Can't set resolution to 1920 x 1200

[thomabrown]

Running Panorama v1.04, ATi Radeon X850 (R480), and Dell 2408WFP (native mode 1920 x 1200). I can set the resolution to 1920 x 1200 in the Screen object or via Panoutil, but it comes up with 1600 x 1200 when rebooted. TESTLOG.CMD produces the attached VBE2GRADD.LOG. Errors are shown from lines 1295-1316. It tries modes 1D6-1D3 getting errors, and is eventually successful with mode 176 at 1600x1200.

Is there anything I can do about the errors:

ERROR! Set VBE mode ax=34F

Is there any additional data that would help you?

Thanks!

[thomabrown]

Output of TESTLOG.CMD

[David Azarewicz]

Please attach the output from the testlog.cmd command. Make sure you are in the Panorama directory when you run it. Thanks.

[thomabrown]

See attached...

[David Azarewicz]

1. Open a command window.
2. Change directory to the \Panorama directory on your boot disk.
3. Type: testlog Panorama
4. Type a brief explanation of the problem at the prompt and press enter. The testlog command will display the name of the file it creates. Something like: "F:\tmp\SYSTEMNAME-20130606-panorama-1.04.log has been created."
5. Attach the file it creates to this ticket.

[thomabrown]

I have tried to attach the file several times. Does NOT to work. I click on the "Attach file" button. I click Browse. I get a file dialog with "*" as the file name and
E:\var\temp as the directory. No files are listed in the right hand pane. I paste the file name over the * and click "Add attachment". No further activity. I click "logout" at the top of the page. It logs me out, and I get the following error:

ATTACHMENT_CREATE privileges are required to perform this operation on Attachments of Ticket #14.

[thomabrown]

I have tried to attach the file several times. Does NOT to work. I click on the "Attach file" button. I click Browse. I get a file dialog with "*" as the file name and
E:\var\temp as the directory. No files are listed in the right hand pane. I paste the file name over the * and click "Add attachment". No further activity. I click "logout" at the top of the page. It logs me out, and I get the following error:

ATTACHMENT_CREATE privileges are required to perform this operation on Attachments of Ticket #14.

What am I doing wrong???

[Steven Levine]

It's not you. It was the ticket permissions. Every TRAC update seems to add more fine-grained controls. Please try it now.

[David Azarewicz]

I already checked and I didn't see anything wrong with the track permissions.

Also, I was able to add an attachment with no problems.

Also, he was able to add the vbe2grad.log file with no problems before.

[thomabrown]

The original file has essentially the same error sequence as the one I have been trying to attach:

..............
Mode 0x144: 1400x1050x16bpp
Mode 0x145: 1400x1050x16bpp
Mode 0x146: 1400x1050x32bpp
Mode 0x173: 1600x1200x8bpp
Mode 0x174: 1600x1200x16bpp
Mode 0x175: 1600x1200x16bpp
Mode 0x176: 1600x1200x32bpp
Mode 0x183: 640x400x8bpp
Mode 0x184: 640x400x16bpp
Mode 0x185: 640x400x16bpp
Mode 0x186: 640x400x32bpp
Mode 0x1D3: 1920x1200x8bpp
Mode 0x1D4: 1920x1200x16bpp
Mode 0x1D5: 1920x1200x16bpp
Mode 0x1D6: 1920x1200x32bpp
Mode 0x1E3: 1920x1440x8bpp
Mode 0x1E4: 1920x1440x16bpp
Mode 0x1E5: 1920x1440x16bpp
Mode 0x1E6: 1920x1440x32bpp
Video Aperture: Base=0xC0000000 Size=0xB00000 Rounded=0x1000000
Attempt to allocate shadow buffer...Success
Shadow Buffer locked at 0x5E7E0000, Length 0xB00000 bytes
MTRR Write Combine caching enabled.
SR: thread is starting
Requested mode=1D6
ERROR! Set VBE mode ax=34F
Requested mode=1D5
ERROR! Set VBE mode ax=34F
Requested mode=1D4
ERROR! Set VBE mode ax=34F
Requested mode=1D3
ERROR! Set VBE mode ax=34F
Requested mode=176

It shows the mode I want (0x1D6, 0x1D5 would do), but gets the error when trying to go there, and eventually settles for 0x176: 1600x1200x32bpp. I can run at 1920x1200x32bpp under SNAP, but it just hangs all the time, and I have to reboot, sometimes n times to get a usable system. Over many months, I have not been able to figure out a sequence of actions that will produce a running system. I have tried:

1. RMB > Restart > eCS boot
2. RMB > Shutdown > Power on
3. RMB > shutdown > power switch on rear of power supply -> power on
4. RMB > shutdown > UNPLUG PS 5 min+ -> power on + reboot
5. RMB > restart > Win7 > restart > eCS
6. RMB > restart > WinXP > restart > eCS
7. Reset button + all of the above
8. Power button + all of the above

Most of the above have worked at one time or another. They were all done with SNAP and SMP, so I suspect that SNAP's problems with SMP are the root of the whole thing. I guess I can live with Panorama, but I would really like to get the 1920x1200 resolution back.

[David Azarewicz]

Unfortunately you still have not provided the information I need to analyze this issue. The custom resolution software works by patching the video BIOS to try to coerce it to do something it was not designed to do. Sometimes this works, sometimes the BIOS just can't be coerced and it doesn't work. In order to determine if it can be made to work with your BIOS, I need 2 things.

I need the full contents of the log file created by the testlog.cmd program. It contains necessary details about your system. The vbe2grad.log file is NOT sufficient. I need the entire contents of the testlog output unedited. The testlog program must be run when the system is booted with the Panorama driver running with the default configuration and enabled. You must not have any of the old "wide-screen-enablers" installed. If you have any of the old "wide-screen-enablers" installed, you must remove them from your config.sys and reboot before collecting any data. Instructions for running the testlog program are already provided earlier.

The second thing I need is an image of the UNMODIFIED video BIOS. To get an unmodified image of the BIOS you have to disable the custom resolution software so it doesn't patch the BIOS. Here are the instructions for capturing the BIOS image:

1. Open a command window.
2. Navigate to the Panorama directory on your boot disk.
3. Execute the command: panoutil -d
4. Reboot
5. Open a command window
6. Navigate to the Panorama directory on your boot disk.
7. Execute the command: romimage bios.bin
8. Attach the bios.bin file that was create to this ticket.

To re-enable the custom resolution software execute: panoutil -d 1 and reboot.

When I get these 2 files, I should be able to see if there is anything I can do to make it work.

[thomabrown]

Log from "testlog panorama"

[thomabrown]

Bios dump from my ATi Radeon X850 video card

[thomabrown]

Files now attached. Thank you for your patience. It was too late at night on my prior attempts at attaching the log file, and I was in the wrong directory, \var\tmp instead of \var\temp. A senior citizen's brain check!

[David Azarewicz]

Try this:

1. Open a command window
2. Navigate to the Panorama directory on your boot disk.
3. Execute these two commands:

panoutil -e 23400,1920,1200,680,50,128,208,1,3

panoutil -d 1

4. Reboot
5. Open the screen object and select your desired resolution (1920x1200x64k)
6. Reboot and see if it works.

[thomabrown]

Looks like it worked:

[d:\panorama]PanoUtil.exe -s D:

Status on drive D:
Custom resolution logic is enabled.
No manual custom resolution is set.
A manual EDID is set

Clk=23400 H=1920 V=1200 Hbl=680 Vbl=50 Hof=128 Hw=208 Vof=1 Vw=3

PM Resolution is set to: 1920x1200 @ 16777216 colors

Thank you very much!

[David Azarewicz]

Interesting. I only half expected that to work.

Please attach the latest vbe2grad.log file (\var\log\vbe2grad.log). Maybe I can figure out an easier way to apply this trick in the future.

Thanks.

[thomabrown]

vbe2grad.log attached.

If I should buy another video card to replace the ATi Radeon X850 that I am currently using (see below), what should I look for to ensure Panorama support for 1920 x 1200 (or better) resolution?

I would replace my current card to get support for Micro$haft's Direct-X at the current level. Google Earth crashes my system hard due to my ancient video card. Having paid good money for the 1920 x 1200 resolution, I don't want to go backwards.

[David Azarewicz]

You really should not have any trouble with modern cards. It is also likely that a modern card will have a BIOS that already supports 1920x1200, so patching it would not be necessary. If you're lucky, it will say on the box or in the docs what resolutions the BIOS supports. If the BIOS doesn't already support 1620x1200, then it will need to get patched. Currently we can only patch Intel and ATI ATOM based cards.

[David Azarewicz]

I just looked at your latest vbe2grad.log and it is still not working as expected. If you really do see 1920x1200 resolution, I cannot explain why. The BIOS is still refusing to use the patched entries.

[thomabrown]

You are right! :-(
Don't know why I thought it was working. The screen object shows 1600x1200, 1920x1200, and 1920x1440. When I select 1920x1200 and reboot, it's back to 1600x12.
Anything else to try?
Thanks for all you hard work!