2d graphics fail with DirectDraw error message

[Comark Corp]

Hello, I am testing a Supermicro PDSME+ board http://www.supermicro.com/products/m...ME+.cfm?typ=PD
and the following error message is occurring: “Hardware-only DirectDraw object creation not possible” Subsequent tests yield a “Not enough memory for the test” error message until I close and restart BurnInTest.
System has the following characteristics:

Windows 2000 SP4
512MB memory
Version 5.1 build 1012 of BurnInTest
Pentium D 920 processor.

Note that the ES1000 video controller has 16MB of memory, and I have enabled maximum acceleration in the video controller properties. (The default is at mid scale, but the same errors occur.)

Thanks for your help.

[David (PassMark)]

The message "Hardware-only DirectDraw object creation not possible" corresponds to the DirectX error code, DDERR_NODIRECTDRAWHW.

DirectX returns this error code if hardware support is not available in the video card for the required DirectX function. (e.g. creating a texture surface).

One reason for this is that Direct Draw is not enabled on the machine. It can be enabled and disabled from the Display tab in the Microsoft DxDaig.exe tool (which comes with DirectX).

Another reason is that you don't have the correct drivers for your video card. Or the video drivers don't support DirectX.

Also on Windows server O/S's. Hardware acceleration is turned off by default. You can turn it back on from the Windows control panel.

The 2D test requires a certain amount of free video RAM to be able to run the test. Some of your video RAM will be used for your display. (e.g. up to 8MB for typical resolutions, more for multi-display systems). Some video cards also share main RAM. In this case the amount of video RAM on the card itself might be very limited. There is a check box in BurnInTest on the 2D graphics tab of the preferences window, that can allow you to use, or not to use, the main shared RAM.

As to why the behaviour changes after the initial error. I don't know. We'll have a look at this in more detail. But fixing this will not solve your problem.

[Comark Corp]

Hello,
direct draw is enabled, and testing the function with dxdiag.exe seems to work ok: boxes, lines, etc. From the same menu, Direct3D acceleration is listed as "not available", yet when I test Direct3D I see the spinning cube.
This is Windows 2000 SP4, so it can't be the server issue, and, as I said, I enabled acceleration to maximum on the slider. The on-board ATI ES1000 has 16MB of it's own video (not shared) Everything seems OK in device manager, and ATI driver. I tried decreasing the desktop to 800x600 16 bit, and that made no difference. I also tried the check box to test only local video memory. Still no luck. Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks again.

[Comark Corp]

Hello,
direct draw is enabled, and testing the function with dxdiag.exe seems to work ok: boxes, lines, etc. From the same menu, Direct3D acceleration is listed as "not available", yet when I test Direct3D I see the spinning cube.
This is Windows 2000 SP4, so it can't be the server issue, and, as I said, I enabled acceleration to maximum on the slider. The on-board ATI ES1000 has 16MB of it's own video (not shared) Everything seems OK in device manager, and ATI driver. I tried decreasing the desktop to 800x600 16 bit, and that made no difference. I also tried the check box to test only local video memory. Still no luck. Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks again.

So... ? Any ideas?

Thanks.

[David (PassMark)]

If Direct3D acceleration is listed as "not available" then DirectX is most likely doing software emulation of the hardware 3D operations. While this is enough to see a spinning 3D cube. It doesn't allow hardware testing.

I am sure that you you install a current 3D game on this PC, it will fail to run.