FF8PC crashes after EIDOS logo

[re-inf]

I have problems running FF8 on my PC - it doesn't run at all.

I have a "full install", when I start the game, the eidos logo animation shows up and when it's finished and the title screen should appear, there are 2 things happening

a) when I run the ff8.exe in Win98/me compatiblity mode, the screen goes black and I have to reboot the pc (STRG+ALT+DEL won't work)
b) when I run the ff8.exe without compatiblity mode, the game returns to the desktop after the logo animation

several settings in the config menue did not make things better - nor worse. The discs are ok, I can play all the FMVs with the extractor/player here on this page

my system:
Intel P4 3,06GHz
Win XP home Edition
nVidia GForce FX5200 with Detonator 61.77 driver (previously 51.17 -?- , same crashing)
The D3D tests (run > dxdiag) all were successful

Does anybody have an idea what I could do to make the game run?

edit: I also tried the 1.02 gforce Version from the eidos website, but it doesn't alter things in any way

[Threesixty]

Have you tried reinstalling the game?
Or using the min install?

The only time I had such a crash.... the game didn't install all the way. I don't remember the details it was years ago. But reinstalling fixed it.

[re-inf]

yes, I tried both (several re-installs by the time)

[DarkestDream]

then sound like Squaresoft need to make Xp Patch for FF8

[Hybir]

FF8 worked a treat on my computer with Windows XP. Sorry, but I don't have any recommendations since I have no idea about problems in FF8.
(Install->Play->Finish Game->Uninstall)

[DarkestDream]

it very similar to FF7 problem before the main menu appear. maybe that FF7 Xp Patch will work on FF8?? just a guess, worth a try and see

[re-inf]

The patch does not work. (tells me there is currently no FF7 installed)
I tried starting the game in XP safe mode (gives me black screen, not even EIDOS logo animation played) and in VGA-Mode (also 640x480 an lower colordepths than 16bit possible) where it doesn't even bother to start
All tries with Software renderer since I think this would be more stable than the d3d

[eraclea]

Mmh, got a similar Problem but with the 'crash' within the Video...

However, I somehow figured out in which file the Opening 'Eidos Logo' is stored (a files called like 'publish.pak' in the game directory) and simply deleted it!

Worked for me after this...

(only if you don't count 'black boxes' in the Backgrounds wherever two textures should flow into another to problems, this is... but this is a problem of WinXP, my Graphics Card (driver) or so on...)

Note: Just deleting the Eidos Logo file will not lead to any other complications

[Chaotic]

Mmh, got a similar Problem but with the 'crash' within the Video...

However, I somehow figured out in which file the Opening 'Eidos Logo' is stored (a files called like 'publish.pak' in the game directory) and simply deleted it!

Worked for me after this...

(only if you don't count 'black boxes' in the Backgrounds wherever two textures should flow into another to problems, this is... but this is a problem of WinXP, my Graphics Card (driver) or so on...)

Note: Just deleting the Eidos Logo file will not lead to any other complications

worked for me to