How to Uninstall DirectX 11

What is DirectX?

DirectX is a next-gen graphics technology which enhances the multimedia experience of games. This application involves various modules of audio and video like DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectDraw, Direct3D, etc. It is used as a standard by graphic card and game design companies to design their cards and games.

DirectX is present on all versions of Windows by default, and DirectX 11 is part of the Windows 7 OS. With every new release of Windows, Microsoft releases the newest version of DirectX.

How to know what version of DirectX you are using

The Windows OS offers DxDiag.exe which lets you know the version of DirectX present on a system. To use this tool, follow these steps-

  1. Click on Start and then Run
  2. Type Dxdiag in the box and press Enter

A window pops up on the screen which displays the version of DirectX on the system.

How to uninstall DirectX 11

DirectX 11 is solely designed for Windows 7 and all its versions. Windows Vista and XP can also install this, as it is backward compatible; however, some advanced components will not work. To uninstall DirectX 11, you can follow these methods –

  1. From Control Panel
  2. Registry Editor and Windows Installer Cleanup
  3. Third Party software

From Control Panel – As DirectX 11 is present by default in Windows 7, you cannot directly uninstall it from Programs and Features. Only if you have installed it on a Windows XP or Vista system will it be displayed in the list of installed programs. To run the uninstaller, follow these steps-

  1. Close All running programs
  2. Click on Start and go to Control Panel
  3. Click on Add or Remove Programs or Program and Features
  4. Select DirectX 11 from the list and choose Change/Remove or uninstall
  5. Click Yes on the button in the dialogue box which says Are you sure you want to remove DirectX 11 from your computer?
  6. Restart the system

This will remove DirectX 11 from the system.

Registry Editor and Windows Installer Cleanup – Windows Installer Cleanup Utility is a tool provided by Microsoft to remove registry entries of installed programs. You can download and install it from the Microsoft website. This cleanup utility helps when DirectX is installed on a system and doesn’t remove the default version. Follow these steps to remove DirectX –

  1. Close all running programs
  2. Click on Start and then click on All programs
  3. Click on Windows Install Clean up
  4. From the list, choose DirectX 11
  5. Click on the Remove button
  6. Close the Windows Installer Cleanup
  7. Click on Start and then Run
  8. Type Regedit and Click OK
  9. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DirectX
  10. Delete keys related to DirectX 11 and then delete the Directx folder
  11. Close Regedit
  12. Restart the system

This will remove the DirectX 11 software installed on the system. After the system restarts, it will install the default version of DirectX automatically. If any of the components are missing, you can download and install them from the Windows website.

Third Party Software – RegGenie is a powerful registry editor which will help in removing all the registry entries related to DirectX11. You can also use Perfect Uninstaller to remove all files and folders.