MechWarrior 4 Error Message: Stop: Failed (Dderr_CannotAttachSurface) (285994)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Vengeance 4.0
  • Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries
This article was previously published under Q285994

SYMPTOMS

When you play Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarior 4: Mercenaries, you may receive an error similar to the following.:
STOP: FAILED (DDERR_CANNOTATTACHSURFACE)
On Microsoft Windows 2000-based systems, you may experience system instability, such as the system restarting or not responding while MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries runs.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if one of the following conditions is true:
  • The video driver for your video adapter is outdated.
  • The VGA aperture size is set too high.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue use the following methods.

Install the Latest Video Driver for Your Video Adapter

To obtain and install the latest video driver available for your video adapter, contact the manufacturer of your video adapter.

For information about how to contact your video adapter manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z



If this issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

NOTE: If you are running Windows 2000, first make sure that you have the latest Windows 2000 drivers installed for your motherboard and all other hardware. Also, install the latest service pack for Windows 2000.

Change the VGA Aperture Size in the BIOS

To change the VGA aperture size in your computer's BIOS, please see the printed documentation provided with your computer or motherboard, or contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard.

For information about how to contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

MORE INFORMATION

To identify the manufacturer and the model of your video adapter:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click System.
  3. If you are using a Microsoft Windows 95-based or a Microsoft Windows 98-based computer, click the Device Manager tab.

    If you are using a Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
  4. Click the plus sign (+) next to Display adapters to expand the branch.
  5. Under the Display adapters branch, note the manufacturer and the model of your video adapter, and then click OK.
  6. Close all open windows on the desktop.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/9/2006
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb KB285994
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