How to Fix D3dx9_38.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

If a restart doesn’t help, you might need to install DirectX

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on June 22, 2022

The d3dx9_38.dll file is one of many DLL files contained in the Microsoft DirectX software collection. This means that d3dx9_38.dll issues are caused in one way or another by a problem with DirectX.

Since most Windows-based games and advanced graphics programs utilize DirectX, d3dx9_38.dll errors usually show up only when using these programs.

Any of Microsoft's operating systems since Windows 98 may be affected by d3dx9_38.dll and other DirectX issues, including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, etc.

D3dx9_38.dll Errors

D3dx9_38.dll error message

There are several ways d3dx9_38.dll errors can show up on your computer, including:

  • D3DX9_38.DLL Not Found
  • File d3dx9_38.dll not found
  • The file d3dx9_38.dll is missing
  • D3dx9_38.dll not found. Reinstalling might help fix this

Even though these error messages could apply to any program that utilizes Microsoft DirectX, video games are the general common thread. Whether it is a game or a regular application, d3dx9_38.dll errors can appear at any point that the DLL file is requested, like when starting the game or program or while it's first installing.

How to Fix D3dx9_38.dll Errors

Do not download the d3dx9_38.dll DLL file individually from any "DLL download site". There are a number of reasons why downloading DLLs from these sites is never a good idea. If you've already done so, remove it from wherever you put it and continue with these steps.

  1. Restart your computer if you haven't yet. The d3dx9_38.dll error might be a fluke and a simple restart could clear it up completely.

  2. Install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. Chances are, upgrading to the latest version will fix the d3dx9_38.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.

  3. Assuming the latest DirectX version from Microsoft doesn't fix the d3dx9_38.dll error you're receiving, look for a DirectX installation program on your game or application CD or DVD. Usually, if a game or another program utilizes DirectX, the software developers will include a copy of it on the installation disc.

    Sometimes, though not often, the version included on the disc is a better fit for the program than the latest version available online.

  4. Uninstall the game or software program and then reinstall it again. Something might have happened to the files in the program that work with d3dx9_38.dll and a reinstall could do the trick.

    Sometimes, uninstalling a program through its normal uninstaller utility doesn't truly remove every single remnant of the program. These leftover files might still be causing DLL errors, so it's best to make sure they're truly removed before reinstalling the application, which you can do with one of these free uninstaller software tools.

  5. Restore the d3dx9_38.dll file from the latest DirectX package. If the above troubleshooting steps haven't worked to solve your error, try extracting the d3dx9_38.dll file individually from the DirectX package.

  6. 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.

Need More Help?

If you don't want to fix this problem yourself, 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 lot more.

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