DirectX Encountered an Unrecoverable Error: how to fix it?
If when trying to run any game on your Windows computer you have seen the message: "DirectX encountered an unrecoverable error", do not panic as there is a solution. In this article we explain what this error is and how to fix it.
What is DirectX?
DirectX is an API component, which is an application programming resource package that supports the computer by launching complex functions for playing graphics and other multimedia features such as 3D, present in video games.
It’s a resource that Microsoft created especially for Windows and may be required when you want to install several games. If this happens on your computer, accept the download and installation of DirectX on your computer. You can also download it here.
How to fix this error?
As we explained initially, DirectX is used to run the advanced multimedia features of a game, therefore, when the error message appears it means that the graphic functions cannot be executed.
To fix this, you’ll need to check both the configuration of the game requirements, the DirectX version and the driver of the graphics card. However in some cases, it will be possible to solve this problem by simply altering the screen resolution settings.
The message "DirectX encountered an unrecoverable error" appears more frequently when starting games such as Call of Duty, however it can also appear with other video games. Below we explain all possible solutions.
How to review DirectX system requirements?
There are video games that require the installation of DirectX and among them, there will be compatibility differences with some requiring either older or more recent versions of DirectX. The most modern video games, for example, usually require one of the latest systems, either DirectX 11 or 12.
Some simple solutions:
- Go to the official website of the game publisher and check which version of the DirectX system you require. (Here, for example, you have the requirements for Call of Duty: Warzone).
Then open DirectX on your PC to see which version you have installed on your computer, to do so follow the steps below:
- press the Win + R commands and Run will open
- type DxDiag in the text bar that displays
- When you accept, a screen with the diagnosis and version of DirectX will open.
If they don't match because you have an older version of DirectX, update it using the Windows Update option. You will have to update all components of Windows since there is no individual DirectX update package. When you first install it, the latest version is downloaded and then automatically renewed during system updates.
However, what happens is that not all versions of Windows are compatible with the latest versions of DirectX. Only Windows 10 and Server 2016 have support for the latest versions of DirectX 11.3 and 12.
If the game you want to run asks for DX 12 and you have a Windows 7 OS, you can only solve the "unrecoverable error" message by first updating your Windows operating system, if your computer allows it.
How to update your graphics card?
Another option is to update your graphics card with the latest available version. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Go to the Device Manager on Windows, or if you can't find it press the Win + X commands,
- Double-click on Display adapters, the list will show the option of graphics card and you should right-click on the option Uninstall device
- Select the options Remove driver settings for this device > Uninstall.
- Download the driver for your graphics card again (manually or automatically)
- Restart your computer. If a window opens to search for the card driver, click on Cancel and go to the new card and select download file, then install and run it.
Note: We recommend that you choose the automatic search option to find the latest version of your graphics card driver, as there is more chance of error when searching manually. We also recommend that you install a program that specializes in periodically checking for driver updates, such as TweakBit Driver Updater.
How to adjust the screen scale?
Another option you can also consider to solve this problem is to check if by altering the scale of your screen, the error message disappears and DirectX manages to run the game graphics. To do this follow these steps:
- On your computer desktop, right click on the mouse and select open display settings (or Display),
- In the Scale option select custom format (Scale and layout),
- Set the scale to 100 then click OK and try to run the game again to see if the problem has disappeared.
If it doesn't disappear with this formula, we recommend that you try one of the first two options mentioned above.