All modern Windows operating systems include DirectX by default, so you probably won't ever need to install DirectX manually.
Download and install Microsoft.DirectX.DirectPlay.dll to fix missing or corrupted DLL errors. Free, Safe and Secure.
However, Microsoft has been known to release updated versions of DirectX, and installing the latest updates might be the fix to a DirectX problem you're having — such as dsetup.dll errors — or may give performance increases in your games and graphics programs.
- Jun 07, 2004 Click the Download button on this page to start the download, or choose a different language from the drop-down list and click Go. Do one of the following: To start the installation immediately, click Open or Run this program from its current location.
- Get the DIRECTPLAY 8.2 BETA right here, right now! DIRECTPLAY 8.2 BETA is available for immediate download.
Follow the easy steps below to update DirectX in any version of Windows. Installing DirectX will take less than 15 minutes.
Depending on the version of Windows you're using, you might not be in need of a new version of DirectX. See the section below these steps to confirm that DirectX will work for your computer. If you're not sure which DirectX version your computer has installed right now, there are instructions for doing that at the very bottom of this page.
Visit the DirectX download page on Microsoft's site.
Click the red Download button and then the blue Next button to save the setup file to your computer.
Microsoft will recommend a couple of their other products after clicking the download link, but you can uncheck those boxes if you'd rather not download them. If you skip downloading those, the Next button will be renamed to No thanks and continue DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer.
Open the dxwebsetup.exe file and complete the DirectX installation by following directions from Microsoft's website or from the DirectX installation program. It should take less than a minute to install.
This DirectX download will install on Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP. Don't worry if it says it's only supported through a different version of Windows! Whatever DirectX files are missing will be replaced as necessary.
Setup might suggest that you install another program along with DirectX, such as the Bing Bar, but you can uncheck that option and continue installing DirectX without it.
See the next section below for more information about DirectX in specific versions of Windows.
Restart your computer, even if you're not prompted to do so.
After restarting your computer, test to see if updating to the latest version of DirectX corrected the problem you were having.
DirectX Windows Versions
All versions of Windows do not support all versions of DirectX. Here's more on how each version of DirectX works across the Windows family. Take note especially on differences in Windows 10 and Windows 8 versus previous versions of Windows.
DirectX 12 is included with Windows 10 and is only supported in that version of Windows. Updates to DirectX 12 related files are only available via Windows Update. No standalone version of DirectX 12 is available.
DirectX 11.4 & 11.3 are only supported in Windows 10. As with DirectX 12.0, updates are only provided via Windows Update.
DirectX 11.2 is supported in Windows 10 and Windows 8 (8.1+) only. Any updates to DirectX 11.2 related files are made available in Windows Update in those versions of Windows. There is no standalone download available for DirectX 11.2.
DirectX 11.1 is supported in Windows 10 and Windows 8. Windows 7 (SP1) is supported as well but only after installing the Platform Update for Windows 7.
DirectX 11.0 is supported in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. Support for Windows Vista is available but only after a platform update. Get the 32-bit version here or the 64-bit one here.
Direct Play Download Windows 10
DirectX 10 is supported in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
DirectX 9 is supported in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. If you have a program that calls for a DirectX 9 file in Windows 10 or Windows 8, installing the downloadable version (the process above) is the way to solve that problem — it will not 'downgrade' your DirectX 10/11/12 install! This is also the latest version of DirectX that's compatible with Windows XP.
How to Find the Current DirectX Version Number
You can check which version of DirectX is installed on your computer through the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
Execute the dxdiagcommand from a command line interface, such as the Run dialog box (Windows Key + R) or Command Prompt.
Open the System tab.
Look for the DirectX Version: entry at the bottom of the list to see the DirectX version number.
There are several ways that microsoft.directx.directplay.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are several of the more common ways you might see microsoft.directx.directplay.dll errors:
- 'Microsoft.directx.directplay.dll not found. Reinstalling might help fix this.'
- 'The file microsoft.directx.directplay.dll is missing'
- 'Microsoft.directx.directplay.DLL Not Found'
- 'File microsoft.directx.directplay.dll not found'
Microsoft.directx.directplay.dll errors appear when a game or other software program is started.
Cause of Microsoft.directx.directplay.dll Errors
Microsoft.directx.directplay.dll issues are caused in one way or another by an issue with Microsoft DirectX.
The microsoft.directx.directplay.dll file is one of many files contained in the DirectX software collection. Since DirectX is utilized by most Windows-based games and advanced graphics programs, microsoft.directx.directplay.dll errors usually show up only when using these programs.
Don't Want to Fix This Yourself?
If you're interested in fixing this problem yourself, continue with the troubleshooting in the next section.
Otherwise, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a whole lot more.
How to Fix Microsoft.directx.directplay.dll Errors
Do not download the microsoft.directx.directplay.dll DLL file individually from any 'DLL download site.' There are a number of excellent reasons that downloading DLLs from these sites is never a good idea.
If you've already downloaded microsoft.directx.directplay.dll from one of those DLL download sites, remove it from wherever you put it and continue with these steps.
- Restart your computer if you haven't yet.
- The microsoft.directx.directplay.dll error might be a fluke and a simple restart could clear it up completely.
- Install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. Chances are, upgrading to the latest version of DirectX will fix the microsoft.directx.directplay.dll not found error.
Microsoft often releases updates to DirectX without updating the version number or letter so be sure to install the latest release even if your version is technically the same.
The same DirectX installation program works with all versions of Windows including Windows 7, 8, Vista, XP, and more. It will replace any missing DirectX 11, DirectX 10, or DirectX 9 file.
Direct Play Download For Windows 8.1
- Assuming the latest DirectX version from Microsoft doesn't fix the microsoft.directx.directplay.dll error, look for a DirectX installation program on your game or application DVD or CD. Sometimes the software developers will include a copy of DirectX on the installation disc if their game or program utilizes DirectX.
- Sometimes, though not often, the DirectX version included on the disc is a better fit for the program than the latest version available from Microsoft.
- Uninstall the game or software program and then reinstall it again. Something might have happened to the files in the program that work with microsoft.directx.directplay.dll and a reinstall could do the trick.
- Restore the microsoft.directx.directplay.dll file from the latest DirectX software package. If the above troubleshooting steps haven't worked to solve your microsoft.directx.directplay.dll error, try extracting the microsoft.directx.directplay.dll individually from the DirectX downloadable package.
- Update the drivers for your video card. While it's not the most common solution, in some situations updating the drivers for the video card in your computer could correct this DirectX issue.
The microsoft.directx.directplay.dll error message could apply to any program that utilizes Microsoft DirectX, most commonly video games.
Any of Microsoft's operating systems since Windows 98 may be affected by microsoft.directx.directplay.dll and other DirectX issues. This includes Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.