AGS games in Windows 7

[InCreator]

...don't work very well. First. They start like 2 minutes. Then, Windows 7 bitches about color schemes and disables it.  Even though I run in XP SP3 compatibility mode. But comp-modes are crappy as always.

And ingame, whenever sound is played, there's random lag of 1 second. Worst case so far, Art of Theft. DirectX 11 issue perhaps?
Any tips?

On side, note, interesting that I haven't seen any Win7 threads or mention here anywhere... Or maybe I haven't looked well enough.

I got it on for like 1,5 months already? I doubt that even CJ has tested AGS with it yet.

For AGS being Win7-ready early would be a good idea because from what I've experienced so far, Windows 7 is the 'dream windows' and best thing Microsoft has ever done so far. If anything obsoletes XP, this will. Nothing like that godawful Windows ME second-edition called Vista.

[Gilbert]

Have you tried updating DirectX9 and see if it makes a different?

AFAIK DX10/11 are completely different things from DX9, so programmes supporting only up to DX9 must still use DX9. DX10/11 are not substitutes for DX9. I've heard that Vista and 7 include DX9, but curiously the version of DX9 they provide is seriously outdated, so I think it's worth a try to update this first.

[xenogia]

Yeah I updated DX9 within Windows 7 and it works fine.  Any AGS build before 3.0 will automatically put Windows into basic mode though.

[InCreator]

Thanks, I will try this later.

Might probably solve many other problems... some non-AGS games also start up really slowly, especially ones from DX7/8 era (like Commandos 2 and Stronghold).

[Layabout]

I've not had a problem so far to be honest and I have been running Windows 7 for a month. Do you run in a window or full screen?

I've played Blackwell Legacy and Unbound on this system without a problem. As for DX10/11, they are only used by games that require the latest and greatest graphical effects, DX9c is the primary DX it uses for games.

The colour schemes thing is the Windows Aero transparency thing which most people turn off as it is an unnecessary graphics and memory waste.

BTW, Vista was only terrible when it was first release (and by terrible, it still wasn't too bad), once SP1 was released it was faster than XP (marginally) and very stable. It got a bad stigma attached to it after that, which prompted MS to develop 7 quickly. I have used Vista for about 2 years with not a single BSOD.

Problems, Firefox still loves to eat your memory, especially after waking your computer up from sleep mode.

I just tried 'Art of Theft'. Works fine. Yes it does change the colour scheme to basic, but other than that, worked perfectly. (windowed, 640x480)

[m0ds]

"Vista was only terrible when it was first release (and by terrible, it still wasn't too bad)"

is a quote © 2008-2009 Ryan Keepence. Please reference it in any given media at any time - it will help fill your "Who likes Vistaâ,,¢?" quota by 100%.  :

[Mantra of Doom]

I've been using Windows 7 since Beta 7000 came out in February. Now I'm running RC1 and don't have any problems... the only game that lags a little is Half Life 2.

Have you tried updating your drivers to the latest vista drivers? Does it do the same if compatibility mode is turned off or set to vista? What kind of sound card do you have? Is it a creative? They have notoriously fiddly drivers... you might have to look for a driver guru that made win 7 compatible drivers for your card.

The color scheme thing happened in Vista as well... and I'm sure will continue. It isn't very obnoxious if it doesn't pop up and yell at you, just change the boarder of the window.

[Trent R]

I know this is a Win7 thread, but I don't get why Vista is sooo bashed still. I've never had a problem with my Vista laptop for 1.5 years yet my fam's XP is only about 2.5 years old and is so horrible and junky.


~Trent

[InCreator]

DX update helped for some games. I ALWAYS use fullscreen.
Seems that newer AGS games work far better and older ones not so well.
But that's quite normal.

What I like about Win7 is clean/organized-desktop orientation... everything's like built to keep your start menu and desktop clean. And it really is. I see desktop, billion temp/download folders and 2 screenfulls of long start menu of my previous XP only in nightmares now.

For problems, explorer opens sometimes folders for a long time unless you spend some time for indexing drives.  Atleast for me it was. And bad if you have no clue that you're supposed to do it. Seen one BSOD also so far... But still times better than anything before.

[Paper Carnival]

I never had an issue with Vista, except for some incompatibilities that are expected. It runs smooth and stable, better than XP ever did. What does bother me is that it's a huge memory hog, consuming 1.5 GB while it's idle.

[m0ds]

I think people see Vista in 2 different lights, and some people forget about these 2 different things - there's owning Vista and there's using Vista. I'm sure if you own it, you can really understand it. But for someone that just needs to use a laptop and it has Vista, it's a rotten bastard. I don't need 8 confirmations that I'm about to open something and an extra one to check if I am really trying to open it? I don't like the fact several system functions don't appear to exist either. And does CTRL+ALT+DELETE even exist? Thankfully it's been a while since I used Vista...

Also Vista is not recommended in the business world, even Sony have their own "Downgrade to XP" service and several IT companies in my area offer this service too, because the majority has spoken. Vista is shit! And I like the description above that it's just the next edition of Windows ME. It really is Windows with ME.

I'm keen to have a go with Windows 7

[Ishmael]

It's a bit of a trend that there first comes a new shiny full of fancy new functions Windows, which then gets a refined and working update. 95 -- 98, ME -- XP, Vista -- 7.

And m0ds is absolutely right. The times I've used Vista in the past I was rather lost with it. Now that I've gotten into how 7 works I can actually use Vista without the previous chaos and frusturation, unless it inexplainably BSODs on me or something...