can't get Quake 3 demo to start and get this error message

[3151jeff]

Q3 1.11 win-x86 Nov 29 1999
----- FS_Startup -----
Current search path:
c:\Q3Ademo/baseq3

----------------------

Running in restricted demo mode.

----- FS_Startup -----
Current search path:
c:\Q3Ademo\demoq3\pak0.pk3 (1387 files)
c:\Q3Ademo/demoq3

----------------------
execing default.cfg
execing q3config.cfg
couldn't exec autoexec.cfg
...detecting CPU, found Intel Pentium III

------- Input Initialization -------
Initializing DirectInput...
Couldn't set DI coop level
Falling back to Win32 mouse support...
Joystick is not active.
------------------------------------
----- Client Initialization -----
----- Initializing Renderer ----
-------------------------------
----- Client Initialization Complete -----
--- Common Initialization Complete ---
Winsock Initialized
Opening IP socket: localhost:27960
Hostname: dawn-6383e69c9e
IP: 192.168.0.6
Working directory: c:\Q3Ademo
----- R_Init -----
Initializing OpenGL subsystem
...initializing QGL
...calling LoadLibrary( 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\opengl32.dll' ): succeeded
...setting mode 3: 640 480 FS
...using desktop display depth of 24
...calling CDS: ok
...registered window class
...created window@0,0 (640x480)
Initializing OpenGL driver
...getting DC: succeeded
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 24, 24, 8 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 24, 24, 0 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...failed to find an appropriate PIXELFORMAT
...restoring display settings
...WARNING: could not set the given mode (3)
...setting mode 3: 640 480 FS
...using colorsbits of 16
...calling CDS: ok
...created window@0,0 (640x480)
Initializing OpenGL driver
...getting DC: succeeded
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 16, 16, 0 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...GLW_ChoosePFD( 16, 16, 0 )
...35 PFDs found
...GLW_ChoosePFD failed
...failed to find an appropriate PIXELFORMAT
...restoring display settings
...WARNING: could not set the given mode (3)
...shutting down QGL
...unloading OpenGL DLL
...assuming '3dfxvgl' is a standalone driver
...initializing QGL
...WARNING: missing Glide installation, assuming no 3Dfx available
...shutting down QGL
----- CL_Shutdown -----
RE_Shutdown( 1 )
-----------------------
GLW_StartOpenGL() - could not load OpenGL subsystem

I am new to this and am not sure what the problem might be, but the video card is a SIS 6326 v1.25 and I have a p3 450 mhz 256mb ram and running XP pro. Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks Jeff

[Foo]

The SiS 6326 does not support OpenGL at all, and doesn't really even support direct3d (it accellerates the graphics, but the image is almost never drawn properly), I had one of these things in an old rig, if it did support opengl it wouldn't be able to play anything fast enough. It's a common joke that it's called a de-cellerator as on some machines it's faster to use the software-renderer than it is to use the 3d accelleration on the card.

You can get GLDirect, a direct3d wrapper to emulate opengl, but it'd be too slow to be useful anyways, as even in direct3d native games, even as old as the original Turok, will not get 20fps in 320x200... even then it has the most horrible image quality.

For your rig I'd buy a geforce 2 mx, you can get them for almost nothing now (I bought my old one a year ago for $20 canadian) and it's 100x (litterally) faster than that sis 6326....

You will NOT get any good performance, or even playable 3d performance out of that card without any hardware upgrade, there is nothing to tweak, the drivers are horrible, and it's 2d performance is worse than a 2mb ATi card. I've went through it all before on my first PC. You can't overclock it either.

Sorry.

[3151jeff]

thanks everyone, now I know why. I will look for a new card. Jeff