Direct 3D not working

Look in Display Properties - Settings(tab) - Advanced(button) - Monitor(tab)
Be sure that the refresh rate is set at 75

Yeah its set to 75. I always make sure it is set whenever I do a graphics driver install.

If that's a dual-boot system, are you having the same problem in both Operating Systems? Did you install the Graphics Drivers under both Operating Systems? AND………. Did you just post a cool new "System's Spec" in your signature line? Or was I having one of those "Senior Moments"? Sorry if I was asking questions when the information was starring me right in the face.

Ahh no i just added those a few minutes ago to help with the diagnoses. And no actually I am using Vista to get my Lord of the Ring Online fix while I get XP sorted out. The reason I use XP is mostly for gaming since Vista is not to great with gameing. Well actually that was the plan anyway but since I put XP back on here I have not used Vista much cause I am just used to XP. Anyway I am rambling The answer is No DX works just fine in Vista.

Appears to me that the nVidia Forceware drivers for your Video card(s) are quite different for XP vs. Vista -32

Drivers for 8600GT -
XP - Version 169.21_forceware_Winxp_32bit_English_whql.exe - (file size) 43.8mb
Vista - 32 Version 169.25_forceware_Vista_32bit_English_whql.exe - (file size) 31.8mb

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Appears to me that the nVidia Forceware drivers for your Video card(s) are quite different for XP vs. Vista -32

Drivers for 8600GT -
XP - Version 169.21_forceware_Winxp_32bit_English_whql.exe - (file size) 43.8mb
Vista - 32 Version 169.25_forceware_Vista_32bit_English_whql.exe - (file size) 31.8mb

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Oh yeah I am not trying to mix the drivers. I have been using the one that is specified for each OS. The way they detect stuff i am not even sure you could install vista drivers on XP anymore.

You do have two of those 8600's, am I right?

If so, consider physically removing one of them, plus remove the bridge strip, and then:
Use the nVidia driver uninstall utility to remove the current copy of your graphics driver.
Then reinstall the nVidia driver.

You "should" get better video performance even with the single 8600.
After you've installed the driver for the single 8600, replace the connector bridge and insert the second 8600.
If should detect that already installed driver and function in tandem.

Well I tried that with each card and it was a bust This is very strange I have never run into anything like this before.

Now I'm really grasping at straws…… I wonder what would happen if you pulled two of your 1024 RAM sticks out? Obviously, with your 32-bit system the machine is only recognizing a little over two gigs. But I'm wondering "in ignorance" if the additional RAM is creating too many addresses, or some such esoteric thing? Worth a try and can't hurt.

Now I'm really grasping at straws……

I wonder what would happen if you pulled two of your 1024 RAM sticks out?
Obviously, with your 32-bit system the machine is only recognizing a little over two gigs.
But I'm wondering "in ignorance" if the additional RAM is creating too many addresses, or some such esoteric thing?
Worth a try and can't hurt.

Awesome, it worked with only 2 sticks in. I tried it again with 3 sticks and it failed again Can you think of any way to correct this? With 2 sticks I register the full 2gb of memory and with 3 sticks I show 2.5gb. This is very odd since it worked before my infection problem with all 4 sticks installed.

Oh my I feel so stupid. I have figured the problem out. After I got the new memory i looked up ways to have more of it recognized by the system. Well I added the /3GB switch and /userva **** switch to the boot.ini. Well I just thought about it and removed the switches and replaced all the memory. Well It worked all memory is installed and Direct 3D is working . I am so sorry i wasted you guys time with this.

Hey Sshadow, Good. Being puzzled about a machine not functioning is not a waste of time. Even if it turns out to be something you did yourself. Could you be more specific about the boot.ini script

Sure, ok my boot.ini reads like this now.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

I added /3GB and /USERVA 3030 to the end of this line

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer

Here is the link where I got the info for it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316739/

I suppose by now, you have put the fourth stick back in? DDR2 PC6400 dual-channel….. does it not require installation in matched sets? What a relief for you to have recalled the scripting you tried previously. Now you can "experiment" with it intentionally, or leave it off if all is working well. I don't like that the script appears to restrict kernel addressing to 1gig, leaving the remainder supposedly for other applications. I may be intuitively wrong, and I am certainly technically not familiar, but I'd sure don't see where "applications" would deserve that kind of favorable ratio.

Would you run a fresh PCPitstop Full test, just for grins please?

Here ya go

http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress.asp?id=4PEPSWW4Y3GSZF0G