Microsoft KB Archive/184692

DirectX: Screen Turns Black or Is Covered with Wavy Lines

PSS ID Number: Q184692 Article last modified on 08-24-1998

WINDOWS:1.0,2.0

WINDOWS

================================================================ ==

The information in this article applies to:

 DreamWorks Interactive, Lost World: Jurassic Park Chaos Island, version 1.0 Microsoft Age of Empires, version 1.0 Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 == Microsoft Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far, version 2.0 == 

= SYMPTOMS =

When you run a DirectX-based program, your monitor may display a black screen or wavy lines on a black background.

= CAUSE =

This behavior can occur if the DirectX-based program changes the default refresh rate your display adapter sends to the monitor.

= RESOLUTION =

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods:


 * Change the refresh rate.
 * Reduce the hardware acceleration of your display adapter.

Change the Refresh Rate
Most Windows video drivers do not allow you to change the refresh rate of your monitor, although some third-party vendors offer programs that provide this functionality. If your video driver does not allow you to change the refresh rate of your monitor, follow the steps in the “Reduce the Hardware Acceleration” section later in this article.

To determine if your video driver allows you to change the refresh rate of your monitor, follow these steps:

  Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.   Double-click Display, and then click the Settings tab.   Click Change Display Type, and then click the Adapter tab. NOTE: If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2), click Advanced Properties, and then click the Adapter tab. If you are using Microsoft Windows 98, click Advanced, and then click the Adapter tab. </li></ol>

If you see a Refresh Rate box, you can manually change the refresh rate of your monitor.

If you do not see an Adapter tab, follow the steps in the “Reduce the Hardware Acceleration” section later in this article.

To change the refresh rate of your monitor, follow these steps:

<ol style="list-style-type: decimal;">  Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. </li>  Double-click Display, click the Settings tab, and then click Change Display Type. NOTE: If you are using OSR2, click Advanced Properties. If you are using Windows 98, click Advanced. </li>  On the Adapter tab, click Adapter Default in the Refresh Rate box. </li>  Click OK. If you are prompted to test the setting, click OK. </li>  If the setting appears to work correctly, click Yes to keep the setting. If the setting does not work correctly, click No, and then follow the steps in the “Reduce the Hardware Acceleration” section later in this article. </li>  Click OK, and then close Control Panel. </li></ol>

Reduce the Hardware Acceleration
NOTE: If you reduce the hardware acceleration setting, the overall graphical performance of your computer may be reduced.

To reduce the hardware acceleration setting, follow these steps:


 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
 * 2) Double-click System.
 * 3) Click the Performance tab, and then click Graphics.
 * 4) Move the Hardware Acceleration slider until it is one notch to the right of None (the Basic acceleration setting).
 * 5) Click OK, and then click Close.
 * 6) When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.

If you continue to have problems when you attempt to run the DirectX-based program, contact your hardware manufacturer to obtain information about how to change the refresh rate of your monitor and inquire if updated drivers that support this capability are available.

= MORE INFORMATION =

For more information about troubleshooting DirectX display issues, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q161405 TITLE : Black Screen or Green Vertical Lines with ATI Card

ARTICLE-ID: Q161406 TITLE : Video Display Problem after Installing Program

ARTICLE-ID: Q177496 TITLE : Chaos: Black or Gray Screen When You Start the Game

ARTICLE-ID: Q181665 TITLE : Game Does Not Start or Black Screen When Game Starts

Additional query words: 1.00 2.00 dream-works dream works blank dx6 DirectX 6.0 ====================================================================== Keywords : kbdw kbimu dwi kbdisplay kbenv Technology : DirectX Version : WINDOWS:1.0,2.0 Platform : WINDOWS Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.