|
|
Directx.com was originally registered to us back in the mid 90's. At that time DirectX was a new multimedia technology that Microsoft was introducing. We were working in DirectX and related technology and thought that it'd be a good location on the Internet. We never thought that Microsoft would later turn it into a brand name.
Please note that you are NOT at Microsoft's DirectX
web site. If you want help or information on that you can get there by clicking
this link.
www.microsoft.com/directx
If you are looking for the latest DirectX downloads you can get them from the Microsoft site here
However, since you wandered here, you're probably having trouble with a game and are wondering how to fix it. Since I've already answered hundreds of these emails before it got too time consuming (I used to get about 5-10 a day) I'll try to condense what I usually tell folks to try.
However, if none of these things work, you have three options. These, in order, are your best bets of getting your problem resolved.
1) Check the CD for a readme file and make sure there's no updated information on the CD. Then check the game's web site. If that fails then contact the game's manufacturer or the place that you bought it and explain the problem to them. These are really the folks who are ultimately responsible for getting your issues resolved.
2) You can contact Microsoft if you are having a problem with DirectX and the game manufacturer claims it should work. directx@microsoft.com. However, you'll be just one of many sending such emails. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting.
3) Return the game stating that it won't run on your PC. Most places will take a game back if you just tell them it either won't run or crashes repeatedly. Sorry, aside from getting the game's developers to fix the problem and issue a patch, there's no way to get the issue resolved. I know this is lame, but it's really the responsibility of the game's manufacturer/distributor to get you up and running, not some guy who owns a technical sounding domain name who's never ever seen your game before.
Things to try.
Update your video card driver. I recommend video cards that use NVidia and ATI
chipsets. If you bought a computer from a well-known manufacturer
since 2005 then you probably have one of these cards in your PC. Visit their
web site and get a new driver (instructions are at the web site).
If you don't have one of these cards I'd recommend getting a new one. You can get an NVidia TNT2 card for under $45. This is the minimal card for running any kind of game. If you can spare the money you really should get as good as you can get. Anything from the three recommended companies will work just fine. Getting a modern video card is the simplest fix you can do and it'll make all your games work better.
Reinstall the game.
You'd be surprised how often this works. 1st uninstall the game through the
Control Panel's - Add/Remove software selection, then reinstall.
Reinstall/Update DirectX
Install the latest DirectX from www.microsoft.com/directx. Later versions should
be uninstalled prior to installing the latest. You want the retail or end-user
download unless you'd like to try programming DirectX, in which case you want
the DirectX SDK.
If all that fails...
If you have a PC that you bought a few years ago then you might want to upgrade.
A 500 Mhz PC with a good video card and 128Meg of memory will run most games
and should run all kid's (preteen) games & software. For the latest cutting
edge games like Doom III, you really need at least a 1Ghz PC, 256Meg of memory
and a ATI RADEON 9700 or an NVIDIA GeForceMX video card. Plan to spend at least
$100 on an audio card as well. Surround speakers and a 19" or better monitor
are also worth the money since they can be used with each PC you upgrade. MaximumPC
is a good place to look at game PC reviews if you like to build your own.