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MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 12:48
WA was working just fine. I quit the game for a 15 minute break, then, without making any modification to the system, all I get when running WA is:
http://www.flash-bug.com/_RubberWorm/wa_black_screen.jpg

Notes: 1. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the game- that didn't solve the problem.
2. When I run WA using Wormkit.exe, I get only the black screen.
3. When I run WA using WA.exe, I get only a flash from the intro then I end up with the same black screen.
4. If I click around I get the feeling of browsing through menus, but I know I'm not accessing any because tapping Escape just once quits WA.

Please help.

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 12:59
It's a pretty obvious question, but you didn't mention it in your post: did you try rebooting? Sometimes video card drivers glitch up.

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 13:04
Sorry, yes. I have rebooted after several tries running WA after the strange event. I have rebooted after unistalling-reinstalling the game. I have rebooted again just to get sure- same symptom. It is very strange, as I didn't altered the worms installation, nor did I make any system changes. Just took a short break.

Edit: when I move the mouse around I don't get the usual over-button state sounds.
Edit2: the screenshot above was made using SnagIt. A screen grab using Pause/Break generates only a complete black screen, without the shaded rectangle.
Edit3: I can hear the background music.

It is like my menu screen got screwed without reason.

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 14:15
Hmm, what about playing replays?
Also, did you try an older Beta version? Maybe it's a new regression bug.
Could it be caused by some software updating itself or Windows installing an update?

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 14:40
Good idea regarding playing replays. I have no problems with that.
Same problem occurs with both WA_3.6.28.0 and WA_3.6.29.0
No software updated itself lately and Windows Automatic Updates is turned off.

Not having trouble with playing replays must mean I have some kind of interface displaying issues. Problem is I don't know what could've caused that in such short time.

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 14:45
Have you tried Windows Safe Mode? (Yes, W:A should run in Safe Mode, but I think that only applies to 3.6.29.0)
(this is a very puzzling problem, so it's kinda a shot in the dark, maybe it's caused by a sudden change of behavior in some 3rd-party software)

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 15:03
Nope, that doesn't help. I tried hosting/joining a game using ProSnooper. All I get is shaded rectangles of what used to be the GUI. So, my issues definitely sum up to GUI displaying. I have all the DATA and graphics folders' files in place. After all, I did uninstalled and reinstalled the game.

franpa
14 Oct 2008, 15:22
I used to get that screen randomly, never worked out what caused it but it goes away on its own... I haven't had it for ages though. I think I posted about it but did not know how to take a screenshot of the issue o_O

did you stop ffdshow asking about an unkown program trying to use it, your firewall popping up etc.?

for point #4, if you use wormkit, it skips the intros so 1 ESC will indeed quit.

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 15:31
I used to get that screen randomly, never worked out what caused it but it goes away on its own... I haven't had it for ages though. I think I posted about it but did not know how to take a screenshot of the issue o_O
I get it everytime I start W:A.

did you stop ffdshow asking about an unkown program trying to use it, your firewall popping up etc.?
No issues with those kind of things.

for point #4, if you use wormkit, it skips the intros so 1 ESC will indeed quit.
Yeah, but when accessing a menu, 1xEsc should bring you to the main menu, not quit the program. That is what I was trying to say earlier in this thread.

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 15:36
Run this program in the background, then run W:A. When you get the black screen, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift. You will hear 5 beeps. Exit the game, and post the file named 00000000.txt in the folder where you unpacked the program.
31647

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 15:48
Done. Here's the link to the file:
http://www.flash-bug.com/_RubberWorm/00000000.txt

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 16:08
Well, windows are in order... let's check focus:
Repeat the above with the attached version of the program. I don't need the whole file, just tell me if #32770 [0x0 - 645x483] has an asterisk before it.

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 16:27
Here's the line from the file:
* 000C0862 #32770 [0x0 - 645x483]

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 16:32
:confused:

I'll need to think about this.
In the meanwhile, assuming that your problem doesn't go away (sometimes things that break by themselves get fixed by themselves), you could try emulating W:A (http://worms2d.info/Emulating_Worms_Armageddon).

Edit: have you tried minimizing with Shift+Escape?

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 16:41
:confused:

Dead end, right?

I'll need to think about this.
In the meanwhile, assuming that your problem doesn't go away (sometimes things that break by themselves get fixed by themselves), you could try emulating W:A (http://worms2d.info/Emulating_Worms_Armageddon).

Edit: have you tried minimizing with Shift+Escape?

Minimizing works with both Shift+Esc and click-at-the-bottom.
I was thinking about using a virtual machine to see if it does the same (though, I think it will not).

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 16:58
So when you restore it it's exactly the same?

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 17:30
Yes, it shows the same way.

Edit: I can't see the cursor. I mean, I never could since this issue popped in, but I know it's there, it just doesn't get displayed.

I don't think these will help you get a better idea about my problem, but I'm posting the links anyway:
http://www.flash-bug.com/_RubberWorm/black_display_01.jpg
http://www.flash-bug.com/_RubberWorm/black_display_02.jpg

I got to those screens using ProSnooper.

MihaiS
14 Oct 2008, 17:51
Holy ****, man! The same thing started happening on my other computer. :O
WTF is this? Okay, there must be something causing this, and that something resides on my computers.

Edit: THIS IS WEIRD! After posting this, the game works fine again on the computer I was talking about. The other one still has the same problem. This IS weird.

Okay, last edit. It seems that something was hooking my screen. Dunno what though, as my radmin server was closed during the tests. :/ Man, thanks a lot for the support. Guess it's something on my network that causes the strange behavior. Or maybe you're right, sometimes things that break by themselves get fixed by themselves. Anyways, thanks a lot for the continuous support and I'm sorry for wasting your time.

CyberShadow
14 Oct 2008, 18:03
No problem :)

b1llygo4t
17 Oct 2008, 00:02
thats exactly what happens to me when i try to play worms on my vista laptop. is that not what the vista issue is?? is there a chance i can get wa to work?

franpa
17 Oct 2008, 09:46
Mihais, when it happens press CTRL C on the black screen and copy the error message (if there is one) then paste it into notepad. (and then paste here duh)

Kjatte
24 Oct 2008, 15:53
If you disable full hardware acceleration you can play WA! It worked for me