Rank: Chairman of Hollywd's Tech
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Post subject: Direct X
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DirectX is an application programming interface (API) provided to software developer by Microsoft. It allows developers to access the features of a wide variety of hardware easier by providing a unified "language" to use that will work on nearly any machine.
DirectX is designed to work with Windows and your specific hardware. Hardware manufacturers are responsible for making drivers that work with Windows and DirectX.
A driver is the piece of software that allows communication between the OS and the hardware in the machine. Without a driver, Windows would not know how to use your computer's hardware.
Generally, Take2 Support recommends using the latest drivers available for the best game compatibility and performance. The hardware manufacturer's website will usually carry drivers in their downloads or support section of their websites. It is very important that drivers for all devices - video card, sound card, mouse, etc. - are kept as updated as possible. It is important to note that every computer manufacturer, card manufacturer, and chipset manufacturer may have different drivers depending on their version of the card. This is especially true for video cards. Some video cards will have a chipset manufactured by another company. The company that made the chipset will usually have drivers that work with all video cards that use a certain chipset. These are called "reference drivers." Reference drivers are generally more compatible with games. However if your video card has any special features such as an S-Video adapter, TV-Out capabilities, or digital outputs, they may not work with the reference drivers. See the DXDIAG section below for information on how to check your video card's chipset.
Please note that Take2 Support CANNOT offer assistance in installing, removing or updating drivers. For help with driver, check the documentation that comes with the drivers, check with the device manufacturer, or check with your system manufacturer on how to install drivers. Please note that computer manufacturers will also void your warranty if you choose to update drivers without checking with them or their support organization first. Again, check your computer's documentation or with your computer manufacturer on these kinds of issues as these warranty agreements rest between you (the consumer) and your hardware manufacturer, not with Take2 Support.
If you need to get the latest version of DirectX, go to http://www.microsoft.com/directx.
A very useful feature of DirectX starting with Direct6.1 is "DXDIAG", the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. It will show you a lot of information about your hardware as well as provide detailed information about your hardware to Take2 Support.
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Thanks,
Hollywood's Tech Owner & Hollywd's Tech Staff
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