Grand Prix 3: PLEASE HELP!!!

[Minardi fan]

GP3 refuses to work on my PC. I click on the 'Play' button, and the loading screen comes up, but then an error message comes up. I click on 'Details' and this is what it says:

GP3 caused an invalid page fault in
module DPLAYERX.DLL at 0167:00f73a12.
Registers:
EAX=00000000 CS=0167 EIP=00f73a12 EFLGS=00010246
EBX=bff7427f SS=016f ESP=00f5f37c EBP=00f5f3b4
ECX=fcb3d2ee DS=016f ESI=81692f88 FS=6daf
EDX=fcb3d2ee ES=016f EDI=81686814 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
66 8b 02 25 ff 00 00 00 50 8b 4d d8 83 c1 02 51
Stack dump:
81686814 81692f88 bff7427f 015b700c fcb3d2ee 00fa1fb8 00000000 00f90001 00000000 014b0078 00000000 00000000 00f93e06 015b71b4 00f5f414 00f71e92

Does anyone know what needs to be fixed???

[Sharky]

Mhhhh......my guess would be that there's a conflict with a previous installation of GP3.....or it could be a problem with the DirectX drivers. Try reinstalling the DirectX drivers.

Also if you have Norton utilities run a full system check for invalis registry entries or things like that.

I'll also check with some people I know to see if they have other solutions.

[Minardi fan]

How do I re-install it?

[Sharky]

When youy insert the GP3 CD you should get a screen with several options one of them being "install directX 7". If that screen doesn't shouw up then go to the directX directory in the CD and doble click on dxsetup. You can also get the latest version of DirectX (8.0a) at http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0...st-7-1.4748365

Installing the latest version doesn't guarantee that your problem will be solved but having the latest version of DirectX is always better.

In case you uninstalled the game by just deleting the GP3 directory then you should try uninstalling it by going to control panel -> add erase programs and searching for Grand prix 3 on the list and removing it then re installing it (re starting your computer prior to the re intall is recommended). When you uninstall the game make sure that there weren't any files left on the directory where GP3 was previously installed. Also try re installing it using different install options. Minimun install, typical or maximum. Also try running the game before installing any add ons (GP3 car set software, no CD utilities, etc.)

[Minardi fan]

This problem seemed to occur after I downloaded things like the GP Editor. Do you think this had something to do with it? I tried reinstalling DirextX7, although I already have 8, and it still doesn't work.

[Ed G]

The only other thing I can suggest is to manually go in and clean out the registry.

I would work in this order.

Backup anything you want to keep (setups, replays etc)

Uninstall GP3 and any utilities you might have added using the windows add/remove programs from the control panel.

Remove/backup the remaining directories with game files and or utilities manually so that they don't exist as orginally named.

Go into the registry and remove whatever you can find relating to GP3 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE - I apologize because I don't know where GP3 keeps the goodies and can't look it up because I run Linux except for games.

Reboot

Next reinstall DirectX 8 (or if you want you could search for the 8.1 beta which is somewhere out there on the web)

Reboot again

Now try installing GP3 all over again.

If it still doesn't work look at reinstalling your graphics card drivers.

That's all the help I can give you.
Good Luck

[jonboyG]

Just a warning - before you go about hacking your registry, be careful - if you screw arouund with the wrong file you'll totally FUBAR your system.

You might try asking some of the folks at arstechnica. Try either the gaming forum or perhaps the software colloquium: tehy're pretty hot when it comes to sorting out that sort of thing.

Ars open forum

[Sharky]

Previous installations of GP3editors could be the cause. In that case doing what ED G says could work. However you have to be very carefull when messing around with your windows registry as you could screw up you computer. In case you still want to do it you should make a copy of the current system state. If you have WinME you can go to programs-accesiries-system tools and system restore and create a backup copy of the system. In case you don't have win ME you'll have to make a copy of the file system.dat (if I'm not mistaken) in your windows directory.

But I would suspect that if it is because of a previous install of GP3 editors the problem could be caused becase you uninstalled GP3 without un installing the editors firs. If that's the case re install everything you had prios to the first uninstall and remove all the editors and add ons firs with their uninstall programs or with the add/remove programs function in the control panel and then remove GP3 and then re install

[Sharky]

Mhhhh.....some guy over here is telling me that your problem can be solved by insalling the latest patch (V1.13). You can get it at http://www.3dfiles.com/patches/grandprix3.shtml

[Ed G]

Originally posted by Sharky
Mhhhh.....some guy over here is telling me that your problem can be solved by insalling the latest patch (V1.13). You can get it at http://www.3dfiles.com/patches/grandprix3.shtml

Yeah I guess that really should have been the first bit of advice anyone gave. If a fresh install with the latest patch and a fresh directX install doesn't fix the problem I would be very surprised.

As per the registry... you do have to be careful but if you poke around in the SOFTWARE key (I think GP3 hides under Hasbro) it should be obvious what belongs to the game and what doesn't. Games are notorius for leaving stuff in the registry even after you uninstall them.

[Minardi fan]

I began downloading the patch but of course BT Internot cut me off. So I will try again.

Damn you BT INTERNOT!!!

[Sharky]

Originally posted by Minardi fan
I began downloading the patch but of course BT Internot cut me off. So I will try again.

Damn you BT INTERNOT!!!

Don't you have getright??? That will let you resume your downloads. Or is it that that server doesn't allow resuming?

[Minardi fan]

I have been looking for a download resumer which works with BT Internot - so far, none have worked. I have Net Vampire but when I use it with BT Internot it doesn't download it at all.

Where can I find Getright?

[Sharky]

go to www.getright.com

[Ed G]

The Opera browser also has a built in download resumer... I have had fairly good success using Opera in Win98.

Of course it is adware

www.opera.com (I think)

[petrobras_babe]

Any1 want to get together 4 an internet game one day maybe?

[Aysedasi]

I can tell you that Download Accelerator (DAP) works perfectly with BT Internet. It's by far the best download manager I've tried.