It all worked fine ... and then I foolishly played with the video resolution settings in the game to see if it would improve the picture clarity.

After I selected the third size from the left using the slider control in the game's settings 'book' (can't remember the actual setting no.s), my screen blanked with the message from my screen, "Input signal out of range". Unfortunately, now I can't see the game at all to reset it.

Since then, I've tried the following to cure it, all without success:
1. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the game completely three times, interspersed with the other fix attempts below. (I saw one posting that suggested this to cure the problem but no response saying it did - it clearly hasn't for me.)
2. Updated my video card driver (GeForce4 MX440) to the latest version (v.78.01).
3. Tried lowering the display resolution settings through Display Properties.

I'm at a loss and kicking myself that it was working and I broke it somehow!

Since it was running fine before, I don't believe it's a hardware deficiency of some sort. Something has been changed by that game setting which I can't reset.

HELP!

(FYI, I'm running XP on a machine that comfortably exceeds the minimum spec for the game, verified using the detection tool on the DVD.)

Thanks all.

Daniel

It happened to me too!
After a failed reinstallation I realized I actually didn't remove everything. I remembered the manual said games are saved on "C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data\Myst V: End of Ages", not in the game folder. I uninstalled and removed that folder, and then reinstalled. It worked just fine!
The problem is, the settings you make to the program are also saved to this folder and that's why the definitions remain as you changed them. I didn't try this but I guess you can save the folder by a different name and copy your saved games back after reinstallation (the "sav" subfolder), so you don't have to loose your progress.
On second thought, maybe you don't need to reinstall. Try to just rename the subfolder called "init" from the above mentioned folder and restart the game. I'm not sure it will work, but it might be enough. Just make sure you remember the original name, so if it fails you can rename it back and uninstall + remove the whole folder like I suggested before.

Safe Journey
T.

See also Myst V: Clean Boot Install/Re-install With Win XP, under Installing and Re-Installing EoA, "6. Clean-boot EoA Re-install, Previous Installation" and "7. If you aren't certain...."

Provided it works the same on the Mc and the PC, all you should need to do is delete the graphics.ini file within the init folder to reset your graphics settings.

Hi guys, thanks for your responses. It was a while ago though and I finally sorted it out on my own.

In case you're wondering how, it wasn't pretty - after numerous attempts, my PC went completely mad and died big-time, so I had to reload my entire system, losing much data in the process. I eventually got it working and completed the game (which was slightly disappointing, if I tell the truth). I stayed away from the video settings that time round...

The lesson? Don't play with the settings when you don't need to!

Thanks again.