If you are reading this article you are probably as frustated as I was a couple of minutes ago. A while ago you’ve noticed that overlay is not working anymore. If not, well maybe you wondered why suddenly all your DirectX-games failed to start? Anyway … you are a smart person (geek, you!) and know your computer and you know about the little programm called „dxdiag“. You already figured out that all your problems are caused by the disabled DirectDraw-acceleration and AGP-acceleration in the display-section of that tool. But, you have absolutely NO idea how to fix it, and everybody on the internet tells you to re-format, re-install all drivers for everything in all possible combinations, install linux, pray to satan and sacrifice a goat or you will never ever be a happy user again … and finally … you found this article :-)
Worry no more, there is an easy solution (sorry, I had to write this extensive introduction, because I am really really proud of me finding it). Back in the Windows-98-days I had a similiar problem and it had to do with netmeeting. This time it couldn’t, but hey … I was desperate.
To get DirectDraw and thus video overlay working, simply start netmeeting (via Start->Run and typing „conf“) and switch on the „remote desktop sharing“. Close netmeeting and start it again, this time switching of „desktop sharing“. Close it again. With luck you wont have to kill one of your goats … open dxdiag and confirm that everything is working again. It worked for me and I am, again, a happy man. :-) Do NOT even try to understand what netmeeting has to do with all of this, you wont. All I can tell you is that netmeeting/desktop sharing somehow can activate DirectDraw when you disable it (the feature). … I hope I could be of help … my bed is calling, falling asleep. Good night!