Game Failures with Direct 3D (Multiple Cards)

So here's the story : I'm running an AMD 1900 with the old AIW8500DV,
an SB Audigy Plat, and various other parts not worthy of mention. And
every time I try to run certain games, I'm left with a black screen,
sound playing, and judging from the sounds the game is progressing -
I'm just not seeing it. The strangest thing is - it's only during
actual gameplay. I can navigate through most setup menus before the
sreen eventuall goes blank after I click "play". So eventually I get
tired of this and replace the graphics card with a new 9600. But much
to my surprise....SAME PROBLEM. So, some fooling around with settings
later I manage to convert ONE game from not-working into working.
Diablo II, well within my system's capability. I find an option to
shift it's graphics over from the default Direct3D to DirectDraw, and
that makes the game work fine. So I've assumed now that it's those
games which operate in Direct3D that are failing on me. But really, I
have no idea and I'm at the end of my rope....Can anyone help ?!?!?!?!?

"Azarule" wrote in message
oups.com...
So here's the story : I'm running an AMD 1900 with the old AIW8500DV,
an SB Audigy Plat, and various other parts not worthy of mention. And
every time I try to run certain games, I'm left with a black screen,
sound playing, and judging from the sounds the game is progressing -
I'm just not seeing it. The strangest thing is - it's only during
actual gameplay. I can navigate through most setup menus before the
sreen eventuall goes blank after I click "play". So eventually I get
tired of this and replace the graphics card with a new 9600. But much
to my surprise....SAME PROBLEM. So, some fooling around with settings
later I manage to convert ONE game from not-working into working.
Diablo II, well within my system's capability. I find an option to
shift it's graphics over from the default Direct3D to DirectDraw, and
that makes the game work fine. So I've assumed now that it's those
games which operate in Direct3D that are failing on me. But really, I
have no idea and I'm at the end of my rope....Can anyone help ?!?!?!?!?


Have you run dxdiag?