Unable to create the Direct3D device (8876086C)

[jimdeprado]

Hello!

I seem to be having an intermitant problem with MAME.  I had the following errors first appear a few months ago, but stopped occuring shortly after.  Now they are back again.  I can't figure out what could have happened or what I did to make this occur.  The errors are:

• Unable to create the Direct3D device (8876086C)
  Unable to initialize Direct3D 9
  Fatal error: Unable to complete window creation

I have tried updating my drivers and installing DirectX again, but nothing seems to work. 

The really weird (at least to me) part is that I can install MAME in a different directory and it works.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I have attached the first two screens from dxdiag.

Thanks,

Jim

[Mr. Peabody]

Go get DX9.

[BadMouth]

Although newer versions of DirectX are backward compatible, they are often missing the runtimes.
Prolly need the Dx9 runtimes.

I'm not certain as far as MAME is concerned, but it's probably these: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109
(they are required for a number of emulators)

[jimdeprado]

Thanks, I installed the files and nothing has changed.  It has something to do with where MAME is resident.  Right now I have it on a USB drive.  If I copy the MAME executable and paste it on my desktop, for example, everything works.

Any ideas on what I could check next?

Thanks,

Jim

[processedmeat]

This might sound crazy but I got a Direct3D device error on two different PCs when there wasn't something plugged into the headphone jack.  Once I plugged something in the error went away.  I know, insane.  Not sure if its the same error # but this problem drove me nuts for a while.