Troubleshooting Guide to Support New DirectX 9.0b Upgrade

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Troubleshooting Guide to Support New DirectX 9.0b Upgrade
If you are having trouble running EverQuest since the new graphics engine patch on 3/23/04 it may be due to system configuration problems. This guide is intended to help you reconfigure your computer to run EverQuest better after the new graphics engine patch.
Certain steps in this guide will assume some familiarity with the type of PC hardware you are using.

If you are unsure what type of hardware you are using you can refer to the Direct X diagnostics tool for more information. Click the windows "Start" button, select "Run", and type "dxdiag" into the box. When you click "Ok" the Direct X diagnostics utility will launch. You can browse the various tabs of this utility to obtain more information about your computer.

You might also wish to ask someone more knowledgeable in your area about your computer hardware if you're unsure.

Please follow this guide section by section, attempting each fix if it applies to your situation. You may wish to print this guide out ahead of time for future reference.

1) Close Background Applications

Unnecessary background applications can be responsible for a number of performance issues including but not limited to crashing, error messages, and poor performance.

It is recommended that you use the following steps to close your background applications.

For Windows XP:

Open the "Start" menu and select "Run"
Type "msconfig" and press ok.
Select the "Startup" tab and choose "Disable All".
Choose "Apply" and click "Ok".
Allow your computer to restart.
Please note that upon startup you'll receive a System Configuration Utility message. You can check it if you don't want the message to reappear each time you start Windows.

For Windows 98 and ME:

Open the "Start" menu and select "Run"
Type "msconfig" and press ok.
Select the "Startup" tab and uncheck everything except for "systray" and "scan registry".
Click "Ok" and allow your computer to restart.

2) Uninstall your current video drivers for your supported video card.**

**(Note: Regarding Supported Video Cards. The video cards located at http://eqlive.station.sony.com/support/ ... _video.jsp represent our supported video cards. If your video card does not appear on this list EverQuest may be having trouble operating correctly on your computer due to your unsupported hardware. DO NOT follow this step unless you are positive that you are able to locate drivers for your unsupported video card from your video card manufacturer. You may wish to follow these steps, but please keep in mind that we can make no guarantee if these steps will help you.)

To ensure that our recommended drivers install correctly with the right version of Direct X and no lingering problems caused by remnants of previous driver installations we recommend uninstalling your current video drivers.

For supported ATi video cards: ATi provides a driver removal program to help you do this.

Please refer to http://www.ati.com/support/drivers/misc/catalystutils.html for more information.
For supported Nvidia video cards or other supported video cards: Use add/remove programs to uninstall your drivers.

Click "Start," go to "Control Panel," and select "Add/Remove Programs."
Locate your driver installation on that list and click "Remove."

3) Update or Reinstall DirectX 9.0b

EverQuest now requires the use of Direct X 9.0b. If you are using a previous version of Direct X, please update now.

There may have been an issue with your previous installation of Direct X, so we also recommend a reinstall of Direct X if you have not already followed the steps of this guide.

To download Direct X 9.0b please visit http://www.microsoft.com/directx
If you previously have installed Direct X 9.0b, do not worry - Direct X 9.0b can be immediately reinstalled over itself.

4) Reinstall our recommended video drivers for your supported video card.

Out of date drivers or drivers that have been installed over a corrupted older driver installation can cause EverQuest to encounter problems.

Please visit http://eqlive.station.sony.com/support/ ... _video.jsp for a list of links to our recommended video driver versions for your supported video card.
Note: If your video card does not appear on this list EverQuest may be having trouble operating correctly on your computer due to your unsupported hardware. You should attempt to locate drivers for your unsupported video card from your video card manufacturer. You may wish to follow this step, but please keep in mind that your video card is not supported and may not work with EverQuest.

5) Delete a few EverQuest client files and folders from your EverQuest directory.

Quite often your EverQuest client files and folders can become corrupted, or set with incorrect information. If you delete these files and folders they will be automatically recreated the next time you play EverQuest. Keep in mind that any information saved in these files and folders will be erased. If you have any client settings that you must save you might consider backing up these files and folders to a temporary folder on your desktop rather than deleting them.

Please delete the following files or folders from your EverQuest directory:

the uifiles folder
userdata folder
eqclient.ini
eqmain.dll
eqgame.exe
eqgfx_dx8.dll
EQGraphicsDX9.dll
all files named after your characters
any other character name files that start with UI__##.ini
To do this, please follow these directions:

First look for your EverQuest directory. You can find your EverQuest Directory in these 2 likely locations: Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\SONY\EVERQUEST Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\EVERQUEST
Next look for any files explained above and delete them.

6) Use our minimal configuration eqclient.ini file.

We have prepared an eqclient.ini file with settings for a minimal configuration of EverQuest. This should allow EverQuest to run with a minimal configuration to correct crashing and performance issues.

Minimal Configuration eqclient.ini

Place this eqclient.ini file in your EverQuest directory. You can find your EverQuest Directory in these 2 likely locations:
Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\SONY\EVERQUEST
Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\EVERQUEST
If you place this file into your EverQuest directory and are asked to overwrite an existing file, please select "Yes." (Although if you are following the steps of this guide item by item, you should not be prompted to overwrite eqclient.ini, as it should have been deleted in the previous step.)

7) Perform a virus scan.

Viruses on your computer may cause EverQuest to run incorrectly.

We recommend that you use the updated free online virus scan located at http://www.housecall.antivirus.com
Click the "Scan Now" link and follow the prompts.

8) Stop using 3rd party client programs or parsing programs.

Programs such as EQWindows and EQPlayNice, and parsing programs are not supported by EverQuest and may lead to errors. If you are using any 3rd party program or utility to assist you in playing EverQuest, please uninstall or stop using this software now.

9) Update your Motherboard Drivers.

If you do not know what type of motherboard you are using, please stop now and consult with your computer manufacturer, your motherboard manufacturer, or a local technician to verify the exact type of motherboard you are using.

Once you are sure you know the type of motherboard you are using, please refer to your motherboard manufacturer's website for updated motherboard drivers.

A few common chipset manufacturer's websites:

For Via-tech Motherboards: http://www.viaarena.com
For SiS Motherboards: http://www.sis.com
Once again: if you are unsure what type of motherboard you are using, please refer to your motherboard manufacturer, computer manufacturer or a local technician for assistance.

10) If you encounter performance issues in a Planes of Power zone...

If you encounter performance issues in a Planes of Power zone such as the plane of tranquility, please be aware that we are currently investigating these issues. For the time being you may wish to avoid these zones.

11) If you encounter disappearing walls, ground, trees, rocks or other objects...

Please make some changes to your eqclient.ini file to correct this problem.

First look for the eqclient.ini file in your EverQuest directory. You can find your eqclient.ini in these 2 likely locations: Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\SONY\EVERQUEST\\EQCLIENT.INI Click on MY COMPUTER\C:DRIVE\PROGRAM FILES\\EVERQUEST\EQCLIENT.INI
Once your eqclient.ini file has been opened, add a new line to the "[Defaults]" section that says:

HardwareTnL=FALSE
If adding that line does not correct this issue:

Please add another new line to the "[Defaults]" section that says:

VertexShaders=FALSE
Thank you for following the steps of this guide. After following the above steps you should be able to play EverQuest correctly. If you continue to encounter problems, do not worry - the steps you have just taken have made it infinitely easier for our customer service agents to assist you.[/url]