DX9 issue

[Gordo]

I have a new alienware Win11 (DX12) for about 8 months now. DDO worked fine since I bought the laptop.
A week ago, the game started taking 90 seconds to reach character screen from log in. This used to take 20 seconds or so max.
Now the game won't even boot.
Uninstalled and reinstalled the game.
The game will not let me choose "DirectX9" in options when I finally get to the character screen (1 out of 5 tries).

I do the following (when the game randomly does load):
Go to Options, Graphics, Graphics Hardware Level (and there "Direct X9" is greyed out). I can't select any DXin this box.
Also: Under Advanced Graphics, "DX11 interactive Waiver" also greyed out.
Also: Under Advanced Graphics, "DX10 Distant Landscape Lighting" also greyed out.

I have downloaded and installed DXruntime and DX9 5-6 times and I can't figure out what else to do.

How can I "force" DX9 to be the main DX for DDO?
Why isn't the game (or the PC) not seeing I've installed DX9?
Thanks

[Mindos]

I have downloaded and installed DXruntime and DX9 5-6 times and I can't figure out what else to do.

Are you sure? You downloaded the OFFLINE version? You ran it. You then navigated to the directory it made, and RAN THE EXE in that folder?

[Gordo]

Are you sure? You downloaded the OFFLINE version? You ran it. You then navigated to the directory it made, and RAN THE EXE in that folder?

Hi Mindos

Thanks for replying. I did get it to work by installing it directly as the "PC administrator" and not as just right click, install as "administrator".
The difference is that I had to literally log into my laptop as the "admin" and not my name.

That seemed to get it to finally install DX9.

As for the options now available to select DX9,10,11, although they are there, the game STILL takes forever to go from password entry to splash screen. It's unbelievable that after 15 years, it's the worst I've ever seen it.

Maybe it has to do with me downgrading my VIP status since the inception of it...