Game refuses to run...

[bshock727]

My system exceeds the minimum requirements and I have the latest video drivers and Direct X. I've reinstalled everything 3 times now and still teh game refuses to run.

Anyone else having this problem?

'Failed to initalize render / Check DirectX version and your graphic settings.'

 

[crazybeard]

Moderator - please delete

 

[aggieweather]

sounds like your graphics card doesn't run it.

 

[bshock727]

Apparently the labels were switched on the CDs. Put the other one in.

Yeah, I noticed that. That's not the problem.

 

[OHN]

If you are using any costum settings for AA or AF on your vidcard try setting them back to defaults, that sometimes can screw up starting games.

OHN

 

[obscurereferenc]

Which graphics card are you using?

 

[bshock727]

sounds like your graphics card doesn't run it.

I'd hope a Radeon 9600 runs it, considering the minimum requirement on the box is a Geforce 2/Radeon 7500.

 

[Kazper]

Could be a number of issues.

Maybe you have Direct 3D disabled in your DirectX settings.

Try going: "Start" -> "Run" -> "dxdiag" -> "ok" -> "Display"

And check what it says under DirectX Features.

Also as another said you might have used a program to force your gfx card to use specific settings for eg. AA which might be messing up.

Finally your driver might just be b0rked.

 

[alfeas]

Having the same problem as the orignal poster.

Radeon 9550, 2.1ghz, 1gig ram

 

[bshock727]

Anyone know a site with archived Cataylst drivers? ATI only allows you to download the latest drivers which apparently don't work.

 

[Elhoim]

I always had trouble with ATI...

Changed back to nvidia a few months ago...

 

[ljknight 5]

i have the same problem, i have an nvidia though and well over system requirements

 

[stargatefan]

Try guru3d.com for driver archives.... it's possible that newer drivers are just incompatible with Civ 4... that's ATI or NVIDIA's fault, not Firaxis...

 

[Aedwild]

Have the same problem too...
Our numbers seem to be growing... and the common link is our ATI video card (regardless of make/model).

Check out the Support forum here -- we will soon be in the dozens! Eeps!

 

[oldStatesman]

To check out your Direct X config, in XP run the dxdiag.exe in the
%systemroot%/system32 folder.

 

[Kazper]

Have the same problem too...
Our numbers seem to be growing... and the common link is our ATI video card (regardless of make/model).

i have the same problem, i have an nvidia though and well over system requirements

No - it's not about the ATI cards.

 

[Varelse]

So the tech tree is in French, the CD labels are mixed up and it won't run on ATI cards(which I have!). I thought this game was supposed to be polished? Sounds like they're using union labor to me. he he he

My Civ4 better work with my Radeon 9800 Pro or heads will roll!

 

[CdGGambit]

Could be your motherboard drivers forcing the card to run in 1x or software mode. Go to your motherboard's webpage and get the latest drivers for the chipset if all else fails. This happened to me years ago when I was running a 9600. The drivers for the card were installed, but for some reason my motherboard was running the card without agp support.

You can check this by going to Display->Settings->Advanced and under one of the tabs there (I forget now, and can't check since I have a geforce 6600gt) should be an option for setting the AGP as well as fast write / read. If it's running at what it's supposed to 4x or 8x depending on your computer, then you don't need to update mobo drivers.

 

[dunno]

Actually, on the ATi website, you can actually get the older drivers. On the driver download page, on the left frame, expand until you see Radeon for WinXP. There's another option under that which allows you to download drivers up to 5.7 old. But there's also another way to get all the way to 5.0, but I forgot how. Either way, try that and see how it goes.

 

[bshock727]

Could be your motherboard drivers forcing the card to run in 1x or software mode. Go to your motherboard's webpage and get the latest drivers for the chipset if all else fails. This happened to me years ago when I was running a 9600. The drivers for the card were installed, but for some reason my motherboard was running the card without agp support.

You can check this by going to Display->Settings->Advanced and under one of the tabs there (I forget now, and can't check since I have a geforce 6600gt) should be an option for setting the AGP as well as fast write / read. If it's running at what it's supposed to 4x or 8x depending on your computer, then you don't need to update mobo drivers.

Yep, I've already checked all that. Everything is set as it should be. So far I've tried 5.10, 5.9, and 5.8 with no luck. Off to try 5.7