Error Message "Error Initializing Direct Sound" Occurs When Starting DirectX

Symptoms

When you start the DirectX program, you may receive the following error message:

Cause

This behavior can occur if your sound card or the sound card device driver that is currently installed on your computer does not fully support DirectX hardware acceleration.

Resolution

To resolve this behavior, reduce the sound card hardware acceleration setting:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Multimedia.

3. Click the Audio tab, and then in the Playback section, click Advanced Properties.

4. Click the Performance tab, move the Hardware acceleration slider one notch to the left of Full (the standard acceleration setting), click OK, and then click OK again.

If the issue continues to occur, repeat these steps to move the Hardware acceleration slider one notch to the right of None (the basic acceleration setting).

NOTE: Do not move the slider all the way to None.

If you still receive the error, verify that your sound card supports DirectSound acceleration. To determine if your sound card supports DirectSound acceleration, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. Type dxdiag.exe, and then click OK.

3. Click the Sound tab, and then click the Test DirectSound button.

If the test does not work, contact the manufacturer of your sound card and inquire about how to obtain and install the latest version of the sound card driver for your sound card.