When I reformatted this pc I dowloaded pc tools which sorts out the registry and also driver detective. Both have made the machine work a lot faster than I've ever experienced and also fixed problems I didn't even know I had. However, whereas we used to have no problems playing a particular game, now we get the messages:- 'Direct 3D functionality not available. You should verify that the driver is a final version from the hardware manufacturer.' When cliked on OK it then says:- 'Could not initialize graphic system.' This is a download game and not disc. Grey

What video card do you have in your system? Did you download the updated drivers for that? If you don't know what video card you have, what's the make and model of the PC? "So won’t you give this man his wings What a shame To have to beg you to see We’re not all the same What a shame" - Shinedown

Don't fix what ain't broke. You obviously have removed a registry entry that was needed. IMO those types of programs are not something I would recommend. If you performed these operations recently then try performing a system restore to a date prior to running those utilities.

Heck. Well I dunno. Look, I'm a disabled guy reaching my 60's without too much experience with computers, although I've always had a yen for them and an excitement, even in the zx81 and spectrum years. Thing is Jennifer I had the option to buy this really cheap pc from a disabled charity in the hope that I could get back into employment. That mbition is still ongoing. However the pc, although pretty good to what I'd had previously (I reckon it was my first 'real one') was an old casing with no identification markings with, I guess, a load of new gubbings. So make and model is tad unknown. Sorry for that. OtheHill. No, No NO! There is no way I want to do a system restore. Since I downloaded these drs and tools the pc has run better than I've ever known it. On movies I now have talkies for chrissakes! And even then I just wouldn't know which bit to put back. I guess the games just aren't so important as the speed and agility at which this thing now performs. OtheHill. I guess that's an indication that you must be over 30 and feeling over the hill. Look, I'm bloody 58 and struggling to keep up, let alone bloody mobile phones with all that bloody technology. A phone is a phone, aint it? Well at least that's what I bought it for, and now I find my kids have phones more powerful than what I consider is my speed machine. Sheesh! Greybites

Greylights, hang in there I will be 65 next month and learning every day. You computer is probably running faster because you cleaned out junk. I can't say I ever saw a registry that was so bloated it slowed down the computer. Try taking Jennifer's advice. You can determine your hardware by the use of scan utilities. My current favorite is SIW.exe. This freeware utility will tell you everything about your hardware and software. Once you find what graphics card/chip is in your computer post back and we can provide a link to download the drivers. To keep your system clean and also occasionally clean the registry, try CCleaner. There are 4 modules. the cleaner module can be used daily or even more. The registry module after software install/uninstall. Get SIW.exe by clicking the link below. http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download... http://www.ccleaner.com/