Just bought CFS 3 Today

[gladiator2004]

Just bought CFS 3 today and installed it, but I can't get it to run. It is saying that CFS 3 will not work with my current graphics card. How can I find out what kind of graphics card I have on my computer right now? I have a Dell Dimension XPS T600r with Microsoft Windows 98 if that helps at all. What kind of card can I upgrade too and is this a risky and technical process? I don't want to mess up my computer.
This is the first flight simulator not to work with my computer. I play FS 2004 nicely on it, the same with IL-2 Sturmovik and CFS 2.

Thanks.

[gladiator2004]

Just to give a little more information, when I click on control panel and then Display, and then click on advanced, the window is labeled Range 128 Pro Properties, and when I click on the Adapter Tab the information displayed reads:

Range 128 Pro

Adapter/Driver Information

Manufacturer: ATI Tech. -enhanced
Features: DirectDraw 1.00
Software Version: 4.00
Current Files: ATI2DRAA.DRV, *vdd,*vflatd,AT12VXAA.VXD

Is this my graphics card information?

I am also installing the latest DirectX (9.0), maybe this is the problem, I don't even think I have DirectX installed. And if I do it is deffinatley an older version. So I'll see if that works, otherwise it looks like I'm downloading a new graphics driver.

[Smoke2much]

Downloading and installing new drivers should always be your first line of attack in any poor performance issue.

Check out the tweaks subject on this page and try those out.

Please bear in mind that CFS3 does not seem to appreciate many computers and is tricky to set up right.

Good luck with it.

Will

[gladiator2004]

Thanks for the reply. The DirectX download did not work, I guess I'm downloading drivers. It is time to anyway, I have been having trouble running Orbiter Spaceflight Simulator lately, freezes up sometimes.

When installing a new graphics driver, the instructions for the driver I need to download says that I should delete any previous drivers, does this apply to me, I still have the original driver that came with my computer installed, so can't I just overwrite that one without doing any uninstallation? Also, do I uninstall the driver after downloading the new one? And will uninstalling the driver mess up my computer at all. I really don't want to mess up my computer for a $29.99 game. (Though it is a really nice and fun looking $29.99 game)

[Smoke2much]

I know EXACTLY how you feel.  Old drivers must be deleted though.  If you look in you settings/control panel/system/Hardware/Device Manager.  You will see a list of componants, your card will be under "Display Adaptors" and you will(Should) see an option to "Roll Back Drivers."

Selecting this if you have problems will (should!!!) take you back to the default drivers, even after a complete uninstall.

You can also create a restore point so that you can get everything back if it should go wrong.

Will

[gladiator2004]

All I see is Properties, Refresh, Remove, and Print

I don't see Roll Back Drivers though.

[gladiator2004]

I don't think I am going to do this, I was talking to my parents about it, and the ruling was that I the computer is running fine, this is the only game that can't work, so not to update. I agree with that, but thanks for your help anyway.

For future simulations I am going to buy, how can I check if they are going to work with my graphics card before I buy them?

[Smoke2much]

Fair enough Gladiator.  Take the game back and try and get your money back!

Will.

PS you might want to try CFS2 instead.

[gladiator2004]

I got CFS2 up and running, nice game.

I am thinking about getting one of the combat flight sims that has something to do with Secret Weapons of WWII...sounds pretty interesting.

[Mathias]

Get yourself the CFS3.1 patch at http://microsoftgamesinsider.com/CFSIns ... t.htm?nc=1
that should fix the card issue.

[Mathias]

As for updating your graphics card driver, the new ATI drivers have fixed issues for many people, from reading the various boards (using Nvidia myself, so can't commend from own experience).
Your "original" drivers are just old drivers.
There shouldn't be much to worry about replacing them with newer ones.
Best bet is to download new drivers first, uninstall the old ones using the control panel and then after a reboot install the new ones.

[srandygman]

dude,

    I got windows 98 and a S3 Trio64V+ PCI that wont run
directx8.2, why? Because thats the driver for an advanced
video card 3D type. You can find out what driver you have
Start run enter "dxdiag" in stead of prog location. But you
know that. You have to find CFS or CFS1 on line somewhere
or upgrade your hardware. If you have the memory, why not
install the new cfs3 and work on downloading extra files that
you can keep in a directory neatly, not in the CFS3 folder yet
until you can get the hardware installed for you at your local
computer store, thats a pc store, not a big dealer like circuit
city. By the way , I have Flight Simulator 98 and it runs great.

andy  andy_gerardi2004@yahoo.com

[Katahu]

You can't really complain about Orbiter.

Besides, you got for free.

I can't believe M$ took a big risk in making a game that works differently and doesn't work well on most computers.

[Woodlouse2002]

You can't really complain about Orbiter.

Besides, you got for free.

I can't believe M$ took a big risk in making a game that works differently and doesn't work well on most computers.

I believe that this big risk M$ took shall really pay its self off in CFS4 and 5 when they iron out the bugs and the other problems. I believe the new graphics engine was a bold step forward that needed to be done at some point. So whens better than the present.

[Katahu]

Just pray to God that M$ doesn't rush the new releases as they now seem to do.

I think we should all send an e-mail to M$ telling them that we are willing to wait a bit longer than they would expect. That way, they have more time to fix the bugs when they know they have to before releasing.

Not only that, M$ will have have almost no excuses for not fixing them when they had the time.