‘DirectX redistributable failing to install’ [2 Quick Fixes]

After installing a new PC game or software, you might have encountered the error message “d3dx9_43.dll cannot be found” or something similar. Figuring out that this is because you do not have DirectX on your computer may seem easy. However, if you are using Windows 10, the problem compounds when the DirectX redistributable file fails to install.

We are going to discuss what DirectX is, why it is needed and why it brings up errors when you try to install it in windows.

What is DirectX?

DirectX is a set of low-level Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that provides Windows programs with high-performance hardware-accelerated multimedia support. DirectX enables the program to easily determine the hardware capabilities of your computer, and then sets the program parameters to match.

DirectX allows your multimedia and video applications to set aside large amounts of RAM, Video Memory space, and CPU access swiftly, enabling these applications to run seamlessly. Chief among these are games, for which the Windows platform simply would not dominate in gaming as it does without DirectX.

Prerequisites for installing DirectX

To install DirectX, you will need to have Microsoft .NET Framework installed and enabled. The Framework operates in a software environment, known as the Common Language Runtime (CLR), rather than a hardware environment. CLR is an application virtual machine that provides services such as security, memory management, and exception handling.

Sometimes, it is also necessary to install the Visual C++ redistributable. This is an integrated development environment (IDE) product from Microsoft used for the C, C++, and C++/CLI programming languages. The Visual C++ redistributable and runtime packages are primarily installed for standard libraries that many applications utilize.

Here are the reasons why it won’t install correctly on Windows 10.

There are several reasons why DirectX will not install in your computer. Here are some known issues.

You do not have the .NET Framework prerequisite installed/enabled on your PC

DirectX relies on .NET Framework to function. .NET Framework allows programmers to take advantage of DirectX functionality from within .NET applications using compatible languages such as managed C++ or the use of the C# programming language.

In Windows 10, the .NET Framework might have been installed but not enabled. This presents the same errors that you would encounter if it were not installed in the first place. Your DirectX installation will exit, or it will notify you that the .NET Framework is necessary, and you will have to install it.

Minimum system requirements

If your PC is able to install windows, then DirectX 9 will also install. However, if you are using an old PC, newer versions of DirectX (11 and 12) will not install.

For DirectX 12, you will need these minimum requirements:

• Windows 7 32 bit or 64 bit.
• A DirectX 12 compatible graphics card is essential. DirectX 12 will be supported on all Nvidia GPUs from Kepler and later, on AMD’s GCN-based chips, and on Intel’s Haswell and subsequent processor graphics units.
• .NET Framework 4.
• 1 GB RAM.
• 2 GHZ Duo Core CPU.

So, depending on the version of DirectX you are installing, and the system specifications of your PC, you might not be able to install DirectX. The installer might notify you if your system requirements do not meet the necessary threshold for DirectX installation.

You might have to reinstall your graphics card drivers if the DirectX installers cannot find it.

You already have that version of DirectX installed

If the version of DirectX you’re attempting to install is already available on your system, the installer will either exit without performing an installation or inform you that this version of DirectX already exists. This may be mistaken as a failure to install by some users.

Installing DirectX successfully on windows 10

Make sure that your system requirements are compatible with the DirectX you are installing. If your problem persists, then probably you do not have .NET Framework installed on your PC. Windows 10 comes with a preinstalled .NET Framework 3.5 but it is never enabled till you enable it manually.

The methods below will allow you to install and enable .NET Framework and therefore enable you to successfully install DirectX.

Method 1: Enable .NET Framework

A good reason why DirectX is not installing is because the .NET Framework is not enabled on your PC. To enable it:

1. Download the DirectX version installer you need from here.
2. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows Features on or off > make sure the box for .NET framework 3.5 is checked.

Alternatively,

Press “Windows Key” + “R”.

Type “appwiz.cpl” in the “Run” command box and press “ENTER”.

In the “Programs and Features” window, click on the link “Turn Windows features on or off”.

Check if the “.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)” option is available in it.

1. Click “OK”.
2. Restart your PC if prompted.
3. Install DirectX. It should be able to complete installation without a hitch.

Method 2: Install .NET Framework using CMD

This method will install (if not already installed) and enable .NET Framework on your PC.

1. Download the DirectX version installer you need from here.
2. Press Windows Key + R.
3. Type “CMD” in the Run textbox and hit Enter.
4. Insert your original installation DVD into your drive, or ensure you know the source of your Windows installation files folder or drive.
5. Type or paste this command into your CMD window.

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:D:\sources\sxs

Where D: is the path of your windows installation files.

1. Wait for the installation to be successful.
2. Restart your PC if prompted.
3. Install DirectX.
   

NB:

If you cannot find the .NET Framework, or if your DirectX version requires a newer .NET Framework, you can install the necessary version of .NET Framework from here.

Some applications require older versions of DirectX in order to run properly. This is because a large group of windows users still use the XP operating system. In order to make more sales, video and gaming companies actively use old versions of DirectX in their coding. You have to install these older versions manually. To do that, you can download the installer from here.