OpenGL hardware acceleration is unavailable for Windows on Windows 64 in the 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2003

OpenGL hardware acceleration is unavailable when you run 32-bit programs in Windows on Windows 64 on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Edition, or Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition.

To determine whether you can use OpenGL hardware acceleration, use the DescribePixelFormat function. Examine the pixelformatdescriptor data structure that the function returns. If the PFD_GENERIC_ACCELERATED flag is clear and if the PFD_GENERIC_FORMAT flag is set, Windows on Windows 64 will use software emulation to emulate hardware acceleration.

For more information about the DescribePixelFormat function, visit the following Microsoft MSDN Web site:

This problem occurs because OpenGL hardware acceleration is not implemented for Windows on Windows 64 in Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Enterprise Edition, or in Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition.

Microsoft Windows on Windows 64 is a 32-bit Windows subsystem that allows you to run 32-bit programs on 64-bit versions of Windows. The current implementation of Windows on Windows 64 uses software emulation to emulate OpenGL acceleration. This process affects how 32-bit programs run, and performance may not meet your expectations. Additionally, you may experience unexpected behavior when you run 32-bit programs on 64-bit versions of Windows.

Hotfix Information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article.

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: