Run time error

[michael john williams]

I keep getting a run time error and VW 11.1 Windows closes and I lose all my work if not saved.

Help!?

[Guest]

Are you doing anything specific when you get the error message?

Are you running Win XP ?

If so, have you updated to Service Pack 2?

If so, have you updated your video driver?

[michael john williams]

No I am not doing anything specific. Usually 3D stuff but not big files and last time trying to place a skylight in a roof.

Yes I am runing Windows XP.

Yes I have updated to service Pack 2.

What do you mean 'video driver'? I play movies / animations on Quick Time 5. I have done an update check and it says it is up to date, although I do notice that your VW11 system requirements state Quick Time 6 or higher but I thought VW came with the latest QT included.

[alanmac]

Michael

What Katie is talking about is inside your computer powering your monitor display is a video card. As you have installed Service Pack 2 you need to insure the video card drivers are working correctly with this update.

Find out the manufacturer of the video card and see if you have the latest version drivers for this card via their web site.

At a guess I'd say it was an ATI or nVidia based card but you can find this out by right clicking anywhere on your desktop, choose properties and then this will show all your display settings. Hopefully this will show you your card type under the settings tab.

Before you say anything about Vectorworks being the cause of any video card problems you should be aware that this procedure has nothing to do with Vectorworks but counts for all your programs and is to do with how your operating system interacts with the video card.

Regards

Alan

[michael john williams]

Thanks Alan.

Updated my video card and no problems with VW so far.

I feel I can see again.

[alanmac]

Michael

Glad I could help.

I'm steering clear of installing Service Pack 2 because my systems running fine and from what I gather it mainly addresses firewall issues and as I'm sorted with other programs on that I'm happy to stay at SP1.

Things may change if I upgrade to VW11 though.

Something I've learned through bitter experience rather than being highly intelligent, and also echoed by others is to never do any of this kind of stuff part way through a project.

The same goes for starting a project. Many people will not upgrade say from VW10 to VW11 until they have completed the project they are working on in that version.

Of course they may at some stage have to go back and work on old files but that's a risk which we are all open to.

I tend to leave any work be it software or hardware related, till deadlines are out the way and I can spare the time if things go pear shaped.

Although to some extent its better than it ever was, the maintanence of our main "tool" is a constant and necessary requirement. Both Windows and Apple implement a much better OS updating system these days. Apple probably more so, but lets not head towards that area of debate.

I tend only to install software I really need on my main work computer, leaving an older one for the kids to install stuff on.

How much we rely on that little piece of copper cable coming out the wall these days !!

Alan