Perhaps there is no computer owner who would not want to know the answer to the question of how to find out which DirectX is installed. However, not everyone wants to learn something new from simple curiosity. Most often, this need is dictated by the features of the work of a particular used software product.
Today we will answer the question of how to find out which DirectX is installed, therefore, regardless of the true reason, each will have several effective ways at once.
Remembering the past
Many still have fresh memories of the glorious days of DOS, when written programs could access the functions of devices connected to a computer directly. For example, knowing the data about the installed video card, the programmer could thus write code to work directly with the video adapter, bypassing the internal system of interrupts and queues. This allowed not only to significantly increase the performance of such programs, but also reduced the requirements for components. In 1995, the advent of Windows put an end to this lack of standardization. Part of the operating system was a set of library files called DirectX, through which programs accessed devices. In other words, I had to forget about direct circulation bypassing mechanisms. Although such a unification has been very effective. Since then, the package has evolved from version 1.0 in Windows 95 to 11.2 in Win 8.1. Therefore, it is not always clear which DirectX is installed.
Strange moment
Why are users so interested in the question of how to find out which DirectX is installed if libraries are included in the system? Consider a simple example: in the Windows 8 operating system (DirectX 11.1 is built-in), a three-dimensional application is launched, created during the time of Windows XP (version 9 of libraries). Obviously, the new system is not required to contain all the files of the obsolete version of the package. Partially they are present, but not completely. As a result, the application closes with a crash message. The solution is simple: you need to install the required version of the package. Then the necessary files will be integrated into the system. This will give greater compatibility. So, although Direct X for Windows 7 ( version 11 ) is fairly new, we should not forget about the additional 9.x installation. Earlier releases are usually not required.
How to find out which DirectX is installed
But enough theory, it's time to move on to practice. In fact, defining a version is extremely simple. The first way - using the information module of the package, which is part of all Windows. You must press the Win buttons (the Windows symbol is shown) and R. In the displayed line, type dxdiag and press Enter. In the “System” tab, the bottom line indicates the version number of the installed version. Please note that if several packages are installed, the newest one is displayed (no overwriting occurs, only adding). That is, in Windows Vista SP2 - 8.1 it will be 11, in Win XP SP3 - 9. You can also find out the version in diagnostic programs. One of the most popular is AIDA64. After starting, you need to open the tab "Operating System" and proceed to the section of the same name. Here in the “Component Versions” block you can find DirectX. By the way, this program provides the ability to determine the version of libraries that the video adapter supports hardware. This information may be useful, for example, if it is not known whether a new game will start on this configuration. By comparing the software requirements and the supported version, you can immediately get an answer. Access to this function is carried out in the DirectX tab, the "Video" section.