Re: error message

Hi Mary,

To solve the error "Could Not Initialize Graphics System.
Make Sure That Your Video Card and Driver Are
Compatible with DirectDraw" go to: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=242902

If you need more suggestions that are provided in that article..
Updating video card drivers can solve most gaming issues.
Me & XP users should create a restore point before any upgrades:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...stemrestore.asp

Before you update your drivers, I recommend you upgrade to DirectX 9.0a:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...&displaylang=en

Keep any download accelerators or antivirus programs disabled.
Here are the steps I recommend you use to update your driver:

1. To identify the make and model of your card, right click your
Desktop, choose Properties / Settings / Advanced / Adapter.

2. Download the latest video driver for your card online, using
http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbi...eo.html#drivers
to find the website to download from. I also have advanced
video driver and direct X troubleshooting steps on that page.

3. Save the .exe driver (or uncompress the zip file) to a folder
in My Documents named after the driver version number.

4. Restart the computer in Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key
about once every second as it's rebooting to pick Safe Mode.

5. Click Start / (settings) Control Panel / System / Hardware
Device Manager / expand +Display Adapters / right click on
the adapter, pick "Uninstall", and click No if asked to reboot.

6. Use Control Panel / Add-Remove programs to uninstall the
previous driver (exe)software which may have been installed.

7. Restart the computer in Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key
about once every second as it's rebooting to pick Safe Mode.

8. If the driver is a (exe)program file, GO DIRECTLY TO step 10.

9. When Windows prompts you to install the video adapter,* click
"Install from a list or specific location", click the "Browse" button,
browse to the My documents folder where you saved the driver,
click on one of the driver files to begin installation. Go to Step 11.

* If Windows doesn't prompt you to install the video adapter, click
Start / Control Panel / System / Hardware / Device Manager /
click the + next to Display Adapters / Doubleclick the Adapter /
Update Driver... / follow the instructions in Step 9 to install driver.

10. If / when Windows prompts you to install the video adapter, click
"Cancel". Double click the driver program to install the new drivers..

11. After you reboot, go to Control Panel / Display / Settings and
choose 32 bit Color Quality, and 1024x768 Screen Resolution.


TROUBLESHOOTING:

Test your drivers using DXDiag: Click Start / Run / type: DXDIAG
Click the "Test" buttons in the Display, Sound, Music & Network Tabs;
If any of the Display options are Disabled and you cannot Enable them,
your most likely solution would be to update your Chipset Drivers as per:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbits/Video.html#v11

Along with your Video card, Sound Cards, Motherboard Chipsets,
and Video Monitors may also require updated drivers. Even your
motherboard's BIOS may need to be updated for compatibility with
your Video card. These steps are listed at: http://NibblesNbitsVideo.tk

The latest video drivers sometime don't work with a particular game.
(Check the Video suggestions in the readme.txt file in your game folder/CD)
If there's no suggestions, try an older (WHQL) driver, and/or if you still
experience problems try a Beta driver, or even an Omega driver instead:

BETA Drivers: http://download.guru3d.com/
OMEGA Drivers: http://www.omegacorner.com/

Do you have more than one video outlet on your card? If so, test the
monitor using other outlet and disable the 2nd outlet if that doesn't help.

There you have it, if you have any questions feel free to post them! :-)

--
Cheers,
Jimmy S.

Additional Support Resources: My Zone.com Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk
Microsoft Online Tech Support: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=376
Game FAQ's: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

"mary barnhart" <maremare2003_406@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:0dd601c34105$cd5cd180$a001280a@phx.gbl...
| a message come up when i try to play age of empires 2.
| it says "cannot initialize graphics system. make sure
| video card and drivers are compatible. what does it
| mean. i have tried to figure it out and cannot

Glad to be of service! :-)

"Jimmy S." <Private> wrote in message news:OqKCcQRQDHA.1752@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
| Hi Mary,
|
| To solve the error "Could Not Initialize Graphics System.
| Make Sure That Your Video Card and Driver Are
| Compatible with DirectDraw" go to: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=242902
|
| If you need more suggestions that are provided in that article..
| Updating video card drivers can solve most gaming issues.
| Me & XP users should create a restore point before any upgrades:
| http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...stemrestore.asp
|
| Before you update your drivers, I recommend you upgrade to DirectX 9.0a:
| http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...&displaylang=en
|
| Keep any download accelerators or antivirus programs disabled.
| Here are the steps I recommend you use to update your driver:
|
| 1. To identify the make and model of your card, right click your
| Desktop, choose Properties / Settings / Advanced / Adapter.
|
| 2. Download the latest video driver for your card online, using
| http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbi...eo.html#drivers
| to find the website to download from. I also have advanced
| video driver and direct X troubleshooting steps on that page.
|
| 3. Save the .exe driver (or uncompress the zip file) to a folder
| in My Documents named after the driver version number.
|
| 4. Restart the computer in Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key
| about once every second as it's rebooting to pick Safe Mode.
|
| 5. Click Start / (settings) Control Panel / System / Hardware
| Device Manager / expand +Display Adapters / right click on
| the adapter, pick "Uninstall", and click No if asked to reboot.
|
| 6. Use Control Panel / Add-Remove programs to uninstall the
| previous driver (exe)software which may have been installed.
|
| 7. Restart the computer in Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key
| about once every second as it's rebooting to pick Safe Mode.
|
| 8. If the driver is a (exe)program file, GO DIRECTLY TO step 10.
|
| 9. When Windows prompts you to install the video adapter,* click
| "Install from a list or specific location", click the "Browse" button,
| browse to the My documents folder where you saved the driver,
| click on one of the driver files to begin installation. Go to Step 11.
|
| * If Windows doesn't prompt you to install the video adapter, click
| Start / Control Panel / System / Hardware / Device Manager /
| click the + next to Display Adapters / Doubleclick the Adapter /
| Update Driver... / follow the instructions in Step 9 to install driver.
|
| 10. If / when Windows prompts you to install the video adapter, click
| "Cancel". Double click the driver program to install the new drivers..
|
| 11. After you reboot, go to Control Panel / Display / Settings and
| choose 32 bit Color Quality, and 1024x768 Screen Resolution.
|
|
| TROUBLESHOOTING:
|
| Test your drivers using DXDiag: Click Start / Run / type: DXDIAG
| Click the "Test" buttons in the Display, Sound, Music & Network Tabs;
| If any of the Display options are Disabled and you cannot Enable them,
| your most likely solution would be to update your Chipset Drivers as per:
| http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbits/Video.html#v11
|
| Along with your Video card, Sound Cards, Motherboard Chipsets,
| and Video Monitors may also require updated drivers. Even your
| motherboard's BIOS may need to be updated for compatibility with
| your Video card. These steps are listed at: http://NibblesNbitsVideo.tk
|
| The latest video drivers sometime don't work with a particular game.
| (Check the Video suggestions in the readme.txt file in your game folder/CD)
| If there's no suggestions, try an older (WHQL) driver, and/or if you still
| experience problems try a Beta driver, or even an Omega driver instead:
|
| BETA Drivers: http://download.guru3d.com/
| OMEGA Drivers: http://www.omegacorner.com/
|
| Do you have more than one video outlet on your card? If so, test the
| monitor using other outlet and disable the 2nd outlet if that doesn't help.
|
| There you have it, if you have any questions feel free to post them! :-)
|
| --
| Cheers,
| Jimmy S.
|
| Additional Support Resources: My Zone.com Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk
| Microsoft Online Tech Support: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=376
| Game FAQ's: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
| My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
| _________________________________________________________
|
| "mary barnhart" <maremare2003_406@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:0dd601c34105$cd5cd180$a001280a@phx.gbl...
| | a message come up when i try to play age of empires 2.
| | it says "cannot initialize graphics system. make sure
| | video card and drivers are compatible. what does it
| | mean. i have tried to figure it out and cannot
|
|