How to Fix d3dx9_42.dll missing or not found Errors

Does this look familiar? You may get this error message when installing or launching a program or game. The error can read either:

• D3dx9_42.dll Not Found
• The file d3dx9_42.dll is missing
• The program can’t start because d3dx9_42.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.

But don’t worry. Many users have resolved their problem with the solutions in this article. You can try the methods below to fix the d3dx9_42.dll missing or not found errors easily.

What is d3dx9_42.dll?

The d3dx9_42.dll missing or not found errors are caused by the Windows DirectX issues, and DirectX is used by many Windows based games and graphics programs. What’s more, this error more commonly occurs when trying to play video games.

So you should try to reinstall the d3dx9_42.dll file in your computer since there may be something wrong with the file, and you should also try to update DirectX in your Windows computer and the related GPU to fix the issue.

Try these fixes for d3dx9_42.dll issues

1. Install the d3dx9_42.dll file
2. Install DirectX End-User Runtimes
3. Update DirectX in your computer
4. Reinstall the application
5. Copy the file from another computer

Fix 1: Install the d3dx9_42.dll file

If d3dx9_42.dll is missing or not found in your computer, you can fix your problem by restoring the missing file in your computer. To do so, you can download the DLL file to the correct path and see if it does the trick.

1. Go to DLL-Files. Use the search box to look for the DLL file that is missing from your computer.
   
2. Once it got a hit in the database, you will see the available dll files. You can then click the file and follow the instruction on the page to download the file to the designated location.
3. Note that sometimes you may find that there are multiple files available. Mostly you can simple pick the highest version. But when the versions are the same, it could mean that the files work for different architecture. To find out the architechure of your system (whether it’s 64-bit or 32-bit), you can open Windows Settings and check the System type.
   

Once install, check if your d3dx9_42.dll missing problem has been fixed.

Fix 2: Install DirectX End-Uer Runtimes

The DirectX End-User Runtimes package provides updates to 9.0c and previous versions of DirectX – the core Windows technology that drives high-speed multimedia and games on the PC. So you can fix the d3dx9_42.dll not found or missing errors by installing this package.

1) Go to Windows End-User Runtimes download page.

2) Select the proper language for your computer, and click Download.

3) After downloading, run the file and follow the prompted wizard to finish.

4) After installing, restart your computer and try the program that gave the error to see if it works now.

This should resolve your issue. If not, don’t worry. We have other solutions for you.

Fix 3: Update DirectX in your computer

You can also update the DirectX version in your computer to the latest version to fix the d3dx9_42.dll not found or missing errors.

Generally speaking, for Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, you can directly update your Windows version to the latest version to install the latest DirectX in your computer. However, if you’re using Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, you’ll need to install a update package to install the latest DirectX in your computer.

You can go to Microsoft website for get more information about how to install the latest version of DirectX on different Windows versions.

After updating, restart your computer and try the program again to see if the error disappears.

Fix 4: Reinstall the application

There may be something wrong with the system file when installing the application, so you can reinstall the application to fix the d3dx9_42.dll not found or missing errors.

Why? Because the program’s installation files may include the correct version of the d3dx9_42.dll file.

Here’s how to do it:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run box.

2) Type appwiz.cpl and click OK.

3) Right click on the program that gave the error (in my case it’s Python), and select Uninstall.

4) Click Yes to confim you want to uninstall the program.

5) Restart your computer.

6) Reinstall the program and launch the program.

If it works, then you’ve found (and fixed) the program. But if you’re still getting the error message, we have something else you can try…

Fix 5: Copy the file from another computer

You can also fix this error by copying the same file from another computer and paste it to your own. To do so:

1. Find another computer that runs the same operating system as yours.
   The versions (Windows 10/8/7) and architectures (32-bit/64-bit) of both operating systems must be the same.
2. On that computer, open File Explorer (by pressing the Windows logo key and E on your keyboard), then go to C:WindowsSystem32 and copy the d3dx9_42.dll there.
3. Paste the copied file to the same location (C:WindowsSystem32) on your own computer. (You may need an external storage device, like a flash drive.)

There you have it – five ways to fix the d3dx9_42.dll not found or missing errors. 

Please feel free to leave your comments and ask any questions.

• error
• Windows