Are there any good Direct 3D tutorials or sample source code that doesn't use the Common Files Framework? First of all I've problems compiling anything with the Common File Framework, secondly I don't like using a class for the app (it doesn't exactly feel like a logical object and it only has one instance so it's just annoying...), thirdly I don't like how it enables windowed mode at the cost of performance, and fourthly I want to see the entire code to learn some more. What I'm looking for is basically code for a very simple triangle mesh renderer without multitexturing or anything like that, just putting a single texture and perhaps apart from drawing normal triangle meshes with textures also rendering a background covering the entire screen behind those meshes. Or do I have to stick to the CFF? If so, how do I do, from just after installation of the latest DirectX SDK and setting up paths, to compiling and linking of a CFF sample program?

Try here, lots of demos, and they dont seem to use the common file framework.
Direct3D Demos

Drunken Hyena is a good place to start http://www.drunkenhyena.com/cgi-bin/directx.pl

try out Andy Pikes tutorials they got me started http://www.andypike.com/tutorials/DirectX8/

and also just keep typing keywords in google somethings bound to popup