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Direct X Question/Problem 2

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707kandi

707kandi

Technical User
Jan 17, 2007
30
US
Ok, so just lately I have gone to open an attachment in my email that is a .dat and cannot open it. Get an error message that states: "The application required DirectDraw Acceleration, which is not available in your system. Please enable it in "DirectX Diagnostic Tool" (dxdiag.exe) in the tab "Display". Well I finally figured out how to open that and get to the display tab. However it does show that the Direct Draw Acceleration is not available. I really need to be able to open this attachment. Any ideas or suggestions?

Running XP home edition...don't know what other info is necessary to give expecially since I have no clue what Direct X relates to. Many thanks for any help you can supply!
 
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run dxdiag, choose 3rd tab (the one after direct-x files, im german and dont know what name the tab has, maybe information or display), there u can see the state of direct- and u can test and activate/deaktivate it.
 
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Does your Video Card support "DirectDraw"?

what locked directdraw?
thread779-1301196

DirectX acceleration not available?


Pandora's Box Error Message: Unable to Create DirectDraw Surface

Maybe you could try the latest DirctX version?

DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer

As DirectX is part of XP and uninstallable these general fixes might help you repair DirectX.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)
 
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linney...many thanks. I will go through these articles tomorrow. My problem is that I don't really know when things changed. I did purchase and install a new printer recently but had no problems there and quite a while ago (6 months maybe) installed a new dvd burner. I have directx version 9 which from what I can tell is the most current version for xp. Actually I probably should reinstall windows. I remember having to do that numerous times with 98 but have never done it with xp. I don't know if that will do it but I will read all your articles first.
 
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without knowing what that DAT file applies to, suggesting that it is DirectX related is absolutely wrong...

DAT File Extension explained...

my suggestion would be to try to open the file with notepad and see if it is readable... if it is TOO big, then look at it with WordPad...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
 
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The file was created on a Mac (and I'm on a pc) and I was pretty sure it was a word document. It is just a template and really should not be that large. I did try to right click on it to see if I could open with another program and it would not let me. But will give it another try...
 
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YIPEE!!! I GOT IT!!. Well didn't fix the directx situation and not sure that I really need to as the computer seems to be working just fine. I had been trying to open the file within the email (have done so many times in the past) but that was when I would get the error message. So this time I just saved it to my folder where I wanted it. Then the right click worked and was able to open in word-pad then I tried word and it opened there too! Yippee...thanks everyone for all your help! I know I can always count on getting my problems solved through this great forum!!!
 
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Glad you got it sorted out...

btw. what gfx card do you have installed, and are the drivers up to date? (DX prob)...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
 
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