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Combat Flight Simulator 3: Error Message: CFS3 Configuration Could Not Detect Any DirectX 8 Compatible Video Cards

Article ID: 812757 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

When you try to start Combat Flight Simulator 3, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

Error: CFS3 configuration could not detect any DirectX 8 compatible video cards. CFS3 requires a DirectX 8 compatible video card.

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CAUSE

This issue may occur if the hardware acceleration feature is either turned off or set too low. This issue may also occur if your video card does not have enough memory or is outdated.

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RESOLUTION

Method 1: Verify the Video Memory

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
Click the Display tab or the Display 1 tab.
Verify that Approx. Total Memory is set to 16 megabytes (MB) or greater. The video card must have at least 16 MB of memory for Combat Flight Simulator to function correctly. If the value is less than 16 MB, upgrade your video card. If this does not resolve the issue, go to the next method.

Method 2: Turn On the DirectDraw and Direct 3D Features

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool dialog box, click the Display or Display 1 tab.
In the DirectX Features pane, view the DirectDraw Acceleration and Direct3D Acceleration settings. If one or both of these values are not Enabled, click Enable, and then follow the on-screen instructions to turn on each feature. If this does not resolve this issue, go to the next method.

Note If these values are enabled, disable the settings, close the tool, and then again follow steps 1 through 4.

Method 3: Set Hardware Acceleration to Full

Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.
In the Appearance and Themes dialog box, click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.
Click the Troubleshoot tab.
Drag the Hardware Acceleration slider bar to Full.
Click OK two times. If this does not resolve this issue, go to the next method.

Method 4: Update Video Card Drivers

Contact your video hardware manufacturer to obtain and install the latest version of the driver for your video adapter. For information about how to contact the manufacturer of your video adapter or sound card, see the "References" section of this article. Or, visit the following Microsoft Windows Update Web site to determine whether applicable driver updates are available:

http://update.microsoft.com

(http://update.microsoft.com)

To identify the name and manufacturer of your video adapter:

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type dxdiag, and then click OK.
Click the Display tab.
Under Device, look for Name and Manufacturer. Click Exit.

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REFERENCES

For information about how to contact Video Card Manufacturer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors

(http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors)

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

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