Dxdiag - The DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Microsoft provides a DirectX Diagnostic Tool, dxdiag.exe, with Windows systems. The tool is designed to help you troubleshoot DirectX-related issues. You can run the tool from a command prompt by typing dxdiag or you can click on the Start button, select Run, type dxdiag, and hit Enter.

When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window opens you will see information about the system displayed, which includes the following (as shown in Figure 1):

Current Date/Time
Computer Name
Operating System
Language
System Manufacturer
System Model
BIOS
Processor
Memory
Page file
DirectX Version

There are tabs for information about DirectX Files, Display, Sound, Music, Input, and Network.

With no optional parameters specified, the tool with open a GUI window, but you can use the /t or /x parameters to have the system generate a file containing all of the information you can get through the GUI without opening a Window. The /t option generates a text file, while the /x option generates an XML file. You don't have to specify an .xml or .txt extension, the program will add them, if you don't specify an extension. You can open XML files with a browser, such as Internet Explorer

Example:

dxdiag /x kelly_dxdiag

Exmple output files: XML, Text

Usage: dxdiag [/x outfile] [/t outfile] [/whql:on | /whql:off]

/x outfilesilently save XML information to and quit
/t outfilesilently save txt information to and quit
/whql:onallow dxdiag to check for WHQL digital signatures
/whql:offdo not allow dxdiag to check for WHQL digital signatures

[ ] - encloses optional parameters
| - indicates "or", i.e. one of the two options separated by "|" can be selected

Note: checking for WHQL digital signatures may connect via Internet to update WHQL certificates.

References:

  1. DirectX: Description of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool
    Microsoft Help and Support
    September 29, 2004
  2. XML Introduction - What is XML
    W3Schools