[Avalan]

PLEASE SUPPLY RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Operating System Version:Win98
Problem Application Name & Version:DirectX 9.0
Problem Hardware Make & Model:
Error Messages:

I've recently replaced my video card.(Nvidia GeForce4 MMX 440)I loaded the drivers from the CD that came with the card,being assured they were the latest.I started experiencing freezing problems.Totally random....could be while on the Net,playing a game,at the desktop,whenever.I went into DirectX Setup,and tried to test the Direct3D,but it freezes every time the Nvidia logo comes on the screen to test it.Every single time,it doesn't get past that part.Any help appreciated! Thanks!

[Admin]

Hi,

Did you fully un-install any software/drivers relating to your old video card before installing the Nvidia stuff?

Do you have software that requires DirectX 9? If not, remove it and install DirectX 8

[Admin]

Hi,

I have closed your two other threads relating to system lock ups so we can concentrate on one thread (Freezing/Cd-Rom issues..  and IRQ Conflicts). Since your problems seem to have started when the new video card was installed, I think this could be where the problem lies.

Can you please answer my questions above?

[Avalan]

Ok,thank you.

Update : Have been in touch with Microsoft techs,they ran me thru a whole host of things,and have now fixed the Internet freezing part.The only time my comp freezes now is when I try to play a game,any game.Whether from the cd-rom or even a simple game like Tetris from the desktop.
Was told by the Creative Labs tech,that its a sound issue and most likely to do with the SB sharing IRQ #10.The Micosoft guy said he didn't know enough about reassigning IRQs to tackle that problem.So he bailed.Is it possible to reassign SB to IRQ #5,which is free?
I have the latest drivers for my sound card.Could it be DirectX related?
I'm running version 9,so if it's better to go back to ver-8,do I uninstall DirectX 9 first? or just install ver 8 over top?
Sorry for so many questions,but I'm at my wits end here,and I'd really like to exhaust all avenues before I have to give in to the mercy of an overcharging technician somewhere in a shop,who I dont know!
Thx again.

[Admin]

Hi,

1. Download DirectX 8.0a here http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/drx80a.asp
2. Un-install DriectX 9 from the "Add/Remove Programs" in Control Panel
3. Install DirectX 8

The Creative Labs tech should have known about the "ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steering" sharing the same IRQ and told you that there is no problem there!
Does the system hang every time there is a sound played?
Does your sound card work?

Are there any devices in "Device Manager" marked with a yellow dot?

[Avalan]

DirectX 9 wasn't in the Add/Remove list.I found it installed in Windows!
Deleted all files,then downloaded Ver8.Ran the .exe,and it said "...installed successfully." It created a DirectX folder in Program Files,and inside that folder was another folder called 'Setup'.However there were no files inside the Setup folder!It was empty. Searched for dxsetup and dxdiag using 'Find' but neither are in my comp.Of course DirectX isn't in Add/Remove list still either.Same thing happens now if I try dling Ver9.It creates an empty Setup folder inside of a DirectX folder,and nothing goes into Add/Remove.

[Avalan]

Sound card works,can hear all other sounds from the Net.Can hear opening sounds from any game,but they're just locking up right after the openings.

[Avalan]

As I mentioned earlier,when I install DirectX(either Version),it creates an empty 'Setup' folder,within a 'DirectX' folder,and places these in C:\Program Files.It also creates a log file in C:\Windows.Below are the contents from that log file.These particular contents are from when I installed DirectX 8.1 directly from the drivers disk for my video card.(Which is brand new)


03/18/03 12:33:15: DXSetup - CommandLine:  /packageinstall

03/18/03 12:33:15: Installation Started with language eng
03/18/03 12:33:15: DirectXSetupIsJapanese == 0
03/18/03 12:33:15: DirectXSetupIsJapanNec == 0
03/18/03 12:33:15: Installing on Win98
03/18/03 12:33:15: DoPrecopy:  Root path = '(null)', flags = 0x2010098
03/18/03 12:33:15: Version in registry = 4.09.00.0900
03/18/03 12:33:15: Version in DLL     = 4.08.00.0400
03/18/03 12:33:15: DoPreCopy: Exisiting Install is Newer
03/18/03 12:33:15: SetupForDirectX:  Restoring Backups
03/18/03 12:33:15: Newer version already installed
03/18/03 12:38:10: DXSetup - CommandLine:  /packageinstall




03/18/03 12:38:10: Installation Started with language eng
03/18/03 12:38:10: DirectXSetupIsJapanese == 0
03/18/03 12:38:10: DirectXSetupIsJapanNec == 0
03/18/03 12:38:10: Installing on Win98
03/18/03 12:38:10: DoPrecopy:  Root path = '(null)', flags = 0x2010098
03/18/03 12:38:10: Version in registry = 4.09.00.0900
03/18/03 12:38:10: Version in DLL     = 4.08.00.0400
03/18/03 12:38:10: DoPreCopy: Exisiting Install is Newer
03/18/03 12:38:10: SetupForDirectX:  Restoring Backups
03/18/03 12:38:11: Newer version already installed
03/18/03 15:55:56: DXSetup - No command line switch



03/18/03 15:56:04: Installation Started with language eng
03/18/03 15:56:16: Extracted file C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\DX8043.TMP\dxver.inf from cab
03/18/03 15:56:16: Extracted file C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\DX8043.TMP\directx.inf from cab
03/18/03 15:56:29: Extracted file C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\DX8043.TMP\kssetup.inf from cab
03/18/03 15:56:29: Extracted file C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\DX8043.TMP\bdasetup.inf from cab
03/18/03 15:56:30: DirectXSetupIsJapanese == 0
03/18/03 15:56:30: DirectXSetupIsJapanNec == 0
03/18/03 15:56:30: Installing on Win98
03/18/03 15:56:30: DoPrecopy:  Root path = '(null)', flags = 0x2010098
03/18/03 15:56:30: Version in registry = 4.09.00.0900
03/18/03 15:56:30: Version in DLL     = 4.08.01.0881
03/18/03 15:56:30: DoPreCopy: Exisiting Install is Newer
03/18/03 15:56:30: SetupForDirectX:  Restoring Backups
03/18/03 15:56:30: Newer version already installed

[Admin]

Hi,

Never, ever delete files or folders from within the 'Windows' folder except for the contents of the 'TEMP' folder!

I just found this out by Microsoft:
The DirectX 9.0 runtime cannot be uninstalled. We recommend Windows Me and Windows XP users create a "System Restore" point before installing.

Try to run 'dxdiag' to see if the installation is working from Start > Run

[Avalan]

When I use START/RUN for 'dxdiag', it says the following file cannot be found.The only thing DirectX installs into my system is the a DirectX folder,and a log file,nothing else. Even Version 9 from the Internet does this.
Correct me if I'm wrong,but my previous post,where I copied the contents of the log file...Is it saying that the files(DirectX)that are still in the registry are newer than the version that I was attempting to install, and maybe that's why it won't let me install Ver.8?

[Admin]

Hi,

Run 'regedit' and select File > Export
Find a location and give it a filename
IMPORTANT: Select the 'ALL' option in the 'Export Range' section at the bottom.

This will do a backup of your registry.

Go to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX
Delete the 'DirectX' key

Try setup again (a reboot may be needed before running setup)

[Avalan]

Ok,some progress. Followed those steps,( You were bang on! Thank you.)and was able to completely install DirectX 8. I ran dxdiag and tested DirectDraw,Direct3D and AGP Texture...all 3 tests passed successfully.So DirectX is in and working,but any game is still freezing after start up.Sometimes 10sec,other times 2min,but they do still freeze.The sound continues though,and you can move the mouse cursor,but the picture is frozen.
So it's still related to my video card somehow?(which is brand new)Gonna re-install the drivers for it,then try again.Otherwise I'll go thru some video troubleshooting steps in Win help.

[Admin]

Hi,

I'm glad to hear you got DirectX installed!

Are you using Nvidia's drivers Version: 41.09 ?
You can download them here: http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=win9x_41.09

[Avalan]

I just installed 4109,but the problem persists. When I said before that the sound plays thru while the screen is frozen,I just noticed that the sound starts to skip if you have to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL more than once to restart. Whether that's relevant or not.
I also tried two of the troubleshooting steps from Win help. I extracted the file Mciavi.drv from D:\WIN98 and saved it to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.That didn't work,neither did reinstalling Video Compression drivers in the Multimedia section of Win Setup(Add/Remove).

[Admin]

Hi,

Try rebooting using Diagnotics Mode as described in the link below to make sure the problem is not related to another piece of software conflicting (e.g. viruscan...)
http://www.mytechsupport.ca/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=42&topic=941

Also, does your system meet the minimum requirements to run these games