I have lost my 3D/Files missing

[MorseLady]

I installed XP Home a few days ago and generally I am very pleased but yesterday I suddenly lost 3D ability and when I checked DirectX I found a list of missing files and also it appears I have DirectX 5 - thought it was 8.1 for XP? I went to Windows Update but was not offered Direct X and my ME copy of 8.1 won't install.

I noticed in the list of Windows Updates that a number of Security Updates I thought I had installed were listed as failed but they have not been offered again.

I still have 25 days to Activation and am thinking of taking it off and starting again?

I hope my small newly installed FAT32 logical storage partition has not upset XP? I also resized my XP and ME partitions to give XP more space as I now regard it as my main OS, despite the problems I love it.

[freddy]

u prob installed an old game with dx5 on it and it over wrote the origionals , try going to a command prompt (dos window) and type in sfc/scannow (after putting your cd in the drive) , this should replace the origional files , failing that , although dx8.? comes with xp , find a site to d/load it from and rerun it ,

I keep dx8 98/me/xp and 2k versions in my workbag coz people are always running old games/apps etc.

good luck

FtF

[MorseLady]

I did what you said Freddy and it did a long scan of Protected Files but I have still got DX5 and no Direct 3D. I cannot find an XP Version of DX8 anywhere. It refuses my ME version.

I installed a showy screensaver called Psycho from Synthesoft the other day and this is from about DX5 era so your theory of overwritten files may be right Freddy - but I was not warned and had that been 9x/ME I would have been asked if I wanted to keep the existing file.

Like yourself, I keep resources for all Windows versions 3.1/WFW to 9x and some NT and W2K but I am very new to XP and have not got round to building up my resources yet. If anyone can point me link to a download of DX8 XP version I would be very grateful, cannot find it anywhere on M$.

I have found other problems but that is for another day.

I would take it off and reinstall it but I am scared of the three strikes and you're out thing as I would only have one install left. Is it true that after three installs you have to buy another CD from M$?

Thanks for your help Freddy.

24 days to go to WPA

[freddy]

will have a look around for u try installing from a "new video card driver cd etc,,,regarding 3 strikes i don,t think so ,,,please read <a href="http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-200" target="_blank">http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-200</a> ,very infoormative ,,,cannot say i,ve used the info (i use pro version) but i think u said u had,nt reg yet???

ok as an alternative , back up your "personal files" inc email addresses (export) , then boot from xp cd , you can try repair but i dont think it will work , so bypass that ,, let it load and RELOAD over origional , it will remove your docs/settings , but your progs will still be there - you may have to reload a couple or create shortcuts BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL DOCCYS ,,,

good luck with that ,,,

FtF

[freddy]

maybe this is the file? ,,,check it out before use (i,m not on a xp machine at the moment)

<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=33782&area=search&ordinal=3" target="_blank">http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=33782&area=search&ordinal=3</a>

bottom of page , file name dx81redist.exe (about 25meg)

good luck

FtF

[Stalemate]

I've used this page to download and reinstall DirectX 8.1 last week on WinXP Pro.

<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/drx81.asp" target="_blank">http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/drx81.asp</a>

[DiR[ëctory]]

no such thing as three strikes your out.

what the heck can MS do about it, you paid for the license, you can install it on your one machine.

i have installed mine 3 or 4 times now...between moving it to another machine and just regular formats.

you'll be fine if you choose to reinstall

[DiR[ëctory]]

this is interesting from the microsoft site

Because it is a system component, the DirectX 8.1 runtime cannot be uninstalled after installation without reinstalling your operating system.

Dunno how you did it then <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

[NooNoo]

Gogha, I don't know who is scaring you to death about M$, they cannot prosecute you or force you to buy a new copy just because you have to re-install their software - end of story.

DirectX is suprisingly easy to upset with very old versions, because the old versions don't check for newer versions, they just install.

[MorseLady]

Thanks everyone for the help and I think, as it seems I won't be penalised by MS, it would be easier to just format the partition and reinstall as I have other problems with this installation, so much so that I am using my ME partition right now.

Noo Noo, it was something in a computer magazine which gave me the impression that MS come down on you if you reinstall. You would be surprised(or maybe you have read it too) about how scary some people make XP out to be, but despite the problems, some of which may be my ineXPerience of this type of OS, and installing old apps, I do like it.

I shall regard this first installation as part of my retirement learning project(just completed A+ LearnDirect course and starting a Windows 2000 networking course at the local college in September)and anyway I enjoy installation and configuration and I mess about more than I use my computers

[freddy]

good on yer mate ,,keep bashing away !!!! here is a V.good site that can explane all the fancy "tweaks" to get some performance out of it <a href="http://www.tweak.com." target="_blank"> stay <a href="http://http://www.tweak.com" target="_blank">www.tweak.com</a> .stay</a> away from "most" of the freeby progs ,,,but DO install tweakUI (right click/install on inf file)
EDIT:
sorry cocked that up the site is <a href="http://www.tweakxp.com" target="_blank">www.tweakxp.com</a>

when i was "playing with it at first ,(and 2k) i got hold of a copy of norton ghost , and when i had set xp up with all the drivers etc i then "ghosted" it on to a cd ,,,,so when i cocked it up all i needed was to reghost over the origional , you do not need to re-reg and it only took 5-10mins ,,,have u got a cd- writer?

any probs , just ask and u will get help.

alan AKA freddy (the fisherman) G3??? (from the 70s)