Q242902: AoE II Err Msg: Could Not Initialize Graphics System…
Article: Q242902
Product(s): Microsoft Home Games
Version(s): 2.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbdisplay kbimu msgamekbfaq
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, version 2.0
- Microsoft Age of Empires II Expansion: The Conquerors
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SYMPTOMS
========
When you attempt to start Microsoft Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings or
Microsoft Age of Empires II Expansion: The Conquerors, you may receive the
following error message:
Could not initialize graphics system. Make sure that your video card and
driver are compatible with DirectDraw.
CAUSE
=====
This behavior can occur if any of the following conditions are true:
- The Age of Empires shortcut is damaged or missing information.
- Your video adapter or monitor is incapable of achieving a screen resolution
needed to play your Age of Empires game.
NOTE: Age of Empires II requires a minimum screen resolution of 800 x 600
Pixels at 16 bit high color.
- Your video adapter does not meet the minimum system requirements needed to
run your Age of Empires game.
- Microsoft NetMeeting is running on your computer.
- A Terminate-and-Stay-Resident program (TSR) that is running is incompatible
with the game is running.
- Your monitor is not configured properly.
- Your system's refresh rate is not compatible with the game.
RESOLUTION
==========
To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they are
presented.
Verify the Shortcut Contains Accurate Information
-------------------------------------------------
If you are running Age of Kings II or Conquerors, follow the steps below:
To resolve this issue, verify that the Age of Empires II shortcut contains
accurate and complete information to start Age of Empires II:
1. On the Desktop, right-click the "Age of Empires II" shortcut, and then click
Properties.
NOTE: If the Age of Empires II or Conquerors shortcuts are not on the Desktop,
open Start menu folder. To do so:
a. Right-click Start, and then click "Open" or "Open All Users".
b. Double-click the Programs folder.
c. Double-click the Microsoft Games folder.
d. Double-click the "Age Of Empires II" or "Age of Empires II - The
Conquerors Expansion" folder.
2. In the "Start in" box, type the following line, and then click OK:
- Age of Kings:
"<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II" (including
the quotation marks)
- Age of Conquerors:
"<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Age of Empires II/age2_x1"
(including the quotation marks)
If you are running Windows 2000 or XP, the path should look like this:
"<drive>:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Desktop" (including
the quotation marks)
where <drive> is the drive letter of the hard disk on which Age of
Empires II or Conquerors are installed.
If the issue continues to occur, create a new shortcut.
Create New Shortcut
-------------------
1. Right-click the "Age of Empires II" or "Conquerors" shortcut, and then click
Delete.
If you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
2. Click Start, point to "Find" or "Search", and then click "Files or Folders"
or "For Files or Folders".
3. In the Named or Search for files or Folders named box, if you are runing Age
of Kings type "empires2.exe" (without the quotation marks); and if you are
running Age of Conquerors type "age2_x1.exe" (without the quotation marks).
4. In the "Look in" box, click My Computer.
NOTE: For Windows 98, make sure that the "Include subfolders" check box is
selected, and then click Find Now.
5. In the list of found files, right-click the "Empires2.exe" or "Age2_x1.exe"
file, and then click Create Shortcut.
6. When you are prompted to create the shortcut on the desktop, click Yes.
7. Close all the windows.
8. Right-click the newly-created shortcut, and then click Rename.
9. Type "Age of Empires II" (without the quotation marks) or "Age of Conquerors"
(without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next step.
Verify Video Adapter Meets Minimum System Requirements
------------------------------------------------------
Verify that your video adapter meets the minimum system requirements needed to
play your Microsoft Age of Empires game. If your video adapter does not meet the
minimum video memory requirement needed to play Age of Empires, you must install
additional video memory on your video adapter, or install a video adapter with
more video memory.
For additional information about system requirements for Age of Kings and Age of
Conquerors, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
Q266620 Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings: Minimum System Requirements
Q273811 AoE II Expansion: The Conquerors: Minimum System Requirements
To use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool to determine the amount of video memory
installed on your video adapter:
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type the following line (including the quotation marks), and
then click OK:
"dxdiag" (without the quotation marks)
3. Click the "Display" or "Display 1" tab.
4. Note the amount of video memory on the Approx. Total Memory line under
Device, and then click Exit.
NOTE: The DirectX Diagnostic Tool is installed with newer versions of DirectX.
For additional information about how to install the latest version of DirectX,
click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
Q179113 How to Download and Install DirectX
Turn Off NetMeeting
-------------------
If you are running NetMeeting on your system, quit NetMeeting before you start
the game. To do so:
1. Right-click the NetMeeting icon on the Windows taskbar.
2. Click "Stop NetMeeting" or "Exit".
NetMeeting prevents DirectX from dynamically changing your screen resolution when
you start the game.
If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next method.
Clean Boot the Computer
-----------------------
These articles describe how to disable common startup programs, settings, and
drivers to troubleshoot issues. This procedure is known as "clean booting."
Programs that run in the background in memory are called
terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSR's). For example, these programs may be
virus protection software, utility programs, print manager programs, or screen
savers.
To clean boot your computer, use the appropriate method for your version of
Windows.
For additional information about how to clean boot your computer, click the
article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
Q267288 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
Q281770 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 2000
Q310353 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP
If the problem continues to occur, proceed to the next step.
Make Sure the Best Monitor Driver Is Installed
----------------------------------------------
1. Click Start, and then for Windows 98, click Settings.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Display.
4. Follow the appropriate steps for your version of Microsoft Windows:
- Microsoft Windows 98:
a. Click to select the "Automatically detect Plug & Play monitors"
check box.
b. Note the manufacturer and model of your current monitor, and then click
Change.
c. Click Next.
d. Click "Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location, so you
can select the driver you want", and then click Next.
e. Click "Show all hardware".
- Windows XP:
a. Click Properties.
b. Click the Driver tab.
c. Click Update Driver.
d. Click "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)", and then
click Next.
e. Click "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install".
f. Remove the check from the box to the left of "Show compatible
hardware".
5. In the Manufacturers box, click the manufacturer of your monitor.
6. In the Model box, click the model of your monitor or select a default monitor
driver.
To select a default monitor driver:
a. In the Manufacturers box, click "(Standard monitor types)".
b. In the Model box, click "Plug and Play Monitor".
7. Click Next, and then follow the on-screen prompts to complete the driver
installation. If you are prompted to verify that you want to change the
monitor, click Yes.
Install Updated Video Driver
----------------------------
To identify the manufacturer and the model of your video adapter:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System.
3. If you are using a Microsoft Windows 98-based computer, click the Device
Manager tab.
If you are using a Microsoft Windows 2000-based or Microsoft Windows XP-based
computer, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
4. Expand the "Display adapters" branch.
5. Under the "Display adapters" branch, note the manufacturer and the model of
your video adapter, and then click OK.
6. Close all of the open windows on the desktop.
For additional information about how to identify the driver version of your video
adapter, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
Q159487 Games: How to Determine the Version of Installed Video Driver
Contact your hardware manufacturer to inquire about how to obtain and install the
latest version of the video driver for your video adapter. For information about
how to contact , click the appropriate article number in the following list to
view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K
Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P
Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z
Set Refresh Rate to Adapter Default
-----------------------------------
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. Click the Settings tab.
4. Click Advanced.
5. On the Adapter tab, under "Refresh rate", click to select "Adapter default".
6. Click OK, and then click OK again.
MORE INFORMATION
================
For additional information about this error message, click the article numbers
below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q179920 AOE: Error Message: Could Not Initialize Graphics System
Q198610 Age of Empires 1.0: Error Message 'Could Not Initialize Graphics
System' on ViewSonic VPA150 Monitor
Q199047 'Failed to Initialize Graphics System' Error Message When NetMeeting
Is Running
Additional query words: 2.00 aoe2 aok msgame fail failure
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Keywords : kbdisplay kbimu msgame kbfaq
Technology : kbHomeProdSearch kbGamesSearch kbAOESearch kbAOE2ExpConquerors kbAOE2Kings
Version : :2.0
Issue type : kbprb
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