Please read the following if you experience lockups, video problems or"anomalies" with your new Powerdirector9 program. We are longtime users and Beta testers of Cyberlink Powerdirector (with hands-on experience in Versions 3-9) and want to help you avoid any problems with the new technology.

We have tested and found that the new technology in PD9 utilizes video and memory utilization features that may only be available, or function correctly with, the most recent video card drivers. If you are having trouble with startup, previews, rendering, production, program lockup, etc. within the new program, we recommend that you install the latest Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) drivers for your particular video GPU/card.

If your video drivers are more than a year (or sometimes more than a few months) old, consider the fact that little was being implemented or had been finalized related to 64BIT processors, GPU Acceleration or HD Video standards as of a year ago!!

First, let's cover some of the common reasons given by users for NOT wanting to upgrade their video drivers:

...Version 8 worked perfectly on this machine...

Much has changed in the video portion of the program from 8 to 9. For example, many of the new Nvidia CUDA features only work properly with the newest drivers.

...I reinstalled the entire machine from factory settings, so there is an entirely new clean system running...OR ....this is an entirely NEW machine...

This will only ensure that you have the drivers that originally shipped with the machine, but in most cases..these are NOT the most current drivers.

...I used (insert some program name here) to check for drivers and it says I am up to date....or I have checked to insure I have the latest drivers

Many programs search to see if Windows is running without video errors and then reports that no driver update is needed. However, to fully utilize the new technology, new drivers are needed. The DXDIAG file shows the date and version of the actual drivers installed.

The machine manufacturer says they only support their drivers...OR how will this effect my other programs? Will they be compatible?

These new video card/GPU manufacturer drivers have been tested by a variety of users, on their own machines, with many programs installed. This is why we recommend you only install WHQL tested drivers. Please be advised, some NOTEBOOKS and NETBOOKS give a failure to find correct hardware, and can not be updated with new drivers (for example - the Nvidia 760M).

To prevent any problems, and to protect in case of failure, make SURE you create a Windows RESTORE POINT before proceeding (Warning - do NOT skip this step).
WINDOWS XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948247
WINDOWS VISTA - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions
WINDOWS 7 - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-a-restore-point

OK, I have created a RESTORE POINT, now, where do I get the newest drivers?

Each GPU manufacturer has a site that will provide you access to the most current drivers. Here are a couple of links that may be of use.

Nvidia - http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx (most recent tested = version 260.99) . Some users have reported that letting Nvidia automatically scan for drivers may not function correctly. I suggest that you use DXDIAG to find the actual card name, then enter the card and OS specs manually on the page linked above.
ATI - http://support.amd.com/US/Pages/drivers.aspx ( tested to version 10.10) Use the AMD Catalyst™ Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) Technology Edition only if your card supports it.
Intel - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/

If you have a card other than those listed above or you are having problems, contact us and we will see if we can help you find the correct drivers. We WANT you to enjoy the great new Powerdirector9!! Please let us know if this has helped.