Failed to Initialize Renderer

[Brianboy_24]

has anybody tried rolling back their direct x to like 8.1 which came with Xp then installing directX I think i'll give it a shot. I'm using a directx tool called directx happy uninstall which can be found on downloads.com

 

[Brommel]

I picked up the game yesterday, installed it and had the infamous render error. I am using a Radeon 9550, I also have direct x 9c, I called support this morning and they were very helpful at 2k in England, I than called back a bit later and their phone system was down. I just called about 15 min ago and now they have an automated response in regards to the problem, so it must be very bad and widespread.

brandon

 

[Orecets]

I know its a little drastic. But has anyone tried doing a re-install of the OS, installing your drivers, then the game with DX9 supplied? Just a thought.

Im starting the backup process now for a format, Ill let you know.

 

[Mazruk]

Im starting the backup process now for a format, Ill let you know.

Orecets, please for the love of God dont install directx9.0c or SP2 before installing the game and using the games dx9 install. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Brommel]

I thought about it, but dumped the idea, for a few reasons.

1. Everything else runs fine
2. What if the game still doesn't work

I even experimented with the ATI control panel thinking it was some type of setting not set right, but alas I had no luck.

brandon

 

[D0gg73]

9600PRO here and not working either, not sure if I had DX9 from prior installs or not but know that I get the same error. I tried and uninstalled Video drivers and reinstalled the 5.10 cat driver and then uninstalled and reinstalled with no luck either. Anyone using 64 bit processor that could be the problems also just another thought Im using an

AMD 64 Processor 3200
1 GIG ram
ATI 9600 PRO AGP( Made by Sapphire )
Monitor Settings 60hertz (can go up to 75)
DirectX Version 9.0C (4.09.0000.0904)
2D Version 6.14.10.6575
Display Driver Version 8.18-050914a 1-027256C-ATI
Control Panel Version 6.14.10.5168

 

[Amniotic]

9600Pro eh?

Heh, at least I got to see the game last night. It looked completely sweet.

I have a brand new x800 XL that it won't run on. That replaced a 9800 PRO. When it didn't run on my brother's 9600PRO, I gave him the 9800, and lo! it ran. How bizarre.

Of course, all of these cards are running on Cat 5.10, Windows XP sp2, and the newest DX9.0c files I can find.

 

[Tritan]

Same error for me, so add me to the list of the "few" it wont run for.

AGP x800 pro 256 meg

I have tried every suggestion I have found on every board I can find. No joy.

 

[Brommel]

DOgg73, nice specs, its not your computer, its a programming issue, the game is having problems with ATI's drivers and direct x. I think actually its a multifaceted problem. Uninstalling the drivers won't fix the problem, I think there is only a few solutions and none make me all too happy.

1. Buy a different video card (non ati)
2. wait for the developers to develop a patch

 

[Brommel]

I looked around the net for people who have experienced the same problem with different games and it seems that the same exact problems have happened when you have a ati 7200 or lower, but whats weird is this is not the case, most have a 7200 or higher.

 

[Decronicus]

Here is what burns me. The minimum system requirements state:

"64 MB graphics card with Hardware T&L (GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better)"

The suspect cards fall into the Radeon 7500 or better range. We're not just having trouble with some video card. We're having trouble with cards that were specifically recommended to run this game. I'm not one of them, but I've seen several posts by people who said they upgraded specifically for civ4.

Now something a little more constructive. As I said yesterday, I'm no tech support expert, but I think what happened to me eliminates Directx as the problem.

-Started with a Powercolor Radeon 9600 and got the same error.
-Swapped it out for a geforce 4 MX440 and the game launched.

Now the card doesn't support T&L so most of the textures, namely the terrain, were black and I still can't play, but doesn't that point the finger directly to the ATI card as opposed to some other variable?

I let the civ4 cd reinstall DirectX when I installed the game, but reinstalled it from the civ4 cd again to no avail. I also uninstalled cat 5.8 and installed cat 5.10, also to no avail. I'm now considering a complete system wipe. Hope this helps.

 

[Brommel]

don't do a system wipe, its unlikey that it fix it, and it will just cost you time and effort.

 

[Amniotic]

I'm now considering a complete system wipe. Hope this helps.

Hey man, you should hold off on that unless you were planning to do it anyway. I remember only one post saying that it worked, and many saying that it didn't. Chill for a bit. We all want to play, but a system wipe is just making a headache into a migraine.

 

[tromp10]

-Started with a Powercolor Radeon 9600 and got the same error.
-Swapped it out for a geforce 4 MX440 and the game launched.

Soweit ich obiges Zitat verstehe, soll man also die Radeon gegen eine G-Force 4 austauschen? OK, eine G-Force 4 mit 64 Mb hab ich zu Hause noch auf Lager liegen. Wird heut abend gleich ausgetauscht. Ich werd über dies die Radeon auf den Müll schmeißen und mir eine vernünftige Grafikkarte mit N-Vidia-Chipsatz kaufen. Hier steht bestimmt irgentwo die Lösung drinn, aber das ist zu viel zum übersetzen und meißt kenn ich gerade mal ein Wort im englischen Satz. Das bringt mich nicht weiter.

viele Grüße in die Staaten aus Deutschland!

tromp10

 

[pinkunicorn]

got a Nvicia GeForce FX 5200
anybody any idea if this is gonna work?
game should arrive any day now... can't wait to play

@tromp10
na, etwas englishkenntnisse sollte amn haben wenn man in einem americ. forum posted

 

[brianh99]

Can someone who has the game working post what version of DirectX they have installed? I understand that the DirectX that comes with the game needs to be installed.

I don't have the game yet, but have DirectX Version 9.0C (4.09.0000.0904).
Others who are having problems show that that same version which doesn't seem right.

 

[cheese06]

Works for me
X800 Pro 256mb
1 gig ram
AMD ATHLON 64 2800+
Cat 5.10a
but then again i think x800 pro's are one of the few cards that it works on?
DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

 

[RickJay]

I'll hold you to that.

Well, we're halfway through the business day and there's been no official word from Firaxis all day; the support web site doesn't even mention the existence of the problem.

Still guessing on today for a fix? I'll still applaud if it comes out, but the odds aren't lookin' good.

 

[brianh99]

If you have to install the DirectX that comes with the game, but the version doesn't change how would you know that DirectX installed correctly?

 

[qu1etus]

can you manually update with the files on the disc?