Graphics Driver for MacBook Pro in XP Pro

I have an ATI Radeon X1600 256MB PCIe card in my MacBook Pro 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo running 10.5.5, and when in Parallels running XP Pro. When in XP Pro, the default video driver is Parallels Video Driver. Trouble is that with game applications needing Direct X 9.0c, I get that my video card/driver does not support Direct X 9.0c or 3D Hardware acceleration. Is it possible to install the ATI specific driver and their Catalyst software, and Direct X 9.0c when in Parallels mode to meet this system requirement? Thanks for the feedback.

 

Short Answer:
No

Long Answer:
The Virtual Machine doesn't interface with the video card directly, OSX interfaces with the video card and Parallels interfaces with OSX hence the need for Parallels Video Drivers, in PDM3 the Parallels Video Driver doesn't support DX9, in PDM4, the next release, it will probably support DX9.

 

I can only say yes to all Specimen statements

 

I still have the same problem with 4.0

I actually had no problem playing the games I wanted under 3.0, but now I get the same message Snowman received above when I try to play a game that worked under 3.0, in 4.0. I've tried checking "Enable 3D acceleration" under the Video pane, but it doesn't help. I also tried re-installing Parallels tools.

My specifications are similar to Snowman's except I have an ATI Radeon X2600 (not 1600). But it doesn't seem to matter because the virtual graphics card is the same no matter what the actual card is (apparently).

The actual message I get is the following: (on a dialog box)

Unsupported Graphics Card
This graphics card is not supported by Age of Mythology. Please check http://www.microsoft.com/games/ageofmythology for a full list of supported graphics cards.
Age of Mythology will now exit.

Video Card 0: prl_vadd.dll Parallels Video Adapter Vendor(0x1AB8) Device(0x4005)

Then I'm prompted at the bottom to click on "Exit Game".

It seems to me that this game (Age of Mythology) should have little problem playing on even the most basic of graphic cards, as its minimum requirement is only a 16 MB 3D graphics card, well below the default (recommended) setting for my VM which is 128 MB.

 

OK, John. Can you help. I have successfully upgraded my VM and now it will run for somewhere between 15 minutes and 3 hours. I will then come back to my machine, sometimes while I am actively working on it, and it will give me a "prl_vadd" driver has stopped responding. In this instance it nicely says next time you reboot you can fix it by getting the right driver. Sometimes it blows up the VM and I come back to a XP log in screen with all work lost. Other times it says the prl_vadd driver was caught in an infinite loop and the VM has to reboot, again, all unsaved work lost.

It sends me to a MS site for installing the right video driver. I have a MacBookPro 17" and it has never had this problem before. Parallels 3.0 was working fine so I anticipate that this is a 4.0 issue and not some odd chance that my video driver suddenly disappeared.

Can you help me figure this out as the instability of 4.0 makes me want to scream!

Thanks!

 

technonut2000, can you run dxdiag (from the Start menu's "run" or whatever), and check the display tab? Look at the DirectX Acceleration section. Is DirectDraw and Direct3D "Not Available" for you? If so, you've got the same problem as I've got. I've got a ticket open and they are working with me on it.

 

slimemold - it says that they are both "enabled". Here's a statement from the window below in the dialog:

The file prl_vadd.dll is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
To test DirectDraw functionality, click the "Test DirectDraw" button above.
To test Direct3D functionality, click the "Test Direct3D" button above.

 

I ran the "DirectDraw" and Direct3d" tests and they were both "successful". What does this all mean? Does this need a new driver? prl_vadd seems to be the culprit.

 

Oh poop. Nevermind, then. For me, DirectDraw and Direct3D are "Not available". So I think your problem is something different.

Sorry about that.

 

No worries. Thanks for trying to help.

 

Same "Infinite Loop" Problem ...

Hi All,

technonut2000, I have the same problem as you, although it isn't as frequent. Probably once or twice a week the VM will decide it must crash, and gives me the Windows Blue Screen of Death with:

"A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damange to your computer.
The problem seems to be caused by the following file: prl_vadd
...
The device driver got stuck in an infinite loop. Ths usually indicates a problem with the device itself or with the device driver programming the hardware incorrectly.
Please check with your hardware device vendor for any driver updates.

Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x000000EA (0xFE0C8990, 0x81DF95D8, ...)" (machine rebooted before I got the last 2 hex numbers)

The problem seems to occur only when I'm pushing my machine (also a 17" MBP) pretty hard. In this most recent instance I had a Windows VM running at the same time as a Linux VM, and several development tools running as well. Maybe the 'prl_vadd' device driver didn't respond in a timely manner, so Windows decided it was stuck? Anyone from Parallels have any info on this, or need any more details to help diagnose this?


Thanks,

Peter

 

All microsoft kb are referring to problem with video device during intensive usage
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/293078
Please check system logs, it may be video card problem as well, when it causes the memory leak

 

Hi John,

The same problem just hit me this evening. The system logs in Event Manager don't have any record of the crash prior to it happening. I do have a memory dump from Windows available though -- If there is a place I can upload it for you to look at, please let me know.


Thanks,

Peter

 

Create ticket in support and in subject specify report ID, you submit from Parallels Desktop - Help - Report a Problem

 

Please see this thread: http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=377364#post377364
for instructions on getting Age of Mythology working on Parallels 4