Direct X Errors - How To Fix It For Real
Folks,
I submitted a ticket, made a highly detailed report and steps I have taken after a clean reinstall of everything didn't resolve this issue.
Let me tell you here and now. It's not your drivers. It's not the brand of card. It's Windows. Windows Update tends to change options on you behind your back, options that can and will screw up your gaming time.
I am going to cut and paste the steps that fixed it for me. Warning here and now, some of these measures even made me go, "What the heck?" but hey, I did them and it worked like a champ. Same Windows 10, same drivers, same card and hardware, but ZERO dx crashes. Please keep in mind, I was crashing in DX9 mode as well, just not as often. I'm back to using 11 and the game is rock solid. Zero crashes.
Some of this is cut and paste, but I will make a few notes of my own that are important.
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This issue is most associated with interference with the game data. Most of the time, it results from certain security/privacy changes on Internet Explorer. Ensure that the latest version of Internet Explorer is installed on your PC (even if you don’t use Internet Explorer). Please do not use Microsoft Edge for these steps, as that is a different Internet platform.
*NOTE: Any Windows 10 that is current on updates has the most current Internet Explorer. It's there, just do a search for it in the run bar and it'll pop up.*
Please open the Internet Explorer browser’s “Internet Options” by clicking on the “Tools” option (or type Alt+X), then click on the “Internet options” setting. Please adjust the following settings:
- Under the General tab, please delete ALL browsing history by clicking on the “Delete…” button, then selecting all of the options and clicking “Delete” again.
- Under the Security tab, please move the slider to the lowest possible setting, or no higher than “Medium.” *Note: Mine was defaulted to medium high which I changed to medium only.*
- Under the Privacy tab, look for the Settings section and click on “Advanced,” then Accept First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies, then check the box that says, “Always allow session cookies” and click OK.
- Under the Advanced tab, look for the Settings section and scroll towards the bottom of the list and check on the setting under Security for “Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid.”
- Under the same section, make sure that all ‘Use TLS’ options (EXCEPT SSL 3.0) are checked. [Use SSL 3.0 should be unchecked] *Note: SSL 1.3 Experimental was not checked, so I checked it. SSL 3.0 was unchecked by default, but make sure it is unchecked before moving on.*
Hit “Apply” then “OK” to save the changes.
Please RESTART your PC now.
Next Item To Do:
Check the following Port Ranges on your router/modem to ensure that the following Port Ranges have been opened/forwarded/triggered:
▼TCP
54992 through 54994,
55006 through 55007,
55021 through 55040
You may learn how to do this by visiting http://www.portforward.com/
Find your specific router's brand and model number from the 'List of Routers' and you will be provided a step-by-step guide on how to access these port settings.
*NOTE: I have a direct modem, no router, that is plugged directly in to my computer. When I went to the modem's internal settings, I found a list of games with predetermined port settings. Final Fantasy was not on that list. So I created the listing, assigned the numbered ports to be opened under TCP, then I needed to actually ADD it to the list. Creating it doesn't get it added, you have to tell the modem to use that new listing. If this is confusing, or you have no idea how to configure your modem's internal settings and the website offered is too confusing for you, call your ISP and ask them how to forward / open the ports listed above.*
Once this was all done, the DX crashing stopped. It was like some kind of weird magic.
I've been playing now for nearly a week and no crashes. Before, I would crash every hour or so, but that is no longer the case.
This helped me, I'm pretty sure it'll help you. Something about the game uses Internet Explorer settings, and those open port values are unique to FF14 servers. Do them both, your issues may be resolved.
Like I said, messing with the drivers and windows and any other software or hardware won't work. That's a waste of time. Give this crazy set of fixes a shot, it should take care of it.
Good luck out there!