I tried the HelloTexture and HelloRenderTarget samples, and both fail

[ColesyM]

NullReferenceException in this:

var vertexShader = new ShaderBytecode(SharpDX.D3DCompiler.ShaderBytecode.CompileFromFile("shaders.hlsl", "VSMain", "vs_5_0", SharpDX.D3DCompiler.ShaderFlags.Debug));

Compiling the shader in HelloTriangle worked just fine.

i7 6600K, 16GB DDR4, GTX 1070 8GB

[RobyDX]

File shaders.hlsl is inside the folder?
Do you have Windows SDK Installed?

[ColesyM]

yes to both, shaders.hlsl is copied as content.

[RobyDX]

I've tested just now on my machine and it works. I don't have any clues. Probably it's an error in the shader (on my config probably is just a warning)
Try to change shader in some ways. For example try to change
result.uv = uv;
to
result.uv = uv.xy;

Another try could be
Do you have installed Windows 10 Anniversary Update? I don't have and it works, I don't know if it don't works with it.

[ColesyM]

yes, and latest win sdk.

[ColesyM]

Whats strange is that it works for the triangle color version.

[RobyDX]

Then is some differences between anniversary update and old version. There is a warning inside a shader that now is an error. Try not going in DEBUG. You should see conditional compilation in texture demo that there isn't in other demos

[ColesyM]

Same exception in release.

[RobyDX]

Probably is anniversary update. There is an error in my shader but for previous windows is just a warning. Try changing the shader (parameter dimension for example). Try other demo with texture. I ll try something tomorrow to help you.