Steam keeps performing first-time setup on every launch + DirectX fails to install

[PikaCommando]

I noticed that Steam keeps trying to perform first-time setup whenever I try to launch a game (this is on my Win10 computer, this never happened on my Win7 computer before).

The cause appeared to be the computer thinking that DirectX was not installed correctly so I tried to install DirectX manually through both the redist in the Steamworks Shared folder and the web runtime installer and both failed, giving me an "internal system error" whenever it's done. Here's what DirectX.log says.

04/04/19 18:37:05: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_24_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:06: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_24.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.5.132.0
	Source file is Version 9.5.132.0
04/04/19 18:37:06: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_24.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:06: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_25_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:06: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_25.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.6.168.0
	Source file is Version 9.6.168.0
04/04/19 18:37:06: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_25.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_26_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_26.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.7.239.0
	Source file is Version 9.7.239.0
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_26.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_27_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_27.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.8.299.0
	Source file is Version 9.8.299.0
04/04/19 18:37:07: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_27.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_28_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_28.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.10.455.0
	Source file is Version 9.10.455.0
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_28.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_29_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_29.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.11.519.0
	Source file is Version 9.11.519.0
04/04/19 18:37:08: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_29.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:09: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/XACT_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:09: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\xactengine2_0.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.11.519.0
	Source file is Version 9.11.519.0
04/04/19 18:37:09: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\xactengine2_0.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:09: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\x3daudio1_0.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.11.519.0
	Source file is Version 9.11.519.0
04/04/19 18:37:09: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\x3daudio1_0.dll have been installed already.
04/04/19 18:37:10: infinst: Installing C:/Users/PCOM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/DXEE32.tmp/d3dx9_30_x64.inf [DefaultInstall]
04/04/19 18:37:10: infinst: Target file: 'C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_30.dll' 
	Target file is Version 9.12.589.0
	Source file is Version 9.12.589.0
04/04/19 18:37:10: infinst: C:\Windows\system32\d3dx9_30.dll have been installed already.

Furthermore, some games won't launch because d3dx9_39.dll is missing. Could this be related?

[Wolfsun]

I use to experience your issue quite often.

I fixed it by giving steam.exe admin rights. I'm still using Win7 so no clue whether or not that will work with Win10.

YMMV...

[Forcen]

Don't run steam as admin all the time, only here and there as a test at most.

Try this https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3352-RYON-4107
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6218-USFX-5568

[PikaCommando]

Turns out it's a corrupted .NET Framework. This fixed it: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/repair

[Wolfsun]

Originally posted by Forcen:

Don't run steam as admin all the time, only here and there as a test at most.

Try this https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3352-RYON-4107
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6218-USFX-5568

Pretty much what I do.

[魔王]

delete all files with 'd3dx' in its filename in C:/windows/system32/ , then let steam reinstall it. i solved it by doing so

[wako69420]

Originally posted by PikaCommando:

Turns out it's a corrupted .NET Framework. This fixed it: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/repair

worked for me ty