[Beta 1.3.09] Crash on Startup - Not a GZDoom Issue, But...

[wildweasel]

I've recently installed Windows 7 on my computer. The specs are as follows:

Dell XPS 600
Pentium D 3.00 GHz
2.0 GB RAM
XFX nVidia GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit Edition
2x Sun Microsystems 21" CRT monitors, hooked up via DVI-I

Unfortunately, in setting said computer up for the hardcore gaming that I previously put it through on Windows XP, I discovered that nVidia's latest drivers (191.07) have crippling errors under Windows 7 32-Bit. The main issue is that whenever the screen resolution is changed, the system gets stuck at a black screen (rather, two black screens, because I've got dual monitors set up) after a couple of said changes.

It seems I am not the only person that's been having stability issues with the latest drivers. I'm currently getting by after having uninstalled the nVidia drivers and using what was included with Win7, but this only works on so many applications - while it seems to run alright in Borderlands (albeit with some very bad flicker while in menus) and Left 4 Dead 2's demo (though Steam complains I am not up to date on my drivers), GZDoom seems to just crash on startup if I try to run it with the OpenGL video mode. Subsequent attempts to run the game simply result in the game reverting to software mode.

My best guess is that this is because I am not up to date on my video drivers. So obviously, I'm going to need to figure out how to get nVidia's drivers working properly, but there are so many "solutions" to said problem that I'm not even sure where to begin. Does anybody have any suggestions?

[Graf Zahl]

So the standard drivers Windows comes with still have no proper OpenGL support...

To fix the crash and print an error message instead I need to know how it crashes. I suspect it's the same thing that happens to whoo (GL is there but for the real initialization it creates a software emulation context.)

[wildweasel]

Ah, hang on a second while I try and get it to generate a crash report...this is from the 1.3.09 beta.

[wildweasel]

Taking the liberty to move this into the Bugs forum so it doesn't get lost.

[wildweasel]

I've actually solved the problem on my end by installing the NVidia 185.85 drivers for Windows 7 32-bit - however this issue probably should be investigated further (so that a more friendly error message can be generated, and GZDoom can immediately fall back to software without a crash).

[Graf Zahl]

I added some checks that prevent the engine from being started when GL version 1.1 is detected which is insufficient for GZDoom.

I also changed extension collection so that it's done after the rendering context has been created. I hope that prevents these crashes and prints a meaningful message instead.