Black Screen On Start Up

Well, the topic says it all. Whenever I try to start up the game I get a black screen. Nothing else. Sometimes I can hear the sounds on the background. I'm running on XP Sp3. I've tried all kinds of patches and I've tried running it in those compatible modes and everything but nothing seems to help. Hoping someone here could help me out.

Thanks.

-Sexton

If you're running GP3 2000 with GPxPatch, I have the same bug here... I first start the game, it "loads", but the application won't run anymore...

So, I open the Task Manager and close both GP3 2000 and GPxPatch (both are "not functioning" by now...) and then, run GPxPatch again... It does run now...

A hint to see if the game will start is to open the monitor menu and check the screen resolution: if it changes to 800x600, it will start...




In my PC, where I run on 1280x1024, it won't load by first... After I close GP3 2000 and GPxPatch, I start it again and...




...it will be OK to load next time... It's an annoying bug, i know... But at least I can run the game...

GPGSL-3: Fox race driver and team manager - 2011-2012 Constructor Champion - 2012 Driver Champion

Season 9 - #18 Erick Von Draxeler - #35 Marcus Bongardt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2008 06:24PM by ErickVonDraxeler.

I have exactly the same problem as Sexton and exactly the same solution as Erick
I know this won't help you alot just to show you're not alone guys
Would like to resolve it though...

I never had this problem with GP3 1.13... Telling you the truth, I can't remember if I first got this bug after switching to GP3-2000, after switching my HD or my screen (a 1280x1024 LCD rather than a 1024x768 tube...)

But, as I said, the game will run on 2nd try...

GPGSL-3: Fox race driver and team manager - 2011-2012 Constructor Champion - 2012 Driver Champion

Season 9 - #18 Erick Von Draxeler - #35 Marcus Bongardt

I have the same troubles with both games, second time lucky.


Happy racing from Germany !!!

Here's the solution. I've had the same problem with XP SP2, but when starting GPxPatch using one of EMAC's carsets, it starts first time. If you right click and select Properties from the EMAC shortcut to GPx Patch it has this as the 'Target':

"C:\Program Files\Infogrames\Grand Prix 3 2000 Season\GPxPatch.exe" /r /s RH1996_season.set

So right click and select Properties on the GpxPatch shortcut and replace RH1996_season.set with the name of your season set, click Apply to save it and Gpx Patch should start first time.

I just haven't clicked on what /r /s means???


Edit - Erick, I'm running 1280x1024 resolution, so hopefully you don't find it problematic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2008 12:38PM by mcdo.

OK, but if you don't use a season set? (abort it, just use "season.set" and be happy...)

Edit: used it here too, it start first too... An idiot bug like my buggy tyres... (read on [www.grandprixgames.org])

GPGSL-3: Fox race driver and team manager - 2011-2012 Constructor Champion - 2012 Driver Champion

Season 9 - #18 Erick Von Draxeler - #35 Marcus Bongardt



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2008 02:23AM by ErickVonDraxeler.

/r is used to start GPx immediately without showing the GPxPatch GUI.
/s is used to specify a season set.

So I tried starting the game i.e. executing the GPxPatch directly from the command line with option /r and it worked, game started right away and didn't hang.
So the solution would be to create GPxPatch shortcut, edit its properties and add /r to target line, but it's a poor solution

Thanks for the explanation Speed_Addict. You're right, it's not ideal, but I'll be happy with two shortcuts, one for the game and one for GPxPatch. It's better than the Task Manager routine.

Sorry I didn't get it, why do you need the shortcut for the game? Are you sometimes playing without using GPxPatch?

I meant that I can have one shortcut to start GPxPatch if I'm going to make changes and another shortcut that points to the season.set to go straight to the game.

OK... I have always used GPxPatch to start the game and of course to make changes to a season.set if needed.
To avoid the "hanging game" problem I created the GPxPatch shortcut now. If I need to make changes I use the GPxPatch GUI, save the changes and then start the game using the shortcut.

That's the juice. Not ideal, as you said, but workable. Have you been doing that for ages or only just started?

I only just started. Was intrigued by your mentioning of the /r option and decided to play around with it a little.

I don't know whether it is just coincidence but I have only ever noticed this problem after upgrading to GPxPatch 3.92. I recently reinstalled GP3 and used 3.91 and haven't had the loading failure since.

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The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. -- F.Scott Fitzgerald