Bioshock demo STILL won't run!!!

installed latest dx drivers and video drivers from laptopvideo2go but STILL get black screen after intro!wtf?!

 

did you install dx 9.0c? if you're running vista you'll still need it to get bioshock running.

 

no i didn't think to do that ... i saw in the bioshock video options an option for dx10 use and did'nt think a downgrade would be necesary.how exactly would i go back to dx9?

 

Vista ships with DX9 and DX10 under the hood, all you need for DirectX is the DX update (august or later, but you might as well grab the Oct 24 one)

You will also need 163.44 drivers or later to run in DX10 mode.
(165.xx drivers are actually old ones)
I recommend the newest 167.26 drivers for tweakers as they have the best performance and OC, but have a few compatibility flaws. I recommend the 163.75 drivers for those who prefer stability and won't overclock.

I also recommend the following Microsoft Hotfixes for Vista:
Compatibility fixes - KB938194
Memory - KB940105
Performance - KB938979
Stability - KB941649

If you have a DX10 compatible GPU, then it auto-starts in DX10 mode.
You can disable DX10 textures (more detailed textures allowable for higher end cards because DX10 is more efficient than DX9) and might want to if you have a laptop GPU. You will still be in DX10 mode, just not using the much more detailed (and performance-tapping) textures.

Right now, you can likely play in DX9 mode by simply rclicking on the game in the games folder and choosing "Run in DX9". If you have a DX10 compatible card, truthfully DX10 mode is superior to DX9 mode due to minimum frame rates which the DX10 mode is better at maintaining.

 

thanks for the advice kernalpanic. i have already installed the 163.44 driver as i had seen it suggested in earlier threads on this site and am still just getting a blank screen after the opening cinematic of the demo. i have also installed the oct 24 dx driver with no positive result. i have a low end card(8400m gs) and wasn't exactly expecting fireworks performance but was at least expecting it to run with low settings considering it handles cod4 on mid settings perfectly and ut3 likewise. i guess i'm just cursed as far as the bioshock demo is concerned )=

 

mine didn't work with the windows update grabbing dx 10. i actually had to dl the dx 9c aug version to get it to work.

sure vista has dx 9 and 10 but it doesn't carry all the latest patches of each version. the latest for dx 9 is now a nov version.

here's the latest http://filehippo.com/download_directx/

 

Like jive mentioned, grabbing the august refresh shouldn't hurt.

 

Those DX10 upgrades aren't backwards compatible, I'm pretty sure you need the August version.