Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: Is there any way to get Halo 2 to work with an Optimus 540M?(Not GFWL)
  • Subject: Is there any way to get Halo 2 to work with an Optimus 540M?(Not GFWL)
Subject: Is there any way to get Halo 2 to work with an Optimus 540M?(Not GFWL)
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So, I finally got around to getting a new computer. Got a Dell XPS 15, Core i5, Nvidia 540M, Windows 7 64 bit. Nothing great, but it runs Crysis ok and should run most other things.
And I figure I can finally try out Halo 2. Been wanting to play that for ages, and I don't do consoles.
I install the latest driver, then install and register Halo 2. Then I get this when I try to start it:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: halo2.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.11081
Application Timestamp: 46368037
Fault Module Name: nvd3d9wrap.dll
Fault Module Version: 8.17.12.7533
Fault Module Timestamp: 4dd73626
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00001eb5

Note the "Fault Module Name: nvd3d9wrap.dll." Not the GFWL problem.
And I'm not the only one, apparently.
Kortosis posted this in fficial WHQL NVIDIA 275.33 Display Driver Feedback Thread:
Hello,
I am having a problem with Halo 2, whenever it tries to start. I have installed it fully and when I try to start the game it crashes. I first tried to do the "Install while you play option", but when it tried to start the game it crashed. So I did the full install without starting the game and it installed correctly. So the problem is when the game tries to run. The error message is listed below.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: halo2.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.11081
Application Timestamp: 46368037
Fault Module Name: nvd3d9wrap.dll
Fault Module Version: 8.17.12.7533
Fault Module Timestamp: 4dd73626
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00001eb5
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: e19c
Additional Information 2: e19ce9d2dcd06ac32515e8966fc1418d
Additional Information 3: fbd7
Additional Information 4: fbd7d9d0d9d02c0f45dfdd44ae0576c2


I have tried going into the NVIDIA Control Panel and making it be forced to use both the GT 540M and the them Intel Integrated graphics, but neither of them work and both come up with the same error Fault Module Name = nvd3d9wrap.dll. This is why I believe it is a problem with the graphics card, and not WIndows Live as other forums have stated (I have no Windows Live error, so it has to be something else.)

And this thread (http://flawless.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=61453085 ) on the Bungie forums contains posts from multiple people who can't get it to work with a 540M. Some choice posts:
Info about my system:
Alienware m11x R3
Windows 7 64 bit
8GB memory
Intel i7 1.5GHz (overclock to 2.6)
Dual graphics with Intel HD graphics 3000 and 2.0GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

So basically when I try to start Halo 2, it won't do anything. I double click on it, it appears in the task manager (halo2.exe), then dissapears. I get no indication on screen that the game is running. I have tried all the things suggested in the sticky post, don't worry.

When I run in compatability mode for XP/Vista I get:

"Initialization failed. Either insufficient system resources were found to run the game, or the game data is missing or damaged.
Reinstalling the game may fix this problem."

When installing, it has a whinge about my graphics not being good enough when clearly this is not the case; it can only recognise my Intel HD graphics GPU and not the NVIDIA GPU.

Interestingly enough dxdiag can't see the NVIDIA card either, only showing the Intel card, but msconfig32 can.

So I think the main problem is that Halo 2 can't see my GPU, thus it deems the computer not good enough and refuses to run. I don't know if this is really the case or not but it's just what I think.

I have already tried the following for this problem:
Running as admin

Updating the game with latest patch

Uninstall then reinstall (many times)

Run in every compatability type

Ensuring I've selected the NVIDIA card in "NVIDIA control panel" (it's the default for everything).

Ensuring that other games can see the card (crysis 2, starcraft 2, etc all work so yes they can)

Installing the latest drivers for the card (version 275)

Disabling the intel card, uninstalling then reinstalling the nvdia drivers while the intel card is off (dxdiag detected NO card and NVIDIA control panel wouldn't start because the intel card wasn't detected).

Installing a friend's copy of Halo 2 to ensure my disk isn't damaged

Copying and using the program files from my old Toshiba laptop to run the game

And,
I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM

Can someone help? I called microsoft and dell and they both claim that Halo 2 is 100% not compatible with W7 and that there is no work around for it, but many people are able to play it on win7...


And finally this guy blames it on Optimus:
Do you have switchable graphics or optimus? I have an M17x r3 with Optimus and I called microsoft support and apparently Halo 2 will not work with any form of switchable graphics and also said something about "virtualization".


So, has anyone ever got Halo 2 to run on a 540M? With any driver version? Has anyone ever gotten it to work on an Optimus config?
If no, does anyone think it might be fixed in the future? Any suggestions? Or am I just out of luck?

  • 07.02.2011 12:57 PM PDT
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  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.

Posted by: Orz
And I figure I can finally try out Halo 2. Been wanting to play that for ages, and I don't do consoles.

I'll let you know right now that if there's any game you should skip, it would be Halo 2. It's not a PC game. It's a console game pretending to be a PC game.

Regarding the problem at hand, the game should work. There shouldn't be a problem here at all. The game should install and run flawlessly on your system. But it doesn't because that's just how bad software works.

I've never experienced the problem, because I only deal with games that are good. So just let this thread stew for a bit, and some Halo 2 Vista fan will walk in here and say your system's entirely to blame, and go on about how H2V is perfect and has zero compatibility issues, and then suggests a bunch of irrelevant "fixes" that don't work.

My condolences, and good luck.

  • 07.02.2011 1:07 PM PDT

Posted by: Nessy

The bungie.net community is the halo PC community that is renowned for being unbelieveably sucky.

My pure guess is that your video card driver is flaky. The problem with buying a mobile chipset even from ATI or nVidia is that technically your driver is written by your laptop manufacturer and nVidia takes no responsibility, nor do they offer driver updates for their mobile chipsets regularly if at all like they do for retail desktop graphics cards.

That being said, the problem could also be with H2v itself. There are lots of problems with the game from a software POV. Unfortunately the game is not really supported anymore by Microsoft. The game didn't sell well (for obvious reasons) so they don't care.

The best thing to do is report the problem to your laptop manufacturer and hope they work on a driver update with nVidia. Also, avoid PC games from non reputable studios/publishers like Microsoft, or any internal Microsoft studios like "Hired Gun" which doesn't even exist anymore. Buy games from studios that actually care about the end user.

  • 07.02.2011 2:23 PM PDT
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Yea, probably the program.
The driver situation has moved past what you remember, though. I'm running the latest drivers from Nvidia, released this month. They no longer even try to make you use Dell's ancient ones.
Optimus appears to have a whole slew of problems with older games, however. I'm still curious if anyone has got Halo 2 to work on an Optimus system, and if so what drivers/card he/she had.

It's not a PC game. It's a console game pretending to be a PC game.

Yes, I know. That's what I expect and want. I don't particularly want multiplayer and such, I just want to blow up another Ringworld and watch Cortana evolve into something closer to Shodan.

"Look at you, Master Chief. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. The only beauty in that meat you call a body are your cybernetic implants, and I gave you those. How can you hope to challenge me, a perfect immortal machine?"

[Edited on 07.02.2011 2:42 PM PDT]

  • 07.02.2011 2:27 PM PDT
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Bump

  • 07.04.2011 6:43 PM PDT

Never allow freedom to miss guide you.

Disable the intel graphics and tell your laptop to only use the nvidia graphics. Problem solved.... maybe. I never liked the swappable graphics design for those laptops, its crap in my opinion.

  • 07.12.2011 6:48 AM PDT

Woah...that just happened...again !


Posted by: XixlPixel
Disable the intel graphics and tell your laptop to only use the nvidia graphics. Problem solved.... maybe. I never liked the swappable graphics design for those laptops, its crap in my opinion.


Can you get information or instructions on how to do this exactly. I've tried to figure it out on my own so any help would be nice !

  • 07.12.2011 1:31 PM PDT

Woah...that just happened...again !

It seems when you try to disable the graphics card...it wont let you. I think you would need to mess around with clean installs of windows until it got working correctly. I'm not about to mess with this crap I'll just wait for a driver to fix the issue. I've been waiting this long to play it might as well not bother and just get it running when they fix their graphics card issues as it seems that this card is effected by more than one game having this issue.

  • 07.13.2011 8:51 PM PDT

Never allow freedom to miss guide you.

On certain laptops it allows you to disable it in the BIOS... However I searched around your specific laptop and apparently its "impossible". I say "impossible" because there will most likely be a work around somewhere on the internet.

  • 07.15.2011 11:04 AM PDT