Official Catalyst 8.1 Drivers - Discuss Here

H82LUZ

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Resolved Issues for the Windows XP Operating System[COLOR=#003c28][/COLOR]

This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™ Software Suite for Windows XP. These include:

• Call of Juarez and Stalker and Timeshift: Launching the games under Windows XP no longer results in intermittent corruption or flashing being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31612
• Enemy Territories Quake Wars v1.2: Flickering is no longer noticed when enabling Triple Buffering, setting AA to 8x and setting the display resolution to 2560x1600. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31610
• TianJi: Logging into the game no longer results in the function buttons not working and the system setting window failing to open. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31607
• World of Warcraft: Launching two game windows and switching between the game windows on a system with an Apple 30 inch display device no longer results in the game image failing to be drawn properly. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31608
• Google SketchUP: the application no longer fails to launch on systems running Windows XP and containing an ATI Radeon HD 2900 series of product. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31609
• The movement of pictures now appear smooth under Excel (Office2007) when the color depth is set to 16bpp. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31167
• The AVIVO TV controls are now available under the Windows Media Center Edition operating system. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31170
• The scaling function no longer fails under certain resolutions in the Catalyst Control Center. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31169
• The display now returns when attempting to log back on to the system after logging out of the system. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31601
• Connecting an HDTV as a secondary display device no longer results in the display device failing to show up as a DTV (DVI) display device in the Catalyst Control Center. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31603
• The Windows XP operating system no longer hangs with a blank screen when running the Run Automated Clock Configuration Utility. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31611

Known Issues Under the Windows XP Operating System

The following section provides a summary of open issues in the latest version of Catalyst™. These include:

• After installing the graphics driver an error message may be displayed when attempting to launch DirectX based games when using an ATI AGP product. Further details can be found in topic number [COLOR=#003c28]737-31542[/COLOR]
• Call of Juarez: Setting the game level with Optimal Quality and high in-game settings may result in the game level being blank. Further details can be found in topic number 737-30591
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars may have corruption on the water and sky after increasing the game resolution. Restarting the game at that higher resolution or issuing reloadImages command in the game console corrects the corruption. This issue only impacts graphics cards up to the ATI Radeon™ X850. Further details can be found in topic number 737-29947
• Lost Planet: Setting AA to either 4x or 8x may intermittently result in the game failing to respond. Further details can be found in topic number 737-28492
• STALKER: Shadows may not be rendered properly when CrossFire™ is enabled along with AA being enabled at 4x and Full Dynamic Lighting also being enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31597
• Connecting a CRT display device as the secondary display and playing a Blu-ray DVD using a Cyberlink player may result in no video playback if extended desktop mode is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-30587
• Connecting a Dual Link Panel to the on-board DVI port, followed by hot plugging a DVI display to the add-on DVI card may result in clone mode becoming disabled when rebooting the machine and the secondary display device remaining blank. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31166
• The Catalyst Control Center menu option may fail to function when changing the skin from system skin to any other available skin. Further details can be found in topic number 737-30570
• Setting the display resolution to 1440x900 or lower may result in corruption being noticed when playing a DVD title. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31168
• Setting the desktop resolution to 1280x1024 and using PowerDVD to play an HD-DVD or Blu-ray title may result in corruption being noticed when using an ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 series of product. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31171
• On certain products, changing display resolution while playing back High Definition content may results in instability. It is recommended to set appropriate resolution while playback is stopped. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31172
• Cyberlink: Playing a DVD title on a system containing an ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 series may result in corruption being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31173
• Connecting a CRT display device as the secondary display and playing a Blu-ray DVD using a Cyberlink player may result in no video playback if extended desktop mode is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-30587
• The floppy drive may fail to read or write under Vista on a Dell XPS410 system. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31148
• On certain products, changing display resolution while playing back High Definition content may results in instability. It is recommended to set appropriate resolution while playback is stopped. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31598
• Connecting a CRT display device as the secondary display and playing a Blu-ray DVD using a Cyberlink player may result in no video playback if extended desktop mode is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-31599

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Satan2k

I'll try it on my HD2600. I hope the AGP issue has been fixed

Edit : Same issue than before : while the setup "no drivers found for your product"

Edtit 2 : After a big cleanup, the installation passed, but the same issue with D3D applications. So, im reinstalling the Omega Drivers . Im waiting for an AGP fix, but its not serious, omega drivers are just working well

JohnDoe47

AGP issue? Wasn't that fixed about 2-3 releases ago?

Well it was for me any ways.

BORING: Another rushed driver, hardly any fixes for Windows XP, all concentrated on the younger more stupid brother Vista.

Satan2k

Not for me. Not at all . I cleaned up the drivers, made a fresh install, made the reboots needed and nothing has changed. The D3D is still not working with catalyst. They made some improvements, yes, the installation of the drivers passed, but D3D with AGP is still not fixed.

And i dont have a VIA crap northbridge. It is a NForce 2. So i dont think its caused by the northbridge. So, ATI, keep going, may be a day, you'll finally fix it

Edit : Dont talk crap about an ATI on a NVIDIA chipset, i played 3 years with a 9800 pro without any problem.

(Comp setup)
MotherBoard : MSI K7N2 Delta 2 (Nforce 2 Ultra)
Cpu : AMD Athlon 2500+ @ 3200+ (stable, more than 1 year running at this speed)
Ram : 2 X 512 Mb Corsair DDR 1
Sound : Sound Blaster Audigy 2, working fine
Graphics : Sapphire Radeon HD 2600 Pro 512 MB Agp
Hard drives : 2 X S-ATA DRIVES, 1 Maxtor (crap), 1 Seagate
Optics : 1 X DVD Writer Combo drive
Optics : 1 X CD Writer 48x24x48
Software : Windows XP SP2 Guenine with all updates
Drivers : Latest NF2 working well

I tried to change values on my bios :
Aperture Size -> Results : No changes
Fast write -> Results : No changes
Latency -> Results : No changes

JohnDoe47

9800pro lol, I'm sure my 9600xt was faster than that back in the day.

xander73

I've gone back to 7.12

On doing a clean install of 8.1 with CCC (uninstalling 7.12, then installing 8.1) once my system has loaded into XP I get a small white square in the top left hand corner of my screen (following CCC loading in the system tray). Tried uninstalling CCC and the white square doesn't appear, but on reinstalling CCC the white square comes back and then the ATI icon doesn't load in the system tray

Back to 7.12 - all ok

MotherBoard : Asus P5KC
Cpu : Intel Q6600
Ram : 4 X 1 Gb Cosair DDR2 (shows as 3.25 Gb)
Sound : Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Graphics : Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 Pro 512 MB PCI-E
Hard drives : 2 X S-ATA Drives
Optics : 1 X DVD Writer Combo drive
Software : Windows XP SP2 with all updates
PSU : Thermaltake Toughpower 750W

Just noticed 8.1 install doesn't install Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 that 7.12 does...

kayfam

I have all the issues xander73 mentioned and then some. Still the problem with the funky colored text I first reported with the 7.12's and others had mentioned as well with my HD3870 on XP. I don't know if it's an HDxxxx series issue or not but it shows up on my other box running a 2600XT and a totally different config. Back to the 7.11's for me.
Where are the guys from ATI that used to visit these forums?..Damn I miss that, at least Terry (Catalyst Maker) listened and attempted to address these types of issues.

The_Neon_Cowboy

believe me they are here and aware, but you also know whats helpfull?
Going and doing a bug report via catalyst crew feedback on AMD/ATI's website

Catalyst Crew Feedback Program

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kayfam

Been there done that The_Neon_Cowboy. I'm a long time ATI user going back to the Rage128 days long before the Catalyst driver program was established and seen my share of borked driver releases. So please save me the speech. I'm a long time lurker on these forums as well despite my low post count so I know who's who. My intent here was not to start a flame war but simply a statement of fact. If you have any further comments that might be helpful such as possible work a round’s I'm willing to listen.

Silent Patriot

Same deal with the small square white dot in the upper left hand corner. Only seeing it on the desktop - it doesn't show up on open windows or in games.

x850XT PE
WinXP x64

X1800XTTOP

To fix the white dot you have to disable the system tray icon.

How can something stupid be missed during quality check anyways? If at least 2 try it (the driver) out they should notice it.. -.-

xander73

I've just reported it to the Catalyst Crew, quoting this thread...

Kizo

I don't know if you are aware, but in addition to Catalyst 8.1 AMD released the 8.1 Hotfix to address these issues:
- Fix for problems with DirectX and Radeon AGP Graphics cards.
- Crysis: DirectX 10 Performance optimizations using Crossfire

So you might try that out.
You can find it here: AMD Customer Care

Kizo

The square has something to do with the ATi tray menu (not sure what though). Go to CCC->Preferences and disable Enable System Tray Menu. That worked for me.

Morgjorg

As of Catalyst 8.1 I cannot play any games. They take about a grand total of 30 seconds to completely freeze my pc. One thing I notice is that I'm not hearing the fan ramp up at all. Cat 7.12 were no problem, even at maximum Overdrive levels, so I guess it's this is a step backwards for me.

Dyre Straits

I've never seen that problem at all.

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Silent Patriot

It seems that many of us are. I just installed the Vista 32-bit driver on a notebook from work this morning with an x300 (thanks to Mobility Modder!) and noted the exact same issue. We know that the "fix" is to remove the System Tray CCC icon, or not to installl CCC. Are you installing CCC? If not, you won't see the issue.

Dyre Straits

I'm using the official CAT drivers with CCC and the active Tray Tool Icon. Pretty much always have been since moving to Vista 32-bit. I've also been using two different ATI cards as of late...not both at the same time!!! HD2600XT and X1950 Pro. Both PCIe cards.

Never have seen this white box in the upper left corner.

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Chaos

Dyre I believe it is a known issue that ATI are working on, I am using thet 8.1 with an X1950 Pro but i didnt get the white dot issue

Dyre Straits

Thanks!

But, this is actually the first time I've seen this issue even mentioned. How long has it been happening?

I'm just kind of surprised if it's been going on for awhile.

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Silent Patriot

Just showed up with the 8.1s for me.

CATALYSTCATCHER

Yeah, we know. I just installed 8.1 on my desktop and now have the infamous white dot. It is tiny at 1920x1200, but is actually a few pixels by a few pixels, so how annoying or visibile it is will depend on the resolution you run and also the wallpaper you you use.

Out side of the dot, there is not any other downside or risk.

What can I say..........we goofed.

It should be fixed soon.

Sorry guys.

AMD Customer Care

Sinth

Go into the CCC preferences and unselect tray tool, then it`s gone.

Edit... My findings soo far from another thread.

I only installed the "fix". The fix is a complete driver package. (Complete cleaning session before hand)

Results soo far.

Aquamark = 95404
3D 03 = 16894
3D 05 = 10667

Played UT3, no crashes and about the same sort of smoothness, was good before soo can`t really judge it (internal settings required if it runs like a choppy dog).

Results are enhanced by my mobo, Asrock AM2 boost (boosts memory by 12%)

Not bad, not bad at all. I await Omega`s driver`s which have had the hotfix for ages lol

Dyre Straits

Is this perhaps only happening on certain types of monitors? I'm still using a 21 in CRT. I've gone to my highest res: 1600x1200 and still don't see the white dot bug. I'm using Solid Black Desktop background.

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Sinth

Go into the CCC preferences and unselect tray tool, then it`s gone.

Not rocket science

CATALYSTCATCHER

I am not sure if it occurs with an analog connection so it may be limited to DVI type panels. It may also be influence by other DVI only options in CCC.

Sinth

Cat.. are my posts invisible?

Chaos

The X1950 @ work is connected via the DVI port to an Acer 22" LCD and no sign of the white dot

Sinth

White dot = ccc panel in your tool tray.

CATALYSTCATCHER

:-) Sorry. No, you are not invisible. Yeah we know it is CCC tray thing that causes the dot to manifest. Exiting the tray thingy does make it go away.

What I don't get is why it is such a huge cause for concern. Such as to make people revert to a previous driver. It's a dot a few pixels square. I would not have seen it if I were not specifically looking. I had to move a desktop icon as well :-). Probably why it was missed in the first place. At 640 res it was quite prominent, but still it is no more annoying than all the lovely icons that MS puts all over the place. That's just my opinion and not an official statement.

We will fix it soon. Hopefully, next time out the gate.

Thanks for the input.