PlayOnline/Final Fantasy stops working on Windows 8

[BurnNotice]

Hey guys. I was playing the game with no problems since I got Windows 8 the day the OS was released. Tonight, as I tried to log in, the program would not boot up! It will show the POL logo, but that's it! I uninstalled and reinstalled the program and that didn't work either. I toggle around with its compatibilities options and nothing seems to work, BUT running the game in an extremely low environment (600 x 480 screen resolution).

This issue pretty much happen after I downloaded the version update on January 28. I checked all my MS updates and firewalls but nothing is causing the program to immediately shutdown.

Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this issue? Did you find any solutions I can probably try? Thanks in advance!

[Kjara]

I have a LS member with the same issue. He got a new computer with Windows 8 and his FFXI wouldn't run. My best guess is that FFXI is still unpatched for Windows 8. My friend is finally playing, but I think he changed OS. Also, he had to change his videocard because it was 'too uber' to run FFXI models. It seems that the game has maximum requirements as well as minimum ones now. Don't forget it's almost 11 years old.

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

Hit the Windows key on your keyboard
Type "rstrui" and hit enter

Restore to a date back when FFXI worked.

[Mirage]

I have a LS member with the same issue. He got a new computer with Windows 8 and his FFXI wouldn't run. My best guess is that FFXI is still unpatched for FFXI. My friend is finally playing, but I think he changed OS. Also, he had to change his videocard because it was 'too uber' to run FFXI models. It seems that the game has maximum requirements as well as minimum ones now. Don't forget it's almost 11 years old.
At the same time, most other 11 year old games seem to work without issues on new hardware.

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

For the record, I ensured that FFXI was still running on my Windows 8 notebook before posting the instructions to run System Restore. Whatever these problems are, it's not an application or OS issue, but a hardware/driver or configuration issue.

[Sarick]

At the same time, most other 11 year old games seem to work without issues on new hardware.


This is because it uses old direct X right? The newer hardware/software isn't as compatible with the old directx so when the system is using new hardware, drivers and software they're doing things that have been updated or no longer really used for newer games.

[Dreamin]

For the record, I ensured that FFXI was still running on my Windows 8 notebook before posting the instructions to run System Restore. Whatever these problems are, it's not an application or OS issue, but a hardware/driver or configuration issue.

This will work but remember you will still have to figure out which "update" broke FFXI for you. If it's anything in the OS, then you're screwed (chances are it is not since I dont have any problem running mine in W8 on my notebook). So will need to figure out which driver update is the problem and make sure that driver is NOT setup for autoupdate and that you wont accidentially perform a manual update.