Q3A Annoying Problem in XP

[BrettJRob]

I just upgraded my system to Windows XP Home a few weeks ago, and after installing the Q3A demo again, I am having a very annoying problem. The game seems to be very choppy -- I don't mean the framerate; I'm used to relatively low framerates on my GF2MX. It seems like the picture moves slightly every few seconds, kind of like the mouse adjusting. I don't know why this is happening, and it nearly ruins the whole game! Can someone tell me how to get out of this problem? I already tried COMPATIBILITY MODE for Windows 98, but the game wouldn't even load (I got one of those "error has occurred, send report to Microsoft" dialogs) when I did that.

 

[UoMDeacon]

Could you please list your system specs and the settings you are using in the game? Have you applied the frame-rate patch that nVidia cards need in order to function properly with WinXP?

I have a GF2GTS with XP Pro and there are no problems with my game, it averages around 80fps at 1024x768 with everything all the way up on a PIII 866.

 

[BrettJRob]

AMD Duron 1.2 GHz
NVidia GeForce2 MX 32MB SDR PCI (GF2Ti 64MB DDR AGP on its way)
WinXP Home

I am running the latest (29.xx) Detonator XP drivers from NVidia, but I haven't applied any "framerate patch" if it isn't part of the new drivers.

The problem is happening regardless of the resolution/video settings. It seems like the mouse moves very slightly every few seconds (it isn't the mouse's problem because it doesn't happen in any other FPS game, nor did it happen in Q3 in WinME), or that the mouse needs to "catch up" or something. I had searched for information on this problem all over the net and came up with only one thread at some board... and several people complained of the same problem, and the only solution any of them had was compatibility mode for Windows 98/ME (which I can't use).

 

[UoMDeacon]

I would recommend you find the patch then. Look for the nVidia refreshrate fix.

 

[lonewolf1215]

sounds like and Nvidia driver problem. Apply the refreshrate fix that was mentionned. This may fix the problem. I have always had problems running Q3A on WinXP and I have the Professional version. Works fine in Win2k though.

 

[welkensoyo]

Sounds like are either running it in opengl or you have something in the registry wrong. If you upgraded to windows XP then thats your problem. You should always do a fresh install (its a pain but alot better in the long run). The refresh rate fix won't work, it only solves problems with monitors. My suggestion is to completely remove q3 if you haven't done so, download the newest 41.09 drivers and run everything you can in opengl with those drivers.

 

[lumpyjim]

Therein may be the root of your problem. Upgrades to XP from previous OS versions work better for some and worse for others. Win2000 works much better than win98 for example. The procedure for a clean install is also much simpler for XP than the older versions. (No fdisk) Whether you solve your immediate problem or not, I would back up your files and do a clean install. The problems you're experiencing could be symptoms of other problems yet to be discovered. Food for thought anyway.