Game DLL errors - d3dx9, xinput, d3dcompiler and friends

Older games were built on DirectX 9-era components that modern Windows no longer ships by default. Launch such a game on a fresh PC and it fails asking for d3dx9_43.dll, xinput1_3.dll or d3dcompiler_43.dll. The cure is one official Microsoft installer - not a DLL file from a random site.

Quick answer

Download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from microsoft.com/download, run it, and let it add the legacy DirectX 9-12 components. It fixes d3dx9_xx.dll, d3dx10_xx.dll, d3dx11_xx.dll, xinput1_3.dll, d3dcompiler_43.dll and xactengine errors in one pass. On Steam, "Verify integrity of game files" often does the same job.

Symptoms - how this problem looks

"The program can't start because d3dx9_43.dll is missing"

The same message names xinput1_3.dll, d3dcompiler_43.dll or xactengine3_7.dll

An older game fails on a brand-new PC while new games run fine

The error appeared right after installing the game

A controller-enabled game asks for xinput1_3.dll

d3d12.dll errors on an up-to-date system (rare - see FAQ)

Why it happens

Legacy DirectX is not preinstalled

Windows 10/11 ship with DirectX 12, but the DirectX 9-era side libraries games from the 2000s used are an optional add-on.

The game's installer skipped the redist step

Repacked or manually copied games miss the redistributable step a normal installer runs.

A cleanup removed shared game components

Aggressive cleaner tools sometimes strip the shared DirectX and Visual C++ files games depend on.

Damaged game files

A corrupted download or disk error can damage the game's own DLLs - reverifying the files restores them.

The fixes, in order

1. Install the DirectX End-User Runtime (the main fix)

Search for "DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer" and open the result on microsoft.com.
Download and run dxwebsetup.exe - decline any optional extras it offers.
Let it finish: it installs the complete set of legacy DirectX side libraries.
Restart the PC and launch the game.

2. Let the game platform repair itself

Steam: right-click the game, Properties, Installed Files, then "Verify integrity of game files".
Also look inside the game's folder for _CommonRedist or redist - running the DirectX and vcredist installers there matches the game's exact needs.
Epic, GOG and other launchers have the same verify/repair option in the game's menu.

3. Cover the Visual C++ side

Many games name a vcruntime/msvcp DLL next: install the Visual C++ Redistributable as described in our VCRUNTIME140.dll guide - both x64 and x86.

4. If one specific game still fails

Reinstall the game completely from its official source.
Update the graphics driver - shader-related crashes (d3dcompiler) sometimes trace to it; see the graphics driver check.
Run sfc /scannow in an admin terminal to repair Windows' own DirectX 12 files.

Do not do this: Do not download d3dx9_43.dll or xinput1_3.dll as single files. DLL sites are a malware classic, and a mismatched file crashes the game in worse ways. The official installers above restore every component correctly.

Cheat sheet - which component the DLL belongs to

The error names	Component	The fix
d3dx9_24.dll ... d3dx9_43.dll	DirectX 9 D3DX library	DirectX End-User Runtime (method 1)
d3dx10_xx.dll, d3dx11_xx.dll, d3dcompiler_43.dll	DirectX 10/11 side libraries	DirectX End-User Runtime (method 1)
xinput1_3.dll, xinput9_1_0.dll	Legacy controller input	DirectX End-User Runtime (method 1)
xactengine2_x.dll, xactengine3_x.dll, x3daudio1_x.dll	Legacy game audio	DirectX End-User Runtime (method 1)
vcruntime140.dll, msvcp140.dll	Visual C++ runtime	VCRUNTIME140 guide
d3d12.dll	DirectX 12 core (ships with Windows)	Windows Update + sfc /scannow (method 4)

The automatic option

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Frequently asked questions

Why does a 2008 game need extra files on a new PC?

Games of that era bundled DirectX 9 side libraries that were never part of Windows itself. Modern Windows includes only the core DirectX runtime, so the optional legacy set must be installed once - after that, every old game finds its files.

Is the DirectX End-User Runtime safe to install alongside DirectX 12?

Yes - it only adds the missing legacy side libraries and does not touch or downgrade the system's DirectX 12. Microsoft ships it exactly for this purpose.

A game asks for d3d12.dll - the DirectX 12 file itself. What does that mean?

d3d12.dll ships with Windows, so a missing one points to system file damage or a very outdated Windows build - run Windows Update and then sfc /scannow. If a brand-new game simply refuses to run on old hardware, check the game's minimum requirements instead.