black screen

sharkseatrays · 03-14-2007, 09:56 AM

I have installed my screensaver and I can hear the sounds, but all I get is a black screen. When I hit the spacebar I do get the window and get the settings, tanks and sharks but I can't get the screen to come up. Can anyone help

?

Tiny Turtle · 03-14-2007, 10:20 AM

Does other 3D stuff work on your computer?

What OS are you using and do you know what graphics card it has?

/Tiny Start

cjmaddy · 03-14-2007, 10:40 AM

Press the Space bar when the screen goes black, then go to the 'Settings' tab. Make sure that 'Black', alongside 'Select Monitor' is not checked. If it is then remove the check mark.
- You should then get your sharks!

sharkseatrays · 03-14-2007, 01:05 PM

I checked the monitor settings and it won't let me even check the black, but it was not checked. The graphics card(video card) I think is S3 virge DX/GX. Sorry new at this!

feldon34 · 03-14-2007, 01:45 PM

Getting the right drivers for your S3 ViRGE card can be quite complicated.

Here is the main site:
http://www.s3graphics.com/en/resourc...vers/index.jsp

Does your computer have a built-in graphics chip, or does it have a video card?

If you look at this picture, the blue video connector in the bottom center is an integrated graphics port:

On the other hand, this is a separate video card:

It would help to know if you are running Windows 98, 2000, XP, etc., and how old your computer is. Thanks!

sharkseatrays · 03-14-2007, 02:16 PM

Windows XP

feldon34 · 03-14-2007, 02:18 PM

and do you know if this is a separate video card or a built-in video card?

sharkseatrays · 03-14-2007, 03:01 PM

built in

cjmaddy · 03-14-2007, 03:15 PM

Sorry the 'Black' check mark didn't help. It must only be on dual monitors that you have that option available.

Jav400 · 03-14-2007, 03:26 PM

Your built in card may not have the capabilities to run the SS. Next time you try running it, since you can hit the space bar and see the settings, go under the settings tab and in the bottom right hand corner click the down arrow and manually choose the lowest settings available. It should be 640 x 480 x 16. See if this gets you anything at all.

feldon34 · 03-14-2007, 03:34 PM

There do not seem to be any updated s3 ViRGE drivers for Windows XP, just the ones that ship with Windows XP.

I believe you will need to buy a graphics card to run 3D applications on that ViRGE if you cannot get it to run any other way.

Jim Sachs · 03-14-2007, 08:50 PM

The most important question is the one Tiny asked at the beginning of the thread: Do other 3D programs run?

You can also run DXDIAG.exe, and see if the 3D section is working normally. Just go to the Start button, then "Run" and type in Dxdiag.exe. When the program comes up, it's the Direct3D section that you are interested in.

sharkseatrays · 03-15-2007, 11:56 AM

It is running ok I tested it. I appreciate all your help. I am going to try a little longer and I guess I will see if they will take it back. For some reason the computer doesn't like it. Thanks for the help.

Tiny Turtle · 03-15-2007, 01:38 PM

Please download the trial versions of Marine Aquarium and Goldfish Aquarium and install them. If both of them run ok, things get weird, but maybe it's like Feldon31 says and Sharks is a little too much for your built-in graphics chip. The solution is to buy a new graphics card (unless you're using a laptop). Depending on what kind of graphics port you have (PCI/AGP/PCI-Express) you have to get a matching card, but otherwise it shouldn't cost you more than ~$40 to get a card that can handle 3D alright. These guys will fill you in while I'm away.

Jim Sachs · 03-15-2007, 02:39 PM

Arizona Bay?

03-14-2007, 09:56 AM	#1
sharkseatrays Registered Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4	black screen I have installed my screensaver and I can hear the sounds, but all I get is a black screen. When I hit the spacebar I do get the window and get the settings, tanks and sharks but I can't get the screen to come up. Can anyone help ?

03-14-2007, 10:20 AM	#2
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Does other 3D stuff work on your computer? What OS are you using and do you know what graphics card it has? /Tiny Start Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

03-14-2007, 01:45 PM	#5
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Getting the right drivers for your S3 ViRGE card can be quite complicated. Here is the main site: http://www.s3graphics.com/en/resourc...vers/index.jsp Does your computer have a built-in graphics chip, or does it have a video card? If you look at this picture, the blue video connector in the bottom center is an integrated graphics port: On the other hand, this is a separate video card: It would help to know if you are running Windows 98, 2000, XP, etc., and how old your computer is. Thanks! "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-14-2007, 02:18 PM	#7
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	and do you know if this is a separate video card or a built-in video card? "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-14-2007, 03:26 PM	#10
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	Your built in card may not have the capabilities to run the SS. Next time you try running it, since you can hit the space bar and see the settings, go under the settings tab and in the bottom right hand corner click the down arrow and manually choose the lowest settings available. It should be 640 x 480 x 16. See if this gets you anything at all. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

03-14-2007, 10:40 AM	#3
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Press the Space bar when the screen goes black, then go to the 'Settings' tab. Make sure that 'Black', alongside 'Select Monitor' is not checked. If it is then remove the check mark. - You should then get your sharks!

03-14-2007, 01:05 PM	#4
sharkseatrays Registered Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4	I checked the monitor settings and it won't let me even check the black, but it was not checked. The graphics card(video card) I think is S3 virge DX/GX. Sorry new at this!

03-14-2007, 02:16 PM	#6
sharkseatrays Registered Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4	Windows XP

03-14-2007, 03:01 PM	#8
sharkseatrays Registered Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4	built in

03-14-2007, 03:15 PM	#9
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Sorry the 'Black' check mark didn't help. It must only be on dual monitors that you have that option available.

03-14-2007, 03:34 PM	#11
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	There do not seem to be any updated s3 ViRGE drivers for Windows XP, just the ones that ship with Windows XP. I believe you will need to buy a graphics card to run 3D applications on that ViRGE if you cannot get it to run any other way. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-14-2007, 08:50 PM	#12
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,789	The most important question is the one Tiny asked at the beginning of the thread: Do other 3D programs run? You can also run DXDIAG.exe, and see if the 3D section is working normally. Just go to the Start button, then "Run" and type in Dxdiag.exe. When the program comes up, it's the Direct3D section that you are interested in. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-15-2007, 11:56 AM	#13
sharkseatrays Registered Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4	It is running ok I tested it. I appreciate all your help. I am going to try a little longer and I guess I will see if they will take it back. For some reason the computer doesn't like it. Thanks for the help.

03-15-2007, 01:38 PM	#14
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Please download the trial versions of Marine Aquarium and Goldfish Aquarium and install them. If both of them run ok, things get weird, but maybe it's like Feldon31 says and Sharks is a little too much for your built-in graphics chip. The solution is to buy a new graphics card (unless you're using a laptop). Depending on what kind of graphics port you have (PCI/AGP/PCI-Express) you have to get a matching card, but otherwise it shouldn't cost you more than ~$40 to get a card that can handle 3D alright. These guys will fill you in while I'm away. Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

03-15-2007, 02:39 PM	#15
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,789	Arizona Bay? Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium