How to Uninstall and Reinstall DirectX to Repair Problems

Like Internet Explorer, DirectX is a crucial part of Windows and removing it from your computer may lead to system issues. DirectX is designed to support sound and graphics, allowing you to get the best quality when you are watching videos or playing a game. Although you can uninstall DirectX completely, this is not advisable as it may have an impact on the performance of your PC.

Some of the issues that you may experience as a result of uninstalling DirectX include inability or difficulties to run outlook.com and an error messages when trying to open Windows Live Messenger. This is because Messenger requires dsound.dll, (a DLL file) which is one of the applications that DirectX supports. You are also likely to have issues playing games as most of them rely on DIrectX as well.

Since DirectX comprises a selection of applications that handle multimedia tasks, particularly the ones related to gaming and video, it is important to make sure that your computer is running the latest version. If you are having issues when watching videos or playing games, it is likely that these are related to DirectX. Downloading the latest version of DirectX and reinstalling it should fix any problems and would replace any files that are missing. However, if the multimedia functions of your computer are not working as they should, even after updating DirectX, the only option may be to try to uninstall and then install it again.

The problem with this option is that as previously mentioned, uninstalling DirectX completely from your computer is not recommended and once it is removed, it is not possible to install it again. However, you can revert to the original version of DirectX from the Windows setup disc. After that, you will have the possibility of installing DirectX and then getting the most up to date version. With the help of tools designed to uninstall DirectX before reinstalling it or reverting to its original version, you can complete the process without hassle. There is also a simple change that will allow you to reinstall DirectX. Here you will find some of the best tools to uninstall and reinstall DirectX as well as an easy method to update DIrectX.

Option 1 – Changing the Registry

This simple solution doesn’t require third-party applications and may work for most users. You just need to make a minor adjustment in the registry in order to make it seem like there is an outdated version of DirectX installed. This simple fix will ensure that Windows allows you to install a new version of DirectX. You can follow the below steps:

1. Press Win key+R and type Regedit in the Run Box and then hit Enter
2. Locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftDirectX
   There you will see “Version” as well as a data value of 4.09.00.0904
3. Click Version twice and change the data value to 4.08.00.09.04 then close the registry editor. After this, you should be able to download and install a new version of DirectX

Option 2 – Use a tool to remove DirectX and to install it again

DHU – DirectX Happy Uninstall

If you are coming across errors with DirectX, DHU offers a solution that provides fantastic functionality. It is designed to manage and maintain DirectX to ensure that you can watch videos and play games without issues. DHU allows you to backup and restore DirectX and you can fix any DirectX problems via the innovative Disc-Rollback Feature. DHU supports a comprehensive install solution that works for all versions of DirectX (including the latest, DirectX12) and that provides all the necessary features to uninstall and reinstall DirectX. Although DHU is quite powerful and effective, you will need to pay $19.95 for it.

While it is important to keep in mind that there is no guarantee that all your multimedia issues are caused by DirectX malfunction, if you have gotten errors that indicate that this is what is happening, DHU would be the best tool to select. This software by Super Fox Studio works really well and it would be the best solution for many users who are experiencing issues with the multimedia functions on their PC. It is compatible with Windows XP, 7, 8 and 10.

DirectX Eradicator

This free solution allows you to uninstall DirectX securely in order to prepare your computer for installation. Its advanced features are designed to remove DirectX and all its files, registry keys and folders from your system. DirectX Eradicator offers a CD rollback option as well. The downside is that the tool also disables the Windows File protection by default. Additionally, DirectX Eradicator hasn’t been updated in a while and it doesn’t support the latest Windows operating systems.

DirectX Buster

Like Direct X Eradicator, this tool is free and can uninstall DirectX from your computer prior to a new installation. Although it is easy to use and effective, it only offers support for older versions of DirectX and its compatibility is limited. Direct X Buster would only suit older systems running Windows ME, 98 or 2000.