DIRECTX

[Buggyman]

Had to get a new PC following a catastrophic event with my graphics card/MB.

This means loading up all my sim stuff all over again. To make things easy for myself I used the old HDs which are SSDs and have all the FS9/FSX/P3D files on them plus umpty add ons. Just a case of reinstalling said files and................. It seemed so easy.................. Why me, I've been a good boy (well... to a point).

Loading up P3D stops when the program gets to DirectX, Loading FSX is ok BUT I cannot run it because it wants DirectX 9 and I have DirectX 11 and, despite downloading and installing ....9 it does not seem to register anywhere. So, I'm assuming that DirectX 9 is the only one for the flight sims? I've tried LM forum but they seem as clueless as me on this subject.

Any helpful abuse would be welcome, I'm getting cold chicken (like cold turkey but not as nice!) as I haven't flown for over a week and I'm having to listen to SWMOWQ!

HELP

Allan

P.S. New kit is: i7-4820K 3.7Ghz (8 CPUs), 16 GB RAM, GeForce GTX 770 4GB with 3 x SSD HDs

[GHD]

According to Dxdiag, I have only DX11, but FSX runs fine. P3D does require DX11.

There are various entries in the registry for DirectX.

[DaveB]

I've just run DXDIAG and it reports I'm on DX11 too. FSX runs as well as it ever did though I can't guarantee there aren't DX9 components alive and well on here somewhere

ATB
DaveB

[Buggyman]

Thanks guys.

I've read somewhere recently that DX11 can emulate DX9 when required, I'll have to look into that thread again in allnodes (I think). The trouble is that at the end of installing FSX I get a message saying that I cannot run FSX until DX9 is installed. When I try to install DX9 from the FSX Disc I get a message saying that windows won't allow the action!

I had all 3 sims installed on my previous beast and that ran DX11 so I am at the point where I have tried everything - including downloading and installing a fresh DX9 - but nothing seems to work in respect of FSX or P3D. Out of desperation for a flight I did manage to install FS9 (ah bless) and got a quick flit around North Yorkshire to ease the cravings.

And there is the funny thing - FS9 must surely use DX9 as it is from a time when there wasn't any alternative - so how is it that it works when the other 2 don't?

My head hurts, my back hurts - just back from the chiropractor - so I'm off to have a lie down. Maybe I'll find a solution whilst contemplating my navel?

ATB


Allan

[DaveB]

Oh indeed.. FS9 certainly does use DX9 so DX11 is obviously capable of DX9 emulation. I only installed FSX on this pc at Christmas.. January I think.. and I can't remember what the hell I did when it asked on the install. I don't think I let it add DX9 knowing I already had DX11 installed (Win7 Ultimate) but it has to be said that my FSX is far from bug-free.. piece of ***te

ATB
DaveB

[J0hn]

DirectX is backwards compatible. Always has been.

There can, however, be some additional elements of an old DX version that may require adding for any particular game that requires it.

Edit: I stand slightly corrected:

Various releases of Windows have included and supported various versions of DirectX, allowing newer versions of the operating system to continue running applications designed for earlier versions of DirectX until those versions can be gradually phased out in favor of newer APIs, drivers, and hardware.

APIs such as Direct3D and DirectSound need to interact with hardware, and they do this through a device driver. Hardware manufacturers have to write these drivers for a particular DirectX version's device driver interface (or DDI), and test each individual piece of hardware to make them DirectX compatible. Some hardware devices have only DirectX compatible drivers (in other words, one must install DirectX in order to use that hardware). Early versions of DirectX included an up-to-date library of all of the DirectX compatible drivers currently available. This practice was stopped however, in favor of the web-based Windows Update driver-update system, which allowed users to download only the drivers relevant to their hardware, rather than the entire library.

Prior to DirectX 10, DirectX runtime was designed to be backward compatible with older drivers, meaning that newer versions of the APIs were designed to interoperate with older drivers written against a previous version's DDI. The application programmer had to query the available hardware capabilities using a complex system of "cap bits" each tied to a particular hardware feature. Direct3D 7 and earlier would work on any version of the DDI, Direct3D 8 requires a minimum DDI level of 6 and Direct3D 9 requires a minimum DDI level of 7.[52] However, the Direct3D 10 runtime in Windows Vista cannot run on older hardware drivers due to the significantly updated DDI, which requires a unified feature set and abandons the use of "cap bits".

Direct3D 10.1 introduces "feature levels" 10_0 and 10_1, which allow use of only the hardware features defined in the specified version of Direct3D API. Direct3D 11 adds level 11_0 and "10 Level 9" - a subset of the Direct3D 10 API designed to run on Direct3D 9 hardware, which has three feature levels (9_1, 9_2 and 9_3) grouped by common capabilities of "low", "med" and "high-end" video cards; the runtime directly uses Direct3D 9 DDI provided in all WDDM drivers. Feature level 11_1 has been introduced with Direct3D 11.1.

[Buggyman]

Thanks for that John, I just wish I could understand it.

I fired up the other PC in the house which is the same basic set with Windows 7 64bit and DX11. All 3 sims are working fine - as I knew they did anyway but I was just proving a point to myself.

So, is this a Windows thing? When I try to install DX9 from the FSX Disc Windows informs me that I do not have the authority to do so. When I try installing P3D the error is 0xffffff3 'unspecified error'.

Just a thought.


Allan

[DaveB]

Ah.. that sounds very much like a 'Windows' thing. Perhaps you either have to run it as an administrator or be logged on as an administrator to run it. A bit out of my databank I'm afraid. Doesn't sound like a Windows problem per'se .. more Windows being it's usual pain in the jack

ATB
DaveB

[Buggyman]

"Windows being it's usual pain in the jack"

You're not wrong there Dave.

I've asked the makers of the PC (PC Specialist) if they can help although I doubt it but they did install Windows 7 on the PC before sending it out. Meantime I'm off on my trip around the web to try and trap the culprit.

At least I have Fs9 working so I can at least have a quick flight before bed time.

ATB

Allan

[Buggyman]

Still no progress. Unable to load FSX or P3D. Have re-downloaded the latest P3D again - another 20 hours PC time gone. Have tried a clean install eg. I uninstalled and removed all traces of both programs. Still unable to install.

So, why not reinstall P3D 2.3 which I know works on the old machine - bingo! Same problem 'program unable to load certain files...' I am now more convinced than ever that the problem is in Windows somewhere and not with either FSX or P3d - FS9 is working fine.

As it is a brand new machine and the latest windows 7 can I repair it or do I have to totally wipe it and do a reinstall?

If I do a reinstall does that mean I lose all my work for the past 10 days? By work I mean installing programs and printers etc. Any advice would be welcome as this thing would drive me to drink if I was allowed alcohol......................... Life just isn't fair is it.

Over to you, I'm off to build a model or two and probably get glue all down my new cardigan.

ATB


Allan