DirectX is a set of tools that has been designed to work efficiently with multimedia in Microsoft Windows... Roughly speaking, a software component whose task is to "organize" all the hardware elements of the system. Most often used in the process of writing games, since it is responsible for processing graphics. In order for the system to work correctly, the video card requires reverse hardware support for DirectX.
This component, as well as its executable libraries, are updated during the installation of games. But how do you find out the directx version yourself and update it if necessary?
Which version of DirectX should you have?
Each version of Windows supports its own DirectX:
- For Windows XP, this is DX9;
- for Vista - DX10;
- for Win7 and 8 / 8.1 - DX11.
The release of the new "tenth" version of the OS from Microsoft brought us a new 12 version, which, according to the developers, will finally unleash the full potential of multi-core processors, making the CPU-video card bundle many times more productive.
Determining your version
To find out exactly what you have installed, open "Start" and look for the "Run" command. This is true for all versions of Windows starting from XP.
We enter a phrase, or we are looking for this menu item among the proposed. The search is still faster. We press Enter and wait for the collection of statistical data on your system as a whole and its individual components in particular. 
We are interested in the "system" tab. We look at the very bottom and find that version 11 of DirectX is installed (example). 
Updating DX Components
If it seems to you that the software version is outdated, and the games require a more recent package of executable libraries, update them on the official Microsoft website using the appropriate link (relevant for version 11).
Then make sure your graphics card supports this version ON. If it can only work with DX9 and DX10, no upgrade will work. Hardware support is more important than software support, so keep that in mind.
You can find out about the specifications of the video card on the Internet.
Often new users personal computers wondering how to find out which DirectX is installed. Especially this problem excites those who like to play different computer games. Let's figure out what it is, how to discover and establish "it" for yourself.
What and why
Before talking about how to find out which DirectX is installed, you need to generally understand what kind of "Direct" is. Let's figure it out together.
In order for the computer to be able to communicate with various devices and with his own hardware, as well as with different applications, he needs to have special libraries and connection modules. They usually have the extension .dll. If there are no such "things", then you can forget about the correct operation of the game or program.
DrectX is a kind of set of special APIs that help the computer interact with certain applications. In other words, there are a number of libraries that are necessary for the successful operation of a computer. Recently DirectX has been used in development computer games, so for gamers such a thing is quite important and it is equally important for them to know how to find out which DirectX is installed on their "machine".
Before detection
Now it's time to talk about how you can find this "Direct" on your computer. First of all, you need to know some points that will help you get rid of unnecessary manipulations when looking for an answer to the question of how to find out which DirectX is installed on your computer.
The fact is that every computer already has one or another operating system at the time of purchase and the first launch. If you start to study it in more detail, you will notice that "by default" some "Direct" will already be installed on it. Depending on your operating system, of course.
Thus, if you want to know how to see which DirectX is installed, but do not want to do any actions, try to remember: on modern computers Direct X 9 version is already present on Windows 7. The "eight" already has the 10th "generation" with the possibility of updating. In all other cases, you need to check your libraries yourself.
Search start
Now it's time to talk about how to check which DirectX is installed on your computer. This is done in just a few seconds. If you want to "break" your head, you can look for special online services that can show information about your PC upon request. For those who do not want to be smart, the following method is suitable.
Call command line... To do this, press Win + R. In the window that appears, enter the "dxdiag" command and press Enter. A window will open in front of you, which will reflect all the information about your computer. Towards the very end of the list, you will see the line "Installed DirectX". Opposite this inscription your version of the "library" will be shown.
You can also make it even easier to exit to necessary information... A similar method is suitable for users of the "seven". Just open the "Start" menu and type "dxdiag" in the search box. In response, the required data page will open. Now that you know how to find out which DirectX is installed, it's time to talk a little about how to "handle" a given application.
Update
Time passes, and with the development of technologies, libraries connected to a computer are also developing. Thus, DirectX also receives its updates. It needs to be updated from time to time. But how to do that?
The task is carried out in several ways. The first is an independent search required version in the Internet. It is not very convenient, as you can run into trouble, namely, encrypted and hidden viruses. Yes, and your system and this application may be incompatible.
The second method is to update using the official Microsoft website. To do this, go to the site, find DirectX, and then select the operating system you need and the version of Direct to download. Download and install according to the instructions. After that, restart your computer - and now you have updated the computer libraries!
The last, most reliable method is an automatic update using the center Windows updates 7. To do this, go to it, start checking available updates and then select DirectX, if available, and wait for it to update. All you need is an Internet connection. And, of course, restart your computer after completion.
Put Direct, but no sense
Sometimes it may happen that you install DirectX on your computer at the request of an application and a game, but problems with launch are still present. What to do in this situation?
Many people start uninstalling Direct and reinstalling it, but this is not what is really needed. In fact, you need to rewrite the library (it has the dll format) that you are missing, and then download and "install" it on your computer. All libraries are stored in Windows folder-> System32.
Find the missing file on the Internet (or better on the official website) and download it. Unzip (usually the libraries are hidden in archives), then "put" them in the System32 folder and restart the computer if necessary. All problems will be resolved.
Sometimes, in order to install and correctly play media files and run games, you need to determine whether your PC operating system meets the installation requirements, or if you need to update the software resources. To do this, you need to find out which DirectX was installed on your computer. This can be done in several ways.
Why a DirectX update is required
For full-fledged work software you need to create an appropriate working environment: install the package of missing drivers and related programs. For example, to be able to view videos in a browser, you need to install the module Adobe flash Player, and to run popular games, you must install DirectX 11.
Constant monitoring of the relevance of the multimedia package, as well as the entire software of your computer, helps to avoid incorrect work systems and installation of erroneous programs.
As a rule, when buying and downloading a certain program, DirectX is already included in its bundle or the function of updating it, if it is already present on the PC. If you have problems with updating or installing DirectX, you need to find out the cause of the incompatibility between the application and the OS yourself.
How to find out DirectX version by OS name
DirectX is already built into modern operating systems. You can understand which DirectX is installed by the system version:
- Windows 7 is installed with DirectX 10.
- Windows 8 usually contains DirectX 11.
- Well, the most latest windows 10 is equipped with either DirectX 11 or DirectX 12.
- If your PC has an outdated OS, for example, Windows XP, then most likely you have DirectX 9 installed. This version must be updated, otherwise most games will not even be installed.
Determining the DirectX version using the command line
If you have previously updated DirectX or downloaded different versions complete with applications, it will be difficult to find out the exact version of it just by the name of the OS. Therefore, you need to use this method:
- Open the Start menu and type dxdiag in the Search programs and files line.
- Or simultaneously hold down the "Windows" + "R" key, after which a menu will open with the ability to execute commands, where you should also type dxdiag.
- In the window that opens, you can find necessary information about DirectX.
Finding DirectX Version Using Third Party Applications
- You can find out what DirectX is on your computer in the control panel of the integrated video card. For example, you can take NVidia graphics card... If you open the System Information window, you will also see information about DirectX. You can find information about the graphics editor in this way: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "NVIDIA Control Panel".
- You can also get the necessary information using special utilities, for example, Aida 64 (the old name is Everest). You can find and download this application for free on the Internet. In addition to DirectX data, this utility has many useful functions that will definitely come in handy for you.
Now you know how to define current version DirectX that is installed on your PC. All that remains is to update it to the latest version, if necessary.
Greetings to all visitors to my blog. Historically, I immediately grasped the connection between the absence dll files on the system and the version of DirectX. Therefore, if, when starting the game, instead of the toy itself, you see something like "The program cannot be launched, since the computer does not have d3dx9_31.dll", then with a probability of 99% it can be argued that you need to update the DirectX libraries.
With the transition to new operating systems from Windows ordinary users began to get confused about the versions of Direct X. Many people mistakenly believe that by installing, for example, 9.0c on DirectX 11, they will remove the latter. I'll tell you right away - it will not go anywhere, it will simply be supplemented with libraries from 9.0 (although all the necessary ones are already included in the latest versions, there are some toys with exceptions)
If you are looking for this information, because you don't know what, it is possible from the official site, then this note is just for you - here we will consider everything! The network is full of resources that offer to download this file. Do not be fooled by this - as a rule, it is very easy to catch a virus from such sites. (and Yandex does not always mark such resources as dangerous)
It's quite easy to find out, however Microsoft is wise with the interface and in different Windows it may look different, but the logic does not change from version to version. So, for Windows 7, click "Start" and find the search box
Enter in the search bar and press Enter
However, this will only work for Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
In all Windows versions without exception, you can call the command to execute and enter there In this case, the DirectX utility will start. If you do not know where you have the "Run" command, then read this article http: //www.site/pc/setup_win/gde-v-puske-vypolnit/
And here in the "DirectX Diagnostic Tool" we can see the version.
So, we found out which DirectX is installed, what should we do next? Update of course!
How do I update DirectX to the latest version?
Never, do you hear? NEVER do not download DirectX from unknown sites. Download the official and latest version(more precisely, the web installer) is available from the official Microsoft website.
http://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/details.aspx?id=35
But I do not like to drive my visitors to other sites, so I uploaded to my blog, you can download from me
After downloading - launch. The "Install Microsoft (R) DirectX (R)" opens. We agree with license agreement and click "Next"
We will be offered to install the Bing Bar for free, but we don't need it, so we uncheck the box next to this item.
The installation program will determine how many more components you need to download (for example, 48.9 megabytes for me), if everything suits you, click "Next"
Sometimes, to run an application or game in Windows OS, you may need the name of the package installed in operating system programs.
And, therefore, to answer the question of how to find out which DirectX is installed.
Knowing the exact version of this package, originally used only for gaming purposes, but then used to support the playback of multimedia files, and to perform other tasks, you can understand whether your PC has enough resources, or if an update is required (of the program itself or computer elements).
What does the new version give?
Much of the software only runs in the right environment — with the right drivers and software packages.
For example, Adobe photoshop requires OpenGL software installed, and almost all modern games will not run without DirectX 11.
Accurate knowledge of the multimedia package (as well as computer resources) avoids the following problems:
- Purchases or downloads of applications that are not supported by the system;
- Attempts to establish earlier DirectX versions.
For most applications that require special software such as DirectX, it comes bundled. And during the installation process, it is proposed to install it on your computer or update it.
But, if the automatic update does not occur, but the program does not start for some reason, you will need to find out the multimedia package in order to understand whether its incompatibility with the application is the cause of the problem.
A simple way to define
Find out the version of DirectX on recently installed system quite simply - in modern operating systems, the package is already bundled with Windows. And you can determine the variety by the name of the system:
- In one of the most common Windows systems 7 built-in is DirectX 10, suitable for most graphics applications, games and multimedia files;
- IN outdated Windows XP was installed by default with the 9th flavor of the package, which often had to be updated to run more modern programs;
- DirectX 11 was embedded in Windows 8;
- Both the 11th and 12th versions of the program could be included with the last, tenth "Windows".
Definition with built-in tools
To accurately determine the DirectX version using the built-in diagnostic tool, you need:
- Open the command execution menu by pressing simultaneously the Windows + R keys;
- Enter the dxdiag command;
- In the window that opens after executing the command, on the first tab, find information about the program, which is at the bottom of the list.
Advice! Since the system only shows integer values, sometimes the information shown about DirectX 11 may mean that the system actually has version 11.1 or 11.2. In most cases, however, such details are irrelevant.
Another place to find out the DirectX version is in the video card control panel, if installed.
For example, for NVidia products, this information is displayed when viewing system information.
In addition, there are special utilities that also give out all the necessary information about the system, including the DirectX version. For example, Aida 64, formerly called Everest.
Free versions of this utility can be found on the Internet and installed on your computer - in the future, you will need it not only to determine which version of DirectX you have.
You can find similar capabilities in other utilities.
What to do next?
So, the information about which version of the software package is installed has been received. And now, in order for your program or game to start, you need to know its minimum requirements.
They can be found on the Internet at the manufacturer's website or on forums, where information about games is often posted even before they hit the counter.
On the one hand, to run most programs, it is enough to install the latest version, which probably supports all the previous ones. Or at least DirectX 11.
But there are two problems here:
- Outdated video cards do not support the 11th edition of the driver;
- Some games require a specific version of the package to run.
In this case, you will have to install the DirectX specified in the requirements.
And, if the system installed a newer one by default, and due to this, in the opinion of the system, the version does not require an update (which can cause a software conflict and lead to a startup failure), you should completely remove the package and install a new one compatible with your program.
You can find and download them completely free of charge on the manufacturer's website.
Thematic videos:
