Sandy,
A new card will certainly work better with the newer drivers.
An ATI 7000 doesn't have pixel shaders. I don't know if this game needs them, but the 7000 may be lacking some other DirectX 9 functionality that the game uses.

Alternatively, you could try using older drivers.

If you want advice on a new video card, post your computer's specs (in a new thread) and we'll see what kind of card it can take. Is your current card an AGP or an old-type PCI card? What is the wattage of your power supply? If you have a name brand computer, give us the name and model number.

Hi Jenny, I have had to put this game on the shelf, until I get a solution to the "whiteout". This is the latest e-mail from the tech at Dreamcatcher. I have e-mailed this out to him.
Beverly in Florida.
Thank you for contacting DreamCatcher Interactive’s Technical Support department. So that I may further assist you in troubleshooting the problem you are having, I would like to obtain more information about your computer. Please provide me with a copy of you DirectX Diagnostic file. This can be obtained by performing the following steps:

1. From your Windows desktop, click on the Start button and then Run...
2. In the Run dialog box, type "dxdiag" without the quotes and click the OK button.
3. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool will appear. Click on the Save All Information... button and save the file using your filename.
4. Afterwards, please attach the file while replying to this email.

Please let me know if you continue to experience technical difficulties.

Sincerely,

Philip Priest
Technical Support
DreamCatcher Interactive Inc.

I hope you will send them your dxdiag information.
That may assist them in making a patch, or at least sending the information on to the developer so the developer can make a patch.

Yes, Jenny I did send them the information. After doing what he told me to do, I am going to re-install the game this evening, and play and see if I still have "white-outs".
Beverly
I have played the game, and am into Act 2 with no "whiteouts". I am hoping that this will continue with the rest of the game.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I forgot to tell you what he told me to do that makes my game run more smoothly.
Thank you for contacting DreamCatcher Interactive’s Technical Support department. Perform each suggestion in the order listed below. Test the game after each suggestion.

Suggestion 1: Update your video and sound drivers

Visit the website of your video card and sound card manufacturer to download and install the most recent drivers. To determine your video/sound card name and manufacturer:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Place your cursor in the Open box, type "dxdiag" without the quotes and click OK.
3. Click the Display tab to determine the Device Name and Manufacturer.
4. Click the Sound tab to determine the Device Name.

5. Locate the website for the hardware manufacturer and download the latest software updates: Video card drivers are updated three to four times per year and most sound card drivers are updated twice a year.

Suggestion 2: Restart your computer using a clean-boot procedure

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Place your cursor in the Open box, type "msconfig" without the quotes and click OK.
3. Under the General tab, click Selective Startup.
4. Below the Selective Startup option, click to clear the following check boxes:
-Process SYSTEM.INI File
-Process WIN.INI File
-Load Startup Items
5. Under the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
6. Click OK, and then click Restart.

If these resolutions do not solve your issue, please respond with any new changes that have occurred or error messages generated.

Sincerely,

Philip Priest
Technical Support
DreamCatcher Interactive

All of those suggestions (updates drivers and clean boot) are just the canned answers that they give to everyone who contacts them asking for help. You'll have to send them another e-mail if those things didn't work for you. It's always important to include in your corespondence the things that you'll already tried to do to fix your problem.

For all of the people with this whiteout problem, please go to this site and email everyone on the list. This is the corporate site. Maybe if they get enough emails, they hopefully won't act as if their isn't a problem.

http://www.adventurecompanygames.com/tac/corporate/index.html

I have updated my video card, and did the clean-boot procedure, and now am able to play the game without the "whiteout". I am enjoying it immensely.
Beverly
OOPS----updated the driver!

Sorry it took me so long to answer.
I did go in and update the card, but still no good.

Here's the info you needed.
1. AGP slot
2. 200 or 250 watt. Purchased in 2003.
3. It's a store brand from Micro Center. It's a Power Spec 8707
Had to call the store to get info about power supply. Salesman said to figure this wattage because of the age.

Updated the card or updated the drivers?
Updated the card means bought a new video card.

Sorry, updated the drivers.

Got this game for my B-day. Loaded with no problems. Started to play and up comes the white-out. Updated drivers, blah, blah... The only solution my hubby and I have found to continue through the game so far is as soon as the white out occurs, go to the hotel icon at the top drop down screen (it will still come up if I move my cursor around) and hit it to bring up the main menu. We then save the game to a "junk-save" file. Hit okay. (again it comes up if I move my cursor to the bottom left) The "do you want to overwrite" screen will come up. Hit "yes" (on left). Go immediately to load game (Move cursor to right side of screen) and load the just-saved game. When it re-loads the full screen is there and we can continue. Then re-save the game to another file. Also SAVE OFTEN!! Especially if something new has happened or you have picked up a new inventory item or spoken to someone. It's a pain but this seems to be the only way we can continue the game at this point. Good luck to anyone as frustrated as we are!

We need to know what power supply the computer has in it. 200 OR 250W doesn't help me. I really need to know what PSU it has, not what the saleman said to figure. The salesman could be wrong, as they very often are. You can open the case and read the label on the power supply. It should have the wattage output printed on it. Look at the picture near the top of this page I'm linking you to. It shows what a PSU label looks like. http://www.svc.com/powersupplyguide.html

Note at the very bottom it says 450W. That's the information I want. What does yours say?

USFMom, I just sent an email via the link you provided. I told them how very disappointed I am in the lack of response to the whiteout problem. Thanks.

Mine was frozen - could not alt-del or anything so I had to reboot. I did one of the simpliest thing I just made the compatiblility mode for Windows 98/ME and it worked fine. AdventureCompanySupport Evil Under the Sun

I think this all depends on what type of system you have and how it is configurd.

inferno