Is this a bug in 5.01? (with Win98)

[dtrust]

First, I'd like to say that Version 5 is a fantastic piece of software. WOW.

Now, on to the (possible) bug.

I have a show created in ver 5.01 (latest download). Works beautifully in WinXP. It has only simple fade effects for all slides. I tried this with hardware acceration on and off, windowed and full screen.

In Win98, the main screen comes on, but it's just blank, black screen. If I waggle the mouse, the nav menu appears and I can move to the next slide using the buttons. It's just a cut to the next slide, though, no fade effect as it should be doing. Unless I use the mouse and the nav buttons, the show will just sit there and do nothing. No music is playing (none is in the show), so that isn't interefering with anything.

This was a really simple show, just a test. Nothing fancy at all.

The computer running Win98 is a Dell with 96meg memory, and 450 mhz PIII processor. ATI Expert98 AGP 2X video card.

I guess the question is, should this simple of a show run on the computer configuration I described?

I'll be out for the next few hours, so if I don't respond to queries right away, that's why. I'll check back later on.

p.s. Ver 4.48 shows always ran fine on the same computer, FWIW.

Don

-edit-

I just remembered something about having to have a particular version of DirectX. I'll have to check that computer when I get back to work tomorrow.

[Igor]

Don,

I'm sorry about this problem! We tested on Windows 98 and slide show worked on our PCs.

Please download these two EXE files I just created, how they will play under your PC with Windows 98: http://www.wnsoft.com/test/Win98_test1.zip (1.7 MB)

p.s. Try to uncheck "Pause when window of slideshow becomes inactive" in Main tab of Project options. Will it help?

Thanks in advance,

[dtrust]

Don,

I'm sorry about this problem! We tested on Windows 98 and slide show worked on our PCs.

Please download these two EXE files I just created, how they will play under your PC with Windows 98: http://www.wnsoft.com/test/Win98_test1.zip (1.7 MB)

p.s. Try to uncheck "Pause when window of slideshow becomes inactive" in Main tab of Project options. Will it help?

Thanks in advance,

OK, tried both the EXE files. They both did the same thing mine did. Just sat there with a black screen unless I clicked the right mouse button (no nav bar) to go to the next slide.

I have found that this computer is only running DirectX 6.1 (kind of old), so maybe that's the problem. I'll try to update it to whatever is current for Win98 sometime today and give it another go.

Thanks for the test files.

Don

[dtrust]

OK, it WAS DirectX.

Just updated the computer to DirectX 9.0C, and everything works fine. (the fades are a little bit choppy on the full screen tests, but not bad for an old computer.) Fades on my anything running winXP i can get my hands on run butter-smooth.

I don't know what version is actually needed, (8 or above or what) but 9 works and 6.1 didn't, FWIW.

So, not a bug in ver5 of PTE, just a needed upgrade on an old computer.

If this isn't already in a FAQ someplace, it would be a good note to add.

Thanks again, Igor, for a truely great program.

Don

[Ken Cox]

Don

it as been mentioned many many times

also

you can call up the version

start/run

by typing

dxdiag

click ok

and you can perform tests on your system from the chart that comes up

ken

[Igor]

PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.0 requires DirectX 8.1 or higher to use hardware accelerated graphics.

But it should work even with DirectX 6.1 (without hardware acceleration of graphics). Music player in PTE 5.0 requires DirectX 6.1 or higher.

I tested on newly installed Windows 98 without updates and PTE worked. Maybe it's local conflict with particular sound card.

I'm glad that updating of DirectX helped.

Windows XP ships with embedded DirectX 8.1 and it's quite enough for PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.0

[dtrust]

PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.0 requires DirectX 8.1 or higher to use hardware accelerated graphics.

But it should work even with DirectX 6.1 (without hardware acceleration of graphics). Music player in PTE 5.0 requires DirectX 6.1 or higher.

I tested on newly installed Windows 98 without updates and PTE worked. Maybe it's local conflict with particular sound card.

I'm glad that updating of DirectX helped.

Windows XP ships with embedded DirectX 8.1 and it's quite enough for PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.0

Thanks, Igor,

May I make a suggestion, something that possibly would have saved me (and others?) from making the mistake of not having DirectX 8 or higher?

On the main PTE web page, add a tab for "Required computer Specifications" for all your software offerings. A lot of software has this either on the web page or on the box if you buy it in the store. It should help in situations like this, where someone has an older computer that could be made to run PTE with a small update. I'm sure there are quite a few people that don't read the forums, or don't read enough to have picked up that DirectX 8.1 is needed.

If that's already there somewhere, I apologize for missing it.

Ken, thanks for the info about DXdiag. I had forgotten about that.

Don