To answer the common question of how to install DirectX, you must first understand what it is for. DirectX is a special set software applications Microsoft, which is used in the development of modern games and is necessary for their normal operation.
DirectX is certainly very important for the smooth running of PC games. Without it, no game on Windows OS will simply start. But before you make feverish attempts to search for information on how to install DirectX, you should first of all find out if you need to update this software at all. To do this, follow the instructions on how to find out which DirectX is installed below:
- From the start menu open command line"Run"
- Enter the "dxdiag" command without quotes - it will open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, which will show detailed information, including the DirectX version.
- See which version of DirectX is installed. On the this moment the latest version is DirectX 11, which is available on OS from Windows Vista and higher. Contrary to popular belief, the release of DirectX 12 has not yet taken place, but should appear in the next few days. Therefore, it makes no sense to look for where to download DirectX 12.
If you followed the instructions on how to check the version of DirectX installed above and saw that you do not have the latest version installed, or this software is missing at all, then download and install DirectX. How to install DirectX is detailed below.
If you are the owner of Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or Vista, then you will want to know how to install DirectX 11 a separate file... Windows XP, alas, does not support this software version. It is important to note that you will not be able to download and install DirectX 11 from the official Microsoft website in a separate file for one simple reason - new versions of Windows are already preinstalled with the latest version of DirectX. Nevertheless, the cases are different and you could have accidentally or deliberately removed this software. To install again, do the following:
Important: we advise you not to download DirectX from third-party resources. All necessary information and files for the OS can be found on the official Microsoft website. There is no need to take risks, as many software archives contain a virus that will harm the OS.
The software is distributed free of charge from the official Microsoft website.
The optimal version usually comes bundled with games and on disks with drivers for video cards.
Also, executable libraries are included in the Windows distribution.
The components of this software are essential for the day-to-day operation of the operating system, but have a much broader scope.
Most often used in writing games for working with sound, graphics and video data, as well as for processing signals from various elements management.
There are several alternative sets of executive libraries (OpenGL, for example).
But for operating systems from Microsoft, of course, it is the software developed by them that is suitable.
Installing the latest version of DirectX
To use the latest version of DirectX, you need to go to the download page on the official Microsoft website and click the Download button.
You should not install programs downloaded from other sources.
It is not known how the "caring" inhabitants of the network supplied such an installer.
The site will offer to download and install additional software.
We are not interested in it, so we click "Refuse and Continue".
This will open an explorer to select the location to save the file. For convenience, it is better to save the file to the desktop.
Important! When the file is downloaded, you need to find the installer ( setup file), it can be either on the desktop or in the download directory and then launch it. In some browsers (Chrome, for example), you can launch the downloaded application from the download bar. In the future, the same file will help to update the direct x for Windows 7 or to carry out the procedure for restoring damaged libraries.
The OS security system will ask you to confirm the launch of the program. You need to enable it by clicking the "Run" button.
This will open the installer window. In it, you must check the box opposite the item on the acceptance of the terms of the user agreement and click on the "Next" button.
If you do not accept the license agreement, then the installation will be impossible.
The installer then prompts you to add the Bing toolbar to your browser. If you need it, you can leave everything as it is and click "Next".
But this is just a waste of computer resources, so it is better to disable the panel installation.
It will take a little time to install the components.
When restoring or updating DirectX, this step collects information about the current state of the execution libraries.
Then the installation is complete. It remains only to click "Finish" and restart your computer. No special DirectX configuration is required.
After that, the games should work fine.
Checking the current installed version
The cause of problems in games may be not only a mismatch of the version of this software with the stated requirements.
There are many other factors that affect their performance.
To make sure you need to update DirectX, you need to check its current version. At the time of this writing, the latest is version 11.
To do this, press "Win + R" (Win is a button on the keyboard with an OS icon), after which the "Run" window will open.
In some Windows versions it can be opened from the start menu. In the entry line of the window that opens, type "dxdiag" and press "Enter" or "OK".
Then a diagnostic window will open providing details.
In this case, you only need the lowest line in the list of parameters for the first tab. It also indicates Current version ON.
Note! DirectX 11 supports all previous versions, so games that require lower versions should work on it. It is impossible to roll back the version without reinstalling the system and, in general, there is no such need.
If an earlier modification is indicated in the mentioned line, then it is necessary to start the update process.
In addition, you should update the executable libraries when one of them is missing or damaged.
DirectX update
The corresponding version of DirectX is by all means included in the distribution kit of the operating system.
So, XP comes with DX 9, with Vista - DX 10, and in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 - DX 11. The next version of the OS, Windows 10, will come with DX 12.
Installing and updating DirectX, the processes are almost identical.
The update process is as follows:
- Downloading the installer.
- Launching the installer.
- The process of downloading the installation of updated libraries will happen automatically.
- Updated DirectX components and drivers completed.
After removing some viruses or other procedures to repair or restore functionality to a malfunctioning computer, some DirectX executable libraries are damaged.
Such problems are evidenced by system errors when launching games that mention the absence of certain files with the extension .dll.
In this case, you need to restore them.
Important! The recovery process is the same as installing or updating. The running installer automatically collects information about available libraries and downloads damaged or missing files.
Now it is easy to handle the runtime libraries correctly at the user level.
The main thing to remember is that distributions distributed on third-party sites can easily contain malware.
Update DirectX for Windows. Find out DirectX version
How to update direct: improvements for gamers
Before starting the update of this component, you need to check version installed in the OS. It is very easy to do this:
It should be noted that this information can be obtained using third-party software, for example AIDA64... On a bookmark Operating system you can find the data we are interested in. 
How to update DirectX
In order to update a component in the system, first of all, it is necessary download distribution kit. You can find it on the Internet at the official website. 
We save file to your computer and run it. After that, a window with a license agreement will appear. Agree and press the button Further.
Microsoft builds Bing Bar installation into virtually all of its products. Recommended disable uncheck it and press again Further.
Now we wait while the installer check installed components and will analyze the files. Again continue.
The process begins renewal, which is noticeable for a few seconds or minutes, depending on the power of the PC. The missing components are loaded first. 
Then it starts by itself installation.
After successful completion, press the button Ready.
Update DirectX 12 for Windows 10
In the case of the top ten, namely the update to direct 12, things are a little different. When downloading such a distribution, the user does not receive an installation file, but a certain assistant which will scan the system and download the required components.
Forcibly you cannot install this component. If for some reason the program considers that the computer is not powerful enough, it will download the 11.2 version of the direct. There is no way to influence her choice.
DirectX is a collection of different dynamic libraries and drivers to optimize the operation of multimedia applications with the hardware of your PC. In order to properly configure most modern games and "squeeze" the maximum out of the graphics, sound and video capabilities, you need to update the x direct directly to latest version... The Windows 7 operating system is equipped with the tenth directx, but in many cases an update to the 11th or 12th version is required. If the game refuses to start without explaining the reasons or a black screen appears, then this indicates that the problem is an outdated or non-working direct x and it needs to be updated.
Second step: automatic update
- Directx can be updated using the built-in capabilities of the operating room. Windows systems 7. The process in this case will be carried out using the "Update Center" service. To do this, you only need to have access to the Internet.
- You can find this "Center" in the "Taskbar", not far from the clock icon. After starting the "Update Center", you must select and run "Check for Updates".
- The process can take a certain amount of time from 30 seconds to several minutes. After completing the search, you need to find a suitable version of directx in the available updates and put a checkmark in front of the corresponding inscription. Wait for the procedure to complete, the operating system should reboot into automatic mode... If for some reason this did not happen, then you need to do it manually through the "Start" or using the "Reset" button.
Manual update
Updating via the Internet from the official website
First of all, you need to make sure that the source from which you are going to download the program is reliable and along with it the computer will not acquire a couple of "Trojans" or "worms". It is best to update the DX from the official Microsoft website. Finding a section technical support operating system Windows 7, you can select the optimal service pack for subsequent installation. It is necessary to start the process on the company's website and follow all the instructions of the installer.
After the installation is complete, after waiting for all dynamic libraries and drivers to load, the system will automatically reboot. If after a few minutes after the end of the installation, the restart has not occurred, then you must manually restart the computer. 
What should I do if the problems persist after the update?
In the event that you have successfully updated the application from the Microsoft website, and the same black screen is loaded when the games are launched, you should not immediately blame the programmers and developers. It is possible that the application crashed as a result of the disconnection of the Internet connection, or incorrect installation... Sometimes the computer itself reports missing components or that certain dynamic libraries or drivers are missing to run applications. The exact name of all the elements must be written on a piece of paper because they play a critical role in solving the problem. DX add-ons have a .dll format extension, a message about a missing file of this type indicates that it needs to be downloaded and added directly to the registry of the Windows 7 operating system. 
When the missing component is identified, you can proceed to find it. Go to the "System 32" folder, which is located on system disk your computer. Now look carefully to see if the file with the same name that you wrote down on paper is present in this folder. If the item you are looking for is missing, then the problem has actually been solved. The files can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft website or from another trusted reliable source, otherwise you risk critical damage operating system Windows.
We update on a computer without Internet access. To do this, you must first download on any other device connected to the network, a special distribution package from the official Microsoft website and drop the installation file of the program to removable media, such as an ordinary USB flash drive. Then transfer it to your PC and from there perform the update procedure, following all the instructions of the installer. The operating system needs to be rebooted. Then, in the manner described in the first step of this article, make sure that the information in the registry has been successfully updated and now your computer is up to date current version DX.
It remains to add that only if the latest version of DX is installed, the playback of sound, video and other multimedia content will be carried out in the highest possible quality. In addition, the operation of devices such as a mouse, joystick, keyboard and other equipment depends on the availability of up-to-date dynamic libraries and drivers.
In contact with
