DirectX phoning home?
Author
Scary stuff. Apparently the DirectX runtime tries to phone home (crl.microsoft.com) at game startup, which obviously frightens players (a firewall alert isn't nice!). Google says it's Direct3D 9 trying to verify that the certified video drivers still have valid WHQL certificates.
After some more googling I've found some ways to disable it manually from Windows, but this isn't an acceptable solution for users. Is there a way to programatically disable this "feature"? BTW I'm looking for a D3D 7.0 compatible solution.
Author
Because it slows down startup (1-2 secs best case, up to 20 secs if there is no internet connection), and because players (especially casual game players, my customers) are scared to death of a firewall dialog popping up. I want them to buy my game, not to run away screaming "OMG SPYWARE" :)
Quote:Original post by ggambett
Because it slows down startup (1-2 secs best case, up to 20 secs if there is no internet connection), and because players (especially casual game players, my customers) are scared to death of a firewall dialog popping up. I want them to buy my game, not to run away screaming "OMG SPYWARE" :)
Given that players don't seem to be running away screaming from every other D3D game, why would they from yours?
Quote:Original post by ggambett
Scary stuff. Apparently the DirectX runtime tries to phone home (crl.microsoft.com) at game startup, which obviously frightens players (a firewall alert isn't nice!). Google says it's Direct3D 9 trying to verify that the certified video drivers still have valid WHQL certificates.
After some more googling I've found some ways to disable it manually from Windows, but this isn't an acceptable solution for users. Is there a way to programatically disable this "feature"? BTW I'm looking for a D3D 7.0 compatible solution.
In D3D9, you have to opt into this check on GetAdaptorIdentifier() using the D3DENUM_WHQL_LEVEL flag. On D3D8, you had to opt out of it using the D3DENUM_NO_WHQL_LEVEL flag. I don't believe the check was even there on D3D7.
Paul
Author
Dave : Because not every D3D game does this.
Sneftel : Because not every D3D game does this.
Anonymous : Thanks, but I rather not require D3D8 just for this :(
Sneftel : Because not every D3D game does this.
Anonymous : Thanks, but I rather not require D3D8 just for this :(
I'm curious - do you have an example of a game that does this? I've never come across it.. ever. And I play a lot of games.
Author
Our latest one does ( http://www.playfirst.com/game/piratepoppers ), and by googling around I've found many other references, such as the Rome : Total War demo ( http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/rometotalwar/download.html?sid=6105478 ) and a couple more.
So you're saying that you have D3D7-based code that is phoning home?
What Paul said/thinks is that D3D7 doesn't - and I'm pretty sure from my own memory that it was a new thing with D3D8 and later. That is, it shouldn't be an issue with D3D7.
Jack
What Paul said/thinks is that D3D7 doesn't - and I'm pretty sure from my own memory that it was a new thing with D3D8 and later. That is, it shouldn't be an issue with D3D7.
Jack
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