Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: WinXP SP2 / HaloPC / 256MB video card compat fix
  • Subject: WinXP SP2 / HaloPC / 256MB video card compat fix
Subject: WinXP SP2 / HaloPC / 256MB video card compat fix
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These problems are with Service Pack 2 (clean install)

Catalyst 4.8 FINAL - no in-game text, XML Parser won't work
Catalyst 4.7 FINAL - can't get to the Halo menu screen - fixed by changed AGP Aperture size in bios to 128

I just don't get it, WHY CANT MS SOFTWARE RUN PERFECTLY WITH MS GAMES, IS THERE NO TESTING?

  • 08.19.2004 4:34 AM PDT
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how do u install the CAtalyst 4.8b and were from cos i dont care if there is no stats so long as i can play it.

  • 08.19.2004 5:26 AM PDT
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how do u set ur agp aperure size to 128? by the way im stupid so explain slowly and clearly

  • 08.21.2004 9:33 AM PDT
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Will this file work with Halo CE as well?

  • 08.22.2004 7:53 PM PDT
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hello? can sum 1 tell us how to install and download catalyst 4.8 final or where from plz this is really annoying.

.......hurry i wanna play halo

  • 08.25.2004 6:51 AM PDT
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r : w )

Update: Please see the new last step of my original post for a new file which will almost certainly fix the problem. (The previous steps are still needed)

  • 08.25.2004 9:47 PM PDT
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Thanks for posting the new fix, but the Strings.dll original link is now dead.


Oops, sorry - I broke the link when I updated my post. Fixed now.

[Edited on 8/27/2004 11:51:30 AM by sawnose]

  • 08.25.2004 9:56 PM PDT
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hello how do u set ur agp aperture size to 128 in ur bios cos im stupid

  • 08.26.2004 4:22 AM PDT
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Well I know this fix is only supposed to be for 256MB cards, but check THIS out!!!

My specs...

AthlonXP 2600+
512MBRAM
Nforce 400 Ultra chipset
Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB
WinXP SP2
DirectX 9.0c
Catalyst 4.9b

Symptoms:

Exactly the same as the 256MB card problem...the game starts up and throws me back to the desktop IMMEDIATELY???

I tried the new "strings.dll"...no luck!
Also tried adding the new "binkw32.dll"...nope!
Tried setting AGP aperture to 128MB - windows does a 'blue-screen' on boot!

Methinks a new 'patch' may be in order, as my Radeon runs DOOM3 perfectly!

[Edited on 9/2/2004 4:32:32 AM]

  • 09.02.2004 4:29 AM PDT
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Ok, well......... I have tried all the .dlls and i have the latest patches and drivers and everything. I only had this problem after the SP2 install and DX 9C. I have recently bought a new rig, here are the specs:

P4 2.8GHZ
1024MB RAM
x800 RadeonXT 256mb
and other stuff...........

The only thing i havn't tried to get halo working is the setting the aperture to 128mb. I think it is absolutly unfair to expect all the people that bothered to buy the game to have to put up with this, its even a mircosoft game for god sake. We shouldn't have to go messing about with our bios to get he game to work. Also the reason i got a new PC with the x800 256mb is so i could use 256MB OF THE CARDS RAM..... not so i could set it to 128 and suffer the framerate loss or the inconveinence of having to switch it back when playing a more tasking game, i.e. Doom3.

Halo is a good game man... someone get this fixed......... Also i have a clan match soon so hurry up.

  • 09.03.2004 8:59 AM PDT
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i can play h pc, but yhe color is off, all armor is white, blablabla. it says i dont have the min system req. and listes things lower than i have!

  • 09.04.2004 6:11 PM PDT
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Still not working... I have updated both dll files, reinstalled, updated, and searched the internet and have yet been unable to get the game running.

But here is a kicker, I downloaded the no-cd crack and I can run it without a problem. So what is the dealeo? All I want to do is play the game I purchased yet I make sure my OS is up to date and BAM here we go again wtih MS stuff not working like its supposed to.

  • 09.05.2004 4:48 PM PDT
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Hey people I had the same problem with Halo PC. When I started the game it kicked me back saying there was a fatal error- the direct 3D was not started. Run dxdiag-hardware acceleration may be diabled. I did this and found nothing wrong. I have a-
P4 2.8 GHZ
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro 256mb
Audigy 2 ZS sound
1.5 gig RAM
had no problems playing before I installed SP2. Not knowing about any patches or things I went to System Restore and chose a point before SP2 was installed, this worked for me. So if anyone has problems with the patches I suggest you try this instead.

  • 09.07.2004 7:52 PM PDT
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r : w )

For the couple of you who still have problems on SP2 after trying all the fixes, you might also try unloading other running apps (including ones in the system tray).

What my fixes have done is move DLLs from the "middle" of memory off to the "edges", to allow the game's video system to have a big free chunk in the middle. But if you have other apps getting in the way that I can't patch, then you'll still have the problem.

  • 09.07.2004 8:13 PM PDT
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But why is this now a problem. That doesnt seem to me like it has solved the problem just delayed the inevitable.

I will try it but I dont think its going to help and truthfully its an inconvienience to have to do that everytime I want to play. I sent you the minidump file from my system crash did you get any valuable information from that?

  • 09.08.2004 2:31 PM PDT
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Here are my specs...
Asus A7V8X-X
1GB PD 2700 DDR
BFG GF6800(128MB RAM)
Athlon 2800+

I have SP2 installed updated Halo PC and I can get it to run, but when online or just exiting any Halo session, my graphics get all 1970's purple and crazy with major flickering, freezing and on three occasions has rebooted my PC. It only does this on this game no other. I have tried the aperture thing and seemed to help at first but after testing a few more time the same symptoms popped up. Need help folks, this is not cool that this has reared it's head after a patch.

  • 09.08.2004 3:52 PM PDT
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I am running XP, have not got the Sp2 upgrade you guys are talking about. All that happened was when I tried to connect to play online, it did the usual "Checking for Updates", but this time it had an update. So, I download it, then tried to open it, which failed, maybe I was'nt supposed to? Came up saying that it was'nt a "Win32 application." Anyway, I got the others things mentioned at the beginning of this thread and placed them into my Halo folder. Wnever I try to play online, I still get the "Update available" where I have either upload it AGAIN, which is no help, or not play online. Either way, online playing is prevented. What up?

  • 09.08.2004 10:43 PM PDT
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Guys, i had the same problem loads of other people have where the screen freezes at the microsoft video, where you can still flick through the menus and hear the background sound, just cant see what ya doin cos its a blank screen.

I have a 9800XT 256mb and cat 4.5 installed.

before when i tried halo it wouldnt work (above problem) set agp apature size to 128 and it works, i then set it back to 256 and ran the auto update in the halo directory and it started to download an update (i had allready installed patch 1.4 before this) so just thought it was reinstallin it, but i tried it today and i can play halo with my graphics and the agp apature size set to 256 in the bios. They must have released a new patch for it :)

[Edited on 9/9/2004 2:31:18 PM]

  • 09.09.2004 2:29 PM PDT
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make shure that there is no adware/spyware on your comuter. I got so much of that junk on my computer it was so slow it wouldnt even shut down. spyware messes up stuf like halo, and alows more of it in.

  • 09.09.2004 5:31 PM PDT
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does anyone know when halo 2 is coming out for the pc.

  • 09.09.2004 8:14 PM PDT
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ummm yea... I tried that and I still get the BSoD Monster coming to my computer. So I guess I will have to uninstall SP2 because MS cannont patch their security holes and fixes without creating other problem like oh wait one of their flagship games. Seriously what is the problem?

  • 09.09.2004 11:36 PM PDT
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Well, I guess that until MS fixes this, no more Halo online. Wheven I try to get on the Gamespy servers, I get the update prompt, telling me I have to get an update that I already have.
Crap!!

  • 09.10.2004 12:40 AM PDT
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Well I just uninstalled WinXP SP2 and BAM Halo works again. So I guess we just need to wait for Service Pack 1 for WinXP SP2. or we need to wait for the Halo developers to Figure out what the problem actually is.

  • 09.10.2004 6:05 PM PDT
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What worked for me after SP2 was a complete unistall and reinstall of Halo. I made sure to erase my saved games and/or profiles and then used regcleaner to remove all traces from the registry. Since then all issues fixed. The only issue I still have with the new patch now is unueally high pings, where before there was none. On my dedicated surver I've surveyed a few players and they also notice more lag since this patch. Dev's you really need to look at this patch cause ya' did something wrong. On this and many other forums it's apparent there is a problem with the patch, folks shouldn't have to do all the crazy crap myself and others have been doing to get it to work. If Halo was a microwave and it was broke I'd take it back to the store for a refund or exchange. Software doesn't work that way and I think some of you dev's forget this fact and leave the community hanging from a yard arm. We paid our price of ownership and we expect a decently reliable product. I don't think I could be any nicer. I've always thought of software in the context of ordering through a McDonalds drive-thru you order, you pay and then after you get your food home or wherever you realized someone screwed it up, only thing is most don't take it back, since it's too much trouble. Don't do that with customers, get the product right in a reasonable time frame not two months later when it'll be too late.

  • 09.11.2004 8:33 AM PDT
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I have a 9800 Pro, Halo CE works with the strings.dll and 128 Mb AGP but Halo PC still fadgazzles when starting up.
I give up, uninstalled both, will wait for Halo 2.

  • 09.11.2004 12:24 PM PDT