So I've discovered how cool MineCraft seems recently, and I thought I'd try it out. Unfortunately, I have bad drivers or something.
I did some googleing in the interwebs to see if it could be fixed, but couldn't find anything useful. And, just to throw it out there, I
don't even really know what a driver is.

Here is the generated error report that would be in a collapsible box, but it's not so get used to it:

Bad video card drivers!
-----------------------

Minecraft was unable to start because it failed to find an accelerated OpenGL mode.
This can usually be fixed by updating the video card drivers.



--- BEGIN ERROR REPORT 7fe0271 --------
Generated 3/24/12 12:52 PM

Minecraft: Minecraft 1.1
OS: Windows XP (x86) version 5.1
Java: 1.6.0_31, Sun Microsystems Inc.
VM: Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (mixed mode), Sun Microsystems Inc.
LWJGL: 2.4.2
[failed to get system properties (java.lang.NullPointerException)]

org.lwjgl.LWJGLException: Pixel format not accelerated
at org.lwjgl.opengl.WindowsPeerInfo.nChoosePixelFormat(Native Method)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.WindowsPeerInfo.choosePixelFormat(WindowsPeerInfo.java:52)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.WindowsDisplay.createWindow(WindowsDisplay.java:185)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.Display.createWindow(Display.java:311)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.Display.create(Display.java:856)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.Display.create(Display.java:784)
at org.lwjgl.opengl.Display.create(Display.java:765)
at net.minecraft.client.Minecraft.a(SourceFile:230)
at net.minecraft.client.Minecraft.run(SourceFile:648)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
--- END ERROR REPORT 4a89e036 ----------

What video card do you have? Go to the manufacturer's website and look for the drivers, then download the latest driver and update it.

A driver is basically the instructions for Windows and your games how to use your hardware. Like a user manual that tell the games how all the card's features work.
In your case a specific graphics mode (OpenGL) couldn't be set which means either your driver translates the hardware badly (update it) or your hardware doesn't even support that mode which would be extremely rare.
Sometimes this can also be caused by having other software running (especially games) which "lock in" the graphics mode they need and prevent that Minecraft changes it. If this were the case a reboot should fix it.

Well, I just wasted two hours of my life and probably picked up a few viruses along the way. Now I'm right back where I started. Any suggestions?

Try upgrading your version of Java. Minecraft runs under Java and that error report says you have version 1.6, which looks to be about 6 years old.

This site here tells you your version, and has the upgrades to the newer version: http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

I have to ask, how did you spend two hours or get viruses from following his instructions?

He has pirated minecraft. The official release is way past 1.1 by now.

Well, at first I tried to find the individual driver downloads from a few websites, but with no results. Next I went to many websites that had programs claiming to fix the computer's drivers. I downloaded these and all they did was do a scan and then either close or prompt me for some membership that I'm sure I wouldn't need. I put them all in the recycle bin. I went to Intel next and tried the online driver scan. It tested my drivers for about fifteen minutes before finally telling me that one of my drivers from 2004 was out dated and could be replaced by a sexy new 2011 one. Instead of just giving me the driver however, Intel made some program for download that, once executed, extracts the driver into a temporary module, moves it somewhere else, deletes the module, and then closes resulting in a driver somewhere in the machine that I guess I could use the driver update wizard to use, but I'm not sure. I tried it, but I got an error message saying that "The installed version of Intel PROset is not supported for upgrades. You must install it before installing this version." At this point I was quite despondent and gave up.


Uh, no, it's pretty official. Unless Minecraft.net gives out pirated versions of its own game. I was trying to play the "outdated but free" version in my browser at first, but I got the driver thing so I downloaded it and tried to play it from my computer. Same problem occurred.

Anybody know where I can get drivers? I set my computer to check for driver updates, but it never found any new ones because they're "up to date." Or maybe they're up to date, but corrupted... I have no idea. I just want new drivers. Anybody know where I can get drivers that don't come from gimpy half-assed programs?

Edit:
Oh yeah, and my Java is up to date. I just checked.

From the manufacturer's site. But unless you tell us your model we can't give you a direct link, as you surely understand.

And stay away from driver update programs. Do it manually.

Yeah, all you had to do was go to your graphic card's manufacturer's website as instructed in the first place.

I'll ask it again, what video card do you have?

Alrighty, time for Excalibarian tech help!

So, Mr. c(O.Oc), I'm just going to call you Mr. C from now on for shortness sake. Hope that's alright.

You're in SEN's tech section, and I am our resident guru of all things techy and hardware related. It appears your issue is driver related -- at first. I then deduced the problem is actually between your keyboard and chair. You see, you were asked what GPU you have so we can properly help you. And you never answered the question, making it so that we can't help you. But being as I'm not one to shy away from a challenge, I'm not going to let your inability to answer simple questions keep us from helping you. That's just how I roll.

So Mr. C, here is what I need you to do if you ever want to fix this issue:
First, slap yourself across the face. No really, its part of the process.
Second, realize the first step was to make you realize you should listen to the people helping you regardless of what you'd prefer to do.
Third, get GPU-Z here: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/
Fourth, install it and see what your GPU is. Name, GPU name, ect. A screen shot would be great!
Fifth, post here and tell us so we can give you a link at which to get your driver.

If you follow these simple five steps, we will fix your problem. For now anyway. You can't really fix stupid, not without electroshock therapy anyway.

Yes, I heard that the Excalibarian kind of help was the best around. Here is the screen shot in sexy hyperlink form. I must also admit that I failed to comply with the first two steps of the "process."

You can find the latest driver download here:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Graphics&ProductLine=Laptop+graphics+controllers&ProductProduct=Mobile+Intel%C2%AE+915GM%2fGMS%2c+910GML+Express+Chipset+Family

And more support here: http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/graphics/intel915gm

Houston, we have a problem. For some reason the drivers I'm downloading aren't being accepted. So far I've tried the more outdated file win2k_xp1424 and then the most recent win2k_xp142550. I tried the update wizard first in the device manager, which didn't work, then I realized that they were .exe files, so I ran them and got the following message: "The driver being installed is not validated for the computer. Please obtain the appropriate driver from your computer's manufacturer / Setup will exit." Am I doing something wrong here?

Well, I ditched the automated crap and just installed the drivers manually. Mine craft still didn't work though after that, and I figured that it had something to do with the GL mode, so I ran it through a command prompt instead of directly executing it and it works fine now. Thanks for your help guys!

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Mar 27 2012, 4:20 am by c(O.Oc).