Unable to run Google Earth in Direct X (MacOS X Host)

[ajmas]

I just tried running Google Eath in Direct X on Windows XP SP3, using MacOS X 10.5.7 as host (MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo), but this failed. Is this a known issue, or do you wish me to provide supplementary data?

Google Earth acts as if Direct-X is not enabled (I check the Direct-X 9 option on install). I did have WineD3D installed previously, so I don't know whether will cause issues.

Note: I did install the latest guest additions.

Edit: I tried with 3.0.0 Beta 2 and still had the same issues.

Edit: Looks like I had to use the same trick as for WineD3D, whereby I switch to safe mode for the installation. Direct-X is now recognised by dxdiag, but the Direct-X 9 test crashes the VM, as does trying to run Google Earth using Direct-X. Are there any logs that would be of use and if so which ones?

[dmcgraw]

After reading your post, I downloaded and installed DirectX 9. dxdiag confirms that DirectX 9 is installed.

I downloaded and installed Google Earth. It will NOT run in DirectX mode, only in OpenGL mode.

Host:
Dell Inspiron 530
Quad Core
4 GB
Ubuntu 8.04

Guest:
VB 3.0.0 Beta 2
Windows XP SP3
2 Cores
1 GB
32 MB Display
VT-x/AMD-V enabled.

Dave

[ajmas]

What was your symptom of "not working"?

BTW I decided to try out the latest version of WineD3D (1.1.24), which I realise is probably an unsupported setup, but that produced the exact same symptoms: VM crash.

[dmcgraw]

I just realized that I am having the Windows File Protection problem as described in another thread.

Does anybody know how to disable WFP in XP SP3?

[ajmas]

Try installing guest additions in safe mode: f8 on reboot. I wonder whether guest addition installer could be made to install the direct-x DLLs on boot before they are loaded by the system?

As to the Direct X issue, I can no longer launch Google Earth in Direct X mode and dxdiag launches and then aborts, without any error. I tried reinstalling Direct-X and the guest additions, but no luck. Google Earth won't start in OpenGL either. Sounds like time to go back to my restore point.

[ajmas]

Okay, some more problem solving later it would appear that I did have remnants of wined3d around.

Booting into safe mode I did the following:
- renamed the files with the *.dll_backed_up_by_wined3d (or something of the sort) to *.dll.
- installed the latest guest additions
- rebooted into normal mode

What I get now is Google Earth working in Direct3D, though with certain rendering issues. I also have dxdiag rendering the cube almost correctly for the DX3D 8 and 9 test cases, with the only apparent issue being that it is spinning too fast. Not having a physical PC next to me I can't say whether this is normal.

Edit: I tried repeating the steps (did a restore first), but there seems to be something I forgot, since it has started crashing again - it may be something to do with the files from the Direct X 9.0c installation. What I am getting now is DX 7 and 8 failing in the dxdiag test, followed by DX9 rendering the cube, followed by a white screen and a VM crash.

Does anyone have a manifest of which files DirectX related files are need to have DX8 and DX9 run correctly?