Black screen in W7... and I don't like it!!!

[hubbabubba]

Well, finally, the s**t hit the fan.

As I was playing in Campaigns mode, my screen turned black. I could hear my wingmen's comments, but all scenery was gone and replaced by a black screen. This had happened before while flying FS95 and my CFS1 "multiplayer special", but this time it was while playing a "plain vanilla" installation of CFS1.

I did replayed the mission without a glitch (third mission from British side), but I really don't like that. In W98SE, I was sometimes "thrown back" on desktop, and I hope that this is W7 way of doing the same.

Once the "black screen syndrome" happens, the only thing to do is stop CFS1 and restart. Unless you want to fly blind in the middle of BoB!

Any suggestion, comments, thoughts, remarks, shared experience, would be welcomed!

Does installing a graphic card to boost visual performance would help?

If it is a frequent occurrence, it may be a "deal breaker". I hope not...

[smilo]

i was wondering, when the screen went black,
did you try another view mode? like spot plane?

also, am i correct in my understanding
that you don't have a graphic card?

and finally, what do you mean by "deal breaker"?
does this mean, you'll be changing your avatar?

[hubbabubba]

Yep! to all three, smilo

I tried everything; cycle through W and S POV, go in chase view, go in windowed mode, pause/unpause, open secondary window, end flight and return. Short of kicking the darn thing by the window (probably a mundial reflex...), I tried the whole bag of tricks.

This machine is still, alas, on a "graphic chipset" like my now defunct W98SE machine. In the W7 performance, I get a 3.2 for graphic performance for gaming and a 3.4 for graphic performance for Windows Aero (W7 translucent windows gimmick). All other numbers are 4.6 and above, so I will certainly ask the dealer if they could do something about that.

If the problem is a constant pain in the gludius maximus, I will go do something else for sure, like learning programming and stuff, just to keep the brain's cells that have not popped-out yet active and alert. W7 is great for "multimedia experience", but sitting in front of a screen (TV or PC) is a sure way to turn into a human turnip. I'm also wondering how I could get a machine that would accept my beloved W98SE install disc.

If I leave CFS1 rest in peace, it won't be without a fight.

[Ivan]

Perhaps the game was simulating a severe oil leak that covered your entire canopy?

You do realise that there are other options besides Windows 7. Windows 2000 and XP are not supported any more, but if you have the media, what difference does it make?

FWIW, My Vista Laptop screen sometimes goes BLACK for no apparent reason. Often it is after one of my son's games.
I don't think it is a hardware issue. At least I hope not.

- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

Basically, it comes to that;

1- How frequent is the "black-out" happening?

2- Is it W7 related or simply machine related?

If its a rare event, I can live with it. From time to time, CFS1 would throw me back on the desktop when I was under W98Se. Is it the same glitch acting in a different way? Let's hope so.

If it is my machine acting-up, then the remaining CFS1 community will survive. But if it is W7, I'm afraid that followers will go to other pastures.

M$ has turned "planned obsolescence" into an art.

[smilo]

as i recall, this has happened to me in the distant past.
memory fades
i can't remember the exact circumstances,
but, it might have had something to do
with changing panels or views or something like that.
although aggravating, a game restart solved the issue.

as we can see by the number of thread views
(80 in a little over 48 hours)
there still are a few interested in cfs.
i have no doubt that many struggle
to run cfs on newer systems.
thank goodness, hubba has come up
with the w7 patch to solve the joystick issue.
over the years, his cfs work
has been an invaluable asset to us all.

i can't help but say that what i hear
from the ultimate CFS DieHard
about giving up on the game
distresses me to no end.

[hubbabubba]

(...)

i can't help but say that what i hear
from the ultimate CFS DieHard
about giving up on the game
distresses me to no end.

Take a deep breath, smilo, I'm still around.

And even if I was to stop working on CFS1, my (Internet) door would still be open.

I'm a self-proclaimed "die-hard", but the "ultimate"? I don't think so. To cite only one, Ivan has been at it long before me and will, probably, still go on adorning CFS1 hangars of his beauties long after me.

[smilo]

actually, my friend, i can, finally, take a deep breath.

we just finished watching the USA play Germany and advance
from the group of death to the knockout round of 16.
whew

you'll hear no argument regarding Ivan's work here.
but, i still believe you are the ultimate cfs die hard.
if for no other reason, that you coined cfs diehard,
which, by the way, i am proud to count myself as one.

cfs lives....even if it's an old man.

[No Dice]

Just My 2 cents,

After looking at the download counts for the original fix and then Hubbas ultimate fix ( total over 1800 )
and this being the 1st black screen problem ( I still run CFS1 on XP ) none reported to the FFS, that it may
be a system issue.

I will find the time to load CFS1 to my Win 7 pro as soon as I can and see if I have the same problem.

Dave

[hubbabubba]

actually, my friend, i can, finally, take a deep breath.

we just finished watching the USA play Germany and advance
from the group of death to the knockout round of 16.
whew

you'll hear no argument regarding Ivan's work here.
but, i still believe you are the ultimate cfs die hard.
if for no other reason, that you coined cfs diehard,
which, by the way, i am proud to count myself as one.

cfs lives....even if it's an old man.

Good luck to team USA!!!

If Dempsey has a good day, who knows?...

[hubbabubba]

Just My 2 cents,

After looking at the download counts for the original fix and then Hubbas ultimate fix ( total over 1800 )
and this being the 1st black screen problem ( I still run CFS1 on XP ) none reported to the FFS, that it may
be a system issue.

I will find the time to load CFS1 to my Win 7 pro as soon as I can and see if I have the same problem.

Dave

I sincerely hope that my "blackout" issues are restricted to my rig. A bit of feed back from W7 users would help for sure.

[smilo]

"Good luck to team USA!!!"

as long as we continue to play as a team,
we should do well.
Klinsman has done wonders.

here's a weird one;
a local family went to Brazil for the cup.
yesterday, i saw the mom and a son on tv.
what are the odds?


".....A bit of feed back from W7 users would help for sure."

ain't that the truth?
it would seem that with all the downloads of your w7 patch,
there are quite a few w7 cfs users.
it's a shame none will bother to help out.

as i once heard said,
"are you a man or a mouse? squeak up!"

[Dave Cumming]

Hubba, could you post the mission that is causing the problem? I have Windows 8 here but can fly the mission to see what happens. Years ago I had a similar problem because an airfield wasn't correctly defined. The mission went well until the program wanted to use the airfield - I think it was a waypoint. I cannot remember if CFS crashed to the Desktop or if everything went black.

Dave

[hubbabubba]

Hubba, could you post the mission that is causing the problem? I have Windows 8 here but can fly the mission to see what happens. Years ago I had a similar problem because an airfield wasn't correctly defined. The mission went well until the program wanted to use the airfield - I think it was a waypoint. I cannot remember if CFS crashed to the Desktop or if everything went black.

Dave

It is a straight out of the game mission on an unaltered CFS1 install. It is a campaign mission of the BoB (British side) where you're supposed to defend Ventnor radar station against incoming flight of Ju-87 escorted by 109. My screen went black as I warped to battle with a couple of friendlies in front of me. It only happened once with that "plain vanilla" installation, but numerous time while flying FS95 and hitting the "S" key and a few times with my usual MP CFS1 installation under various circumstances.

Last time I tried the mission was today; bagged four Junkers and four Me at 100% reality (yes, I'm bragging...).

I think that it is specific to my rig, fortunately.

P.S.- I forgot; squeak you, Dave...

[hubbabubba]

"Good luck to team USA!!!"

as long as we continue to play as a team,
we should do well.
Klinsman has done wonders.

here's a weird one;
a local family went to Brazil for the cup.
yesterday, i saw the mom and a son on tv.
what are the odds?


(...)

Sorry for you, smilo, but the best team won (although it came close to be otherwise...).

If the "faking mentality" could be rooted out, it would be a great sport to watch. Television doesn't lie about people tripping on thin air and, when really hit, grimacing on the ground while holding the wrong limb or body parts. When Neymar was brought out of the field on a stretcher, I was convinced that he would be back in a minute (and I'm sure many did!). The faking is not only detrimental to the sport as it is basically cheating, but it is detrimental to the players who are unceremoniously tossed of the field even when, like Neymar incident, they would need immediate treatment and immobilization before being moved. If his vertebrae had been fractured instead of being cracked, he would be watching soccer games in a wheelchair from now on.