Problem with Age of Empires II

After install Age of Empires II, i try to play, but it not run and the
message is: "Could not initialize graphics system. Make sure that your video
card and driver are compatible with DirectDraw"
My Pc is new, i have a good ATI card and i try with the solutions proposed
in this link without any result:
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...2902&x=22&y=12

Can anyone help me, please??!! :s

Its possible this is AOEII's way of reporting missing DirectX components.
Try going to www.microsoft.com/directx and clicking the download button.
This will install DirectX 9.0c on your system. It will NOT interfere with
the normal DirectX10 you got with Vista. What it will do is add some missing
pieces that MS didn't include with DirectX10.

Make sure you have the newest ATI drivers (http://ati.amd.com), and try
installing DX 9 (you can get it off the MS site, or it may be included on
the AoE2 CD).

i have the same problem an i also cant find any solution. i went to google
and i saw a forum post by someone how has saying he has having problems in
multiplayer mode, to have this problems he should be able to start the game
he also sead he has using vista home premium. if find any solution let me
know please

were can i find direct x 9 for vista? when i go to your link it gives me the
direct X 10.
please help me again because i am a complete pc noob.

i have already instaled direct x 9 but the problem continues.


As soon as i start a game and the map appears, the scroll box automatically
starts climbing to the top of the screen. i switched out keyboards to see if
a button was stuck; didnt work. my mouse seems operational. are there any
software problems that could be responsible for this? if anybody can help,
plz email me

I have the same problem, I tried to solve it with your suggestion but
it doesn't work for me, please help me.

I extracted the files of the zip to my desktop after that i copied them
to my aoeii directory but it doesn't work, I'm following the steps
correctly?

Please answer me.

2: that you are extracting all 3 files to both the age of empires
directory and the subdirectory created by conquerors.

If this is the case you may not have the specific Permissions to
initiate Direct3D under your system so i would suggest selecting Run as
Administrator" under the file options.

see if that helps

Thank you for answer me, I have many time without solve this problem,
sice I changed my ati radeon x1950 pro to my geforce 8800 gt.

1. Yes, that is my problem. ("Could not initialize graphics system.
Make sure that your video card and driver are compatible with
DirectDraw" error message when you start Age of Empires II), sometimes
appear that message but other times starts the presentation of the game
and then appear a black screen and when I move my mouse appear many
diferent colors.

2. I can't extract the files directly to my game's directory. so i had
to extract them to my desktop and then i copied them to the games,
should be work??

I have a geforce 8800 gt, original windows vista and the game is also
original.

Thank you.

I already fixed this problem, only installing the below file...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

What the dickens are you on about??? You've snipped out all the history of
this thread so all it sounds like is, based on the subject line, that you
want a problem posting....

Has anyone found the solution yet ?!
I was able to play the game fine on a low spec win98 PC with a simple
Riva TNT 64 (does any one remember these??) and unable to do so on my
much higher spec winXP laptop with an ATI X1400 ...

really frustrating

Age of nations, AoE III and the rest are all ok ...
Just AoE II doesn't work ...

You bet I have directDraw!!
(dxdiag performed wonderfully!)

I even tried the stupid suggestions in MS Knowledge base ... of course
they didn't work ...

any help is appreciated ... i really miss this game!

oh sorry, i'm spanish and i haven't understand you:o

i have the same problem as everyone, i have a new toshiba laptop with a
ati mobility radeon hd2600 with all ok, new drivers, last directx and
all these things, i have tried a lot of things, i have searched the
problem in three different languages in google for more results but
nothing, everytime the same message, so what can we do? i hope i have
tell all correctly

what to do? For a start, tell us WHAT the problem is! "The same problem as
everyone" is, you'll have to admit, rather all-encompassing....

my problem is when i run age of empires ii, a message says "Could not
initialize graphics system. Make sure that your video card and driver
are compatible with DirectDraw"

It would help if you didn't snip out your original post, containing details
of the problem:

"my problem is when i run age of empires ii, a message says "Could not
initialize graphics system. Make sure that your video card and driver are
compatible with DirectDraw""

Just to post "nothing?" is begging to be ignored....

I don't run Vista but like lurking in this group just for kicks.... My
immediate thought would be: well, have you checked that your video card and
driver are compatible with DirectDraw?