"Failed To Initialise Direct3D" / Windows 8 Issue!

New Issue: Once in the game i get this error (below). Character models are displaying but NPC and player names are not; neither is equipment. Even the R for recieving is a ",". If i communicate with an NPC it forces a crash and if i run too far or attempt to do anything other than stand still, it's a guarenteed crash.

Further info. My gil has letters in it. If i leave my character long enough i get thrown into an extremely random cutscene which i've never seen before. It will repeat over and over and eventually crash. I also get random problems such as "[GM]: ". I assume thats just what happens if someone uses /say or /shout. I also get random things such as "[space] doom count is 98837486294824."

Another thing to note is that Windower doesn't even recognise my screenshots are made on Skinner. It just throws the screenshots into the screenshot folder and not the one labeled "Skinner".

Things i've done:
- Run as Admin.
- Set Intel 3000 graphics to the WDDM 1.2 driver
- Fanny'd around with different nVidia drivers.
- Not using plugins.

Can anyone here help? Is what i'm having here a graphics card issue or is it windower? Impossible to tell? This is doing my nut!





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"Failed to initialise Direct3D. Check that this computer has the required specifications to run FINAL FANTASY XI (-1)"

*FIXED* - Set resolution/overlay to full screen resolution. Run as Admin. Use Windower 4. Take out plugin files (not sure what one caused it to crash atm). Most probable cause: having the overlay higher than the resolution (Registry edit req).

Hokay so I see many threads on forums commenting on this. I have read them and I'm still at a loss. Will update with solution when solved! Here the tech bit to save you asking:

M11x R3
Windows 8 64-bit
Intel Graphics 3000 / NVidia GeForce GT 540M (Optimus)
i7 2637M (Sandy Bridge)
FFXI Steam Version

Drivers fully updated.

I was able to access FFXI prior to the last major update. I believe it could have been as far back as Dec 31st. I haven't attempted to access FFXI until yesterday. Completed the update, then got the error messege above when the update finished and attempted to load the larger screen. I updated the game on windower (not that that's an issue).

I upgraded (downgraded) to Windows 8 from Windows 7. Why? rdp was a requirement to remotely transfer audio from your PC at home to a tablet (according to the app). The version of windows 7 I had didn't have rdp, just vnc :(. *** rdp, none of this would have happened if your friend vnc could speak! Anyways, last time I got onto FFXI was when I was running Windows 7, so it could be something to do with Windows 8. I'm pretty convinced this is the source of the problem. I had an issue with steam and windows 7, I think. Maybe it's that whole kuffufle again!

I have had FFXI working just fine for a long time with the Optimus technology so that's not the issue. (Error for that produces a POL crash within seconds or refuses to load POL altogether - took forever to fix, send PM if you have that issue).

What I've tried..
- Restarting the laptop!
- Many Different drivers.
- Changed display resolutions (in .ini file and in registry)
- Used launcher GUI
- Restarting the laptop again!
- Non windowed mode
- Run as Admin.

Also if anyone reads this who owns an M11x R3 - I'm extremely interested in being able to unlock TPL settings in the "Throttlestop" application. Currently it's greyed out. If anyone has managed to 'ungrey' this box using an unlocked BIOS or by other means, please let me know!

Thanks in advance for any help! :)

Im having the exact same problem on my new windows 8 pc, nothing i try seems to work so im at a total loss.. If u find a solution please let me know :)

2 things, 1 use windower

2 go into the config and enable that new Video Check thing, I forgot what it's called.

cause I'm using Windows 8, never had that problem, but I have had it before on fresh Windows 7 installs before

Amen.

oh boy, more "I've never used Windows 8, but it's new, and new things scare me" type posts

I gave Windows 8 a chance for 2 months. It was terrible. Go back to Windows 7.

Prove I've never used it kthxbyedidntthinkso

*continues working on his win95pc since I'm afraid of new things*

I just do get how Windows 8 is so different and terrible and scary?

it has a different Start Bar, I mean, really past that, it's windows 7 with a slightly different coat of paint. Same thing happens with every OS really. Everyone hated Win95 when it came out, everyone hated WinXP when it came out, everyone hated Win7 when it came out. When they got over it being different and people exited their comfort zone to see how it worked, they liked it.

It starts up quicker D: I don't know what to do with the extra 20 seconds I gained. It really scares me T.T.

But I've been using Win 8 since the day it came out, only problem I have is the bassackwards permissions system.

I haven't had a single compatibility issue with win 8 so far, the load up time is awesome, and I enjoy the charm bar so I don't get it. Though this really shouldn't get turned into another win8 vs win7 thread.

Apps are a complete gimmick. "You can have two open at once though!"

One takes a third of the screen while the other takes two thirds. The smaller one is barely usable while the larger one is just a compressed version of the maximized version.

With normal programs in previous systems, I can adjust windows to how I like them, and I can have much more than two on the screen if I so desire.

The start menu changed into a 'start buffet'. Instead of a easy to follow list, they are tiled and spread out. And as you add more, you have to spread sideways (mice like to scroll vertically).

Games are now hooked into the Xbox gaming center. I do not own an xbox or an xbox live account. Why are they forcing me to use this system? (They got rid of their original standard games like Minesweeper, Hearts, Internet Spades, etc., for crying out loud.)


They are trying to mimic the tablet system that is being used by Apple with this operating system. I have a computer. I want a computer operating system. Not a tablet wannabe.

You clearly have no idea how different Windows 8 is on the back end that the normal user doesn't see. Its a mad house. Windows 8 is much more different than "Windows 7 with a slightly different coat of paint."

On topic:

You mentioned you have an integrated and dedicated GPU. Try disabling the integrated also. Windows 8, from what I've experienced, doesn't deal well with 2 GPU's that aren't being used in a crossfire/SLI setup if both are enabled, regardless of them both being used or not.

Everyone Loved XP and 7 when it came out. Everyone hated Windows ME and Windows Vista, and they are still considered a flop to this day.

I've used Windows 8 off and on since it was in developers preview. Mostly messing around with stuff in a virtual environment but tried to use it as my main OS for a while.

Windows 8 is nifty if you have a tablet/touch screen to use it properly. It's also nifty for people who aren't that tech savvy. But for a desktop setting/'power user' it just doesn't work as well as it should.

The Start Screen has some nice gimmicks like being able to just type and it starts searching for stuff and can filter your results from there, but just the whole start screen and only 1 application open at once via it is kind of annoying.

If you install http://www.classicshell.net/ it becomes a lot nicer for a desktop setting. It's pretty much a better version of Windows 7 when you remove the start screen. I would have kept Windows 8 but there are still some random compatibility issues preventing me from doing everything I wanted to do. Every OS has that issues for the first X months it's out on the market, but even that in itself is enough to make an OS a flop.

As for the topic, I'm really not sure what could be causing it. Have you updated your graphics drives too? Maybe try a different/older version?

Considering it doesn't shut down properly, it's more like a recover from hibernate than a "start up" then again I've always had a fast boot time, but I don't let a ton of programs/services start with the system so meh.

As for the OP's issue:

1. Windows 7 does have rdp.
2. sounds like directx isn't installed properly.

@Gib: I use windower, its the same story. What config are you referring to? FFXI?

@Jetackuu: Depends on the type of windows 7 you run. Directx is fine.

@Shadowmind: Thanks, ill try fully disabling it when I get home. I have the NVidia set as priority but you're right in that that's not always the case even if the box is ticked.

@doublesbrain: All up to date and happy. I reverted to older versions to test, but no luck.

Anyone else have any other ideas! I really care not for slating Windows 8. I'm going to be using it. Can look in another forum topic for that!

Edited with Fix and information on the new issue! :(

For your currently problem, last guy I saw that had that removed windower, removed FFXI, reinstalled XI then reinstalled windower, then it went fine for him.

no, all versions of windows 7 have the rdp, as it's necessary for RDC


and your original issue sounded like a directx issue, but I read now what caused it.

Tempted to resort to that. Hmm.. I'll keep trying for another day then i'm going to have to. Any ideas welcome!

Thanks!

I had Windows 7 Home Premium, i think. Attempted to use Jump remote desktop application for iPad. rdp was locked when i ran the application on my home computer to set it up, vnc was the only option i could opt for. I need audio. It due to the version of windows 7 i had. I downgraded to windows 8 and the option was unlocked.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Remote-Desktop-Connection-frequently-asked-questions

"Which editions of Windows 7 include Remote Desktop Connection?"
Third bulletpoint.

I could access via vnc, but you can't (or at least, i couldn't) get audio through that setting.

I never said all versions could utilize/fully use RDC, I just said that all have RDP. Which is true.

Teamviewer allows audio.

Bump - anyone with any ideas what's causing this? Very close to having it fully reinstalled! Will update and say whether it's fixed or not :D