This error message is caused by the very first call to D3D9 failing, device creation. If even that fails, there's not much I can do.

If there is something wrong with the code, I need to know the reason why ::CreateDevice() is failing.

from retroarch.

No response here, even after adding debugging logs, closing.

from retroarch.

RetroArch compled on 15-12-2012. Same error, but Failed to init device, code: 0x8876086c

Full log:
RetroArch CMD: D:/RetroArch/retroarch.exe D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).md -c D:\RetroArch\retroarch.cfg -v

RetroArch: Opening file: "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).md"
=== Build =======================================
Compiler: MinGW (4.6.3) 64-bit

Built: Dec 15 2012

RetroArch: [CPUID]: Vendor: GenuineIntel
RetroArch: [CPUID]: SSE: 1
RetroArch: [CPUID]: SSE2: 1
RetroArch: [CPUID]: AVX: 0
=== Config ===
video_driver = "d3d9"
audio_driver = "dsound"
libretro_path = "D:/RetroArch/libretro-git-genplus-x86_64.dll"
video_post_filter_record = "false"
video_gpu_record = "false"
phoenix_last_rom = "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).zip"
stdin_cmd_enable = "true"
system_directory = "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/"
=== Config end ===
RetroArch: Loading dynamic libretro from: "D:/RetroArch/libretro-git-genplus-x86_64.dll"
RetroArch: Version of libretro API: 1
RetroArch: Compiled against API: 1
RetroArch: Environ PERFORMANCE_LEVEL: 1.
RetroArch: Environ SET_PIXEL_FORMAT: RGB565.
Frontend supports RGB565 - will use that instead of XRGB1555.
RetroArch: ROM loading skipped. Implementation will load it on its own.
RetroArch: Environ SYSTEM_DIRECTORY: "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/".
Sega CD EU BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_E.brm
Sega CD US BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_U.brm
Sega CD JP BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_J.brm
Sega CD EU BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_E.bin
Sega CD US BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_U.bin
Sega CD JP BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_J.bin
Master System EU BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_E.sms
Master System US BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_U.sms
Master System JP BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_J.sms
Game Gear BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios.gg
S&K upmem ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\sk2chip.bin
S&K ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\sk.bin
Game Genie ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\ggenie.bin
Action Replay ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\areplay.bin
BRAM file is located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/cart.brm
INFORMATION - Loading 2097152 bytes ...
RetroArch: Set audio input rate to: 44120.06 Hz.
RetroArch: Adjusting aspect ratio to 1.43
RetroArch: Video @ 960x672
RetroArch: Setting multimedia scheduling for DWM.
RetroArch: [D3D9]: Monitor size: 1680x1050.
RetroArch [ERROR] :: [D3D9]: Failed to init D3D9 (Failed to init device, code: 0x8876086c).
RetroArch [ERROR] :: Cannot open video driver ... Exiting ...
RetroArch [ERROR] :: Fatal error received in: "init_video_input()"

from retroarch.

That error code corresponds to D3DERR_INVALIDCALL. Not sure what is invalid in that call. It works just fine here.

from retroarch.

Could it be something shader specific? Apparently vertex shaders are supported in software mode only. See here: http://www.ogre3d.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=68629

from retroarch.

Err, what does this mean? If it can work with just using software vertex processing and that's it, I can fix it.
If I need to write a new software vertex path, I won't do that, especially when GL already works for those cards.

from retroarch.

I found a tool that lets me change the vertex processing mode from hardware to software. It doesn't work with Retroarch though (probably because there is no software mode support), but it does work with a other game that would not start with my Intel GMA chipset (Tropico 3) I hope this answers your I can / can´t fix it question. More info: http://techlegend.wordpress.com/tag/gma-x3100/

from retroarch.

What does software vertex processing really mean? Doing vertex shading step manually in software without any shader?

from retroarch.

MrXCuci: can you try this build: http://dl.ov2.eu/misc/retroarch.zip

from retroarch.

You Sir just made the few atom and htpc user very happy. It works! LOG:
RetroArch CMD: D:/RetroArch/retroarch.exe D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).md -c D:\RetroArch\retroarch.cfg -v

RetroArch: Opening file: "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).md"
=== Build =======================================
Compiler: MinGW (4.7.1) 64-bit

Built: Dec 17 2012

RetroArch: [CPUID]: Vendor: GenuineIntel
RetroArch: [CPUID]: SSE: 1
RetroArch: [CPUID]: SSE2: 1
RetroArch: [CPUID]: AVX: 0
=== Config ===
video_driver = "d3d9"
audio_driver = "dsound"
libretro_path = "D:/RetroArch/libretro-git-genplus-x86_64.dll"
video_post_filter_record = "false"
video_gpu_record = "false"
phoenix_last_rom = "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).zip"
stdin_cmd_enable = "true"
system_directory = "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/"
=== Config end ===
RetroArch: Loading dynamic libretro from: "D:/RetroArch/libretro-git-genplus-x86_64.dll"
RetroArch: Version of libretro API: 1
RetroArch: Compiled against API: 1
RetroArch: Environ PERFORMANCE_LEVEL: 1.
RetroArch: Environ SET_PIXEL_FORMAT: RGB565.
Frontend supports RGB565 - will use that instead of XRGB1555.
RetroArch: ROM loading skipped. Implementation will load it on its own.
RetroArch: Environ SYSTEM_DIRECTORY: "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/".
Sega CD EU BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_E.brm
Sega CD US BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_U.brm
Sega CD JP BRAM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\scd_J.brm
Sega CD EU BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_E.bin
Sega CD US BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_U.bin
Sega CD JP BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_CD_J.bin
Master System EU BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_E.sms
Master System US BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_U.sms
Master System JP BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios_J.sms
Game Gear BIOS should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\bios.gg
S&K upmem ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\sk2chip.bin
S&K ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\sk.bin
Game Genie ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\ggenie.bin
Action Replay ROM should be located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/\areplay.bin
BRAM file is located at: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/cart.brm
INFORMATION - Loading 2097152 bytes ...
RetroArch: Set audio input rate to: 44120.06 Hz.
RetroArch: Adjusting aspect ratio to 1.43
RetroArch: Video @ 960x672
RetroArch: Setting multimedia scheduling for DWM.
RetroArch: [D3D9]: Monitor size: 1680x1050.
RetroArch: [D3D9 Cg]: Created context.
RetroArch: [D3D9 Cg]: Vertex profile: vs_3_0
RetroArch: [D3D9 Cg]: Fragment profile: ps_2_0
RetroArch: [D3D9 Cg]: Compiling stock shader.
RetroArch: [FVF]: POSITION semantic found.
RetroArch: [FVF]: TEXCOORD0 semantic found.
RetroArch: [D3D9 Cg]: Render pass info:
RetroArch: Texture width: 1024
RetroArch: Texture height: 1024
RetroArch: Scale type (X): RetroArch: Viewport @ 1.000000x
RetroArch: Scale type (Y): RetroArch: Viewport @ 1.000000x
RetroArch: Bilinear filter: true
RetroArch: [D3D9]: Init complete.
RetroArch: Enumerating DInput joypads ...
RetroArch: Done enumerating DInput joypads ...
RetroArch: Found joypad driver: "dinput".
RetroArch: DirectSound devices:
RetroArch: 0: Primair geluidsstuurprogramma
RetroArch: 1: Luidsprekers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
RetroArch: [DirectSound]: Setting buffer size of 12288 bytes
RetroArch: [DirectSound]: Latency = 64 ms
RetroArch: Sinc resampler [SSE]
RetroArch: Saving regular SRAM.
RetroArch: SRM: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).srm
RetroArch: RTC: D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).rtc
RetroArch: Saved successfully to "D:/Roms/Sega Megadrive/3 Ninjas Kick Back (USA).srm".

from retroarch.

I guess I'll be seeing a commit soon :P

from retroarch.

Ye, you will ;)
I'll make it a proper fallback first (instead of forcing software), probably tomorrow after work.

from retroarch.

How does it work? A separate rendering path, or was it a small fix?

from retroarch.

A simple fix: creating the device with D3DCREATE_SOFTWARE_VERTEXPROCESSING and the vertex buffers with D3DUSAGE_SOFTWAREPROCESSING.

from retroarch.

Ah, neat. Thanks for looking into it :)

from retroarch.

Let me know if I can test anything. Both thanks for the hard work and figuring this out.

from retroarch.