Failed to Initialize Renderer

[bshock727]

Well, I'm sick of fooling with this tonight. There is obviously nothing we can do on our end - only wait for a fix from Firaxis or ATI. Hopefully it comes sooner than later.

 

[qu1etus]

Is there a sort of drivercleaner for direct x, allowing us to clean install from the disk?

 

[Fungeek]

NOT RELATED TO CIV IV, but possibly related to the issue. I found the following on a WWII:Sniper website:

ERROR MESSAGE:

"Failed to initialize the renderer. Please ensure your video card meets the minimum requirements, your video drivers are up to date, and you are running the required version of Microsoft DirectX®."

RESOLUTION:

These messages mean that your video card does not properly support the features required by the game. Specifically, your card does not support Hardware Transform and Lighting functions, often referred to as Hardware T&L. Essentially, it's a portion of the math and setup for the graphics that the video card handles instead of the main CPU. We recommend at least a nVidia Geforce 2 or ATI Radeon 7200 video card for these games.

Note that Intel-based video chipsets do not currently support Hardware Transform and Lighting. To determine if you have an Intel video chip, follow these steps: 1) right click your desktop and select PROPERTIES 2) click the SETTINGS tab 3) click the ADVANCED button 4) click the ADAPTER tab and look at the ADAPTER section.

Is it possible that it's our chipset? I'm using an Intel chipset.

EDIT: Nevermind - I'm using an ATI video chipset. I'm getting loopy trying to fix this.

 

[vincenzo7]

i would be happier if firaxis would put a post on civ4.com right next to the french tech tree mishap that says something like "we know there is a problem for ATI users...etc...etc"

digg my story so we can bring it to the foreground
http://digg.com/gaming/Civilization_IV_Plagued_By_Errors_On_Launch_Day

 

[vincenzo7]

NOT RELATED TO CIV IV, but possibly related to the issue. I found the following on a WWII:Sniper website:



Is it possible that it's our chipset? I'm using an Intel chipset.

no way. im using an AMD/nforce chipset

 

[Foximous]

maybe and maybe not, I have an X800 XL which does have T&L...and still doesn't work

 

[adarel]

i just want to cry. my night is ruined. and such a loooong day of class tomorrow! i only hope it's fixed by the time i get home - how sad that that is my one wish!

i love you sid, but this sucks.

 

[snowg00n]

DAMMIT. so i thought i took soren's advice to uninstall the ati driver, but i uninstalled the ati software, and then tried to install that catalyst thing and now my display wont change out of 640x480 w 8 bit color and i'm an idiot. where do i get that software, please help, now not only am i not playing civ but my entire display is f'ed up. this blows.

 

[Knight451]

i would be happier if firaxis would put a post on civ4.com right next to the french tech tree mishap that says something like "we know there is a problem for ATI users...etc...etc"

Exactly. I wouldn't be half as pissed as I am now if they would at least acknowledge that there is an issue and that they are working on it. And maybe a rough estimate of when we can expect a fix.

 

[Patroklos]

These guys had better be working twenty-four seven until they fix this. If I had not bought this at Best Buy and could return it tommarrow for CoD2 I would not be so mad. But basically I have $50 of crap until they get this thing running.

 

[vincenzo7]

GOOD NEWS
on my laptop, with a 9200, regular install didnt work

put the latest omega drivers on it and it booted right up...2675a

2661 was no good. everyone try these and post back!!!

 

[Speaker]

Exactly. I wouldn't be half as pissed as I am now if they would at least acknowledge that there is an issue and that they are working on it. And maybe a rough estimate of when we can expect a fix.

There are at least 4 Firaxians currently working on this, who have been posting over at Apolyton. No estimate yet though.

 

[snowg00n]

yay, i fixed my display problem, it's called system restore. now can someone explain what omega drivers are, if they'll work with an x600, where to get them et al...

 

[Kinjiru]

Omega drivers haven't helped me run cIV, but they have provided a small boost in framerate for B&W2!

 

[adarel]

I too tried the Omega drivers with no luck.

 

[qu1etus]

Same here.

 

[Patroklos]

Face it, Sid Miers doesn't care about us

 

[Strawberry Bell]

I went to www.ati.com and got the latest catalyst driver and it fixed the problem right up. so give it a shot and I wish you luck ^_^

 

[stich0602]

Face it, Sid Miers doesn't care about us

why would we have these amazing games if sid , a.k.a. "god", didnt create them ??

 

[Hypus]

Same problem here.

Radeon 9550, 1 gig ram, 2.1ghz

Also, something I've noticed that was strange is that I get this error when using the "install" disk to click the application, when I use the "Play" disc, I just get a wrong disc inserted error.

/sigh

previous dozen or so games that I've purchased have worked straight out of the box--the one i'm really excited about...flop

I felt exactly the same way lately--really need to upgrade my system (can't play AOE3 on this /shrug)

CIV4 is exactly the opposite for me--I'm astounded at how well the game is running with my specs. I run with winxp (latest sp's etc) and down to about 17 processes.... /shrug

This really sounds like botched reinstalls of video card drivers...possibly. Can't be though with so many of you in the same boat--I'm sure most know how to fully delete an old vid card driver etc.

Good Luck guys--may my weak 4yr old pc give you hope.