Remote Desktop and TF

[mtbguru]

I don't have a (working) PC at home anymore and I seem to have the following choices:

- use virtualization (e.g. Winbox) on my Mac and run TF in it
- remote desktop login to my work pc and run TF

The first option works, but is slow, and the second one gives me the 'Can't initialize DirectX: setD3DDevice failed!' error (the work PC is Windows XP with all latest service packs/patches/DirectX versions installed), upon which TF refuses to launch. Physically logged in on the work PC, TF (v4.00) runs fine, so I assume the DirectX stuff just doesn't work over remote desktop (though I did do a search on this forum and one old post came up where it seemed TF did run over it).

Should I just live with the slow virtualization, get a working PC or is there something that I missed that I could try to make the remote desktop work? (or, stay longer hours in the lab to scheme up new mtb routes

Dirk

[ScottMorris]

Hey Dirk,

I haven't heard about too many people using remove desktop and TF, so I don't have any experience with it.  That DirectX error is pretty fundamental, maybe the remote desktop just has some settings to allow advanced graphics support?

I also don't know much about Winbox, but others have supported good results with both VMWare Fusion and Parallels.  Some of them might have fast machines, but they didn't mention any issues with it running too slow.

Let us know if you figure it out, or if you need help diagnosing DX on remote desktop.  I'd be curious to learn how it goes.

Thanks.

[kevroc]

I used TopoFusion with both VNC and Logmein (both are remote control products) and TopoFusion works fine with both, even 3D view (albeit slowly).  It must be something unique with how Remote Desktop handles video.  You should try Logmein, it's free.

[trek7k]

I know this is a super old topic but I'm having the same issue, though not via remote desktop. I've been using TopoFusion via Parallels on my Mac for years and just started getting this error. I updated to DirectX 9.0c as the error message suggested but still can't get the program to launch. Grabbed the latest version of TF too and still no luck. Anyone have any ideas, particularly those who use TF with Parallels on a Mac?