

Like I said I have seen the re-overlay problem. But I thought it had something to do with the crappy series of drivers nVidia has been producing lately. Since your's is an ATI that kinda rules that out.
If you happen to have a second monitor around try using that for a bit and see if it does the same thing. If it does then I have no clue, if it doesn't it could be something with your monitor (but I can't see any reason for the monitor to be bad or anything)

As for the registry reset, hey it's Windows

Seriously though: I really have no clue. It sure sounds like it reset. It probably wouldn't give you a error if it was serious enough, though I thought it gave messages when it restored the reg.

 

[Bill69]

Red overlay

Hi GP_38-2,

I am thinking it could be just a coincidence that two things happened about the same time, the overlay and the reset I mean. They may not actually be connected. I only have my old Philips CRT monitor spare so can't try another LCD ATM but I am thinking I might get back to my supplier to get it checked. Should be still under waranty, it's only 2 months old.

Cheers,
Bill

 

[kcdowdy]

As for the registry reset, hey it's Windows

Nt being rude but.... Shut up!! It's Vista that sucks, You got your facts wrong!

 

[GP_38-2]

Your too young to know Windows

 

[johnwhelan]

Hi Don,

Graphics drivers are up to date and trainz is running well now, so no need to reinstall drivers. Monitor driver installed when I received the monitor. Norton Disk Doctor reports no problems with any of my hard drives. Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi GP_38-2,

Interesting someone else has had this red overlay problem. Yes I thought windows registry may have reset, but why no error message?

Can't post specs ATM Imageshack seems to be having problems.

Trainz diag reports all functions as passed. Basic specs are 3 gig pentium 4 processor, ATI 9600 pro graphics card with 256M, 2gig DDR400 memory.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Cheers,
Bill69

ATI 9600 pro video card is fairly old. The new drivers might be upsetting it. I might be tempted to drop a new video card in, watch the power supply but an ATI X1950 pro

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/01/the_best_gaming_graphics_cards_for_the_money/page6.html

would give you not bad performance in Trainz. If your power supply is less than 450 watts I'd buy a new power supply at the same time.

You will have fewer driver problems if you stick to ATI by the way.

This is a fairly simple upgrade you should be able to manage by the way. The power supply connectors might have changed slightly but should still fit.

Cheerio John

 

[Bill69]

Red Overlay

Hi John,

In this country I have a problem getting a new graphics card that is compatible with the DDR400 ram. All the AGP cards I can find here have DDR2 memory. This means for my next upgrade I need a new mobo, new cpu, new ps. and change to PCIE graphics card. Bit expensive.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[jdenm8]

I read this and a few words came to mind:
Hacking. Viruses. Registry hive. System restore. Vista sucks. Video card drivers. Monitor. Vista is awful.

Any one of those. Apart from the Vista comments. They are from past experience. (My Aunt bought a new Acer laptop with Vista preinstalled and it takes longer to boot than my four year old one running XP does.)

 

[johnwhelan]

Hi John,

In this country I have a problem getting a new graphics card that is compatible with the DDR400 ram. All the AGP cards I can find here have DDR2 memory. This means for my next upgrade I need a new mobo, new cpu, new ps. and change to PCIE graphics card. Bit expensive.

Cheers,
Bill69

Motherboard RAM talks to the cpu, the cpu talks to the GPU via the AGP slot the GPU talks to the DDR memory on the video card. The advantage of the AGP slot and interface is the GPU doesn't care what the cpu memory is neither does the cpu care what the GPU memory is.

I think my machine uses 2 gigs of DDR400 ecc memory on the motherboard and DDR2 memory on the ATI 850 XT PE AGP video card. Mp cpu is a 2.4 P4.

Does that help? I get 38 frames per second on Harlem on default settings which I think is is reasonable. Personally I'm waiting for the newer 45 whatever cpus due out early next year and the new generation graphics cards are about due as well.

Cheerio John

 

[Bill69]

Graphics

Hi John,

Thanks to your last post here I have now installed an ATI Raedon X800 XT PE graphics card. I have had it here in my computer room for about six months. The last time I tried to install it, a message came up on the screen when I started the computer saying "Do not proceed you will damage your computer Windows is shutting down". From that I thought it was the memory on the card not compatible with the memory in the mobo. So I then removed it and replaced my old card. I have now installed the x800 and downloaded the latest drivers and it all seems to work ok., so I don't know what was causing the problem last time.
I guess at first I didn't succeed and I have done sky diving. lol.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[GP_38-2]

Hmm that sounds like the card wasn't getting enough power......
I have an ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XT (same specs as an X800 XT) and I had to upgrade my power supply before it would run well.

 

[Bill69]

Graphics

Hi GP 38_2,

What wattage did you upgrade to? I have a 600watt PS, I think that should be plenty to run the system.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[johnwhelan]

Hi John,

Thanks to your last post here I have now installed an ATI Raedon X800 XT PE graphics card. I have had it here in my computer room for about six months. The last time I tried to install it, a message came up on the screen when I started the computer saying "Do not proceed you will damage your computer Windows is shutting down". From that I thought it was the memory on the card not compatible with the memory in the mobo. So I then removed it and replaced my old card. I have now installed the x800 and downloaded the latest drivers and it all seems to work ok., so I don't know what was causing the problem last time.
I guess at first I didn't succeed and I have done sky diving. lol.

Cheers,
Bill69

You probably hadn't got the extra power cable plugged in to the video card correctly it is supposed to give the message you saw in those circumstances.

Cheerio John

 

[GP_38-2]

Hi GP 38_2,

What wattage did you upgrade to? I have a 600watt PS, I think that should be plenty to run the system.

Cheers,
Bill69

Only needed 500W. But Watts doesn't mean everything, amps per line (rail) also plays a part. A 600W PSU is well and good but if the PSU can't throw out enough amps things will complain.

As john said you did make sure to plug in the additional PSU plug?