RealFlight 9 Error Message

MikeT124

New member
I'm having difficulty getting my copy of RF-9 to run. It begins to load (looks like it gets bout 2/3 loaded the gets an error box:
Error: D3DERR_INVALID Call
File: DXEffect.cpp
Line: 850

With an "OK or "Cancel" option.

If I click "OK"

I get the exact same error but now on Line 910

If I click the error goes back to line: 850

I have tried numerous things with my system to resolve the problem but so far no luck.
I'm running it on a Dell XPS8700 system that is about 5 years old. It is a high speed large memory system that at the time of purchase I was using to develop database systems, so the graphics are not high end at all. I have checked with Dell on any updates and downloaded and installed the only one they recommended. It was a recent date stamp so I doubted it would help and it didn't.

I also have a recently purchased Dell laptop computer and after reading the RF-9 knowledge base I found I am allowed to load the simulator on two different machines. The load went well and the program works very well. My wife and I have been able to crash our planes several times. The graphics while fully acceptable are very small and the planes disappear often so we would very much like to get our main system up and running. I could really use some information on what the siulator is attempting to do when it errors out, this would help me to get at the problem and get it corrected.

BTW: both systems have been successfully registered and updated. Additionally I at first thought that the error was caused by my main system having weak video/graphiocs, but the laptop has the same driver at the same rev level, so now I doubting that a little. It still might be true, but I sure could use some confirmation.

Thanks, Mike
 
I'm pretty sure that's a DirectX error. There should be an installer on your RF DVD for DirectX9. Installing it should cure your problem.
 
I was not aware of that - I'm still running 8. I had a similar error when I installed it, and that was the fix.
I checked the specs on Mike's XPS8700, and it should have an i7-4770. The onboard video should be fine for RF. RF8 runs OK on my 1st gen i5 Dell laptop with onboard video, and the 4770's onboard graphics are much better.

Mike, have you tried just connecting an external monitor to your newer laptop to get a larger display?
 
Bill, No I haven't, the only other monitor I have is attached to my tower. I'll check the monitor cabling (monitor is about 10 years old maybe more) I don't think the laptop has an output to match the monitor cable connector. Just wanted to check for replies this morning as we'll be heading to Costco & Wally soon so I'll get back to this in the afternoon. Thanks for the help guys.

Mike
 
Does it have a Geforce GTX 660 video card? (quick google seems to indicate that it was so equipped). Go to https://www.geforce.com/drivers and install the latest driver from them. Dell tends stop providing most current drivers for some of the hardware used, after a few years. Otherwise, do the same for whatever make/model video it does have....
 
You didn't mention the make/model of your laptop & monitor. I recondition PC's for a living, & if you let me know what you've got I can let you know what you need. Assuming your laptop has an HDMI port, you can get an adapter (cheap) to convert it to DVI or VGA if those are the only inputs you have available on your 10y/o monitor.
 
Flapper I don't believe I have a Geforce video card. The video drivers come from Microsoft and it's a "Basic video driver VGA. The file is: 10.0.18362.693 Interestingly enough this same driver with the rev is in the laptop that works perfectly.

Bill thanks for your interest, The tower is a Dell XPS8700 It is pretty high end for processor and drive space. The processor is Intel i7-4790 CPU @ 3.60GHz, L2 Cache is 1024, memory is 16GB, Hard drive is 2TB with 1.8TB available. This is the machine that is erroring out.

The laptop also a Dell Inspiron 15 5000 series. can't remember for sure but I think a core i4 1.x GHz processor memory is whatever they put in it I didn't add any, 1TB hard drive. As I mentioned earlier it uses the same video driver that is in the tower machine. I'm not sure if it has an HDMI port on it, one of them looks exactly like an HDMI port on our TV so I guess it does. The thing is I'm not real inclined to move my monitor every time I want to run the simulator only to have to move it back when I need to run the tower. Buying another monitor is more than a little iffy right now.

My desire is to get the simulator running on the tower machine. All of the drivers on it are now up to date and RF9 has been reinstalled since the driver updates. Still exactly the same error.
 
"Basic video driver VGA" is the generic minimally functional driver Windows uses when it didn't detect a video driver for your specific hardware.
Check here for updated video drivers:
This web site shows specific drivers for 4 different video options. If your video connector is on the motherboard rather than an add-in card, the correct one is probably the one for Intel HD Graphics. Don't be afraid of it - if you download the wrong one, the installer will complain that it can't find the hardware.
 
Or, go to Control Panel, Device Manager, and look under "Display Adapters". It should name the make/model of what you have. From there we can help determine if there is a better driver for it. Very worst case - you end up buying a better video card. Doesn't have to be a most current, mega-horsepower one. For that machine, there are a bunch of what were top end cards a few years ago, that are now pretty inexpensive and will give great performance. Well, except for Virtual Reality.....
 
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I'm not sure if it has an HDMI port on it, one of them looks exactly like an HDMI port on our TV so I guess it does. The thing is I'm not real inclined to move my monitor every time I want to run the simulator only to have to move it back when I need to run the tower.
So get an HDMI cable & hook your laptop to your TV. :)
 
Thanks guys, I'll check and see if I have any video card and react as appropriate. Went to Control Panel, Device Manager - no Display Adapter listed in fact that heading wasn't listed. I'll check the inside of the machine and see what's wired to the display. I reply later on what I find. Went to Dell website, Parts and Accessories and found two VisionTek graphics cards, Radeon 5450 1GB (DVH, HDMI, VGA) $48, Radeon 5450 2GB (D-Sub, HDMI DVI) $69. I suspect that the $48 dollar one will probably be the one to use as I doubt the monitor has an HDMI input. Because of the fact that the laptop has the same video drivers and RF9 works on it I'm not totally convinced that a new graphics card will solve the problem. But I'll look inside the box and report back on both the vid card and monitor input(s). Thanks Again - Appreciate your help and input!

Mike
 
OK got it put back together and here are the search results.
First the monitor: Samsung Sync Master XL2270 one input 10 or 12 pin "D" connector.

The tower: Dell XPS8700 It does have a video board found a sticker on it: GTX745DE Z710A4 HF,
Stamped on the board: M302N GTX745 Made in China. The board has 3 outputs two "D" connectors (I'm using the smallest one) and it looks like one HDMI.

I'll check for any driver updates from Dell and GEForce, I'm assuming the GTX is a Geforce board.

Mike
 
Bill, you are correct, Dell had nothing for me to update. Went to GeForce and got the latest driver for my card installed it. Did a reboot (had to break for lunch) and RealFlight 9 is up and running. It's great to have it on a 22 inch screen instead of the 15" laptop screen. Wife and I will be enjoying it at least until we can get sufficient experience and get a plane and get out and actually fly one.

I want to thank everyone that helped me get the problem resolved. Thank you all!

Mike
 
I am getting the same error message but with a laptop. I have a HP Probook 650 G2. Does anyone know if RF Revolution will run on this pc?
 
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