I recently format my main hard disk (where I use the OS and few softwares since Poser and all it's gang is in an external hard disk) and started to use Poser again as before the formatting..
When I open Poser now, in it's own external har disk it behaves oddly - the program is using now a kind o 'star' instead of arrow as used to be...and also taking centuries to do any action.
I have to say that I unistal Poser like 3 times and instal again -- restarted the pc several times after every instal - ...clean all the cache, defragmented the entire hd..but nothing makes it change...even so I had disable my preferences and used the defaut...did not help. I'm pulling my hair out ! Never did happen before..what is that? or better how can I fix that?
Using Poser 7 w/Sr1.
Appreciated HELP HERE!

I Had a similliar problem and I couldn't sort it out. I just installed my poser to a new, different location and added my old runtime to it as an external runtime. That way I was able to acces all my old files.
I think you may be better of installing your poser to a different location. Use the current poser runtime as an external runtime. First  a fresh new instal to a different location and then use your old poser runtime as an external runtime. Or a fresh instal and then copy paste your old runtime to your new poser runtime and overwrite it. Confusing enough? It was for me. But I got it working. Well I'm upragding my system in a couple of days time and I have to go through all that again. :S

AFAIK, Poser doesn't install drivers and stuff, and so shouldn't be affected by an OS install. You may need to check shortcuts, and the settings used to run Poser when you click on a Poser file, just to be sure that the Poser executable is running in the Poser folder. But one possible gotcha: I use XP, and the video drivers supplied through Microsoft have lousy OpenGL support. In my experience, it's far better to use a graphics driver supplied by the chipset manufacturer. What you describe certainly makes me suspect that area of your system. The mouse pointer in particular.

If Poser uses the windows registry to store any data then that would be wiped with an OS reinstall.

Better all around if you reinstall Poser afresh.

well pals thanks..no one so far could point out what is it..I by not accepting the situation..(you saw that I run 64 bits? and that is the main problem here..what did not occur me at the very moment  I wrote) 
I decide to unistal the Video enhancement driver from the motherboard as well the Ati Video driver to my graphic card Ati Radeon.
So Poser starts to funcition normal as nothing had happened.
Now, I did instal again the Ati Driver only it. No adicional diver for the motherboard concern to video (mobo it a based Nvidia chip and my graphic card is a Ati radeon !) All peaches but ..but.. BUT...the resolution is not okay..it's looking cheap VGA card almost as no driver is instaled....
so I'm back to square one..and worst.....can't remenber waht I did when that happend last time...cause it's not the first time I format same system.
Any enlightment form you guys will be always extremelly helpfull..since I trust you more thatn any others in the net...because you also use Poser..
thanks

Try if this helps: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3110523 I also recommend installing SR 2.1.

Right-click on desk-top background and you'll get a choice of "properties" and any hardware-specific control panel to set display properties. On the Windows default Properties option you go to "Settings" and can set resolution and Color Depth. All the hardware-specific systems I've seen will pick up those settings from Windows.

Quote - "Right-click on desk-top background and you'll get a choice of "properties" and any hardware-specific control panel to set display properties. On the Windows default Properties option you go to "Settings" and can set resolution and Color Depth. All the hardware-specific systems I've seen will pick up those settings from Windows. "

 
Well I go further than that...can you tell HOW to configure my Catalyst 8? Because in there I'm having problems to make the driver to give VGA it's best and same time to make Poser sr2 (thanks ! now is Sr2) happy as well.
Look here. I upload both the 'cracked' image I got when moving limbs in the working area, but I must say that after that starts to occur Poser is speedier than before and also some stuff goos goes with it see following..
Well after doing all these strategies (rember I'm using a 64 bits OS that lacks in right drivers...since 3 years I'm living that pain..sometimes less sometimes more, like now after formatting or when I update then) I finally put back All Nvida drivers for the MOBO and the ATI Driver for VGA and discovery that Poser likes only one of my monitors - the other it does not show the working area only after rendered..so I can't see what I'm doing until is rendered - but if I move the window of the working area to the secondary monitor it runs speedy and almost no problems! Almost! Because now I have a problem when I move the figure /object inside it. But in the other hand when I saved it in png it gives a separate background from the figure...is that Poser stuff? 'cause for me that's new..I love it.
Like here as attach you can see - what does when I move limbs. 1error.jpg
Also the preview image  (was so speedy that I raised the size of the image map to 2048 )looks sometimes BETTER than the rendered image (figure that now ;()  ) 
As you here too can see preview image no retouch as it looks in the working area also come out with separate background..I just downsized a bit in Photoshop because the image was over 2 MB. file **pre1.png
**I don't mind to have it the way is now..but just wonder if with time goes by that will damaged somehow the files in it..like corrupting or else.

Any one can give right advise in how to configure a model: EAX550 or Ati Radeon X1600 Pro 512 Mb from Asus using a latest driver Catalyst 8.  

here the image in Preview mode! I can't upload since the system here does not alow it..can't understand why! ..

BTW the preview image is at my gallery  http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1587812
right now I upload it to show you what is that 's making me continue to write here...preview image looks so good that I started to believe it's the render already...except for the cracked image while working the result is speedy and superb..but will that damaged my VGA? I wonder if I made some kind of 'overclock' in it..since I don't have aclue what is supposed to be right in it I'm, testing all possible configurations...apprecited the right advise here palls,

I'm no computing genius, however I have to wonder... When you formatted, did you reinstall Microsoft's DirectX software? (microsoft.com/directx) I play online games quite frequently and whenever someone is having video problems, that's one of the first questions I ask. If you're using an old version of DirectX (particularly if using the latest graphics drivers), there may be a communication problem in the background that's causing the odd behavior.

Looks like your OpenGL preview is totally messed up. 
Not surprising. It's an ATI graphics card. Those are good for DirectX graphics under Windows 32 bits (which means games) and not for anything else. The ATI hardware is fine, but their drivers are either lousy or non-existent when it comes to something else than DirectX and Windows 32 bits.
The situation may have changed with their new DirectX 10/Vista capable graphics cards. I wouldn't know about that.

I recommend replacing the ATI with an nVidia graphics card. nVidia has good solid OpenGL support, and good solid XP64 and Linux support in all of their drivers.

Quote - Looks like your OpenGL preview is totally messed up. 
Not surprising. It's an ATI graphics card. Those are good for DirectX graphics under Windows 32 bits (which means games) and not for anything else. The ATI hardware is fine, but their drivers are either lousy or non-existent when it comes to something else than DirectX and Windows 32 bits.
The situation may have changed with their new DirectX 10/Vista capable graphics cards. I wouldn't know about that.

I recommend replacing the ATI with an nVidia graphics card. nVidia has good solid OpenGL support, and good solid XP64 and Linux support in all of their drivers.

Ok I'm not surprised and kind of relief is only the VGA.
Now svdl - whic one do you advise mne to use? I was wondering about that since day one that nocited the MOBO with Nvidia based chip will not gpo along with Ati VGA.
Ok, now withouth blowing up to space my pockets..wich one from Nvida do you think will go along with my sistem? 
Note that I'm a hobbyst affecionado and not a professional earning lots os dolars with my art... I wished ..but reality kicks backs!
open to your words pal.
thanks,
BTW yeah all my Win XPPro 64 bits is updated drirect from Microsoft will ALL possible sh...Microsoft  force us to engulfed..inclusive direct x 10!

softcris: I'd recommend an nVidia 8500, 8600 or 8800 series graphics card. The 8600 series is fast enough, while still affordable: a 8600GT based graphics card with 256 Mb of memory can be had for less than € 100,-
You could step down to 8500GT based graphics cards (around € 80).
The 8400 series is too slow. Cheap, sure, but too slow for serious 3D hobbying. You're better off with a 7300GT based card - same price range, but significantly faster.
The nVidia 6xxx range is almost phased out, except for the 6200 - very cheap graphics cards for non-3D work.
THe 7xxx range is also almost phased out. A shame, the 7xxx series had some very nice cards (7800GTX, 7900, 7950GX2).
The advantage of the 8xxx series graphics card over the older 7xxx and 6xxx series is not directly apparent. But it does have advantages. 

• DirectX 10 enabled
• Highly programmable - you can use the graphics card as if it were a CPU. Seen that at Siggraph this year, yummie!

good..so you think a 8600 with 256 mb is ok? but a 8600 with 512 mb will be better right? or there's no need of more MB in he VGA but the quality of card and clock speed..actually when I read those stuff I'm pretty much in doubt..what is more important the clock speed or ramdac or MB/Gb ram in the card...obvious when you're selecting a 8xxx series from Nvidia..I have not yeat see close to them..
BTW I got a working laptop with a dedicated 512 MB that's Nvidia (nVidia® Geforce GT 8600 512MB) unfortunelly it looks not so sharp in the Zepto Laptop. Maybe it's the screen I don't know but I have not try Poser in it... comparing with 512MB AtiX1600Pro I got here in the desktop Ati's i supeior quality..but then maybe because of screen/monitors I got here..I don't know..
Does the brand of Nvidia VGA will make a difference? Like Asus is better than MSI or Saphire is best of then all..you know what I mean..
thanks and would be nice finally buy something that  will work perfect with my system..btw is a great system but maybe there's incompatibility between stuff I got here.

More memory means that the graphics card itself can hold more geometry data and textures. 256 MB is OK, 512 MB is slightly better. 
The width of the memory interface is important. The wider (more bits) the better. 
The 8500 and 8600 chips have a 128 bit memory interface, which is OK. The more expensive 8800 series have wider memory interfaces, that is why they are faster - and more expensive.

As for brands, it doesn't matter that much. Asus used to be a good brand, but their quality control has gone downhill over the last couple of years - had a LOT of trouble with Asus mainboards. MSI has always been good.
When it comes to graphics cards, there seems to be less of a quality difference. I have had nVidia based graphics cards by Club3D, XFX, Asus, MSI and PointView, and without exception they have always worked fine.

Cooling is important. The best cooling is passive cooling, without fans, because fans can stop working, and fans can be very noisy. 
If the graphics card produces too much heat, active cooling is necessary, and there IS quite a difference between one cooling fan and the next. It's probably wisest to look up some reviews of interesting graphics cards, usually the reviewer has something to say about the quality of the cooling fan.

great! Thanks too!
I'm going to read some reviews about those and also look up prices, here in Europe is quite easy to find a good one with good price....the competion between countries is so huge that makes it better for us consumers.
ok I close it here now..so far...hope when I'm back will be about the wonders of a new VGA.

****hi svdl - I found those here and would be nice an opinion which is best choice.
**thanks...using Win XP Pro 64 bits of course.
**

 Gainward GeForce 8800GT 1GB GDDR3, PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI/HDCP, 256bit
600 MHz Clock speed
OpenGL 2.0, DirectX 9.0c, DirectX 10
PCI Express 2.0 x16
DDR3 SDRAM 256-bit
clock frequency for memory 1.8 GHz
Nvidia SLI Multi-GPU Technology, Extreme HD ready (XHD), Nvidia Quantum Effects Technology

XFX GeForce 8800GT 670M 512MB XXX GDDR3, PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI/HDCP, 670/1950Mhz
670 MHz  Clock speed
OpenGL 2.0, DirectX 10
PCI Express x16
DDR3 SDRAM 256-bit
clock frequency for memory   1.95 GHz
Nvidia SLI Multi-GPU Technology