Display Error Problem - I can't work on my drawing. HELP!!!

[kim.74445]

I just had to reinstall Revit Architeture 2012 on my computer since we hired a new employee and the computer he is working on will not accept 2014 (still runs Windows Vista). I was able to install and activate 2012 without a problem but now when I try and click on any walls within the project I get a "Display Error" box that pops up and says "An error has occurred while drawing the contents of this window. This window shall be closed." I literally cannot do any work that I need to do within the project and of course this is a huge problem! It is a central file but we aren't working on it at the same time since I am in during the week and he is in on the weekends. He worked on it all weekend without a problem. I have no idea what the issue might be but I need help ASAP please!!! Has anyone experienced this and is there anything I can try or do to fix this? Thank you in advance for your help, it is very much appreciated!

Also just to note, I tried working on it on the other employees computer and there is no problem at all there, just with my computer so it isn't an issue with the file itself it seems, just something with my specific program.

[dhurtubise]

Try turning off the Hardware Acceleration

[ghale]

Make sure Revit 2012 SP2 is installed and install the Revit 2014 Hotfix that may be screwing up the ribbon due to .net 4.5. http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/hotfix-autodesk-revit-2012-ribbon-behavior-due-to-net-45-installation.html

[kim.74445]

How do I turn off the Hardware Acceleration?

[kim.74445]

If I do what you suggested ghale, then will the central file work between both versions of Revit if this stuff is not done on the other license? Nothing is wrong with the other installation on a different computer and it's the same product so I don't see why one would work and one wouldn't.

Make sure Revit 2012 SP2 is installed and install the Revit 2014 Hotfix that may be screwing up the ribbon due to .net 4.5. http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/hotfix-autodesk-revit-2012-ribbon-behavior-due-to-net-45-installation.html

[david_peterson]

Revit is NOT backwards compatible. If you open the file in 2014 you won't be able to open it in 2012. If 2014 is installed on that machine, you'll need all the service packs for both 2012 and 2014 installed. 2014 uses a different version of .net than 2012. If you don't install them, I'd be surprised if you can even open 2012 without crashing.
To turn off hardware acceleration, go to the Big "R", pick on the options button, select the "graphics" bar, and deselect the bullet points from "use hardware acceleration".
The other thing you can try is to open the file and select the "audit" check box on the open dialog box. Before you try this delete the "Local" back-up and local file. Even if you overwrite the existing local file every time, there can still be gremlins floating around. Best practice is to open with "audit" and "create new local" options selected every time.
If that still fails you can try to re-create the central file.
Can you open and work on the file on any other computer that you have 2012 installed on? If yes, then I'd suggest it's a hardware/software issue with that workstation on not a corrupt file. If you can't open it on any workstation, then that would suggest a bad file and you may want to contact autodesk support.

[kim.74445]

I realize that Revit is not backwards compatible, that's what creates all of the problems in our office. I uninstalled 2012 from my computer so that I could install 2014 but then we weren't able to install 2014 on the other computer in our office so I had to reinstall 2012 on my computer after uninstalling 2014 and that's when all of these problems started. The project file was a new one started and only worked on in 2012. It seems that turning off the hardware acceleration has resolved the problem since I am able to now open and work on files on my computer without getting that message. The file always worked on the other computer in our office so I knew it wasn't an issue with the file itself but with the 2012 program install on my computer. Thanks for the help everyone!


Revit is NOT backwards compatible. If you open the file in 2014 you won't be able to open it in 2012. If 2014 is installed on that machine, you'll need all the service packs for both 2012 and 2014 installed. 2014 uses a different version of .net than 2012. If you don't install them, I'd be surprised if you can even open 2012 without crashing.
To turn off hardware acceleration, go to the Big "R", pick on the options button, select the "graphics" bar, and deselect the bullet points from "use hardware acceleration".
The other thing you can try is to open the file and select the "audit" check box on the open dialog box. Before you try this delete the "Local" back-up and local file. Even if you overwrite the existing local file every time, there can still be gremlins floating around. Best practice is to open with "audit" and "create new local" options selected every time.
If that still fails you can try to re-create the central file.
Can you open and work on the file on any other computer that you have 2012 installed on? If yes, then I'd suggest it's a hardware/software issue with that workstation on not a corrupt file. If you can't open it on any workstation, then that would suggest a bad file and you may want to contact autodesk support.

[kim.74445]

If anyone else experiences this problem, Autodesk support finally replied to my case (they are much slower than Augi.com users!) and they attached the following 2 links. The first deals with the hardware acceleration which is what fixed my problem. Thanks again Augi.com users, you have been most helpful!

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/An-error-has-occurred-while-drawing-the-contents-of-this-window.html

Or

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/discussion/t5/Revit-MEP/An-error-has-occured-while-drawing-the-contents-of-this-window/td-p/2456232.html