Update Your Graphics Drivers

Drivers that are supplied by the computer's manufacturer may work, but they will not be the latest version. Spore was tested on current drivers.

Driver updating can be undone. You can revert back to older drivers.

For NVIDIA graphics card, get them here:

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Put your chip type and operating system in the dialog boxes.


ATI:

http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

Laptop
http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/xp/mobility-xp.html

Crash To Desktop At Cell Start for DirectX SDK Users.

For those that are not being able to start the game at all due to crashing when starting at the cell level, and have installed the DirectX SDK, please try this.

If you have not installed the DirectX SDK, then this does not apply to you.

In Win XP:
Start->All Programs->Microsoft DirectX SDK->DirectX Utilities->Direct X Control Panel



Make sure you are using the retail version of Direct X and
that Enumerate Reference Rasterizer is checked

Software Only and Enumerate Ramp Rasterizer should not be set.

NVIDIA Drivers and Laptops

NVIDIA drivers sometimes will not install directly from the setup on laptops, but you can install them using the step below.

Download and run the driver installation. If you get a message about can't install on your laptop, do this:

Assuming you are installing the 177.92 drivers.

The drivers were extracted to your hard drive in C:\NVIDIA\Win2k\177.92, but the setup did not install them.

Right click on Desktop
Properties->Settings->Advanced->Adapter->Properties->Driver

//note your card type here


Update Driver

Install from a list or specific location->next

Don't search->next

Have Disk

Browse

C:\NVIDIA\Win2k\177.92
Open
OK
Select your card type from above->next

Yes to any questions about do you really want to install this.

close all windows

restart when prompted

*****************************************************

ATI mobility Radeon x1400 users having graphics issues:

Posted by DoiNkk
I was having graphics problems in game. These problems were easily seen when looking at the Sporpidia section. I was able to resolve all graphics woes by disabling the CATALYST A.I. This option can be found in the Catalyst control center in the 3d section. I was able to leave all my other graphics card options maxed out to "Quality." The Catalyst A.I. performs per-application video driver optimizations. This needs to be turned off if you want to run Spore without graphics issues!

How to turn off ATI CATALYST A.I.:
1. Right click your desktop
2. left click properties
3. left click the settings tab
4. left click the advanced button
5. left click the CATALYST (R) Control Center tab
6. left click the ATI CATALYST (R) Control Center button
7. navigate the 3D section to CATALYST @ A.I. by left clicking
8. left click the box Disable Catalyst @ A.I. in order to put a check mark in the box
9. then left click the Apply button.
10. start Spore and check to see if your graphics issues are resolved

NVIDIA SLI

Posted by bellyflop79:
Spore constantly freezing and having to reboot system, hoping that I saved the game prior. Found out that spore doesn't like having the SLI activated on my 2 8800 GTS. After updating the drivers and de-activating the SLI, only using one card. I have not had a single freeze or crash.

This is a great graphical guide to the "have disc" laptop video driver update method:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11997



Nvidia drivers can actually be installed using the automated installer too. The "have disc" method is nice, but if people wish to install using the regular setup.exe file you can do it by visiting:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

You'll need to download the driver plus the modded INF file. Once the driver archive is extracted, you place the modded INF file in the same folder to overwrite the old INF file. Once that's done, then it's safe to install (after having uninstalled old drivers first of course). A lot of guides are on that site including this one:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10561

Gateway and HP have recently updated their video drivers, but people with older laptops will be stuck doing things the long way as indicated above. You'll want to watch to make sure you get the right driver variant for your system, although it's not critical. I know 177 is a desktop variant and 176 plus 175 are both laptop variants. The difference is in power management.

Nvidia updated their drivers today, so you might want to change the driver numbers to 178.13

Windows XP 32-Bit http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_178.13_whql.html
Windows XP 64-Bit http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp64_178.13_whql.html
Windows Vista 32-Bit http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x86_178.13_whql.html
Windows Vista 64-Bit http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_178.13_whql.html

GMA 950 Driver for Mac OS 10.5.5 http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=efcc7b7f9...8&st=500&p=913715&#entry913715

may allow compatibility for GMA 950.

NVIDIA just released version 181.20 of their drivers. Its usually a good idea to keep your graphics drivers current.

GMA 3100 drivers plz??????

RegularSpode wrote:GMA 3100 drivers plz??????

You can use this utility to update any intel drivers. http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/detect.htm (need IE or FF).

Will Intel graphics cards, even the latest versions, work?

My copy of SPORE doesn't enable Bump-mapping or reflective surfaces. In fact I'm so used to seeing good graphics that I might not be too surprised if it works properly.

If I need another graphics driver I'm going to have to go through a lot of work, I think.

LeopardoDeVinci wrote:Will Intel graphics cards, even the latest versions, work?

My copy of SPORE doesn't enable Bump-mapping or reflective surfaces. In fact I'm so used to seeing good graphics that I might not be too surprised if it works properly.

If I need another graphics driver I'm going to have to go through a lot of work, I think.

They will but badly. It's a good idea to turn off all custom graphics settings though.

warmslime wrote:

LeopardoDeVinci wrote:Will Intel graphics cards, even the latest versions, work?

My copy of SPORE doesn't enable Bump-mapping or reflective surfaces. In fact I'm so used to seeing good graphics that I might not be too surprised if it works properly.

If I need another graphics driver I'm going to have to go through a lot of work, I think.

They will but badly. It's a good idea to turn off all custom graphics settings though.

......

Greeaat. Now I might just have to get a new driver, and a new computer, and a new processor and a new...

EDIT: This started just a few days ago, but aside from the disabled texturing, SPORE is going down from the triple-digit FPS to 12 - 20 FPS.

Bad gaming experience.