I'm working on a .NET application that requires the use of accelerated graphics, currently DirectX 9.0c. The software is quite graphics intensive and must, in addition, be launchable from a CD or by ClickOnce without the user requiring administrator's permissions. I currently use SlimDX, but the users are getting rather annoyed by having to install the DirectX redistributable. Especially since this does require elevated permissions. It is rather hard to explain to them why the version of DirectX already bundled with their OS is not sufficient. After all - DirectX 9.0c has been around since 2004, and I'm not using any new fancy features. The ability to deliver an application that "just works" in Vista or Windows 7 (or even XP SP3), without any particular additional prerequisites would be a huge advantage. Therefore: Is there any way I can adjust/compile SlimDX such that it relies only on the libraries provided in the standard Windows Vista/Win7 installation? That is - without requiring a particular DirectX redistributable to be installed? Thanks in advance!

The DirectX Redistributables consist of two parts. The core runtime elements and the extension libraries. While the core runtime is part of the OS and although get updates with service packs the only way to get the extension libraries is the DirectX redist. SlimDX make use of these extensions. While its technical possible to strip all extension stuff from SlimDX you need to ask yourself if you make use of any of these functions. Most common are image loading, matrix operations or the effect system. If the answer is yes your need the redistributables in any way or rewrite all these functions by your own.

Thanks for your reply! In my case, Effects would probably be the remaining problem. I use only a small portion of it, but I have no real feeling about how much lowlevel coding would be needed to work around it.

To make sure I understand correctly, is no version of D3DX shipped with the OS? Or is it that particular/different versions are shipped depending on OS, and that SlimDX requires a single version of it?

There is no D3DX version included in the OS itself.