Anyone still running Windows 7?

Ugh, I can't get Overlord to run. It keeps asking for DirectX 9—specifically that d3dx9_dll file.

I went ahead and downloaded it and dropped it right into the game folder, but now when I try to launch the game, absolutely nothing happens. 🤷 I even tried running it in compatibility mode, but still nothing.

I should have just stuck with Windows XP. 😢

Taylor Morales31 said:You really have to pair them up first, kind of like searching for your phone through your computer settings; just enter that same sequence of numbers on your phone that pops up on your PC screen...

It’s funny because I used to do things that way on my old setup without any trouble at all, but now that I've switched over to this newer version, it just won't cooperate! I was reading some forums online suggesting that you might need to sync everything up after the fact, though I'm honestly not entirely sure if that's the right way to go about it.😁

Ashley Hall48 said:Look, I used to do things this way on my old setup without any drama, but now that I've moved to a seven-day cycle, it just won't work!! I was reading online that you have to mail it back later, but I honestly have no clue how 😁

I don't know what to tell you—I simply wrote down exactly how I did it myself. Maybe you're dealing with a bad Bluetooth driver? Go find the right one on the manufacturer's website. My process is simple: I go into the HP Wireless Assistant, turn on Bluetooth, right-click the Bluetooth icon in the system tray, and select "Add a device"... then just follow the steps I laid out above.

If it still isn't working, check the bottom of that Control Panel screen: there's a link that asks, "What if Windows doesn't detect the device?" Give those troubleshooting steps a shot... 🙂

I have to say, BlueSoleil was a total lifesaver for my Bluetooth USB adapter when I couldn't get it to work no matter what I tried. Without it, my Nokia PC suite just won't function properly at all.

I've been running into some trouble with "unsigned drivers" on Windows 7 lately...

Has anyone here tried this? Does it actually work?

Or does anyone have a better suggestion besides just tapping F8 during startup?

Thanks,

I haven't tried that myself, and honestly, I wouldn't. I’d just tap F8 right when the computer starts up; that error message isn't really a big deal in the grand scheme of things...

...that "Preparing your desktop" screen hangs for like 40 seconds😲 during startup; just a classic Windows 7 glitch if you happen to be using a solid color background...

Laura Evans3 said:I'm running into issues with "unsigned drivers" on Windows 7...

Has anyone actually messed with this? Does it actually work?

Or does anyone have a better suggestion besides just tapping F8 during boot?

thanks

And if things go south, the device just won't work anyway... what kind of driver is this, really?

What's the deal with F8? Is there some specific function assigned to the F8 key on the motherboard, or are you just trying to get into Safe Mode?

I'm currently attempting an upgrade from RC to RTM—well, trying to, anyway.
The issue is that Acronis Disk Director and Nero are blocking the whole process. I finally managed to get Nero off my system, but Acronis is being completely stubborn. Every time I restart—which is required after an uninstallation—Windows refuses to boot up properly. I've been forced into running a system restore (or even trying "Last Known Good Configuration") because I was genuinely worried my OS had bricked itself. I kept getting all sorts of errors during the startup recovery process, including one that mentioned a "Patch is preventing Windows from starting," though I can't recall the exact wording. It was a total nightmare last night; I went through this loop about ten times—uninstalling Nero only for Acronis to reappear, then uninstalling Acronis only for Nero to pop back up.

Does anyone have a fix for this?
Right now, my main priority is just getting rid of Acronis once and for all. Is there a specific utility designed just for deep-cleaning a program like that?

Kevin Nelson said:Man, I can't get Overlord to launch. It keeps asking for DirectX 9—specifically that d3dx9_dll file.

I downloaded the file and dropped it straight into the game folder, but now when I try to run the game, absolutely nothing happens. 🤷 I even tried running it in compatibility mode, but still nothing.

I knew I should have just stuck with Windows XP. 😢

You need to drop that .dll file into the System32 folder. 😉

I ran into the exact same thing once. But look, it's an easy fix, just like I said.

By the way, Windows 7 is actually pretty awesome! I had some hiccups getting certain .exe files to trigger, but then I just used compatibility mode to run them as if they were on Windows XP SP2 or SP3, and boom—problem solved. 🙂

Taylor Campbell4 said:I'm trying to upgrade from RC to RTM, or at least attempting to.
Acronis Disk Director and Nero are blocking the whole thing. I barely managed to get Nero off there, but Acronis just won't budge. Every time I restart—which is required after an uninstall—Windows fails to boot up. I've been stuck doing system restores or using Last Known Good Configuration because I was worried my OS was totally toast. It kept throwing all sorts of errors during that startup recovery phase, even saying stuff like "Patch is preventing windows from starting," if that's even the right way to put it. This happened about ten times last night; I'd uninstall Nero, then Acronis would pop back up, then I'd try to kill Acronis and Nero would reappear, and so on.

Anyone know a fix?
Right now, I just need to get rid of Acronis. Is there some kind of specialized tool for this?

Maybe give Z-Soft Uninstaller a shot, might help (Free software)
http://www.zsoft.dk/index/software

Benjamin King2 said:Worst case scenario, the device just won't work... which driver are we even talking about here?

The TV tuner cards... the worst part is they actually work hardware-wise... 😬 but since the software is dead, I've just been using Media Center for now. 😁

Benjamin King2 said:What's the point of F8? Does the motherboard have a specific function assigned to the F8 key, or are you trying to boot into Safe Mode?

advanced boot options>disable driver signature enforcement

Jesse Johnson4 said:I suppose it shouldn't be such a huge issue, right?

Do you own a car? I mean, do you fix everything yourself, or do you at least take it to a mechanic once in a while? Even if you don't have a vehicle, you probably know that repair shops exist. It's similar for computers; there are repair services out there, usually located within computer retail stores. People who have invested their money, expertise, and time into opening these businesses will likely be happy to help you. You could handle this when buying a computer—you get home and everything is already set up and working, Plug&Play—or you can do it later. If you don't mind spending $667 as you mentioned (and then bragging about having a pirated version of Microsoft Office), then maybe $67 $100 won't be such an issue. When purchasing a PC, you can just tell them what you want installed, and they might even give you some free advice, provided you buy the products from them.

Comparing a car to a computer...
well done, ☕

Laura Evans3 said:Those TV cards... the worst part is the hardware actually works... 😬 but the software just won't behave, so I'm stuck using Media Center for now 😁

advanced boot options>disable driver signature enforcement

You can also allow unsigned drivers by messing with the Group Policy Editor...

CHECK THIS LINK

Though, honestly... doing that could really mess with your system stability, so I wouldn't recommend it if you value your sanity.

So, I’ve officially hit my third month using Windows 7 this year, which brings my total time spent with the OS—including the beta and the RTM versions—to over six months now. Honestly, I just have nothing but praise. I haven't used an operating system this stable in quite some time. Comparing it to my previous experiences with Windows XP, right from the initial installation through daily use, it’s been a total delight.

Jason Harris5 said:You can also allow unsigned driver installations by using the Group Policy Editor...

CHECK THIS LINK

That said... doing what's mentioned above could mess with your system stability, so I wouldn't recommend it.

During the installation, I told him to just go ahead with those drivers anyway... and it turns out the cards actually work with them... they just won't play nice with the specific software that came bundled with the cards...

So, I'm not going to mess around with the drivers. Fixing the software side should be easy enough...

Thanks, guys....

Keith Bennett38 said:Give Z-Soft Uninstaller a shot—it might do the trick (Free software)
http://www.zsoft.dk/index/software

Not a chance. At the end of the uninstallation, it demands a reboot—but once I restart, Windows won't even boot properly; I'm stuck running a startup repair. And even after it "fixes" things, Acronis is still sitting there.
To make matters worse, I can't even actually launch that Acronis instance—not even in compatibility mode—and I originally installed it ages ago just to resize some partitions.

Does anyone else know a way to successfully uninstall Acronis disk Director?

Keith Bennett38 said:that’s just because you’re running Firefox, since Internet Explorer doesn't really have that feature built in.

You can toggle it off like this: Tools - Options - Advanced - Search text as you type (it's those top two options) 🙂
This is what the menu looks like for someone using Firefox in American English 🙂

Thanks man, you actually helped me out too👍

Taylor Campbell4 said:Not really working for me. It asks for a restart at the end of the uninstall, but once I reboot, Windows won't even start—I just get stuck in startup repair. And even after it fixes itself, Acronis is still there.
Plus, I can't actually run the Acronis software anymore, even with compatibility mode, though I installed it ages ago just to resize my partitions.

Anyone else know how to actually get rid of Acronis disk Director?

Maybe try this.
Run the installer again, and when it starts up, it should give you the option to either Repair or Uninstall. Just pick Uninstall.
I guess that's how it usually works. 😕

Well, it's a bit too late for me—I've already managed to brick my PC using Acronis; you can check out the hardware thread for the full story. I initially tried an Acronis remover, but that didn't work, so I moved on to other uninstallation tools. Eventually, I stumbled upon some instructions for manually removing Acronis, but I clearly misunderstood a step along the way and ended up breaking everything.
Now my computer won't even recognize my mouse or keyboard—which means I can't get into Windows, let alone boot the OS itself.
That's actually a clever suggestion, though I suspect it would lead to the same result as trying to use Add/Remove Programs—basically, once the system restarts, Windows simply won't boot back up.