(Solved) DirectX won't install properly with Skyrim on new Windows10 computer

[Gyrant]

This was caused by corrupted operating software files.

Solution: "PC UPGRADE". Contact Microsoft tech support, tell them DirectX9 will not install, and they'll email you a link for this. It will reinstall Windows10, which corrects bad OS files, and the DirectX9 will install correctly.

[Grumpy]

Does your firewall or AV app blocking the DirectX installer?

Skyrim runs without problems on Win10, so that cant be the issue

[{FU}TheForgeryTTV]

I'm running Skyrin on Windows 10 and I had no issues opening and running the game. From the looks of it, you need to have DirectX but something is clearly going wrong when you try to install it. Maybe you can try directly downloading from the Microsoft website.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/directx-11-download-update-install

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35

I don't know if the links above will you help you as DirectX always installed for me whenever I launch a Steam game.

[cfs111]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=500687692

[Gyrant]

After trying to install a few other games, I've discovered this is not a problem unique to Skyrim, but a problem in steam. Valve has not yet hammered out their directx installlers for Windows10, apparently. I tried this:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=274120823
But it didn't change anything. I'm going to submit a tech support ticket for it.

Thanks for trying to help!

[Grumpy]

you can find that problem on literally any game client, be it uplay, epic games, steam, or whatever.

if the directX installer stuck independent from the game client, it cant be the game clients fault.

Did you try to install the DirectX without steam open or in the safe mode of windows?

[Charon]

Yeah, after a couple of minutes of tinkering i think i might have solved the problem. If not, we were having different ones.

1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\
2. Copy the d3d9.dll file
3. Go to your skyrim folder in [...]steam\steamapps\common\skyrim
4. Paste the d3d9.dll file into that folder
5. Start the game. Hopefully everything works after that.

[Gyrant]

I talked to Bethesda tech support, they said it's my antivirus. I got with the antivirus people, and we eliminated that as the cause, it's definitely not the antivirus.

I did finally get the game to at least launch by doing this:
I copied the _x86 versions of
X3DAudio1_7.dll
XINPUT1_3.dll
and d3dx9_42.dll
into the Skyrim folder (Charon, your suggestion regarding the d3d9.dll file gave me that idea).

The game with run with that done, but there is no audio (except when the smokey Bethesda logo appears). I also copied X3DAudio1_7.dll into \System32, but still no audio. I tried the _x64 versions, that broke the game again, so they are not right (its a 32bit game on a 64bit system so I wasn't sure which was appropriate). I copied the d3d9.dll file there also, but I don't know if that had any effect, because there were no errors or mentions of that file.

I guess if I can now just figure out how to get the audio to work, it'll be fine-ish, but this doesn't solve the broader problem. None of the games I have tried to install from Steam have worked, and I'm not going to wrestle with the DirectX .dll files every time I want to install another game. I still need to figure out what is broken.

I'm thinking there is a chance Spybot may be blocking things. I'm going to tinker with that.

I also haven't tried safemode yet. I'll post an update afterward. Thanks for all of your help and suggestions!

[Gyrant]

Okay, it's solved now. The problem was none of those things.

As was mentioned in my original post before I edited it out, this is a new computer. The Windows10 on it is a Dell-ified cover of the OS, and apparently Dell is just sloppy with their alterations. The OS files were corrupted/malfunctional. Microsoft tech support sent me a 'pc upgrade' tool that downloaded a fresh, proper Windows10 straight from Microsoft, and reinstalled the OS. Now everything works perfectly! =D

[{FU}TheForgeryTTV]

Originally posted by Gyrant:

Okay, it's solved now. The problem was none of those things.

As was mentioned in my original post before I edited it out, this is a new computer. The Windows10 on it is a Dell-ified cover of the OS, and apparently Dell is just sloppy with their alterations. The OS files were corrupted/malfunctional. Microsoft tech support sent me a 'pc upgrade' tool that downloaded a fresh, proper Windows10 straight from Microsoft, and reinstalled the OS. Now everything works perfectly! =D

Great, glad to hear you got the issue resolved.

[Charon]

I'm glad you got it working. I built my own computer and seemed to have the same problem as you. Hopefully someone else can use either of our fixes if they're having problems.

Sorry i couldn't help you though, but it seems it wasn't needed. Good work!