# Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Game Problems



## chandra9shekar (Nov 2, 2004)

I have a P4 2.4 GHz with HT PC with 256MB Ram running windows XP Home and Intel 82865G Graphics controller card.  Harry potter 2 Game played very well on my PC without any Problems. Recently I installed Harry Potter and Prisoner...... game.
But while installing setup showed that my PC does not meet the requirement and game will be played in Software Rendering Mode. I agreed and installed the game. But after playing the game I saw that the software rendering is not at all good. It looks like I am playing an old game (Like DOOM 1). Even the resolution is 512*384 not 640*480. And I cannot change the resolution in the game at all. I set every video setting in the game to maximum, but things remain the same. I found in one cyber center the game is installed and the game played very well even through CPU is slow P3 1.7 GHz, running windows 98. But it has NVIDIA 32MB graphics card. In my computer the utility that shows system info comes with the game showed every requirement is O.K, Except that I have 248MB Ram, but required is 256MB Ram. Since my computer uses 8MB as video memory I have only 248MB Ram. Can anybody tell me how  to change the rendering mode to Direct3D. I can play very well Need for Speed HP, UG Games at a resolution of 800*600 and even higher. I think I have to increase the RAM just to play this Game. Does anybody have any better IDEAS? Since this game has much better graphics than in Harry Potter and chamber of secrets Game I wanted to Play in Direct3D.


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## NikhilVerma (Nov 2, 2004)

Harry Potter requires Hardware Transform and Lighting (HwTnL) which you don't have on your PC....
So there is only one solution that you upgrade your graphics card...
Coz according to me you have an inbuild card....


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## Krazy_About_Technology (Nov 5, 2004)

*Reply about Harry Potter and Prisoners of Azkaban*

Hey Dude,

Mr nikhil is wrong, i have just the same confiuration as yours, ie. Intel D865GBF motherboard with 256 MB DDr 400 RAM with a 2.4 GHz HT processor and Harry Potter runs without any problem on my PC. although the performance is a bit sluggish, but its running in D3D as well as OpenGL mode without any problem. Also i didn't  encountered any error even at the first time i started the game. 

This game doesn't 'requires' HWTnL but if you have it, its best. The game is based on the Unreal Tournament 2003 engine and therefore will run on your system. First of all, the problem could be with your windows installation, if its too old. Install windows fresh and download the latest drivers from intel's wesite (www.support.intel.com/support/go/downloads).  Also download the P21 BIOS update ( please use the installshield installer based format only, the other two are very hard to use). This update includes a Video BIOS update too. Please be carefull while updating and do not interrupt the process, else your motherboard ould get damaged. After that go to the installation folder of HPotter and go to the system folder. Edit the file HPPOA.ini and change only sections provided here. :

[Engine.Engine]
RenderDevice=D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice
;RenderDevice=Engine.NullRenderDevice
;RenderDevice=OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice
;RenderDevice=PixoDrv.PixoRenderDevice
AudioDevice=ALAudio.ALAudioSubsystem
;AudioDevice=XboxAudio.XboxAudioSubsystem
NetworkDevice=IpDrv.TcpNetDriver
DemoRecordingDevice=Engine.DemoRecDriver
Console=KWGame.KWConsole
DefaultPlayerMenu=KWGame.KWDebugRootWindow
Language=int
GameEngine=Engine.GameEngine
EditorEngine=Editor.EditorEngine
GUIController=HGame.HPGUIController
DefaultGame=HGame.HGame
DefaultServerGame=HGame.HGAme
ViewportManager=WinDrv.WindowsClient
;ViewportManager=XboxDrv.XboxClient
;ViewportManager=SDLDrv.SDLClient
Render=Render.Render
Input=Engine.Input
Canvas=Engine.Canvas
WorldInfo=HGame.HPWorldInfo
LevelLoadingPlayerControllerClass=hgame.HarryController
LevelLoadingHUDClass=hgame.hphud


[WinDrv.WindowsClient]
WindowedViewportX=640
WindowedViewportY=480
FullscreenViewportX=640
FullscreenViewportY=480
MenuViewportX=640
MenuViewportY=480
Brightness=0.560000
;Brightness=0.800000
Contrast=0.540000
;Contrast=0.700000
Gamma=1.320000
;Gamma=0.800000
UseJoystick=False
CaptureMouse=True
StartupFullscreen=True
ScreenFlashes=True
NoLighting=False
MinDesiredFrameRate=20.000000
MinReinstateDetailFrameRate=0.000000
Decals=False
Coronas=True
DecoLayers=True
Projectors=False
SimpleShadows=False
NoDynamicLights=False
ReportDynamicUploads=False
TextureDetailInterface=Normal
TextureDetailTerrain=Normal
TextureDetailWeaponSkin=Normal
TextureDetailPlayerSkin=Normal
TextureDetailWorld=Normal
TextureDetailRenderMap=Normal
TextureDetailLightmap=Normal
NoFractalAnim=False
ScaleHUDX=0.0
MinHWVidMem=4
ActionIfSWOnly=warn
MouseYMultiplier=0.000000
MouseXMultiplier=0.000000
NoShadows=True


[ALAudio.ALAudioSubsystem]
UseEAX=True
Use3DSound=True
UseDefaultDriver=true
CompatibilityMode=False
UsePrecache=True
ReverseStereo=True
Channels=32
MaxEAXVersion=3
MusicVolume=0.390000
AmbientVolume=1.000000
SoundVolume=1.000000
DopplerFactor=1.000000
Rolloff=1.000000
TimeBetweenHWUpdates=15.000000
DisablePitch=False
LowQualitySound=False


[D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice]
DetailTextures=True
HighDetailActors=true
SuperHighDetailActors=False
UsePrecaching=True
UseTrilinear=False
AdapterNumber=-1
ReduceMouseLag=True
UseTripleBuffering=False
UseHardwareTL=False
UseHardwareVS=False
UseCubemaps=True
DesiredRefreshRate=75
UseCompressedLightmaps=True
UseStencil=True
Use16bit=False
Use16bitTextures=False
MaxPixelShaderVersion=255
UseVSync=False
LevelOfAnisotropy=0
DetailTexMipBias=0.800000
DefaultTexMipBias=-0.500000
UseNPatches=False
TesselationFactor=1.000000
CheckForOverflow=True
MaxResWidth=640
MaxResHeight=480
VendorId=32902
DeviceId=9586
OverrideDesktopRefreshRate=False
AvoidHitches=True
DecompressTextures=False
UseXBoxFSAA=False
TerrainLOD=0
SkyboxHack=False
LowQualityTerrain=False
Use24BitZBuffer=true
FogEnabled=True


Find and change these sections according to given here. Your problem will be solved. In the end, do check the intel site for driver and BIOS updates once a month. You will never face such problem then.

Have a good day!


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## klinux (Nov 5, 2004)

- have u tried dxdiag tests in ???
- under dxdiag / display , see if u have all 3 buttons in black ( enabled ) 
- as said by krazy guy , it doesnt need a high end card . i run it on a via km400 which is essentially a dx 7 graphics adapter


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