D3DX9_43.dll Missing in Windows: How to Run Old Games

Error “D3DX9_43.dll is missing” (or D3DX9_43.dll отсутствует) often pops up when launching old games on Windows 10/11: GTA IV, Skyrim (old builds), Fallout 3/New Vegas, NFS, old MMO clients, etc.

The main point: this is not a “broken DLL”, but a sign that the system lacks the necessary DirectX 9 (D3DX) components.

Why This Happens

The file D3DX9_43.dll belongs to the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) package. Newer Windows versions have DirectX, but not all old “additional” D3DX libraries are installed by default.

Typical reasons:

• DirectX June 2010 is not installed
• DirectX components are corrupted or partially removed
• the game was installed without its redistributables (often after manual installation/moving the folder)
• antivirus deleted the installer file/components

Method 1 (recommended): Install DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)

1. Download the official DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) package from the Microsoft website.
2. Run the downloaded file — it will unpack the contents into the selected folder.
3. In the unpacking folder, find and run:

DXSETUP.exe

4. Restart your PC (preferably) and try to launch the game.

Important: the installation does not replace your DirectX 12/11 — it adds the missing old libraries.

Method 2: Install DirectX from the game folder (if available)

Many old games have redistributables in their folder:

• ...\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010\DXSETUP.exe (often in Steam)
• ...\DirectX\DXSETUP.exe
• ...\Redist\DirectX\

Run DXSETUP.exe as an administrator.

Method 3: Verify game files integrity (Steam/Epic/GOG)

If the game is from a store:

• Steam → Properties → Installed Files → Verify Integrity
• Epic Games → Three dots on the game → Verify
• GOG Galaxy → Manage installation → Verify / Repair

This helps if the game did not download the redistributables or if files were corrupted.

Method 4: Compatibility mode for “very old” games

Sometimes the error occurs along with issues launching installers/launchers.

1. Right-click on game.exe → Properties → Compatibility
2. Enable:

• “Run this program in compatibility mode” → Windows 7 (or XP SP3 for very old games)
• “Run as administrator”

What NOT to Do

• Do not download d3dx9_43.dll from “DLL sites” and do not replace files manually.
  This is a common source of viruses and “half-working” solutions that later break other components.

Quick Self-Check

If the error persists after installing DirectX June 2010:

• make sure you are launching the correct exe (sometimes there are both game.exe and launcher.exe)
• check if a new error appears (for example, XINPUT1_3.dll or MSVCR*.dll) — then additional components are needed (DirectX/VC++)
• temporarily disable aggressive antivirus modes and retry the installation of DXSETUP.exe

Conclusion

The error D3DX9_43.dll is missing is almost always resolved by installing DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) (via DXSETUP.exe). This is a safe and correct way to restore the missing libraries for old games on modern versions of Windows.