Computer assistance? DirectX problems

Poststructural Pub
1

I am running a genuine install of Windows XP on an Averatec laptop. Windows came preloaded with the machine. I’d classify my computer knowledge as “comfortable poking into files and folders, able to follow instructions that haven’t been dumbed down, but not a programmer or computer scientist”.

I’ve got a new CD-based computer game that requires me to have Direct X 8.1 in order for it to run. During the install of the game, it gave me the option to install DirectX, but as the checkbox was unchecked by default I didn’t install it. The game install completed and I tried to run it. During bootup I got an error message stating that sound did not load correctly, and that I should look in the help files for more assistance.

So I pull up the help files and it says that that error often comes up when Dirext X is not installed. OK. I poke around in my computer to see if I can find any reference to Dirext X actually being on the system, and don’t find anything blatant - including no mention of it in the Control Panel list of programs - so I go to the Direct X section of Microsoft.com. The latest version is 9.0c, so I get that.

I download a 300kb or so file. Run. ‘This program will install Direct X.’ Ok, Next. ‘Do you agree to the following user agreement?’ Yes, Next. ‘The program has been successfully installed.’ Blink. There was about half a second between the user agreement and the completion message. Still no mention of Direct X in the Control Panel.

OK, so I uninstall the whole game, and reinstall from scratch, this time being sure to check the DirectX box. The game installs, and the DirectX install begins. Same three screens as above, same instantaneous install.

I poke around in Google for references to DirectX problems with this game (Catz 5). I go back to the Microsoft site, and this time download a version of Direct X 9.0c for people who are not online when it installs. This version is 24 MB or something, and I’m on dialup, so it takes a few hours. Finally it finishes. SAME instantaneous install. (This was a “redistribution” version for people who want to package it with a program of their own, but it’s what I was directed to for an offline install.)

Am I missing something here? Where can I find out if I have Direct X successfully installed? Is it because I’m running a standard Laptop sound card? I’ve had no problem with sound before, but I don’t run many games on this thing - come to think of it, the few I do have are from circa mid 90s.

Help!

PS - It did run successfully on Martin’s desktop computer, so it’s not the CD, and he said he already had DirectX installed (he runs other games too).

2

Try this: click on “Start” and “Run”.

Type in dxdiag and press enter.

This will pull up the DirectX Diagnostic menu which, among other things, will report your version, and will allow you to run system tests.

In particular take a look at the “DirectX Files” tab and see if it reports any problems like missing files at the bottom.

–James

3

Could this be the problem?

I ran sound tests on the DX Diagnostic tool, and it told me my sound card doesn’t support hardware buffering, and suonds will only play back from software buffers.

I’m happy to take screenshots of any of the diagnostic screens, but it sounds like I’m pretty hosed if that is the problem.

Edited to add: I do have an external USB Creative soundcard that I bought this summer, but it’s not hooked up at the moment. To be honest I haven’t found it very useful - mp3 music skips more when I’m playing through that.

4

Again, I’m flying blind, but to me it sounds like your laptop doesn’t meet the minimum sound specs for the game.

You might check with the laptop maker’s support site to see if they have an updated sound driver available…that’s probably your best hope of getting it to work.

–James

5

Thanks. I’ve started a download of a file helpfully described as “audio” from the Averatec site:

http://www.averatec.com/customercare/3200dl.htm

..and we’ll see what happens.