How to Deal with DirectX Problems
Although DirectX has been around for some time, there are still quite often problems with DirectX that are related to versions and DirectX files. Microsoft has actually updated some of the files of the latest DirectX version for Windows XP, which is DirectX 9.0c. As a result you can not always be sure that the correct DirectX version will ensure that you do not have problems. Typically a lot of PC games make use of DirectX, so they are the applications showing DirectX errors.
Runtime errors often relate to DirectX DLL files, like the d3dx9_25.dll, d3dx9_26.dll, or d3dx9_27.dll, while DirectX update problems often cause “internal system errors” or “missing file” errors.
Here are a few tips on how to deal with DirectX errors and problems:
- Update your hardware device drivers first to ensure compatibility with the latest DirectX version. Be aware that if you install unsigned (not verified by Microsoft) drivers, you can still experience runtime problems when running the application.
- Scan your PC for viruses, they can cause internal system errors when updating DirectX.
- Clean & fix the Windows registry, sometimes registry problems cause “file not found” problems in the dxupdate module.
- DirectX has no uninstall option, so use Windows XP system restore function to rollback the failed update before trying again. If you have System Restore disabled, turn it on before starting any update.
- Use dxdiag to diagnose DirectX problems and check the DirectX version. Simply type “dxdiag.exe” in the Run box at the Start menu.
- Check if the software that gives you problems includes a DirectX installer on the CD/DVD. Many games include a DirectX redistributable version that is installed automatically when the game is installed. There are cases where that version is required and there are cases where that DirectX version is actually causing the problems. So try the DirectX version that came with the application as well as the latest DirectX version from the Microsoft download.
Using these tips you can fix many DirectX errors and DirectX update problems. Worst case scenario you need to reinstall Windows XP, but that should really be a last resort.
elloowww… how can i fix my pc??? it cannot run games… when i try to diagnos…. it says that my directx accelaration ..direct3d and AGP are not available… how can i fix this problem…. help me plz….
@ Julio – Did you try downloading the DirectX11 runtime and installing it (again)?
What are the errors you get with FiFa 10?
i have fifa manager 10 i installed it and it tells me to install directx 9.0c and i have windows vista home premium with directx 11 and it oes not work
I’m trying to update to DirectX11 and it’s driving me insane. I’m getting all sorts of different errors and none if makes any sense and I have no idea how to fix it. Why is it so difficult just to update this crap?
@gliz – Might be that your DirectX 9.0c install got corrupted by a later install of some other program. Try reinstalling it from the Microsoft download.
i have 9.0c , but sometimes when i run warcraft
it says “warcraft was unable to initialize, please ensure u have 8.1 or newer
but sometimes when i reset my pc it has no errors
but still its annoying sometimes
@I hate directx – Did you try reinstalling your video card drivers already?
@Colleen – Did you follow the download link to download and install DirectX? Most likely it was not reinstalled when your PC was formatted. The video card should not be the problem, because you would see other symptoms then, not just the game.
In any case, you can check the system requirements for spore on a PC to see if your PC hardware is sufficient.
hi, i am trying to play spore and when i go to open it it says direct x not availible…..I recently had my computer reformatted and im wondering if they did something to my comp…..could this prob occur if they took my video card?
Ok, i did directx 9.0. Downloaded it and it says I downloaded it. I tried direct3d, 7 is fine, 8 is a spinning cube but with messed up colors and 9 just dissapeared.
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX Integrated GPU
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 3200+, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.2GHz
Memory: 960MB RAM
Page File: 556MB used, 1762MB available
And if there’s something i have to do, explain it to me please.
@rej8 – The first thing to try is to simply download and reinstall DirectX from the Microsoft website (see comment 8). For Vista you might need DirectX 10.
One other option is to try and uninstall DirectX and then reinstall it.
Does the error message provide any details or is it a generic DirectX error?
hi my problem is that i couldnt play online games that i download coz its says that theres an dxdiag error and sometimes its says the dll is corrupted. i wana know how to recover the directx or what to type under the registry edit ty
@Vivek – the Microsoft site is the most reliable site to update your directx version.
Use: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179113/EN-US/ as the source for you directx install.
I suggest you check the DirectX version and install with “dxdiag”, to ensure there are no problems.
Anthony
HEY I HAVE A GAME CALLED CRAZY KART.I HAVE INSTALLED 5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIRECT X9.0C .BUT EVERY TIME I OPEN CRAZY KART GAME IT ASKS ME TO UPDATE DIRECT X WAT SHOULD I DO PLS REPLY…………
@Computer Konections – What tv card are you using and which software?
Anthony
Well very good but on direct x I was wondering why my tv card is displaying a splitted image with a black line in the middle without setting it like that
@Digital Larry – Did you check the DirectX setup log files in the Windows directory? Make sure you are showing hidden files and then look for DxError.log or DirectX.log in the Windows directory.
You can use the Windows DirectX error codes to analyze any errors: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/177430/en-us
Anthony
I have XP Pro, DirectX 8.1 installed per DXDiag.
I have run the 9.0c setup 4 times and it always says, ok, files are ready for use. But it’s still version 8.1 and some applications are failing.
Uaing McAfee SecurityCenter provided by Comcast.
@Saundra – DirectX is used by a lot of games and other programs for graphics and audio. Most DirectX problems relate to installing DirectX, updating DirectX, or gaming problems (bad graphics or sound).
Anthony
what is directX problems?