Video card hassles

[Jaws87]

Right... I'm a noob to these particular forums (everyone say, Hi Jaws! (kidding)). But not at all to Star Wars. Heh.

Anyway...

I started a new file in KOTOR 2 not too long ago, while running XP. No problems with the game, at all.

Now I'm running Windows 7, I transferred the save file over.

I'm having problems. Specifically, Everything else besides the video card checks out on the scan (2.8 ghz duo core AMD processor, 2 gb RAM, massive HD, etc). And I've played it a few times without problems. But... now I am.

I have a Radeon X1550 video card in, and when I run the scan it gives me this 'video card driver out of date' junk, like I'm an idiot or something. Then it tells me that I need such and such if I've got an Nvidia card... which I don't. I went to the update site and downloaded the updated whatever, and now I can play fine (for the most part). Except when I'm playing as the exile. The screen dims whenever I move forward or back.

[SWKotOR]
ReportDateTime=11/13/2009 1:06:50 AM
SysInfoVersion=v1.00.60
GameExists=1
GameVersion=v2.10.427
GameInstallLocation=C:\Program Files\LucasArts\SWKotOR2\

[OS]
Name=WinXP
Version=Windows XP v5.1 build 2600 Service Pack 2
Service Pack=None
Status=Pass

[SwapFiles]
?:\pagefile.sys=0

[CPU]
CPUCount=2
CPUSpeed=2799
CPUFamily=15
CPUModel=11
CPUStepping=2
CPUVendor=AMD
CPUName=AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5400+
Status=Pass

[Memory]
RAM=2048
Status=Pass

[Disk Free Space]
C: (NTFS), UNICODE=338.20GB
Status=Pass

[CD-ROMs]
DriveLetters=D:\,E:\
Drives=HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8160B ATA Device,HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4481B ATA Device

[Video]
Video Card Name=RDPDD Chained DD
Video Memory=2048
Desktop Resolution=0x0x0
DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)
OpenGL Version=2.1.8544 Release
OpenGL Vendor=ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL Renderer=Radeon X1550 Series
ATI Driver=(null)
Vid Card Status=Warning
Vid Card Driver Status=Fail
GL Status=Pass

The ATI control catalyst tells me the extended desktop won't work, and that I should plug in the cord from my power supply into my V-card... and I've not only never had to do that, there's no spot TO plug anything into on the card. Sound like I need to give up and buy a new video card or what?

[Jaws87]

Going to try this. Can anyone verify if this works in Windows 7, or does it not matter if the game's in XP compatability mode?

*edit* Can't extract in command prompt, says the input file cannot be opened.

Any ideas would be great.

[Q]

I'm sorry, but do you honestly believe that video card drivers which were were written for Windows XP four years ago are going to work on Windows 7?

You'd better be glad that the installer wouldn't run.

Just make sure your drivers are up to date and check out how to set CPU affinity and the Dantooine lag fix in the second post in this thread.

[Jaws87]

Hey, I'm new to the realm of software modification. Go easy on me.

Still having problems, the showdown on Dantooine makes the game crash every time I have movies enabled... then crashed when I tried to change the graphics setting in game...
I'll try another go at it and see what happens.

Edit: Did the lag fix, caused problems, so I undid it and haven't had any problems yet... odd.

Edit:

Nope, still having problems... on Onderon and I can't even walk out the front hatch.

Edit 2: HA! Okay, I feel like an idiot now. Here's what happened:
The Vista fix regarding changing the compatability for the game by changing a setting inside the game file in programs: does NOT work for W7, it changes it right back.

Instead, when you have the shortcut on your desktop, right click it, go to properties, change it to W-XP-SP2, and Run as Administrator. USE THE SHORTCUT to open the game! Here's how you know this is actually working: when you first run EITHER KOTOR or TSL and click GAME, they scan your machine and ask you to configure it. This will not happen otherwise.

Problems solved. In fact, so well that I can run it with even better graphics than those I had while I was actually USING XP-SP2.

I might suggest using that information in a sticky about Windows 7. Could prove useful for other poor souls.

[Q]

You could post it in that thread that I linked you to. Sorry that I couldn't be any more help, but I just recently installed W7 and haven't installed either game yet.

Glad you got it working.