Can't find d3dcompiler_43.dll for DirectX programming

Question

I am trying to learn DirectX Programming. But I have hit a snag.

I seem to be missing this file: d3dcompiler_43.dll

I have installed (in this order):

1. Visual Studio 2012
2. Windows 8
3. Windows Phone 8 SDK
4. Windows 8 SDK

I figured I need a DirectX SDK, but this link says I do not:

Starting with Windows 8, the DirectX SDK is included as part of the Windows SDK.

Should I just install the DirectX Distributable? I am worried that will give me the dll but I will be missing other things too...

Here is my exact error I am getting:

Unable to load DLL 'd3dcompiler_43.dll': The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)

Update: I ran dxdiag and it says I have DirectX 11 installed... Not sure why I can't make this work.

Solution 1

I found the answer here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ee663275.aspx

It says:

Any project that uses run-time shader compilation must have D3DCOMPILER_46.DLL copied to the local executable path for the project. This DLL is available in this sub-directory of the Windows SDK installation under %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Windows Kits\8.0\Redist\D3D\arch where arch is x86 and x64.

Solution 2

See this blog post for details about D3DCompile and how you distribute various versions of it...

In short:

• #43 and prior is deployed by the legacy DirectX End-User Runtime Redist (aka DirectSetup).
• #46 is installed by VS 2012 / Windows 8.0 SDK and is deployed 'side-by-side' with your Win32 desktop app
• #47 is installed by VS 2013 / Windows 8.1 SDK and can be deployed 'side-by-side' with your Win32 desktop app, but it is also included with the Windows 8.1 OS.

Solution 3

If you have Chrome installed, worth a butchers in here:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\26.0.1410.64

Solution 4

You need to install the latest DirectX http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=35

View more solutions

Comments

[weston]

Downvoter - this answer is useful. I got the dll from here and it saved downloading the whole of Windows SDK.

[John]

Funny thing is, on windows 8 I get this error on windows 8.1 I don't get it. File is missing from folder. So the information is not completely right.

[Gnemlock]

the particular version OP is missing will not install from the link you provide. I sourced the file back to "Legacy DirectX" from 2010. The latest versions do not include it, anymore, and as I have since tested, it makes a big difference.

[Gnemlock]

This greatly helped me, as it was specifically the #43 this error was calling for. Other users running into the same problem can download legax Directx End-User Runtime Redist from here.

[Gnemlock]

Im curious, did this actually solve your problem in reality, or was this a "best fix you could find"? In my case, it was giving the exact same error code (which is calling for 43.dll, not 46.dll), and newer versions would not fix it. I had to actually go back and get 43.dll from an old directX install.

[Zdeněk Gromnica]

Got this error with d3dcompiler_43.dll on MonoGame on Windows 10. Installing the DirectX End-User Runtime solved that. Thanks!

[cxw]

As of Chrome 65 x86, it comes with d3dcompiler_47.dll, not d3dcompiler_43.dll :(

[cxw]

Too late - the DX June 2010 redist install was running while you were responding, and now the program in question works fine :) . (This, by the way - a demo just released over Easter weekend, and well worth a watch)