RivaTuner is the most powerful tweaking utility for NVIDIA display adapters running under Windows 98 / Windows 98 SE / Windows ME / Windows 2000. The purpose of this utility is to give you access to the many undocumented features of Detonator drivers. All versions of Detonator drivers have a lot of undocumented registry entries. Some of them don’t affect anything, but there are some that are very useful. In general, they cannot give you big performance boost but they can improve image quality and solve some compatibility problems. RivaTuner will help you to change all undocumented registry entries. It supports all versions of Detonators drivers starting from Detonator 2.08 under Windows 98 / Windows 98 SE / Windows ME (Detonator 5.08 or higher under Windows 2000). 

    This version is not the final release. It is intended for public testing and evaluation only. Please send me your bug reports and comments on it. I will try to implement your suggestions in the final release.

 

 

System requirements:  

 

Features:  

    

 

Known issues:  

 

 

 

Revision history:    

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 6:

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 5.1 (published on 8.07.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 5 (published on 25.06.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 4.1 (published on 23.04.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 4 (published on 05.04.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 3.1 (published on 11.03.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 3 (published on 05.03.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 2 (published on 11.02.2001):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 Release Candidate (published on 29.12.2000):

 

Minor bugfixes:

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 beta 2 (published on 26.11.2000):

 

Minor bugfixes:

 

What’s new:

 

 

 

Version 2.0 beta (published on 17.07.2000):  

 

The first public release

 

 

 

FAQ:

 

Q:     How does RivaTuner work?

A:     RivaTuner tweaks drivers via undocumented registry entries. RivaTuner also directly calls functions exported by drivers to perform some low-level operations (query and set core/memory clock frequencies, update overlay context, change color scheme and so on).

 

Q:     Where do you get info about all these tweaks? Are you working at NVIDIA? 

A:     No, I’m not working at NVIDIA. I’m just the discontented owner of a NVIDIA display adapter and I want to get all from my hardware and its’ drivers. I rip tweaks from drivers with IDA disassembler. I had owned almost all NVIDIA display adapters (Riva128, Riva TNT, Riva TNT2, GeForce256 SDR, GeForce256 DDR and GeForce2 GTS) but I have never been satisfied with the Detonator control panel interface. It’s a bit strange for me that programmers from NVIDIA don’t allow us to change all available settings via Detonator control panel interface. That’s why I started to code my own tweaking utility.

Q:    What is RTD database and how can I use it?

A:     RTD database is just the list of registry entries, which you can view and edit in built-in registry editor. Database for each Detonator contains the list of registry entries used by this driver. Default values and descriptions for each registry entry are also included in database. You don’t make any changes in your registry when you are opening new database in RivaTuner, you just load the list of registry entries, which can be modified via built-in registry editor.

 

Q:     Do I need to load new RTD database after installing new drivers?

A:     You don’t need to load new database if you are not going to use built-in registry/preset editor. Forget about databases if you are not an experienced user and you are using only Direct3D / OpenGL / System / Color tweaking dialogs. These dialogs don’t depend of databases. RivaTuner will correctly detect any 2.08 and higher drivers and will allow you to change all supported options. Don’t care about databases until you are going to edit registry directly.

 

Q:     What is RTP preset and how can I use it?

A:     RTP preset is the script, which can add or remove entries from your registry. It is similar to REG file, but it has some advantages:

You can use pre-created presets (located in “Presets” folder) or create your own presets via built-in registry editor. To run preset follow the next steps:

New menu item will appear. You can launch preset associated with this menu item by double clicking this menu item. When RivaTuner is minimized to tray you can also launch it from context menu (right click at RivaTuner tray icon to open it).

Q:     I need the preset for Quake III. Where can I download it?

A:     You don’t need presets for all games. I added presets only for games, which cannot run properly without specific driver settings (e.g. all NFS games require enabled table fog emulation and nonstandard texel alignment scheme; games based upon Unreal engine looks much better with negative LOD bias and floating point W-buffer format in 16-bit modes and so on). For the rest games you can use  “High quality” and “High performance” presets.

 

Q:     Some settings (e.g. automatic mipmapping) are disabled in RivaTuner. How can I enable disabled settings?

A:     RivaTuner disables some settings due to one of three cases:  

Q:     I'd like to test SoftQuadro script with my GeForce2 Ultra. Which Quadro must I choose (Quadro/Quadro2MXR/Quadro2 Pro)?

A:     You should select Quadro for GeForce256 SRD/DDR, Quadro2 MXR for GeForce2 MX and Quadro2 Pro for GeForce2 GTS/GeForce2 Pro/GeForce2 Ultra/GeForce3. 

          

Q:     I tried to use SoftQuadro patch script. It has successfully modified the drivers, but I got the following warning message: "WARNING: Certified patch script not found, using common patch script...". What does it mean? What are certified and common patch scripts?

A:     SoftQuadro contains universal or common patch script, which must work on all currently available Detonator drivers 6.xx and higher . SoftQuadro also contains so called certified patch scripts for the drivers, which had been tested with SoftQuadro. This warning just tells you that I had not tested SoftQuadro with the driver, which you are trying to modify.

 

Q:     I've modified the Detonator drivers with SoftQuadro script. I have GeForce2 MX. When I install modified drivers what should I choose Quadro2 MXR or GeForce2 MX?

A:     You should install modified drivers as usual and select the original display adapter (i.e. GeForce2 MX).

          

Q:     I've GeForce2 MX modified to Quadro2 MXR with SoftQuadro patch script. All programs that use OpenGL detect a Quadro2 MXR and the doubt persists in that Windows detect GeForce2 MX and no Quadro2 MXR in screen properties.

A:     It must be so. SoftQuadro doesn't override the device identifier so Windows just cannot detect Quadro. 

          

Q:     I've  modified the drivers with SoftQuadro, but after installing the drivers, there is no change. All the options are the same, I've not got any additional OpenGL settings in the Detonator control panel.

A:     Additional options will not appear on Windows 9x. Quadro specific OpenGL options are available on Windows2000/NT4 only.

 

Q:     I've  modified the drivers with SoftQuadro, but "Professional" tab in RivaTuner's OpenGL settings is still disabled. How can I enable it?

A:     RivaTuner enables "Professional" settings on the real Quadro boards only. There is no was to detect modified driver, so you must manually tell RivaTuner that you have modified the drivers. To do it just open "Power user" tab, then load Default.rdt database (or just hold Ctrl and press "Open matched Detonator database" button) and set ForceQuadro entry to 1.

 

Q:     AGP settings in RivaTuner do not work properly on my system. What’s the problem?

A:     Unfortunately Detonator’s AGP settings work fine on Intel chipsets only. On the rest chipsets these settings can be ignored or even cause your operating system to crash (e.g. on VIA Apollo Pro 133A AGP transfer rate settings are ignored and AGP FastWrites settings may cause OS to hang). To change AGP settings on non-Intel motherboards you can use either BIOS/AGP GART driver settings or any utility, which switches AGP settings directly via PCI configuration registers (PowerStrip, WPCREDIT, ZTAGPTool).

 

Q:     I’m pretty sure that my display adapter supports AGP FastWrites or Sideband addressing protocol, but FastWrites and Sideband addressing settings in RivaTuner are still disabled. How can I enable it?

A:     First, you must have at least a GeForce256 and Detonator 5.32 or higher drivers to change FastWrites settings, and at least Detonator 6.74 to change Sideband addressing settings. Second, read the previous question. FastWrites and Sideband addressing settings can cause your system to hang, that’s why I disabled it by default. If you know what is Safe mode and you don’t afraid of BSOD, you can enable these settings in RivaTuner via the registry:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Unwinder\RivaTuner]

"LockDangerSettings"=dword:00000000

 

Q:     I have Intel based motherboard but I cannot activate Intel compatibility mode. What’s the problem?

A:     Detonator driver checks north bridge (PCI bus 0, device 0, function 0) vendor and device ID’s and ignores Intel compatibility mode option on all non-Intel and on some Intel based motherboards (i440BX, i815 and some others). RivaTuner uses the same vendor/device ID checking routine and disables this option if driver don’t use it.  

 

Q:     I have used other tweaking utility before RivaTuner and I could change much more Direct3D and OpenGL options there. Why I cannot change these options in RivaTuner?

A:     Unfortunately some coders are trying to boost download rates and increase popularity of their utilities by adding invalid, obsolete and even fake tweaking options. It is pity, but it is true. First of all, such utilities are dedicated to rookies in computer graphics. I’m not going to add fakes or untested options and deceive inexperienced users. To change untested options you may use RivaTuner’s built-in registry editor. It will help you to change absolutely all registry entries.

 

Q:     Sometimes I get the message ‘Invalid registry entries have been detected. RivaTuner will use default or truncated values for these entries’. What does it mean?

A:     It means that RivaTuner had detected some registry entries, which contains invalid values. Such registry entries will be ignored or corrected by driver. RivaTuner uses the same validation routines as driver. Usually this message is caused by other tweaking utilities, which set incorrect registry entries, or even by Detonator control panel interface (shame on NVIDIA). For example you can set PreRenderLimit entry to 0 via Detonator control panel interface. But Direct3D driver checks PreRenderLimit entry and set it to 1 if it is less than 1. If RivaTuner will detect that such entry, it will give you the warning message and correct it in the same way as driver.

 

Q:     I’m trying to disable W-buffer in RivaTuner, but Direct3D driver still reports W-buffer capability. Any clues?

A:     Are you using Windows 2000? This operating system must be restarted after changing some settings, which affects Direct3D driver capabilities (e.g. W-buffer settings, texture format settings and so on). It is not very convenient and I hope that programmers from NVIDIA will implement real-time switching of Direct3D driver context.

 

Q:     I cannot use RivaTuner. Each time when I’m trying to run it I get the message 'The ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL'. Any clues?

A:     RivaTuner requires Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) libraries in order to run properly. These libraries are included in Windows 98 SE /Windows ME / Windows 2000. However, some software can replace these libraries with the older versions. In this case RivaTuner will not run properly. If you have got such error message - just restore MFC42.dll from Windows CD or download the latest version of MFC from Microsoft.

 

Q:     I tried to use RivaTuner on Windows 95 OSR 2 but it cannot start. The program always displays the error message: ‘The RIVATUNER.EXE file is linked to missing export SHELL32.dll:SHGetSpecialFolderPathA’. Any clues?

A:     RivaTuner requires SHELL32.DLL v4.71 or higher for full functionality. You must install Internet Explorer 4.0 Desktop Update or higher in order to use RivaTuner on Windows 95. Please read Internet Explorer’s readme.txt to get more info about installing Desktop Update. I’ve changed my code in RivaTuner v2.0 Release Candidate 4.1 in order to improve compatibility with Windows 95. Now RivaTuner can start on this operating system with some limitations even if Internet Explorer 4.0 Desktop Update is not installed.

   

Q:     Does RivaTuner support GeForce3?

A:     Yes, it does. It contains GeForce3 specific FSAA and texture filtering settings. However I still do not have this board and I will probably not get it during the next six months. So any sponsorship will be appreciated. 

 

            

Q:     I cannot overclock my GeForce2 PRO/GeForce2 Ultra/GeForce3 with both the Detonator Panel or RivaTuner. The system just goes back to defaults after reboot. How can I fix it?

A:     It's known bug of Detonator drivers for Windows 2000 and it was fixed in Detonator 12.90. Due to incorrect memory clock validation, NvXTInit function always resets  memory clock to default if it is above 400MHz. The problem is caused by bug into videomemory type detection. Windows9x drivers use the following validation interval for memory clock:

 

            80-400 MHz for the boards equipped with SDR memory

            80-800 MHz for the boards equipped with DDR memory

 

            Windows 2000 driver cannot correctly detect the video memory type because it checks GeForce DDR device ID only. So driver detects the rest boards as SDR and uses invalid validation intercal on DDR boards.

            If you don't want to use 12.90 or higher drivers, you may use RivaTuner's NvXTInitFix patch script. It will made some correction in driver and force it do use 80-800Mz overclocking range regardless of videomemory type.

 

Q:     RivaTuner reports wrong clock frequencies on my MX400. It shows 200MHz/333MHz instead of 200MHz/166MHz. The Detonator control panel gives me the same result. How can I fix it? 

A:     It's another driver related bug and there is no way to fix it. If you don't want to wait for the fixed driver from NVIDIA, you can safely use RivaTuner to overclock your display adapter (just remember that it shows double memory clock frequency).

 

Q:     It looks like two different “NVIDIA World” websites exist simultaneously. I had posted my question on www.nvidia.ru but I had not got your reply. What’s happened with your team and where can I get your technical support?

A:     The reason is sad - our webmaster and his friend had laid hands on www.nvidia.ru domain name. It is pity, but we had to cashier them from our team and move to new domain name www.nvworld.ru. Unfortunately these cheaters are still using our well-promoted “NVIDIA World” name. Please don’t help them to make money on your visits, you will not find us there.

 

Q:     Can you teach me how to tweak my display adapter?

A:     Please don’t bother me with such questions. I’m tired of it and I will not answer.

 

Q:     Your English is awful!

A:     I know. I’m Russian and I’m proud of it. If you’ll find any mistakes in this text or RivaTuner interface, please tell me and I’ll fix it.  

 

   

Disclaimer:

 

RIVATUNER IS SUPPLIED "AS IS". THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF RIVATUNER.

 

 

Contacts:

 

Alexey Nicolaychuk aka Unwinder, RivaTuner programming, design, NVIDIA databases, patch scripts

   

E-mail:

AlexUnwinder@mail.ru 

 

Homepage:

http://www.nvworld.ru 

 

ICQ:      

http://www.icq.com/64116381