WHDLoad & Interlaced WB

[lilwshu]

I have a stock PAL A1200 with 8MB RAM expansion, kickstart 3.0, and Workbench 3.1 installed to SD card. I recently switched over to using high res laced as my workbench screenmode, but after doing so, some WHDLoad games will freeze after the splash screen on a black screen, requiring ctrl-a-a to be held down to reboot.

If I revert to a high res non-Interlaced screen, they work. Examples are Aladdin and Stunt Car Racer, latest versions of each.

Does anyone know why this is happening?

Solution: Upgrade to Kickstart 3.1 or above.

[thomas]

Might be not enough chip memory left. A double high screen needs twice as much chip memory. If the game is already low at chip memory with a normal screen, interlaced might take away too much.

[Wepl]

Too less free memory would result in an WHDLoad error message.
Maybe your 8 MB Fast are not sane.
Do you use your PCMCIA slot?

[lilwshu]

I don’t use my PCMCIA slot. I’ve been using an 8 colour Workbench so the chip RAM difference is fairly low.

[Wepl]

You may try option http://whdload.de/docs/en/opt.html#NoMemReverse
Because I still think it is memory related.
The workbench screenmode should not have any effect on WHDLoad installed programs.

[lilwshu]

Thanks - I tried that option with the same result. I have been using Stunt Car Racer as the test and am on WHDLoad 18.5.

The issue seems fairly random, at first startup this morning it worked, but not after a reboot. I removed Toolmanager as that has been recently installed and the game worked a few times then didn’t. Some large games such as Super Streetfighter 2 were fine, others like Monkey Island not.

If I have the screen set to PAL high res they always work. I am currently running memory tests using ATK to see if it finds anything. I copied a load of stuff to/from the RAM disk (almost to full) and no issues there.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by lilwshu

Thanks - I tried that option with the same result. I have been using Stunt Car Racer as the test and am on WHDLoad 18.5.

The issue seems fairly random, at first startup this morning it worked, but not after a reboot. I removed Toolmanager as that has been recently installed and the game worked a few times then didn’t. Some large games such as Super Streetfighter 2 were fine, others like Monkey Island not.

If I have the screen set to PAL high res they always work. I am currently running memory tests using ATK to see if it finds anything. I copied a load of stuff to/from the RAM disk (almost to full) and no issues there.

When you say doesn't work, does Stunt Car Racer immediately quit, or does it only ever get stuck after the WHDLoad splash screen?

When it gets stuck, is the splash screen staying on screen?
Does splash screen go and does it get stuck on Workbench/CLI screen?
Does the screen turn black and then it freezes?

[lilwshu]

Sequence of events is:

1. Double click game icon (or use iGame or Tinylauncher)
2. WHDload splash window appears, disk light flashes as normal, window goes away
3. Screen goes black and goes no further - no sound, no quitkey etc

It is very odd. Memory scan has been running all morning with no errors found.

[Wepl]

You have a whdload.key present?

[lilwshu]

Originally Posted by Wepl

You have a whdload.key present?

It was installed as version 18.5 onto a freshly installed Workbench 3.1, so I don't think so (DOpus hunt on hard drive couldn't fine a file of that name).

[lilwshu]

Someone in a local Amiga FB group was having a similar issue on his A1200 so I asked him to try a non-Laced mode which solved his problem - he has the same setup (KS 3.0/WB 3.1/Amigakit 8MB RAM) but he was also seeing issues in non-WHDLoad games. I suspect Wepl is correct in that the RAM expansion is something to do with it, I am getting a different one soon so will update with findings for information.

[Dradd]

Hello!

This will be me. Yes, same setup, but using a 42" LCD for display connected via Scart.
After installing MagicWB and switching to a laced mode, it wasn't only WHDLoad games and demos that I had the black screen issue/random loading & not loading issue with. I tried a game demo that was on a separate CFHD partition and not WHDLoad reliant, and while it worked before the installation of MagicWB, its loading was random afterwards. So this made me think that the issue is outside of WHDLoad.

Switching to non-laced mode has solved all issues. It's not a deal breaker, but a bit frustrating. I'd be keen to see how this can be resolved.

Originally Posted by lilwshu

Someone in a local Amiga FB group was having a similar issue on his A1200 so I asked him to try a non-Laced mode which solved his problem - he has the same setup (KS 3.0/WB 3.1/Amigakit 8MB RAM) but he was also seeing issues in non-WHDLoad games. I suspect Wepl is correct in that the RAM expansion is something to do with it, I am getting a different one soon so will update with findings for information.

[lilwshu]

Can a mod please move this to the support.games forum and change the thread title to “Games and Interlaced WB = Random Hang”?

[BippyM]

Originally Posted by lilwshu

Can a mod please move this to the support.games forum and change the thread title to “Games and Interlaced WB = Random Hang”?

I will happily move and rename, however the problem might be hardware!

[lilwshu]

Following the arrival of a Blizzard card yesterday I tried again and the problem remained. I then tried softkicking kickstart 3.1, and the problem has gone away! Not quite sure of the best place for this thread now...