Direct3D [stopped working]

For some reason, DirectX doesn't work properly anymore on my XP Home.
I have an nVidia 5900 FX, AMD 2400+, 768 Mb RAM. System works great otherwise.

In DXDIAG, when I do the Direct3D tests, they cut off immediately, with a message popup saying : 'Test not completed. User pressed a key.', when obiously, I did not.

Symptom in gaming : start of game, screen flashes *black*, the game goes minimized. Trying to maximize it, gives a fast display of the word 'loading', immediately followed by another minimize. Rightclick gives NO options.
I have this problem with recent games - eg Vampire Bloodlines, War in Middle Earth. Seems to have to do with DirectX 9.0b & c.

Tried a reinstall of DirectX, installer just starts & says everything is installed OK.
Tried a rollback to MS NVidia driver - same thing

Event viewer gives NO indication of any problems

 

Have you tried blowing away the NVidia stuff altogether, rebooting to safe mode to let the default vid stuff load, then rebooting and reloading the NVidia drivers?

Start, run,

Code:

sfc /scannow

is probably a good ideas as well since the DirectX stuff is so pervasive and so affected by other OS pieces that a good check and replacement of any other damaged or missing system files couldn't hurt.

 

OK, I tried SFC - it did write several files

Remove nVidia drivers, reboot, reinstall latest version - mitigated succes...
dxdiag test fails for dx7 & dx8, but I get a spinning cube in dx9

tried two games, no amelioration :-(

I will now again get rid of nvidia, and install only the signe MS driver. See what that does.

[later]
couldn't find MS driver, couldn't find early nvidia driver, so reinstalled latest nvidia. test no longer passes, games just stay minimized...

:-((

 

I can't comment on your recent video card changes but as for your original problem:

This person traced the problem to keyboard software he had running in systray or background:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group..._doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#284f2e3d0348363f

This one suggested it may refrsh rate related:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group..._doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#bc137d8be3dbf4d0

 

Goddez1,

Thanks for the pointers. This is indeed what I am experiencing. Unfortunately neither solution works for me. Although it's a kind of reassurance knowing I'm not the only one having this kind of bizarre problem.
So, thanks again, but I have to keep looking...