This guide will tell you how to manually install Microsoft’s DirectX 9.0c end-user runtime libraries on your computer.
Explanation
Games from the mid-to-late 2000s made use of extra DirectX 9.0c end-user runtime libraries which were released periodically by Microsoft from 2005 to 2010. However, Microsoft never shipped these libraries on their operating systems, and relied on software that used them to install the latest revisions during that software’s installation process. In modern times, Steam is configured to install these libraries for many games, but it might not trigger for all users.
Their functionalities are not covered by DirectX 10 and up, so to run such games, you must have a full DirectX 9.0c installation applied manually. Among these games are most Command & Conquer games which use a 3D engine (from Tiberium Wars to Tiberian Twilight).
Installing these libraries will not affect installations of DirectX 10 or newer, as their files are different and are called separately. Note that running DXDIAG will only report the latest version of DirectX installed on the computer.
The latest redistributable version of DirectX 9.0c end-user runtimes is dated June 2010, and includes all previous versions.
Procedure
- Download DirectX 9.0c redistributable from June 2010 from Microsoft’s official website, or the Archive.org mirror.
- Run directx_Jun2010_redist.exe.
- Follow the instructions on the screen. This setup will extract the necessary files to the chosen folder (make sure it is easily accessible and empty beforehand).
- Once the setup closes, open the folder to which the files were extracted.
- Run DXSETUP.exe as administrator and follow the instructions on the screen.
- Restart the computer so the libraries can be loaded by Windows.
- (Optional) Remove the folder with the extracted installation files if you wish to conserve space. This is perfectly harmless, as the files have been installed in the proper system folders.
A good way to test if the installation succeeded is by running a game which requires it (e.g. C&C 3: Tiberium Wars) and not receiving an error which claims that a D3D9_##.dll file was not found.