# Vista experience? **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [September 18, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/vista-experience/1139 "2007-09-18T01:47:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mariokleiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mariokleiner](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/mariokleiner)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/vista-experience/1139/1 "2007-09-18T01:47:39Z")
Our download logs show that some people out there already downloaded PTB with MS Vista. Any input about your PTB experience with it? Does it work flawlessly (if one can use that term wrt. to any use of MS-Windows), or any weird problems? Up to now i met one user of Vista+PTB. His system mostly works, but shows some weird behaviours that need weird work-arounds to fix them. I'd like to know if his system setup is an outlier or not. asks, -mario ---
**Author:** ![luis\_a\_diago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@luis\_a\_diago](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/luis_a_diago)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/vista-experience/1139/2 "2007-11-07T18:01:19Z")
Dear Mario, Unfortunately my experience was not favourable. PC : NEC LaVie LL550/H Mobil AMD Sempron(TM) Processor 3400+ (1.80GHz) ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 on Windows Vista Home Premium I got the following error: -------------------- PTB-WARNING: Could not bind wglChoosePixelFormat - Extension. Some features will be unavailable, e.g., Anti-Aliasing and high precision framebuffers. PTB-WARNING: Your graphics driver doesn't allow me to control syncing wrt. vertical retrace! PTB-WARNING: Please update your display graphics driver as soon as possible to fix this. PTB-WARNING: Until then, you can manually enable syncing to VBL somewhere in the display settings PTB-WARNING: tab of your machine. PTB-INFO: This is the OpenGL-Psychtoolbox version 3.0.8. Type 'PsychtoolboxVersion' for more detailed version information. PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox is licensed to you under terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). See file 'License.txt' in the PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox root folder for a copy of the GPL license. OpenGL-Extensions are: GL\_WIN\_swap\_hint GL\_EXT\_bgra GL\_EXT\_paletted\_texture WARNING: Couldn't determine end-line of vertical blanking interval for your display! Trouble with beamposition queries?!? WARNING: Detected end-line is 798, which is either lower or more than 25% higher than vbl startline 800 --\> Out of sane range! PTB-INFO: OpenGL-Renderer is Microsoft Corporation :: GDI Generic :: 1.1.0 PTB-WARNING: Seems that Microsofts OpenGL software renderer is active! This will likely cause miserable PTB-WARNING: performance and severe timing and synchronization problems. A reason could be that you run at PTB-WARNING: a too high display resolution, or the system is running out of ressources for some other reason. PTB-WARNING: Another reason could be that you disabled hardware acceleration in the display settings panel: Make sure that PTB-WARNING: in Display settings panel -\> Settings -\> Advanced -\> Troubleshoot -\> The hardware acceleration slider is PTB-WARNING: set to 'Full' (rightmost position). PTB-Info: VBL startline = 800 , VBL Endline = 798 PTB-Info: Beamposition queries unsupported or defective on this system. Using basic timestamping as fallback: Timestamps returned by Screen('Flip') will be less robust and accurate. PTB-Info: Measured monitor refresh interval from VBLsync = 16.656300 ms [60.037344 Hz]. (40 valid samples taken, stddev=2.193787 ms.) PTB-Info: Reported monitor refresh interval from operating system = 16.666667 ms [60.000000 Hz]. PTB-Info: Small deviations between reported values are normal and no reason to worry. PTB-WARNING: Your graphics hardware & driver doesn't support OpenGL rectangle textures. PTB-WARNING: This won't affect the correctness or visual accuracy of image drawing, but it can significantly PTB-WARNING: degrade performance/speed and increase memory consumption of images by up to a factor of 4! PTB-WARNING: If you use a lot of image stimuli (DrawTexture, Offscreen windows, Stereo display, Quicktime movies) PTB-WARNING: and you are unhappy with the performance, then please upgrade your graphics driver and possibly PTB-WARNING: your gfx hardware if you need higher performance... WARNING: Couldn't compute a reliable estimate of monitor refresh interval! Trouble with VBL syncing?!? ----- ! PTB - ERROR: SYNCHRONIZATION FAILURE ! ---- One or more internal checks (see Warnings above) indicate that synchronization of Psychtoolbox to the vertical retrace (VBL) is not working on your setup. This will seriously impair proper stimulus presentation and stimulus presentation timing! Please read 'help SyncTrouble' for information about how to solve or work-around the problem. You can force Psychtoolbox to continue, despite the severe problems, by adding the command Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests',1); at the top of your script, if you really know what you are doing. ??? Error in ==\> Quiz at 31 [wPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',screenNum); ---------- Any idea? Best regards Luis ---
**Author:** ![mariokleiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@mariokleiner](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/mariokleiner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/vista-experience/1139/3 "2007-11-07T20:24:41Z")
The warnings list a couple of troubleshooting tips, but not the most obvious one with a brandnew(?) Vista system: You'll need to install OpenGL drivers (ICD's) from your graphic cards vendor -\> Download them from AMD/ATI's website -- Or from your hardware vendors website if you have a laptop which is not supported by ATI's drivers. The default GDI Generic driver of Vista is useless for any serious application. The same applies to Windows2000/XP, but i guess those systems more often came preinstalled with vendor specific ICD's. best, -mario > --- In [psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com](mailto:psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com), "Luis A. Diago" \ wrote: > \> > \> Dear Mario, > \> > \> Unfortunately my experience was not favourable. > \> > \> PC : NEC LaVie LL550/H > \> > \> Mobil AMD Sempron(TM) Processor 3400+ (1.80GHz) > \> ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 on Windows Vista Home Premium > \> > \> I got the following error: > \> > \> -------------------- > \> > \> PTB-WARNING: Could not bind wglChoosePixelFormat - Extension. Some > \> features will be unavailable, e.g., Anti-Aliasing and high precision > \> framebuffers. > \> PTB-WARNING: Your graphics driver doesn't allow me to control syncing > \> wrt. vertical retrace! > \> PTB-WARNING: Please update your display graphics driver as soon as > \> possible to fix this. > \> PTB-WARNING: Until then, you can manually enable syncing to VBL > \> somewhere in the display settings > \> PTB-WARNING: tab of your machine. > \> > \> > \> PTB-INFO: This is the OpenGL-Psychtoolbox version 3.0.8. > \> Type 'PsychtoolboxVersion' for more detailed version information. > \> PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox is licensed to you under terms of the GNU > \> General Public License (GPL). See file 'License.txt' in the > \> PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox root folder for a copy of the GPL license. > \> > \> > \> > \> OpenGL-Extensions are: GL\_WIN\_swap\_hint GL\_EXT\_bgra > \> GL\_EXT\_paletted\_texture > \> > \> > \> WARNING: Couldn't determine end-line of vertical blanking interval > \> for your display! Trouble with beamposition queries?!? > \> > \> WARNING: Detected end-line is 798, which is either lower or more than > \> 25% higher than vbl startline 800 --\> Out of sane range! > \> > \> > \> PTB-INFO: OpenGL-Renderer is Microsoft Corporation :: GDI Generic :: > \> 1.1.0 > \> PTB-WARNING: Seems that Microsofts OpenGL software renderer is > \> active! This will likely cause miserable > \> PTB-WARNING: performance and severe timing and synchronization > \> problems. A reason could be that you run at > \> PTB-WARNING: a too high display resolution, or the system is running > \> out of ressources for some other reason. > \> PTB-WARNING: Another reason could be that you disabled hardware > \> acceleration in the display settings panel: Make sure that > \> PTB-WARNING: in Display settings panel -\> Settings -\> Advanced -\> > \> Troubleshoot -\> The hardware acceleration slider is > \> PTB-WARNING: set to 'Full' (rightmost position). > \> PTB-Info: VBL startline = 800 , VBL Endline = 798 > \> PTB-Info: Beamposition queries unsupported or defective on this > \> system. Using basic timestamping as fallback: Timestamps returned by > \> Screen('Flip') will be less robust and accurate. > \> PTB-Info: Measured monitor refresh interval from VBLsync = 16.656300 > \> ms [60.037344 Hz]. (40 valid samples taken, stddev=2.193787 ms.) > \> PTB-Info: Reported monitor refresh interval from operating system = > \> 16.666667 ms [60.000000 Hz]. > \> PTB-Info: Small deviations between reported values are normal and no > \> reason to worry. > \> > \> PTB-WARNING: Your graphics hardware & driver doesn't support OpenGL > \> rectangle textures. > \> PTB-WARNING: This won't affect the correctness or visual accuracy of > \> image drawing, but it can significantly > \> PTB-WARNING: degrade performance/speed and increase memory > \> consumption of images by up to a factor of 4! > \> PTB-WARNING: If you use a lot of image stimuli (DrawTexture, > \> Offscreen windows, Stereo display, Quicktime movies) > \> PTB-WARNING: and you are unhappy with the performance, then please > \> upgrade your graphics driver and possibly > \> PTB-WARNING: your gfx hardware if you need higher performance... > \> > \> WARNING: Couldn't compute a reliable estimate of monitor refresh > \> interval! Trouble with VBL syncing?!? > \> > \> > \> ----- ! PTB - ERROR: SYNCHRONIZATION FAILURE ! ---- > \> > \> One or more internal checks (see Warnings above) indicate that > \> synchronization > \> of Psychtoolbox to the vertical retrace (VBL) is not working on your > \> setup. > \> > \> This will seriously impair proper stimulus presentation and stimulus > \> presentation timing! > \> Please read 'help SyncTrouble' for information about how to solve or > \> work-around the problem. > \> You can force Psychtoolbox to continue, despite the severe problems, > \> by adding the command > \> Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests',1); at the top of your script, > \> if you really know what you are doing. > \> > \> > \> ??? > \> > \> Error in ==\> Quiz at 31 > \> [wPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',screenNum); > \> > \> ---------- > \> Any idea? > \> Best regards > \> Luis > \> ---
**Author:** ![luis\_a\_diago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@luis\_a\_diago](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/luis_a_diago)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/vista-experience/1139/4 "2007-11-10T13:37:17Z")
Dear Mario, Thanks for your help. I downloaded and installed the ATI drivers from the website and Psychtoolbox ran on Windows Vista. I'm still having some syncronization troubles (see the information below) Best regards Luis ----------------- PTB-INFO: This is the OpenGL-Psychtoolbox version 3.0.8. Type 'PsychtoolboxVersion' for more detailed version information. PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox is licensed to you under terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). See file 'License.txt' in the PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox root folder for a copy of the GPL license. OpenGL-Extensions are: GL\_ARB\_depth\_texture GL\_ARB\_draw\_buffers GL\_ARB\_fragment\_program GL\_ARB\_fragment\_shader GL\_ARB\_multisample GL\_ARB\_multitexture GL\_ARB\_occlusion\_query GL\_ARB\_point\_parameters GL\_ARB\_point\_sprite GL\_ARB\_shader\_objects GL\_ARB\_shading\_language\_100 GL\_ARB\_shadow GL\_ARB\_shadow\_ambient GL\_ARB\_texture\_border\_clamp GL\_ARB\_texture\_compression GL\_ARB\_texture\_cube\_map GL\_ARB\_texture\_env\_add GL\_ARB\_texture\_env\_combine GL\_ARB\_texture\_env\_crossbar GL\_ARB\_texture\_env\_dot3 GL\_ARB\_texture\_float GL\_ARB\_texture\_mirrored\_repeat GL\_ARB\_texture\_rectangle GL\_ARB\_transpose\_matrix GL\_ARB\_vertex\_buffer\_object GL\_ARB\_vertex\_program GL\_ARB\_vertex\_shader GL\_ARB\_window\_pos GL\_ATI\_draw\_buffers GL\_ATI\_envmap\_bumpmap GL\_ATI\_fragment\_shader GL\_ATI\_meminfo GL\_ATI\_separate\_stencil GL\_ATI\_texture\_env\_combine3 GL\_ATI\_texture\_float GL\_EXT\_bgra GL\_EXT\_blend\_color GL\_EXT\_blend\_func\_separate GL\_EXT\_blend\_minmax GL\_EXT\_blend\_subtract GL\_EXT\_compiled\_vertex\_array GL\_EXT\_copy\_texture GL\_EXT\_draw\_range\_elements GL\_EXT\_fog\_coord GL\_EXT\_framebuffer\_object GL\_EXT\_gpu\_program\_parameters GL\_EXT\_multi\_draw\_arrays GL\_EXT\_packed\_depth\_stencil GL\_EXT\_packed\_pixels GL\_EXT\_point\_parameters GL\_EXT\_rescale\_normal GL\_EXT\_secondary\_color GL\_EXT\_separate\_specular\_color GL\_EXT\_shadow\_funcs GL\_EXT\_stencil\_wrap GL\_EXT\_subtexture GL\_EXT\_texgen\_reflection GL\_EXT\_texture3D GL\_EXT\_texture\_compression\_s3tc GL\_EXT\_texture\_cube\_map GL\_EXT\_texture\_edge\_clamp GL\_EXT\_texture\_env\_add GL\_EXT\_texture\_env\_combine GL\_EXT\_texture\_env\_dot3 GL\_EXT\_texture\_filter\_anisotropic GL\_EXT\_texture\_lod\_bias GL\_EXT\_texture\_mirror\_clamp GL\_EXT\_texture\_object GL\_EXT\_texture\_rectangle GL\_EXT\_vertex\_array GL\_KTX\_buffer\_region GL\_NV\_blend\_square GL\_NV\_texgen\_reflection GL\_SGIS\_generate\_mipmap GL\_SGIS\_texture\_edge\_clamp GL\_SGIS\_texture\_lod GL\_WIN\_swap\_hint WGL\_EXT\_swap\_control WARNING: Couldn't determine end-line of vertical blanking interval for your display! Trouble with beamposition queries?!? WARNING: Detected end-line is 798, which is either lower or more than 25% higher than vbl startline 800 --\> Out of sane range! PTB-INFO: OpenGL-Renderer is ATI Technologies Inc. :: ATI Radeon Xpress Series :: 2.0.6956 Release PTB-Info: VBL startline = 800 , VBL Endline = 798 PTB-Info: Beamposition queries unsupported or defective on this system. Using basic timestamping as fallback: Timestamps returned by Screen('Flip') will be less robust and accurate. PTB-Info: Measured monitor refresh interval from VBLsync = 16.693278 ms [59.904352 Hz]. (50 valid samples taken, stddev=0.038557 ms.) PTB-Info: Reported monitor refresh interval from operating system = 16.666667 ms [60.000000 Hz]. PTB-Info: Small deviations between reported values are normal and no reason to worry. ----- ! PTB - WARNING: SYNCHRONIZATION TROUBLE ! ---- One or more internal checks (see Warnings above) indicate that queries of rasterbeam position are not properly working for your setup. Psychtoolbox will work around this by using a different timing algorithm, but it will cause Screen('Flip') to report less accurate/robust timestamps for stimulus timing. Read 'help BeampositionQueries' for more info and troubleshooting tips. --- Mario Kleiner \<[mario.kleiner@...](mailto:mario.kleiner@...)\> escribió: > \> The warnings list a couple of troubleshooting tips, > \> but not > \> the most obvious one with a brandnew(?) Vista > \> system: > \> > \> You'll need to install OpenGL drivers (ICD's) from > \> your > \> graphic cards vendor -\> Download them from AMD/ATI's > \> website -- Or from your hardware vendors website if > \> you > \> have a laptop which is not supported by ATI's > \> drivers. > \> > \> The default GDI Generic driver of Vista is useless > \> for any > \> serious application. > \> > \> The same applies to Windows2000/XP, but i guess > \> those > \> systems more often came preinstalled with vendor > \> specific > \> ICD's. > \> > \> best, > \> -mario > \> > \> --- In [psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com](mailto:psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com), "Luis A. Diago" > \> \ wrote: > \> \> > \> \> Dear Mario, > \> \> > \> \> Unfortunately my experience was not favourable. > \> \> > \> \> PC : NEC LaVie LL550/H > \> \> > \> \> Mobil AMD Sempron(TM) Processor 3400+ (1.80GHz) > \> \> ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 on Windows Vista Home > \> Premium > \> \> > \> \> I got the following error: > \> \> > \> \> -------------------- > \> \> > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Could not bind wglChoosePixelFormat - > \> Extension. Some > \> \> features will be unavailable, e.g., Anti-Aliasing > \> and high precision > \> \> framebuffers. > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Your graphics driver doesn't allow me > \> to control syncing > \> \> wrt. vertical retrace! > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Please update your display graphics > \> driver as soon as > \> \> possible to fix this. > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Until then, you can manually enable > \> syncing to VBL > \> \> somewhere in the display settings > \> \> PTB-WARNING: tab of your machine. > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> PTB-INFO: This is the OpenGL-Psychtoolbox version > \> 3.0.8. > \> \> Type 'PsychtoolboxVersion' for more detailed > \> version information. > \> \> PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox is licensed to you under > \> terms of the GNU > \> \> General Public License (GPL). See file > \> 'License.txt' in the > \> \> PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox root folder for a copy of > \> the GPL license. > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> OpenGL-Extensions are: GL\_WIN\_swap\_hint > \> GL\_EXT\_bgra > \> \> GL\_EXT\_paletted\_texture > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> WARNING: Couldn't determine end-line of vertical > \> blanking interval > \> \> for your display! Trouble with beamposition > \> queries?!? > \> \> > \> \> WARNING: Detected end-line is 798, which is either > \> lower or more than > \> \> 25% higher than vbl startline 800 --\> Out of sane > \> range! > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> PTB-INFO: OpenGL-Renderer is Microsoft Corporation > \> :: GDI Generic :: > \> \> 1.1.0 > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Seems that Microsofts OpenGL software > \> renderer is > \> \> active! This will likely cause miserable > \> \> PTB-WARNING: performance and severe timing and > \> synchronization > \> \> problems. A reason could be that you run at > \> \> PTB-WARNING: a too high display resolution, or the > \> system is running > \> \> out of ressources for some other reason. > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Another reason could be that you > \> disabled hardware > \> \> acceleration in the display settings panel: Make > \> sure that > \> \> PTB-WARNING: in Display settings panel -\> Settings > \> -\> Advanced -\> > \> \> Troubleshoot -\> The hardware acceleration slider > \> is > \> \> PTB-WARNING: set to 'Full' (rightmost position). > \> \> PTB-Info: VBL startline = 800 , VBL Endline = 798 > \> \> PTB-Info: Beamposition queries unsupported or > \> defective on this > \> \> system. Using basic timestamping as fallback: > \> Timestamps returned by > \> \> Screen('Flip') will be less robust and accurate. > \> \> PTB-Info: Measured monitor refresh interval from > \> VBLsync = 16.656300 > \> \> ms [60.037344 Hz]. (40 valid samples taken, > \> stddev=2.193787 ms.) > \> \> PTB-Info: Reported monitor refresh interval from > \> operating system = > \> \> 16.666667 ms [60.000000 Hz]. > \> \> PTB-Info: Small deviations between reported values > \> are normal and no > \> \> reason to worry. > \> \> > \> \> PTB-WARNING: Your graphics hardware & driver > \> doesn't support OpenGL > \> \> rectangle textures. > \> \> PTB-WARNING: This won't affect the correctness or > \> visual accuracy of > \> \> image drawing, but it can significantly > \> \> PTB-WARNING: degrade performance/speed and > \> increase memory > \> \> consumption of images by up to a factor of 4! > \> \> PTB-WARNING: If you use a lot of image stimuli > \> (DrawTexture, > \> \> Offscreen windows, Stereo display, Quicktime > \> movies) > \> \> PTB-WARNING: and you are unhappy with the > \> performance, then please > \> \> upgrade your graphics driver and possibly > \> \> PTB-WARNING: your gfx hardware if you need higher > \> performance... > \> \> > \> \> WARNING: Couldn't compute a reliable estimate of > \> monitor refresh > \> \> interval! Trouble with VBL syncing?!? > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> ----- ! PTB - ERROR: SYNCHRONIZATION FAILURE ! > \> ---- > \> \> > \> \> One or more internal checks (see Warnings above) > \> indicate that > \> \> synchronization > \> \> of Psychtoolbox to the vertical retrace (VBL) is > \> not working on your > \> \> setup. > \> \> > \> \> This will seriously impair proper stimulus > \> presentation and stimulus > \> \> presentation timing! > \> \> Please read 'help SyncTrouble' for information > \> about how to solve or > \> \> work-around the problem. > \> \> You can force Psychtoolbox to continue, despite > \> the severe problems, > \> \> by adding the command > \> \> Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests',1); at the > \> top of your script, > \> \> if you really know what you are doing. > \> \> > \> \> > \> \> ??? > \> \> > \> \> Error in ==\> Quiz at 31 > \> \> [wPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',screenNum); > \> \> > \> \> ---------- > \> \> Any idea? > \> \> Best regards > \> \> Luis > \> \> > \> > \> Comparte video en la ventana de tus mensajes (y también tus fotos de Flickr). 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