Microsoft Research Community

Hi Chuck,
 
Unfortunately not.  Video card was standard with the HP...never did change it.

Any else I can try?
 
Thanks so much for your quick reply,
 
Steve

This did not help me (yet), but it may help someone else.

I went to the .net page at Microsoft, and noticed that there was a .net 3.5 that requires the uninstallation of 2.0. When I went to the Control Panel to uninstall, I decided since 2.0 was a minimum requirement, that it might be quicker just to do a repair and see what happens. Well, my .net was installed when the window came up during the WWT install, and it obviously did not do a good job, because my system went into a huge repair job (successfully) on my .net install. Since it was recommended to get all the updates, I went back and got the .net 2.0 Service Pack 1 and installed that. Windows Update did not detect that I need anything else at any time.

After a reboot, I though for sure it has to work, but alas, same thing...constellation outlines on black. I can bring up the white circles if in the right locaton, scroll, pan, and zoom, but no images......which by the way ARE on my drive, contrary to my previous post. I had looked in the Microsoft Research sub-Directory in error, as opposed to Microsoft.

I don't think going to .net 3.5 will change anything, but I may try it if I don't see an answer posting.....I'm beginning to think I need to buy a differnt video card, although the Radeon Rx9250 meets the spec, and everything else in WWT works great, but not quite as great as the office, where I can see the stars.

Again....XP Pro SP3, 2GB RAM, P4 2.26GHz

Would a 1280 x 768 widescreen resolution be blocking it?

 After reading through forum posts all over the web regarding this issue, I believe the Radeon 9250 is the problem, and updating to the latest driver does not help (it is dated Nov 2006). I have found that most with this same issue with other cards stop having the problem when they update their driver. Does anyone have the 9250 and have it working?

Hopefully we get a fix because I doubt we can get ATI to get us another driver. I'm not buying another Vid card anytime soon.

Too bad, I was very excited about this program.

-LV 

Really wish MS did their homework before posting an incorrect minimum requirement for this highly touted software.   I had 512 MB of RAM when I discovered this problem, and since the minimum spec was 1 GB, I assumed that upgrading the RAM would fix it.  I then spent $120.00 to max out the RAM to 2GB, only to discover that the video card, which is within spec, needs to be replaced.  This has never happened before with any application I have run.  How is it that the industry leader can let this pass QA?  The only response I've received so far is a question as to whether I have access to another video card to try.  Are WE expected to perform QA for Microsoft now?  Does MS believe that because this program is free, they can inconvenience their customers this way? This is not some obscure video card....it came standard with one of the most popular PC's sold...an HP Pavilion! I commend MS's ability to create a great program, but they should be aware that this sort of experience is exactly why more people are considering Mac's for their next computer purchase...I know I certainly am. 

Steve:

Really wish MS did their homework....

I don't think you are being reasonable Steve.   No program anywhere is ever tested on every one of the millions of differently configured and spec'd machines.  Their spec is correct... many machines with that config work fine...  its just seems that a certain type of card is not able to render the images...  that's not Microsoft's fault...  its just bad luck for those of us who have those cards...  I have one myself  :( 

Just to be clear...  

1) I have no association whatsoever with any part of Microsoft or the team that created wwT

2) The software is Beta...   there are bound to be a few issues.

3) The didnt charge you any money for it... they give it away for free...   

4) wwT is not just another accountancy program.... it is cutting edge, paradigm shifting, bad ass,  hot stuff...  if it asks a lot of your machine its because its doing a wonderful bit of cluey design...  bound to be some issues with that.

So given the above,  I think its a bit unfair to tell them they dropped the ball.  The folk at wwT probably cant say some of the things they think when they see unfair critisicm.

This is just my two cents worth...  

Same problem.

 System information: 

Nombre del sistema operativo Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Versión 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Compilación 2600
Fabricante del sistema operativo Microsoft Corporation
Nombre del sistema PRESARIO
Fabricante del sistema Hewlett-Packard
Modelo del sistema Compaq Presario X1000 DL681A#ABE
Tipo de sistema X86-based PC
Procesador x86 Family 6 Model 9 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~1295 MHz
BIOS Versión/Fecha Hewlett-Packard 68BAL Ver. F.10, 30/09/2003
Versión de SMBIOS 2.3
Directorio de Windows C:\WINDOWS
Directorio del sistema C:\WINDOWS\system32
Dispostivo de inicio \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Configuración regional España
Capa de abstracción de hardware Versión = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
Zona horaria Hora de verano romance
Memoria física total 768,00 MB
Memoria física disponible 223,95 MB
Memoria virtual total 2,00 GB
Memoria virtual disponible 1,96 GB
Espacio de archivo de paginación 1,38 GB
Archivo de paginación C:\pagefile.sys

Nombre MOBILITY RADEON 9200
Id. de dispositivo PNP PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4C66&SUBSYS_08600E11&REV_01\4&1BFA44D4&0&0008
Tipo de adaptador  Mobility Radeon 9200 AGP (0x4C66), compatible con ATI Technologies Inc.
Descripción de adaptador MOBILITY RADEON 9200
RAM de adaptador 32,00 MB (33.554.432 Bytes)
Controladores instalados ati2dvag.dll
Versión del controlador 6.14.10.6436
Archivo INF oem24.inf (sección BR_13927_ati2mtag_M9)
Esquema de color 1
Entradas de tabla de colores 4294967296
Resolución 1280 x 800 x 60 hertz
Bits/píxel 32
Dirección de memoria 0x98000000-0x9FFFFFFF
Puerto E/S 0x00003000-0x00003FFF
Dirección de memoria 0x90400000-0x904FFFFF
Canal IRQ IRQ 10
Puerto E/S 0x000003B0-0x000003BB
Puerto E/S 0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Dirección de memoria 0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Controlador c:\windows\system32\drivers\ati2mtag.sys (6.14.10.6436, 685,50 KB (701.952 Bytes), 25/04/2003 0:01)

I have exactly the same problem. I think is due to my graphic card : ATI 9200 on a laptop. On this kind of PC, we can't install official drivers. I Have a Sony Vaio. (WinXP SP2, P4 2.8, all Windows updates, .NET ....)

Thanks to find an answer quickly :)

WalrusLike:

Steve:

Really wish MS did their homework....

 

I don't think you are being reasonable Steve.   No program anywhere is ever tested on every one of the millions of differently configured and spec'd machines.  Their spec is correct... many machines with that config work fine...  its just seems that a certain type of card is not able to render the images...  that's not Microsoft's fault...  its just bad luck for those of us who have those cards...  I have one myself  :( 

A warning:  The geniuses at ATI decided to discontinue support for the 9250 (and other cards) for versions of Catalyst after 6.5.  (As far as I can establish version 6.5 does support those cards, but I have not verified this.)

Later versions of Catalyst will install on a machine but they will destroy your ability to use DirectX and will not work in any noticeable way.

Once installed it is very hard to uninstall the damage done by Catalyst.  (I have not yet found a credible and comprehensive description of the process on-line.)

Don't let attempts to make WWT work destroy other abilities on your computer!

Cairranda:

OK after alot of fidling and looking through these issue i have noticed that it does not like high res/size monitors I have a 2 20" monitors doesnt work on either so i tried reducing the size of the window as stated above. This works fin untill you get to a certin size then either the images dont show or flicker, I am unsure if this is to do with the program trying to stretch the images to the larger size or if it is the graphics drivers. I have updated all my graphics drives. Side note i have IE8 installed so i dont know if this is related. Might help the microsoft clan in fixing this issue.

I believe the dimensions to be part of the problem also.  I have a Radeon X1300 card with the latest drivers in XP Pro SP2.  (By the way, my system is continuously on and continuously connected to the net, and I've never received any notice that SP3 is available.  What's up with that?)  My monitor is 1680x1050.  WWT won't draw anything but the constellation lines, constellation boundaries, ecliptic, crosshairs, and sun and moon (and these last two break up if I zoom in) if I'm in fullscreen mode.  If I change to window mode, everything works (including zooming in on the sun and moon) if I keep the window smaller than the screen size.  If I enlarge it to nearly full screen size (I'm not sure exactly how many pixels different, maybe less than 20?), everything but the above-named items will disappear exactly as if it was in full-screen mode.  I can enlarge the window to the whole height of the screen (minus the taskbar), but not the whole width.

WalrusLike,

Just to be clear(er),

1)   First off - I have no association with Apple - or Google, for that matter, either. 

2)   Although this is a beta, this should not be "plug and pray."  MS released this "beta" with the hoopla normally reserved for final release software....they benefited at our expense.  Google Earth was Beta when it was released - no problems with a commonly used video card not being supported.  Again, this is not about an obscure video card ...it is quite common....and, that's the point. This should, therefore, have been an Alpha release - not a Beta.   A consumer's standards (and your's) should be higher than what you suggest, and MS must raise their QA policies, in general, to remain viable. I am pro MS - and I want to continue to be.  

3)   We all should know by now that so called "free" software is anything but free if it requires unnecessary, and potentially damaging, HW & SW upgrades to make it work - not to mention the expense in time to accomplish this.  It is not at all uneasonable to expect "Free" software, (even "free" beta SW) from the largest SW company on Earth, to work with the most popular configurations found....this is the convention in today's market, and Microsoft should not be immune from this expectation. 

4)   I wonder how you know how great the SW is if your card isn't supported.  Be that as it may, other software, equally cutting-edge, has been released without these sorts of problems - which, by the way, is indicative of other QA issues MS is well known for.  Let's face it, if it were not for Google Earth, WWT would not have been released. MS needed to prove they are equally capable of being a benevolent and humble giant - releasing free and valuable software to the masses....their arrogance (now desperation?), unfortunately, clearly remains with their pre-mature release of WWT.  

So, given the above, I think it quite fair to tell MS that they dropped the ball.  Actually, we are doing them a favor by telling them this.  We will all benefit when the following takes place:  through the willingness of consumer's to pass along constructive crticism, combined with the willingness to listen, from what is clearly a dedicated and passionate development team - and Microsoft executives that "get it" by providing that team with the resources they need to serve their customers.   

By the way - anyone have a solution to this problem yet?  I'd love to use the software...as I love Astronomy.

Thanks and good luck. 

Steve

Steve:

By the way - anyone have a solution to this problem yet?  I'd love to use the software...as I love Astronomy.

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

I would be happy to help you with your problem. Please read the "Welcome - Read First!" post and provide me with the "Helpful list of items to supply when positng an issue"

Thank you,

Chuck

Hi Chuck,

Thank you very much for the reply. I posted the details you requested a few days ago and you responded by asking if I had access to another card...which I do not. I reposted the thread below.  I'd be happy to provide any additional information you require and we can certainly keep this correspondence via email only - if preferred.  Please let me know.

Best regards and thanks again for your assistance,

Steve 

Steve:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the homework and the wonderfuly verbose post!

Do you have the ability to try another video card?

Thanks,

Chuck

bufy:

I select an image to view, wait for it to download fully, but I get... nothing, just a black screen.
Even the tours don't work.

I am having the same issue. 

I am running Windows XP Home, 2002, SP 2

Browser is IE7

Video card is an ATI Radeon 9200 SE with latest drivers installed.

Hi Steve and Bufy,

Try this:

• Operating WWT in "windowed" view
• Lowering your screen resolution