Last night, I finally got my recently bought Grand Theft Auto for PC to run on my graphically underpowered laptop *PHEW!!!*

Ok, so, these are the specs of my current laptop:

Processor................: Intel Core2 Duo T7300
                         (x86 family 6 Model 15 Stepping 10)
Processor Speed..........: 2.00 GHz
Physical Memory..........: 2 GB
Operating System.........: Windows XP* Professional,
                         Service Pack 3 (5.1.2600)
DirectX* Version.........: 9.0c
Maximum Graphics Memory..: 384 MB
Video BIOS...............: 1478.0

After (the very looooong) installation process of GTA IV, I tried to run it as is, with the current (at the time) graphics driver (Version 14.27.2.4814, supplied by the OEM's driver site) and the first error showed up:

RMN40 - Windows XP: Need to have Service Pack 3 or higher to proceed.

Ok, fair enough... I still hadn't installed the SP3. After installing SP3 and rebooting, I gave GTA IV a try and, second error (THE ONE I FEARED THE MOST) showed up:

RESC10 - Out of video memory - Please re-boot your system

Heck... I tried everything at this stage, change to the lowest resolution (800x600), even messed with the Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Mobile settings, even changing the 3D (OpenGL!) base memory to High, but with no avail... nothing made GTA IV work at this stage.

Well, I guessed it was time to update the graphics driver, so I did. Went to http://downloadcenter.intel.com/ and downloaded the latest Mobile Intel® 965 Express Chipset Family Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Windows XP driver, Version 14.37.0.5009

When trying to install it, I've got an error saying this wasn't a OEM driver, that I should get the correct driver from the OEM, but, the problem was, I already had the "latest" driver from the OEM (14.27.2.4814), and that wasn't working, so I had to try a newer one... Intel's latest (14.37.0.5009).

So, I bypassed the standard Setup procedure (by not running the Setup.exe again) and doing the driver update from the Control Panel \ Display applet.

For those that don't know this procedure, here's a copy from the driver readme file:

*********************************************
* Microsoft Windows* XP
* "HAVE-DISK" Installation Instructions
*********************************************
1. Click "Start" then right click on "Computer" button and then choose Manage.
2. When the Computer Management window opens select the "device manager" icon. (NOTE: IF UPDATING DRIVER GO TO STEP 3B)
3a. Double click "Video Controller (VGA Compatible)". (Go To STEP 4)
3b. Select "Display adapters" then Double click on the graphics controller shown.
4. Click on "driver" tab and select "Update Driver".
5. Select the following option when the Hardware Wizard asks to connect to Windows Update: "No, not this time".
6. Select the following option: "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)".
7. Select the “Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install” option and then “Next”.
8. Click on the "Have Disk..." button and then the "Browse" button.
9. Enter the directory where you unzipped the file you downloaded, and then enter the "Graphics" subdirectory. Locate and highlight the "igxp32.INF" file. Click on the "Open" button.
10. Click on the "OK" button. A window listing all of the available display types should open. Select the display adapter that your system contains and then click on the "Next" button.
11. Click on the "Next" button. The operating system will install the driver. Click on the "Finish" button when done.
12. Click on the "Close" button and then click on the "Yes" button to reboot. The driver should now be loaded.

After this, I tried the game AND IT WORKED!!! (ok, sort-of, read on...)


I was finally running GTA IV on my "$%!&#%$ laptop :P ... or so I thought.

As soon as the opening ingame cut-scene kicked in, I knew something was wrong... missing lots of textures, the worst was, the muddy, darkish image. I never saw anything like that before. It was like... watching a very very dark version of a newspaper B&W photograph (but animated).

After trying various combinations of the game Graphics setttings, I let everything at the lowest settings and gave it a try. The best frame rate I got from it was between 3 to 4 frames per second, LOL!!!! A joke, I know -.-'

I thought. And I did. After some trial'n'error (because I kept bumping into invisible stuff) I got the car on the road and, slowly, very slowly (3 frames per second slowly ;) and keeping an eye on the GPS-like mini-map, that fortunatly was working as expected, I finally arrived at the first stop, the cousin's place :P

Second cut-scene, ok, the image still a blackish mud of pixels, everything went as expected (at least, as a blind-bat would expect it) and the cut-scene ends. Then, all hell broke loose :P

I tried to get Niko out of his cousin's place, but I couldn't find the exit door :P ...not that I'm too stupid to find it, but... THERE WAS NO DOOR!!!! :P HECK!!!

Tired... I gave up for the night and went to sleep -.-