Links & Access Games Err Msg: DirectDraw Init Failed

When you attempt to start any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive the following error message:

This behavior can occur if any one of the following conditions is true:

• Your monitor is not configured correctly.
• Another program has locked the display resolution of your monitor.
• The video driver installed on the computer is incompatible with Microsoft DirectX.
• The video driver installed on the computer does not support a color palette higher than 256 colors.
• The video adapter installed in the computer does not meet the minimum requirements to run the game.
• DirectDraw or Direct3d are disabled in DxDiag.

To resolve this issue, use the following troubleshooting methods in the order in which they are presented.

Verify that the Video Adapter Meets the Minimum System Requirements

Consult the printed documentation provided with your video adapter to verify that the video adapter supports a screen resolution of at least 800x600 pixels with a 16-bit or higher color palette.

Adjust the Microsoft Windows Display Settings

To adjust the display settings, use the appropriate method for your version of Windows.

Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Move the Desktop Area or Screen Area slider to the 800 x 600 pixels setting.
5. In the Color Palette or Colors box, click High Color (16 bit).
6. Click Advanced Properties or Advanced.
7. On the Monitor tab, make sure your monitor is selected. If an incorrect monitor is selected, or if a standard or unknown monitor is selected, click Change.
8. Click the manufacturer and model of your monitor, and then click OK.
   
   NOTE:If you are using Microsoft Windows 98, click Change, click Next, click Display a list of all drivers in a specific location, so you can select the driver you want, and then click Next.
   
   Click the appropriate driver for your monitor, click Next, clickNext again, and then click Finish.
9. Click Close, and then click OK.
10. Close Control Panel.

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Move the Desktop Area slider to the 800 x 600 pixels setting.
5. In the Color Palette box, click 65536 colors, and then click Test.
6. Click OK, and then click Yes.
7. Click OK, and then close Control Panel.

Obtain an Updated Video Driver

If the issue continues to occur, contact your hardware manufacturer for information about how to obtain and install the latest version of the video driver for your video adapter.

For information about how to contact your hardware manufacturer, visit the following Microsoft Web site: To identify your video adapter:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
3. Click the Display or Display 1 tab. Under Name, note the model of your video adapter.

Clean Boot Your Computer

When you start Windows normally, there are a number of programs that start automatically and run in the background. These programs, which may include antivirus and system utility programs, may sometimes interfere with the game.

When you perform a clean boot before you start the game, you prevent these programs from starting automatically. For additional information about how to perform a clean boot, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Install the Latest Version of Microsoft DirectX

For additional information about how to obtain and install the latest version of DirectX, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For additional information about how to resolve this issue on a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based computer, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about how to resolve this issue in Links LS 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: