DIRDIAG utility:

This is what the DirectX Diagnostic Tool shows on my computer when I use DXDIAG from START->RUN. As the name suggests it is a diagnostic tools. You can test your directdraw and direct3D drawing capabilities of your computer apart from finding out if there are any problems with DirectX files that would hamper a smooth display of graphics.
How to run:

go to START->RUN and type DIRDIAG. If you have typed correctly, you would see a window coming up as shown on the top side of this page.