Matrix Games Forums

I have downloaded copies of the SPWAW file from several sources. Each install comes up with the introduction running and then reverting to the desktop or the start screen. When I try to run it from Explorer I get the message: "DDRAW.DLL File Cannot Start" Well I cannot locate any such file in the Matrix Games directory. I have also encountered this problem when I have installed the game from the MegaCampaign disk. Where is this "DDRAW.DLL" file supposed to be located? Is it part of Windows? (I am running Win 98se and recently replaced my C: drive. This required a reinstall of al the system software. In the old install SPWAW ran pretty good.) <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

It is part of teh DIrectDraw library of DIrect x. This message means your installation of Direct x is either incomplete, obsolete or corrupted.

You can get DirectX support in the Microsoft Knowledge base. Try looking at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q177/4/30.asp for error codes. There is a way to test your install from the install directory but I have forgotten how. You should be able to find out in the MS KB.

Originally posted by Larry Holt:
You can get DirectX support in the Microsoft Knowledge base. Try looking at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q177/4/30.asp for error codes. There is a way to test your install from the install directory but I have forgotten how. You should be able to find out in the MS KB.

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You test with DXDIAG.exe. As I recall SPWAW needs at least DX6 to run, though it runs fine with dx8 and did so with dx7a.
thanks, John.

Thank you for the help on this. I installed the DirectX drivers and everything worked great!