Official Word on DVD and Soundblaster Problems

[vesselle]

The following are 2 posts straight off the MW Official Forums.
I am posting it here, because it's hard to get on the Boards there and, well, because Draconis Rex mentioned a DVD problem he was experiencing.

The first involves WinDVD and the second is a compilation of known issues and resolutions.

V***V

*the RePoster*



__________________________________________________ _________________

SoundBlaster and WinDVD installed. (or anything that uses iviaudio.ax)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Symptoms:

Morrowind crashes to desktop after "Initializing Data" but before the Menu appears.

Sound is often choppy or distorted.

Cause:

You have a SoundBlaster and you have WinDVD installed (or another program that uses iviaudio.ax).

You need to unregister WinDVD's iviaudio.ax file. This is somewhat tricky, you need to contact our tech support at 410-568-3685, or support@bethsoft.com

Mike Fridley
Associate Producer: QA
Bethesda Softworks
Raid- Tough on Bugs.

__________________________________________________ ________________

OTHER KNOWN AND REPORTED ISSUES WITH MORROWIND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For technical and customer support, please call 410-568-3685, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, visit http://support.bethsoft.com, or email support@bethsoft.com.

ISSUE: Will my machine run Morrowind?

If you do not meet the minimum specification for the game, Morrowind will more than likely not run on your machine. If you have a fast processor, but only a 16 MB video card, you do not meet minimum specifications. If you have 512 MB of RAM, and are running Windows 95, you do not meet minimum specifications. All of your computer's components that are listed in the minimum specifications must meet or exceed the minimums to run Morrowind.

If you have a video card not listed on our list of supported video cards, your card “may” run Morrowind, but we offer no technical support to help you get it running.

The minimum specifications are:

* Windows Me/98 128MB RAM
* Windows XP/2000 256MB RAM (Windows NT NOT supported)
* 500mhz Intel Pentium III, Celeron, or AMD Athlon processor.
* 8x CD/DVD-ROM Drive
* 1 GB free hard disk space
* Windows swapfile
* DirectX 8.1 (included)
* 32MB Direct3D Compatible Video card and DirectX 8.1 compatible driver
* DirectX 8.1 Compatible Sound Card
* Keyboard, Mouse

Supported Video Card Chipsets:
NVIDIA GeForce 4
NVIDIA GeForce 3
NVIDIA GeForce 2
NVIDIA GeForce 256
NVIDIA TNT2
ATI Radeon 8500
ATI Radeon 7500
ATI Radeon 7200
ATI Radeon

The reason that some chipsets are not listed as supported is simply because either they do not offer a card with 32 MB of memory or they do not have Certified DirectX 8.1 compatible drivers.

ISSUE: Crash during Install or Game Launch

This is more than likely a problem with Macrovision’s SafeDisc encryption software and certain background applications or installed components on your computer.
Known problems are Iomega removable devices and hex or kernel editors. Other background applications may also interfere with the correct installation of operation of Morrowind.

The fix to this is to simply CTRL+ALT+DEL and End Task all running applications one at a time. Explorer and Systray are fine (and necessary) to leave running.

ISSUE: Render Creation Failure

This problem occurs more that likely due to one of two different issues.
Either the user:

A) Does not meet minimum specifications for Morrowind, is using an unsupported video card, or

B) Needs to update their video card drivers to the very latest offered by the manufacturer.

ISSUE: Sound and Voice problems/crashes in game.

Using the LOW sound quality option in the Morrowind Options menu seems to help.

Most sound issues can be remedied by turning the audio hardware acceleration down two notches to Basic Acceleration. From the [Start] menu select the "Run..." command. Type DXDIAG and press [Enter]. When DirectX Diagnostic Tool appears, select the "Sound" tab. The "Hardware Sound Acceleration Level" slider bar will allow you to adjust the acceleration of your hardware.

ISSUE: The user receives a strange installation error when trying to install the TES Construction Set from the TES Construction Set disk.

This error occurs on some of the TES Construction Set installs if you are trying to install from the TES Construction Set Disk.

The solution is very simple. The TES Construction Set should be installed from the game disk, or Disk 1.

Put your Disk 1 back in your CD-ROM.
Right-Click on your CD-ROM drive.
Click on Explore.
Double Click on the CSInstall folder.
Double Click on the setup.exe

This will start the TES Construction Set Installer from the first disk.

ISSUE: I get animation group errors when loading the morrowind.esm file in the TES Construction Set.

You need to make sure to double click the morrowind.esm file in the Data Files menu. This will place a black X mark in the small box to the left of the morrowind.esm file.

You can then Click OK and the TES Construction Set should load the esm with no problems.

ISSUE: My screen is gray in game. I still see pop-ups, but everything renders a gray haze.

This is a problem if you have your Fog Emulation Table turned off. By default, it should be on, but some people have changed this setting.

To change it back:

START
Control Panel
Double click Display
Click Settings
Click Advanced
Click on your GeForce Tab
Click Additional Properties
Click on the Direct3D Tab
Place a check mark in the box for Enable Fog Emulation Table

ISSUE: Crash after a few minutes of game play with GeForce2MX video card

This crash has occurred for several users with a Via based motherboard.

The latest version of Via's 4-in-1 driver can be obtained at http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2 . Follow the instructions on the web site to download and install the drivers. NOTE: Many computer and motherboard manufacturers have special version of these drivers for use with their hardware. It is highly recommended that you contact the system/motherboard manufacturer to see if the manufacturer has a special version of these drivers. If so, please use the version that is recommended by the computer manufacturer.

Mike Fridley
Associate Producer: QA
Bethesda Softworks
Raid- Tough on Bugs.

__________________________________________________ __________

again, i'm only reposting

if yall find this helpful, then maybe we can keep bug and gameplay issue resolution in this particular thread.

or not. i know very well how boards and threads have a life of their own.

V***V

the reposter

[barron]

Great Post Vesselle [img]smile.gif[/img]

I was intending to hold off installing the NVIDA 28.?? drivers.
Have downloaded them a couple days ago and thought I would just
wait and see. Perhaps I best install this morning, [just in case
the game 'actually got out of Kentucky' last night.

Also downloaded new SB drivers from England but will await the game
before installing them. Seems like europe has the newer drivers but
NOT the US.

Not game related but this forum related. Have charter .net and sent off an e-mail asking how I might set up a small space for 'storing' images for download by other individuals. That was a week ago and NO reply. Thought I might like to have an Image to display for this forum.

Be good all. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[vesselle]

i have an excellent site for you to use. i use it for my avatars.
YourSigHost allows you to keep 3 avatar pix/combo sig files on their site. they just ask that you be a legit gamer who uses sig files, not a secret peeper of nakey girls type thingie.

V***V

[barron]

Well Well. I shall check in there right now.

Thanks again Vesselle [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dreamer128]

~~Vesselle~~

I haven't really been around here that much, but every thread I check, you are always one of the first to answer. Now, I noted that this board still needs a mod. Perhaps we should ask the Z-man to install you. You sure have my vote.

[DraconisRex]

Originally posted by vesselle: i have an excellent site for you to use. i use it for my avatars. YourSigHost allows you to keep 3 avatar pix/combo sig files on their site. they just ask that you be a legit gamer who uses sig files, not a secret peeper of nakey girls type thingie. V***V

What if your sig is a nasty, nakey thing... Like my cat Sydney when he lies on his back. You can see his big fat belly and his little pinky nips... Why the late, Honorable Chief Justice Byron "Whizzer" White would be saying "I know pornography when I see it!"

[vesselle]

~~draconis~~

ROFLMAOPIMP!!

now your cat wouldn't be the same one on the Arcanum board, where he had a beer bottle next to one paw and the remote control by the other? hmmm?

cuz that was one BIG, Beer-Belly Kitty Cat! and if that wasn't Sydney, be glad! LOL!

V***V