strange (dementedly odd) crash

[pengunassasin]

im new at darwinia, was given a copy as a gift, but my laptop apparently just _dosent_ like having ogl and dx running at the same time.
some info about my computer:
Sony Vaio PCG-GRS700 with ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 running at 1024x768x32
1.8 Ghz Intel P4 mobile
Windows XP Home
.Net Runtime 3.0.2b
.Net Sdk 2.0.5a
Dx9
ogl-official-ATIGLX (from source)
official ati graphics drivers (updated on 1/3/7)
40gb hd

applications normally running:
WindowBlinds
xchat
Firefox
HP Imaging And Scanning
HPImageMonitor
After Dark 4.0
PowerPanel

and lots of copies of UNPNPFramework.exe

here is the sequence of the fail:
[list=]
Start Windows
Start Darwinia
click past bootloader
make sure that gfx settings are on Low.
go to "garden"
3 lines of the person talking (dosent seem to matter if i move around or not) and it slows to a standstill
FAILIURE MODE: the OpenGL Subsystem starts saying that the engine is using 9999999999999999999999999 verts at 0,0,0 , causing a buffer overflow.
(NOTE TO ABOVE) I have tried this on another install (same machine, hd clone, no atiGl installed) and the same happens, but theres no log other than debugging the system)
[/list]

the machine will be completely stopped at this point, except for the cursor. buttons respond to hover and such, but the system is frozen otherwise.

i have tried what xander has told me to do but to no avail.

DARWINIA INFO:
Darwinia 1.42-full-win32 with no mods at all.

im loosing about $10 every time this happens because of my ISP. it looks like bittorrent traffic to them for some reason.

looking through preferences.txt i found this:
ServerIP = 192.168.000
should this be?

[xander]

So monkeying with RenderLandscapeMode didn't help -- are your video card drivers up to date? As to the IP address, don't worry about it. Darwinia was originally written as a multiplayer game, and, though the multiplayer functionality was removed later, some of the preferences are still there. Your problem is, I think, with OpenGL.

You state that all of your gfx settings are on low -- what happens if you bump them up a bit?

xander