What the hell is the "Windows 2000/XP refresh rate problem"?

[danielf]

I read about "Refresh Force" everywhere. It supposedly fixes "Windows 2000/XP refresh rate problem", but what the hell is this problem and why does bfv not work after I execute refresh force?

thanks

 

[Boogak]

Games will only run at a retina burning 60hz on Windows 2000/XP. BFV and BF1942 forces the initial menu screen to run at 60hz and so if a refresh rate program tricks Windows into thinking it can't run at 60hz, you crash to desktop. There's a fix for it by editing a text file in the game directory, can't remember what it is off the top of my head.

 

[gistech1978]

Originally posted by: Boogak
Games will only run at a retina burning 60hz on Windows 2000/XP. BFV and BF1942 forces the initial menu screen to run at 60hz and so if a refresh rate program tricks Windows into thinking it can't run at 60hz, you crash to desktop. There's a fix for it by editing a text file in the game directory, can't remember what it is off the top of my head.

Text

 

[earthman]

You guys ever hear of DXDiag? You can override the refresh rate to whatever you want.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: earthman
You guys ever hear of DXDiag? You can override the refresh rate to whatever you want.

Yeah im with you there.

I don't get why most of these people installed some little program to do it but whatever, whatever-the-fsck-ever (denzel washington).

 

[Viper96720]

Yes but DXDIAG don't work for OGL games

 

[Bar81]

The articles I was reading seem to indicate that it's not just games, but a desktop issue also. I downloaded a program called refreshforce v1.10 that is supposed to fix it in everything including desktop, OGL, and D3D

 

[gsaldivar]

Here is the link to RefreshForce.

This program completely fixed the "refresh rate problem" for me.

:beer:

 

[NOX]

I use DXDIAG (for DX), and the Catalyst 4.4 driver/software (for DX&OGL) to override the refresh rate. Even NV driver/software has an override option. I don't see the need for third party software.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: earthman
You guys ever hear of DXDiag? You can override the refresh rate to whatever you want.

what tab is it under in it? i cant find it

 

[WobbleWobble]

Refresh Force is great. You don't even install it. You just run the program, click Auto Populate close and your computer is now set to run at the highest refresh rate for each resolution.

 

[NokiaDude]

I LOVE RefreshForce. Halo, UT2k4 and Half-Life look awesome with the res set at 1024x768 @ 85hz on my monitor.

 

[Wiktor]

Oh but it must modify the registry to do that, so in a way you do install something

 

[klah]

http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1077765831BUA1azClpi_3_9_l.gif

:roll:

 

[MemberSince97]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: earthman
You guys ever hear of DXDiag? You can override the refresh rate to whatever you want.

what tab is it under in it? i cant find it

start/run/dxdiag/morehelp/overide.

 

[Auric]

The problem is that many users do not learn how to configure a system. I don't know which is worse: the completely clueless or those who think they have a clue (a little knowledge is dangerous thing). The default 60Hz setting exists to protect your hardware. The DX override has always been available. Competing API's are obviously not Microsoft's concern and they certainly should not be blamed when a game developer neglects to offer integrated configuration for either or the user failes to read the documentation for the game, the OS and the graphics card (as said, graphics co's have provided DX & OGL configuration for years) -oddly enough the aforementioned who think they have a clue are delighted to mess with third-party software 'cause they are "1337 n00bs". The only possible use of which is setting different rates for different resolutions where a game lacks its own configuration which further implies a low-end monitor since for example 100 Hz is preferred but at the highest resolution only 75 Hz is available.

:disgust: <- me

 

[WobbleWobble]

Auric, just because programs like Refresh Force makes things easy doesn't mean it's just for "noobs". One click of Auto Populate which either reads from the monitor's INF file or the DCC from the monitor itself. This goes the same with any program/driver that has an option to use the highest refresh rate possible. And usually INF/DCC information is conservative and the monitor may work at a slightly higher rate. Most modern monitors now don't get damaged by using an unsupported refresh rate anyways.

Not all games unlock the refresh rate from the default 60Hz so this is just a quick simple fix to aleviate the eye strain from a low refresh rate.

 

[Auric]

I don't think that downloading and setting up an additional program is easy relative to simply using the existing features. The point is that instead of learning about them the n00bs who think they are 1337 whinge about non-existent problems and go finding rad tweaks to solve them and then continue the madness by misinforming others about their necessity.

 

[Wiktor]

That's great Auric and I have no idea why Microsoft can't provide a fix for this (because forcing 60Hz for full screen while allowing all other refresh rates for desktop doesn't make any senseto me).
I think it is a problem. And nvidia detonators don't fully fix it last time I checked - not for OpenGL. So it realy is necessary to use this tweak.

 

[Epsil0n00]

I think this app could prove very useful for me at work. I work in a school and we have a couple desktops that randomly lose their refresh rate settings and revert back to 60Hz. We have tried educating the user on how to set their refresh rate, but they just don't get it. This might make my life much easier in terms of support time and cause my clients less eye-strain.

One question: once you run RefreshForce is there any way to undo the changes it makes to the registry and let Windows control the refresh rate again? I just wonder if when I run RefreshForce it will mess anything up and make it so the Windows controls no longer work.

Epsil0n

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Wiktor
That's great Auric and I have no idea why Microsoft can't provide a fix for this (because forcing 60Hz for full screen while allowing all other refresh rates for desktop doesn't make any senseto me).
I think it is a problem. And nvidia detonators don't fully fix it last time I checked - not for OpenGL. So it realy is necessary to use this tweak.

It doesn't force 60Hz but defaults to it the same as the desktop has until Windows 5.1 setup introduced an automatic feature to raise the resolution and refresh rate somewhat. Subsequent installation of graphics drivers negates that. But even with a permanent automatic OS feature to correctly detect graphics and monitor capabilities and then set some other default based upon those it would still be limited to some arbitrary decision like 75 where possible with a fallback to 60 (a foolhardy highest available would be highly unlikely). I certainly would not be anymore content with that. Simply put, it comes down to the user having to make a choice of what to use based upon their preference within the limits of the hardware as detected. No one can make that choice for them. Besides that, it isn't even the responsibility of MS or the graphics companies to provide workarounds for game developers' failure to include resolution and refresh rate options based upon detected hardware as they should but they have done so nonetheless.