# PTB3 locking up at Screen('OpenWindow',....)

**URL:** <https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/ptb3-locking-up-at-screen-39-openwindow-39/1824>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [May 9, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/ptb3-locking-up-at-screen-39-openwindow-39/1824 "2007-05-09T19:50:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/ptb3-locking-up-at-screen-39-openwindow-39/1824/1 "2007-05-09T19:50:30Z")

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Hello, I hope someone can help.  
  
I have installed PTB3 and developed code successfully on one   
computer, tested it on two others, but cannot get it running on the   
one that really matters.   
  
Everything runs properly until the Screen(`OpenWindow',….) command,   
at which point the white start up screen comes on, and never goes   
away. A mouse cursor with thinking hourglass does come up. This   
happens with both my own code and the PsychDemos. I have to force   
quit PTB3/Matlab to regain control of the system.  
  
On the failing computer, I am running Windows XP with Matlab 7.3   
(R2006b). The video card is a Nvidia TNT2 model 64. According to   
Wiki, this card supports DirectX 6 and OpenGL 1.   
  
Does anyone have any suggestions, or better yet, know what's going   
wrong?  
  
Thanks,  
  
Ari

---

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**Author:** ![mariokleiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mariokleiner](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/mariokleiner)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/ptb3-locking-up-at-screen-39-openwindow-39/1824/2 "2007-05-10T01:32:49Z")

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Wow! You are one of the champions for the "most ancient graphics  
card ever used for serious work in 2007" award!  
  
Do your other machines have more recent gfx-cards?  
  
Things to try:  
  
0. You are using the latest PTB-3 beta, right?  
  
1. In Matlab: diary on -- Will record all output to a diary.txt  
file in the Matlab working directory, so you can read what  
happened after force-quitting Matlab.  
  
2. Try Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests', 2); to see if that  
gets you past the white screen. That would mean that some  
mechanism needed for proper stimulus timing and vbl sync  
is broken or unsupported on your hardware, but would allow  
for further diagnostic.  
  
3. Driver update! Update to the latest NVidia drivers for your  
card.  
  
4. Your card only has 32 MB VRAM. Make sure you're running  
at 24 or 32 bit color depths and at a low enough screen  
resolution so its not running out of ressources.  
  
But you should consider upgrading your card to something  
less ancient for good performance unless you use very  
simple stimuli.  
  
best,  
-mario  
  

> --- In [psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com](mailto:psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com), "arirosenator" \<arirosenator@...\> wrote:  
> \>  
> \> Hello, I hope someone can help.  
> \>   
> \> I have installed PTB3 and developed code successfully on one   
> \> computer, tested it on two others, but cannot get it running on the   
> \> one that really matters.   
> \>   
> \> Everything runs properly until the Screen(`OpenWindow',….) command,   
> \> at which point the white start up screen comes on, and never goes   
> \> away. A mouse cursor with thinking hourglass does come up. This   
> \> happens with both my own code and the PsychDemos. I have to force   
> \> quit PTB3/Matlab to regain control of the system.  
> \>   
> \> On the failing computer, I am running Windows XP with Matlab 7.3   
> \> (R2006b). The video card is a Nvidia TNT2 model 64. According to   
> \> Wiki, this card supports DirectX 6 and OpenGL 1.   
> \>   
> \> Does anyone have any suggestions, or better yet, know what's going   
> \> wrong?  
> \>   
> \> Thanks,  
> \>   
> \> Ari  
> \>