DIRECT X

Question

Hi can I have both direct x 9 and 12 on my computer as an old game needs direct x 9 to run. 

do the direct x updates override the last installed one?

please help and thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Linda

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

Windows 10 which includes DirectX 12 includes the necessary run times for older versions of DirectX. So, you should be able to install older games using compatibility mode.

Run Old Software on Windows 10 with Compatibility Mode - groovyPost

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/run-old-softwa...

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

If the above does not work, open Start, type: regedit

Right click regedit

Click Run as administrator

Navigate to the following keys:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\DirectX

Then change the key 4.09.00.0904 to 4.08.00.0904

Try launching your game

Answer 2

• What is the name of the game, and is it disc based or downloaded from Steam or other on line retailer ?

"direct x updates override the last installed one?"

• Believe it or not, the only DX 'update' is the few DX12 files that are included in Win10. The most recent DX9,10 & 11 files

were released in the  -  DirectX Redist (June 2010)  -    installer package, and Win10 has them all.

There is nothing to 'override'. The games select the DX files they require, not Windows.

A lot of people still suggest using the old DX9.0c installer package (not to be confused with the DX Web Installer). This old installer

has the same older DX files as the installer from 2010, but the 2010 installer has some newer files that are not in the

redundant old 9.0c installer package.

• There has been a big problem with .NET getting corrupted on Win10, and when it does Windows has no idea what

has happened and tosses out a misleading DirectX error.

When this happens you also will get an error when trying to reinstall DirectX .

• Repair .NET .

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/repair

• Failing that try updating your Windows. This has helped another person with the same issue, but he didn't say if the update

was a cumulative/security update, or if he did a version update to v1809.

• If neither of the above helps, you may have to try using the DX Registry key fix (Option #6)  in the article below...

https://windowsreport.com/directx-internal-system-error-occurred/

• Another person who posted here a while back deleted the whole DX Registry folder. A radical fix, but it worked for him.

Do be sure to make a backup of the DX registry folder before deleting it.

Reboot after deleting the folder, and Windows will apparently rebuild the DX Registry folder during the reboot.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX

.