dxsdk has real trouble installing itself, and you need to fix it manually.

for binaries compiled with common code for dx8.0 sdk, find (or create) this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX

under it, create a string value called

DX8SDK Samples Path

and set it to samples\multimedia path under wherever you have dxsdk installed. for me, it''s

d:\mssdk\samples\multimedia

for binaries compiled with common code for dx8.1 sdk, find or create this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX SDK

create a string value called

DX81SDK Samples Path

and set it to the same path as the above.

Wow, I''ve never had to do any of that (since 5.0beta) to get the samples working. I must just be lucky.

Then again I do always download the complete package or get the CDs so it may just be the componentized downloads which have a problem.


RegaRIP also asked:
*how do I turn the debug out on?*

1) When you install the SDK you get an option asking whether you want to install the Debug or Retail runtimes. Select Debug.

2) Go to the control panel and double click the DirectX icon. Each of the major DirectX components has a tab in the dialog box which appears - under each of those tabs is a slider marked "Debug Output Level". Slide the relevent sliders to maximum.


The output from the debug runtimes is sent to the active debugger, so (if using MSVC) press F5 to run your program in the debugger (if you have the project sourcecode loaded). While and after the program is running, take a look at the Output window in MSVC - DirectX will tell you of any problems in there.

Alternatively you could use DebugView from www.sysinternals.com which will let you see the same output without running it in a debugger.




--
Simon O''Connor
Creative Asylum Ltd
www.creative-asylum.com