Windows 11 appears to be facing issues with Nvidia GPUs, as reported by Neowin. Users in the Windows Insider program on the Canary channel have encountered problems launching applications, seemingly due to an incompatibility with DirectX 9 and crashing D3D9 DLL files.
The issue affects anything that relies on DirectX 9, including applications, games, PowerPoint presentations, web browsers, and even certain websites.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, listing it among the known problems in the announcement for the latest Canary Channel build 27808. However, the problem remains unresolved, frustrating users—some of whom have had to reset their builds to restore normal functionality in Windows 11.
What to Do If You’re Affected
Some users have found a workaround—or at least a temporary fix—by manually replacing the D3D9 DLL files in the System32 and SysWOW64 system folders with files from previous Windows builds.
This process requires administrator privileges and must be performed via PowerShell. Additionally, it involves deactivating the Nvidia GPU through the Device Manager.
Fortunately, the issue appears to be limited to users in the Windows Insider program running Canary builds. While Microsoft has not explicitly identified Nvidia GPUs as the direct cause, the problem seems to affect only systems equipped with Nvidia graphics cards.
