DirectX and DirectX 9.0c FAQ
If you have ever tried to run a game or any other multimedia program on your computer, and received a message indicating that you need to install DirectX, do not panic. DirectX is software that Windows uses for many different reasons. It enables web developers to create videos and audio files in standard formats that will then work with various types of computers. It is generally important to have the current version of DirectX installed, so that everything can run smoothly.
For example, if you are into video games, you know that the Playstation 3 console will play video games that were created for the Playstation 2 as well as the regular Playstation. That’s similar to how the DirectX works. Since there are different versions of the software, the newer ones will work with older programs that call for older versions. The current version, DirectX 9.0c, will typically run programs that once required DirectX 8, DirectX 9, or any previous version. However, it doesn’t work the other way around. If you have something that requests DirectX 9.0c, you will have to upgrade the software for it to work properly.
Sometimes you may not realize that the DirectX needs to be updated. However, there are errors and programs you may encounter with older releases of the software. When trying to run a program, if you can errors about the system not being able to locate or initialize a file, failing to start, or performing an illegal operation, it could be due to your old version of DirectX. Poor quality video and screen display can also be an indicator that it is time to upgrade.
You can check to see which version of DirectX you are running in just a few seconds. Open your Start menu and click ‘Run.’ Type ‘dxdiag’ (without quotations) in the text box and press Enter. A box will appear that will have the information about the current DirectX version installed on your computer listed at the bottom. If you find that you have an version older than DirectX 9.0c, all you have to do is download the current version and it will overwrite any files.
To download and install DirectX 9.0c, you can visit http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3&displaylang=en. It is required that you are running genuine Microsoft Windows operating system for the download to work. Since most operating systems come pre-installed when you purchase a computer, you may not know what’s really on your computer prior to downloading the new version of DirectX. Microsoft will do a validation check before installing DirectX 9.0c on your system.
