# vtkWin32OpenGLRenderWindow: GLEW could not be initialized: Missing GL version

**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [December 29, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517 "2021-12-29T03:29:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/zhang-qiang-github/32/2519_2.png) [@zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/zhang-qiang-github)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/1 "2021-12-29T03:29:38Z")

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I meet a bug:

 ![image](https://discourse.vtk.org/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b867327acefc4ead6d18b9bb02d40e02c8f80d7f.png)

The code to reproduce this bug is:

```auto
vtkSmartPointer<vtkSphereSource> source = vtkSmartPointer<vtkSphereSource>::New();
source->Update();
vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyDataMapper> mapper = vtkSmartPointer<vtkPolyDataMapper>::New();
mapper->SetInputData(source->GetOutput());
vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor> actor = vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor>::New();
actor->SetMapper(mapper);
vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderer> render = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderer>::New();
vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindow> renWin = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindow>::New();
render->AddActor(actor);
renWin->AddRenderer(render);
vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindowInteractor> iren = vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindowInteractor>::New();
iren->SetRenderWindow(renWin);
renWin->Render();
iren->Initialize();
iren->Start();

```

The environment is:

```auto
Windows Server 2019 Standard
VS 2022
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Qt 5.12.4
vtk 9.1.0

```

Any suggestion is appreciated!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/mwestphal/32/19_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2021, 12:13pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/2 "2021-12-29T12:13:12Z")

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Your code can’t be right (`vtkSmartPointer::New();`). In any case, you have an OpenGL issue, update/fix your graphic drivers.

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### Author: ![lassoan](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/lassoan/32/50_2.png) [@lassoan](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/lassoan)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/3 "2021-12-29T14:06:45Z")

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> [@mwestphal](#):
>
> `vtkSmartPointer::New();`)

This is usually a formatting error (the markdown parser interprets `<something>` as an HTML tag. The solution is to put the source code between triple-backticks.

> [@mwestphal](#):
>
> any case, you have an OpenGL issue, update/fix your graphic drivers.

If driver update does not help then it is most likely due to using a server version of Windows. These operating systems work very differently from a regular desktop Windows. If you are trying to use the computer via remote desktop that is one extra level of complexity on top of all server oddities.

Windows Server may allow remote GPU usage in a way that desktop versions cannot do, but it may require special hardware (server-class GPU - not GeForce), drivers, and configuration.

Nvidia driver may block many features of a GeForce GPU because using such GPUs is legally not allowed in servers. One of the many reasons of why server-class GPUs are more expensive is that their license allows some shared usage.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mwestphal](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/mwestphal/32/19_2.png) [@mwestphal](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2021, 2:12pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/4 "2021-12-29T14:12:33Z")

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> [@lassoan](#):
>
> This is usually a formatting error (the markdown parser interprets `<something>` as an HTML tag. The solution is to put the source code between triple-backticks.

Thanks @lassoan , I’ve edited OP message.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/zhang-qiang-github/32/2519_2.png) [@zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/zhang-qiang-github)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/5 "2021-12-30T01:45:10Z")

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> [@lassoan](#):
>
> Windows Server may allow remote GPU usage in a way that desktop versions cannot do, but it may require special hardware (server-class GPU - not GeForce), drivers, and configuration.

Thank you very much. It may caused by the server system operation and nvidia geforce gpu. I will change the geforce gpu or the system operation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/zhang-qiang-github/32/2519_2.png) [@zhang-qiang-github](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/zhang-qiang-github)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/vtkwin32openglrenderwindow-glew-could-not-be-initialized-missing-gl-version/7517/6 "2023-01-14T13:31:13Z")

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> [@lassoan](#):
>
> Nvidia driver may block many features of a GeForce GPU because using such GPUs is legally not allowed in servers.

Now, I have use the `NVIDIA RTX A4000` and `Windows Server 2019 Standard`, but the original bug is reported again. Is there any other possible reason?