Need Help With Errors...I'm A N00b :/

[CasperTheProdigy]

Okay, so i'm lame with computers, and i'm new to Project 64.
I'd really like to use it, but every time i try to, it gives me errors, which i've seen posted about on this site, but not one of them gave me a working answer.
Error 1:
Direct3D failed to initialize. Error Code: 8876086A D3DERR_NOTAVAILABLE

Error 2:
The default or selected video plugin is missing or invalid. Check that you have at least one compatible plugin file in your plugin folder.

The it brings up the setting tab. I've checked my directories, which all go to where my plugins are. I've checked to make sure that i have all the plugins that come with P64. I've uninstalled, deleted, and redownloaded P64. It still came up with the same messages. I've downloaded DirectX9 and it didn't help anything, either.

Computer Specs:

System:
Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Computer:
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor
3800+
2.39 GHz, 960 MB of RAM
Physical Address Extension


Any and ALL help would be appreciated greatly.

[HatCat]

Well I'll try to put an end to your frustration.

Originally Posted by CasperTheProdigy

Error 1:
Direct3D failed to initialize. Error Code: 8876086A D3DERR_NOTAVAILABLE

Error 2:
The default or selected video plugin is missing or invalid. Check that you have at least one compatible plugin file in your plugin folder.

The first error is notifying you of a graphics-processing unit's incompatibility with your graphics hardware or drivers.

The second error is telling you how one of the graphics-processing units couldn't initialize, but the first error from before is telling you why. Thus both of these messages are fixed at the same time; to fix one is to fix the other.

Only the first error tells you how it can be fixed though, by mentioning older-class or otherwise insufficient graphics processing power--due to two possible factors.

• Your graphics card or the hardware installed to your computer
• The software drivers used by graphics card

To upgrade the first usually is to buy an upgrade to your computer from somewhere, but maybe you want to try updating just the drivers it uses first to see if that gets Project64 working.

Either way, you should know what your graphics card is first.
So what is that? Do you know how to tell?

[Mustang5Point0]

Exactly what kind of Graphics card do you have? If it's some kind of onboard shared memory setup, then forget it. Those setups are garbage. For your system, see if you can find an AGP 8x card, or PCI-E if it has the slot.

If it's an ATI Radeon or VisionTek , I'd reccomend you look for a custom set of Omega drivers. ATI's display drivers and Catalyst software sucks horribly. When I finally found the Omega driver pack and installed them, boy did that make a huge difference. It was like night and day. I had a LOT of emulator crashes and errors before this. Omega is another set of drivers not made by ATI, not affiliated with them in any way. Its to fix what ATI breaks.

Nvidia card, just go to their website and search for the latest display driver for your specific card. It usually fixes many problems with certain games not working, display corruption , compatibility issues etc.