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Fixing DirectX DLL Errors on Windows

· 2 min read
Haruka Yamamoto
Haruka Yamamoto
A person and a dream

error

If you're running a lean Windows build like tiny11, or something simply corrupted your installation, you might run into errors like these when trying to launch a game:

  • The code execution cannot proceed because XAPOFX1_5.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.
  • The code execution cannot proceed because D3DCOMPILER_43.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

If you're on a stripped-down build like tiny11, this isn't a bug — it's just what happens when the system is trimmed too aggressively.

TL;DR​

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) → Extract to a folder like C:\temp → Run C:\temp\DXSETUP.exe → Done.

Root cause​

These DLLs are part of the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010). Custom Windows builds like tiny11 don't include these legacy components by default, so you need to reinstall the full package.

Downloading the DirectX End-User Runtimes​

Grab it from the official Microsoft link:

👉 DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010)

If the link is broken, I uploaded a copy to the Internet Archive.

Correct installation​

Unlike modern installers that handle everything automatically, this one is old-school and requires you to manually create a destination folder before running it.

Create a temp folder at the root of your system: C:\temp

Technically you can use somewhere else like C:\Users\Marin\Downloads, but don't overthink it, just create C:\temp and move on.

Run the installer. It'll ask you to accept the license agreement and then pick where to extract the files — point it to the C:\temp folder you just created.

That part is quick. Now go into C:\temp and run DXSETUP.exe, which takes those extracted files and actually installs them into the system.

Restarting after installation isn't mandatory, but it's recommended.

What this installs​

  • D3DCOMPILER_43.dll → shader compiler
  • XAPOFX1_5.dll → audio effects
  • XINPUT1_3.dll → input (controller support)
  • Other legacy components that games and apps still depend on

What NOT to do ‼️​

  • Download individual DLLs from random sites
  • Manually drop DLLs into System32 or SysWOW64
  • Rely on the Web Installer (dxwebsetup) it doesn't install the legacy components

Final note​

If you're on tiny11, accept that you traded compatibility for a lighter system.