Installing Problem

Well i recently got a new hard drive to make my computer run faster, and when i got it back all my games where off... now i reinstalled it but whenever it starts loading an error pops up and says

"Unable to initialize 3D output. Please verify that you have installed DirectX 8 and an updated video driver.

clicke the URL below to open a web page with more information"

Then i downloaded DirectX 10 becuase it was the most recent DirectX program. So i tried opening GW up again and the same message popped up.

What do I do?

DirectX 10 only works on Windows Vista. DirectX 9 is the latest for Windows XP.

What version of Windows are you running? We're assuming XP...

What steps did you take when you installed this new HDD? Did you totally replace your existing drive, or is the new one installed as a secondary? If the former, did you reinstall Windows complete with service pack(s)? If the latter, did you install the new drive as a slave on the same channel as the existing drive or is it a nice SATA jobbie?

Lots of potential pitfalls there, not all of which could create the problem that you're experiencing, but troublesome nonetheless.

I am running XP. And i had to reinstal windows with the service packs yes.

So Windows XP, latest operable version of DirectX is 9.0c

You've re-installed Guild Wars with defaults, i.e. c:\Program Files\Guild Wars and are running gw.exe from there? There's a separate thread where someone moved the executable to the desktop instead of creating a shortcut - gw.exe likes to be in the company of all its bits and bobs.

Apologies if any of these statements sound condescending - always best to eliminate possibilities, no matter how obvious

Now i installed the DirectX 9.0c and the same message pops up when i try to load GW

Reading your initial post, you say "when I got it back, all my games were off."

Does that infer that you sent it to a shop/manufacturer to install the new HDD? It sounds a bit odd - do you have problems with anything else since the new drive was installed, or is this another GW-only problem?

If it is just GW, start by uninstalling and then reinstalling it. Possible installation RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO-up.

That is normal it is a NEW hard drive how could your games magically go from your old hard drive to your new one, lol?

You also lose everything if you get your hard drive fixed-unless you want to pay around $600-$1000 to keep everything you had.

Did you install your video card driver? ~.-

Format HD -> Install Windows XP -> Install video drivers -> Install Windows XP service packs -> install DirectX 9.0c -> Install GW -> Play GW

make sure you have installed the chipset and graphics drivers before attempting to game.

if you don't know/can't find the drivers, either post your computer's exact specs, or tell us the model number (assuming it's a prebuilt PC) of your PC. i'll use my google-fu skillz and whip up the drivers for you.