My graphics card is reported as a "GDI Generic". What do I do?

This article is part of the Extended Second Life Knowledge Base that includes advanced and specialized information. This information was originally provided by Linden Lab, but is not actively maintained nor guaranteed to be accurate. Linden Lab does not certify nor assume any responsibility for this information.

See the official Second Life Knowledge Base for the most current information.

The first step is to verify that your graphics card is compatible with Second Life.

If your card is one of the listed compatible graphics cards, make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed.

If you have installed drivers from a company other than ATI or nVidia (such as ASUS Drivers or utilities), try uninstalling them and use the nVidia/ATI drivers instead.

If your card is compatible, and your drivers are current, there's a chance that the display's Troubleshoot slider (within Windows) is turned down too far.

Make sure the display Troubleshooting slider is set correctly with the following steps:

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop and choose Properties. OR, open the Control Panel, then open Display.
2. Click on the Settings tab.
3. Click the Advanced button.
4. Click on the Troubleshoot tab.
5. The Troubleshoot slider should be all the way to the right. If it isn't, slide it all the way to the right, click OK, then restart your computer.