Home / Error Lookup / XINPUT1-3-DLL-MISSING

XINPUT1-3-DLL-MISSING

DLL Errors XInput1_3.dll Is Missing Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

What it means

Another DirectX component, specifically the one handling Xbox-style controller input — common with older games that support gamepad input. Like d3dx9_43.dll, it's part of a legacy DirectX runtime not always included by default.

Also seen as: XInput1_3.dll was not found, The program can't start because XInput1_3.dll is missing

Quick fix steps

  1. Install the DirectX End-User Runtime directly from Microsoft's own site — this adds the legacy XInput components many games still need, including this exact file.
  2. Restart your PC after installing, even if not explicitly prompted, before testing whether the error is gone.
  3. If the error is tied to one specific older game, verify the game's files through its launcher (Steam, for example, has a "Verify integrity of game files" option) in case a game-specific copy of the file is what's actually missing.
For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Fix a Missing or Not Found DLL File Error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this mean my controller itself is broken?
No — this is purely a missing software component issue, unrelated to whether your controller hardware works. Installing the DirectX runtime resolves it regardless of which controller you're using.
Will this affect games that don't use a controller?
No — this specific file only affects games actually trying to use Xbox-style controller input. Games and programs that don't use this input method are unaffected either way.

Other error codes

MSVCP140-DLL-MISSING — MSVCP140.dll Is Missing or Not Found

MSVCP140.dll is part of the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable — a shared component many different programs and games depend on. This message means that redistributable package isn't installed, or its installation has become damaged, not that anything is wrong with the program itself.

VCRUNTIME140-DLL-MISSING — VCRUNTIME140.dll Was Not Found

The same underlying cause as MSVCP140.dll — this is another file from the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable package, and the fix is identical.

API-MS-WIN-CRT-DLL-MISSING — api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll Is Missing

This specific file is part of the Universal C Runtime, closely related to the Visual C++ Redistributable — a shared component many programs depend on. This message means it isn't installed or has become damaged.

D3DX9-DLL-MISSING — d3dx9_43.dll Is Missing

This file is part of DirectX, specifically an older version many games still depend on. This message means that specific DirectX component isn't installed, which is common since it's not always included in the DirectX version Windows ships with by default.