Directx Diagnostic tool locks my machine?

[GokuFurinji]

It had to happen!

I install a new hard disk, ghost my old disk onto it, reboot and *CRASH* WinME locks up EVERYTIME I run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool or load a Game that uses DirectX!

Yet it never did this BEFORE I installed the new drive?

I reinstall DX8a, reinstall my Voodoo 2 drivers (last 3DFX release) and still the ******** thing won't work! Even in SAFE MODE it locks up??

Norton DD is ok on the new drive, no errors!

How do I troubleshoot DirectX problems when the tool to help diagnose them causes problems? 'Circle' and 'Vicious' spring to mind!!

<b>BILL GATES STOP LAUGHING!!</b>

 

[NickM]

<font color=red>"I install a new hard disk, ghost my old disk onto it, reboot and *CRASH* WinME locks up..."

</font color=red>
The Ghost is a good tool, always worked fine on me. I did it many times, always successfully, even on a smaller partition/drive with overwriting the size.

No exclamation marks in Device Manager?

Just asking because as P.Norton noted [Maximazing Windows 98 Administration. SAMS, ISBN 0-672-31218-2, p. 44], "<font color=blue><i>...however, there’s a limitation... even for Ghost with Win98 on an identical machine.... After the Ghost clone installation is completed, Win98, on its first boot inevitably finds some new device to find. The cloned installation will only rarely avoid this problem.</i></font color=blue>"

 

[GokuFurinji]

No, Device Manager was clean! All the hardware seemed to be intact, it's just when I launch any DirectX game the system locks or when running Directx Diagnostics! EVERYTHING else I try runs fine, Internet, mail, non-game software, (A reinstall of WinME methinks!)

If I run games in SOFTWARE mode (for them that allow it) there is no problem, except that they look like a bloody PSX!

Like I said, I reinstalled DirectX 8a/Voodoo drivers but still no luck, ran Norton WinDoctor, had 5 problems but not DirectX or Video related, so still nothing to identify a problem!

Looks like employing the power of my 'Left Eye' ! (For those who have seen the Anime - Goku: Midnight Eye)!!

 

[GokuFurinji]

Well, my 'Left Eye' has discovered un-installing my 3DFX drivers (v2-w9x-dx7-retail-3.02.02) allows DirectX Diagnostics to run?

So it's my 3DFX drivers causing the problem, WHY? They worked perfectly before swapping Hard Drives, so why do they now screw my system up when, in essence, only the Hard Drive has changed? Why does Windows break so easy?

Boy! I'm glad MICROSOFT don't make <b>CONDOMS!</b>

 

[GokuFurinji]

Solved the problem!

After totally deleting and re-installing WinME from scratch, EXACTLY the same problem reappeared??? YOU ARE JOKING I thought!!

However, on removing one of my VooDoo2 cards (I run 2 VooDoo2 cards in SLI mode) and rebooting, the problem disappeared? Faulty VooDoo2 card? So I re-seated it back in the PC, re-connected it to the second VooDoo2 card and rebooted! No lockup? Reinstalled the VooDoo2 driver for it (WinME found it as 'Other Device') ran DirectX Diagnostics, no lockup? Problem solved!!

Either the card had been dislodged and wasn't in the slot correctly, or it needed to be removed/reinserted so WinMe could re-detect it, very strange!