Article ID: 311805
Article Last Modified on 3/2/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
This article was previously published under Q311805
SYMPTOMS
When you try to view a Web page or start a program that requires Microsoft DirectX or one of the DirectX components, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:
Note that this error message may describe DirectX or a DirectX component such as Microsoft DirectDraw.
CAUSE
This behavior may occur if all the following conditions exist:
- You installed a Beta version of DirectX or one of the DirectX components.
- The trial period of the Beta version of DirectX has expired.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior:
- Obtain and install the current version of DirectX. For information about how to do so, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
- Test to determine if the behavior is resolved. If the behavior is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the behavior is not resolved, go to the next step.
- To remove the Beta version of DirectX from your computer, perform an in-place upgrade of your operating system. This restores DirectX to the version that is included with your operating system. After you do so, complete step 1 to install the current version of DirectX. Microsoft recommends that you back up your files and settings before you perform an in-place upgrade of your operating system. For additional information about how to perform an in-place upgrade of your operating system, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
315341 How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
292175 How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
- Test to determine if the behavior is resolved. If the behavior is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the behavior is not resolved, go to the next step.
- Manually remove the DirectX files:
Warning This method may not work on your computer.- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type dxdiag.exe, and then press ENTER.
- On the DirectX Files tab, find the files that are marked Beta in the Attributes column, and then write down these file names.
- Click Save All Information to save a text file of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (Dxdiag.exe) file information. You may want to print this file for use in step f.
- Click Exit to quit Dxdiag.exe.
- Search for the Beta files that you noted in step c, and then rename each file with the .old extension.
- Complete step 1 to install the current version of DirectX.
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
Keywords: kbenv kberrmsg kbprb KB311805