I am trying to shift my project to my other computer. I think I have the compiler set up properly. Initially, I thought it was DX causing the issue, but I narrowed it down to WinMain(..). Here is the code:

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                    HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                    LPSTR lpCmdLine,
                    int nCmdShow)
 {
     HWND hWnd;
     WNDCLASSEX wc;

     ZeroMemory(&wc, sizeof(WNDCLASSEX));

     wc.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
     wc.style = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
     wc.lpfnWndProc = WindowProc;
     wc.hInstance = hInstance;
     wc.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    // wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_WINDOW;    // not needed any more
     wc.lpszClassName = "WindowClass";

     RegisterClassEx(&wc);

     hWnd = CreateWindowEx(NULL,
                           "WindowClass",
                           "Our Direct3D Program",
                           WS_EX_TOPMOST | WS_POPUP,    // fullscreen values
                           0, 0,    // the starting x and y positions should be 0
                           int(SCREEN_WIDTH),int( SCREEN_HEIGHT),    // set the window size
                           NULL,
                           NULL,
                           hInstance,
                           NULL);
//return 0;//exits without crashing
     ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);
return 0;//it will crash here
     // set up and initialize Direct3D
     GameEngine.initD3D(hWnd,hInstance);

	 //init the environment here. 

     // enter the main loop:
	 UINT ExitMessage=GameEngine.MainLoop();

     return ExitMessage;
 }

Notice the 2 return lines arround ShowWindow(..)? That's how I came to the conclusion it had something to do with showing the window. I believe it's the creation that's actually causing the problem, but I don't know what could cause it to work on one machine and not another. Perhapse I don't have the correct SDK (VC) or I don't have my compiler set up correctly????

You're not checking the return value from your CreateWindowEx call (a run in your debugger with a breakpoint set at your ShowWindow call would have told you that you didn't have a valid HWND here). Also, some of your CreateWindowEx parameters are wrong - please review the documentation at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms632680%28v=vs.85%29.aspx and correct them before continuing any further with this.

If it worked on one PC it was certainly by accident rather than by design.

I am trying to shift my project to my other computer. I think I have the compiler set up properly. Initially, I thought it was DX causing the issue, but I narrowed it down to WinMain(..). Here is the code:

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                    HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                    LPSTR lpCmdLine,
                    int nCmdShow)
 {
     HWND hWnd;
     WNDCLASSEX wc;

     ZeroMemory(&wc, sizeof(WNDCLASSEX));

     wc.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
     wc.style = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
     wc.lpfnWndProc = WindowProc;
     wc.hInstance = hInstance;
     wc.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    // wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_WINDOW;    // not needed any more
     wc.lpszClassName = "WindowClass";

     RegisterClassEx(&wc);

     hWnd = CreateWindowEx(NULL,
                           "WindowClass",
                           "Our Direct3D Program",
                           WS_EX_TOPMOST | WS_POPUP,    // fullscreen values
                           0, 0,    // the starting x and y positions should be 0
                           int(SCREEN_WIDTH),int( SCREEN_HEIGHT),    // set the window size
                           NULL,
                           NULL,
                           hInstance,
                           NULL);
//return 0;//exits without crashing
     ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);
return 0;//it will crash here
     // set up and initialize Direct3D
     GameEngine.initD3D(hWnd,hInstance);

	 //init the environment here. 

     // enter the main loop:
	 UINT ExitMessage=GameEngine.MainLoop();

     return ExitMessage;
 }

Notice the 2 return lines arround ShowWindow(..)? That's how I came to the conclusion it had something to do with showing the window. I believe it's the creation that's actually causing the problem, but I don't know what could cause it to work on one machine and not another. Perhapse I don't have the correct SDK (VC) or I don't have my compiler set up correctly????

If I am not wrong...WS_EX_TOPMOST is an extended style, the extended styles shoud be in the first parameter and the "normal" styles in the fourth

So it should be CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST, "WindowClass", "Our Direct3D Program", WS_POPUP,...

Probably the WS_EX_TOPMOST is being interpreted wrong and there is a conflict with the WS_POPUP

I think it was a problem with my WNDCLASSEX. I adjusted the parameters and now it doesn't crash-- it just exits. I checked hWnd and it's NULL. Shouldn't it have a value? Here is the updated code:

 int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                    HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                    LPSTR lpCmdLine,
                    int nCmdShow)
 {
     HWND hWnd;



    WNDCLASSEX windowClass;
    windowClass.lpszClassName = "Main Class";
    windowClass.cbClsExtra = NULL;
    windowClass.cbWndExtra = NULL;
    windowClass.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    windowClass.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) CreateSolidBrush(RGB(150,0,0));
    windowClass.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL,IDC_ARROW);
    windowClass.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL,MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDI_APPLICATION));
    windowClass.hIconSm = (HICON) LoadImage(NULL,MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDI_APPLICATION),IMAGE_ICON,16,16,NULL);
    windowClass.hInstance = hInstance;
    windowClass.lpfnWndProc = WindowProc;
    windowClass.lpszMenuName = NULL;
    windowClass.style = CS_VREDRAW | CS_HREDRAW;
    RegisterClassEx(&windowClass);

     hWnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST,//WS_EX_TOPMOST
                           "WindowClass",
                           "Our Direct3D Program",
                            WS_POPUP,    // fullscreen values
                           0, 0,    // the starting x and y positions should be 0
                           int(SCREEN_WIDTH),int( SCREEN_HEIGHT),    // set the window size
                           NULL,
                           NULL,
                           hInstance,
                           NULL);


     ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);// nCmdShow
     // set up and initialize Direct3D
     GameEngine.initD3D(hWnd,hInstance);

	 //init the environment here. 
     // enter the main loop:
	 UINT ExitMessage=GameEngine.MainLoop();

     return ExitMessage;
}

What could I be doing wrong? The exit occurs just after I d3d->CreateDevice(..) because I don't get a pointer to the device.

Thanks for the advice guys/gals. Now it seems to get everything up to ShowWindow(..). I get a red screen and it crashes:

 int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                    HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                    LPSTR lpCmdLine,
                    int nCmdShow)
 {
     HWND hWnd;



    WNDCLASSEX windowClass;
	ZeroMemory(&windowClass,sizeof(WNDCLASSEX));
    windowClass.lpszClassName = "WindowClass";
    windowClass.cbClsExtra = 0;
    windowClass.cbWndExtra = 0;
    windowClass.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    windowClass.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) CreateSolidBrush(RGB(150,0,0));
    windowClass.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL,IDC_ARROW);
    windowClass.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL,MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDI_APPLICATION));
    windowClass.hIconSm = (HICON) LoadImage(NULL,MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDI_APPLICATION),IMAGE_ICON,16,16,NULL);
    windowClass.hInstance = hInstance;
    windowClass.lpfnWndProc = WindowProc;
    windowClass.lpszMenuName = NULL;
    windowClass.style = CS_VREDRAW | CS_HREDRAW;
//    RegisterClassEx(&windowClass);
    if(!RegisterClassEx (&windowClass))
    {
        MessageBox (NULL, "Class registration failed!", "Error!", MB_OK);
        PostQuitMessage (0);
        return 1;
    }

     hWnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST,//WS_EX_TOPMOST
                           "WindowClass",
                           "Our Direct3D Program",
                            WS_POPUP,    // fullscreen values
                           0, 0,    // the starting x and y positions should be 0
                           int(SCREEN_WIDTH),int( SCREEN_HEIGHT),    // set the window size
                           NULL,
                           NULL,
                           hInstance,
                           NULL);

    if(!hWnd)
    {
        MessageBox (NULL, "hWnd NULL", "Error!", MB_OK);
        PostQuitMessage (0);
        return 1;
    }
     ShowWindow(hWnd, nCmdShow);// nCmdShow
     // set up and initialize Direct3D

	 return 0;//just want to exit the program to rule out DirectX......


     GameEngine.initD3D(hWnd,hInstance);

	 //init the environment here. 
     // enter the main loop:
	 UINT ExitMessage=GameEngine.MainLoop();

     return ExitMessage;
}

As you can see, I exit just after ShowWindow(..), so there's nothing else running in the program. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!! This is frustrating. The original post's code worked just fine on my other computer, but somehow it doesn't work on this one.....????

I put a break at ShowWindow(..). Here is the output (image):

That is the farthest I can put a break without it crashing. When it crashes, I don't get anything but a red screen (that's the color I have for the background) and when I look at the task manager, it says the program is not responding.....

I was able to get a snapshot of an error. It is in "crt0dat.c". I'm thinking I have issues with my compiler.....