after switching the mainboard, the game become unplayable

[tangjack]

Before switching my mainboard (MSI K7T Pro (MS-6330)), the game just play very well on my system, and also no problem with applying the upgrade patchs to version 1.2(at that moment, patch 1.3 not yet release). Until I proceeds to campaign mission “search and destroy”, I switch my mainboard to Abit KT7A (Mainboard Version 1.3), all problems come! I can’t continue the campaign, because after I finish the campaign mission” search and destroy”, when I click on “continue” button, the game just crash back to desktop without error message, it happens every time when I click on “continue” button.

I tried to reinstall display driver, DirectX, patching VIA 4in1 driver to version 4.35 and also uninstall the game, delete the game folder, and reinstall the game! Now, I even can't finish the first mission (game version is 1.0) of the campaign (after I finish the shooting training the game crash back to desktop and still the same, without any error message). Then I tried to play the “single mission” to see whether the problem is unique to campaign only. Now, I discover that after I finish any single mission, when I click on “continue” button the game still crash back to desktop similar to above.
I tried to applying the patch, but the patch just doing nothing this time, similar to someone that already discuss in this forum.  

Finally, I decided to make a clean install of my Win98SE OS, so I reformat my C drive, reinstall Win98SE, patching VIA 4in1 driver to version 4.35, and reinstall the game, the problems still exist, crash back to desktop, even I patching the game version to 1.2 (Now, I can apply the patch 1.2, but patch 1.1 and 1.3 just doing nothing (I download all patch on official site)).

Now, I believe that the problem maybe reside on mainboard, the only difference I know between MSI K7T Pro and Abit KT7A (ver. 1.3) is the chipset, MSI K7T Pro is VIA KT133 and And Abit KT7A is VIA KT133A.

Does anyone have any idea about this? Sorry, hope all of you can understand my poor English.
I also have sent an email to the game developer yesterday; hope they will help me to solve these problems.

OS: Win98SE
Graphic card: ATI radeon LE (driver 4.13.7189)
Soundcard : Aopen AW724



(Edited by tangjack at 10:53 am on Nov. 29, 2001)

[Muchoman]

I have the same problem, game jumps back to desktop when i click the "continue" button.
But my problem started when i upgraded (or downgraded, who knows!) my windows OS from win98 to WinME....
My motherboard is a Asus A7V via 133....never had any problems with OFP until now.

[ScreamingWithNoSound]

Do either of you know about the 'hidden feature' of Windows? The one that means if you change your mobo, you need to re-install?

Have you re-installed Windows since upgrading? Do it and everything will be fine.
It's something to do with the drivers from the old Mobo causing problems... it's not actually possible to safely remove all the old drivers to get it back up and running properly (believe me, I've tried many times). I think it's a bug that Microsoft didn't bother ironing out (or they put it there deliberately) because it could feasibly go towards reducing piracy...

[tangjack]

YES, I have re-installed Windows since upgrading Mobo, a clean install!
But still the same!

[MrLaggy]

And I've swapped motherboards several times without reinstalling: in fact I think this PC is on its fourth motherboard now!

Then again, they were all BX chipsets so it's possible there may be more problems if you swap to boards with different chipsets.

[RN Malboeuf]

I swapped my K7V 133 for a A7V133

the 1st thing you do when you do this to save problems is to run it in Win Safe mode

head over to the System settings and remove EVERY hard ware driver
and then reboot to normal Windows mode
Windows will then redetect every thing on your board properly (including your MB)

Doing so stops the need of reloading windows, you will then have to update your ViA4in1's and your ViD/Sound ect.

if you have not loaded windows in over two years, it might be time to do so

Getting back to the problem, there are several possible fixes, you'll have to go through Avons faqs and this boards trouble shooting Faq forum

there are just to many to list

[RN Malboeuf]

allso 1.30 does cause this problem some times for me, try the 1.27 patch and see how that goes, I think that was the best patch, you can still update to 1.30 from it later