I've come back to this problem after ignoring it for two years.
Slideshow only works via visual index exhibition format, but via slideshow exhibition format the navigation buttons don't work.
And the fade transition never works with it either.
Grow and overlay options do NOT work via visual index either; they stay suspended at preloader.
I've updated files, tinkered around with permissions...
This is all using Chrome and Hostgator's cPanel btw.
Closest thing to a solution I've seen on this forum is this thread:
indexhibit.org/forum/thread/21561/
which was closed without the person explaining how they solved it.
My site: aaron-zak.com/