C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\XINPUT1_3.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.

Question

Just bought a new computer running windows 11 and I have installed a few games. (The first three remakes of the resident even series) Re1, which is the oldest game, works fine and boots directly through steam. But the other two games simply refuse to launch through steam. I press the play button and it says 'synchronising cloud' but then says 'delaying launch' and just goes back to the play button. When I go through the .exe file, it gives me the error as shown. I have tried all the simple fixes like: Verifying files, Reinstalling the game, and checking compatibility. The other fix seems to do with the DirectX files but I have DirectX12 and that seems to be the standard.

I don't think this error is just a problem of RE as I had a similar problem when booting up 'Flight Sim World' on steam as well; though I haven't looked into this.

I've been searching for a solution for days - If you need any further spec details I will happily post them - I will be active on the post.

Answer 1

Hi,

Please open the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder and delete the XINPUT1_3.dll file.

After doing so, download the directx_Jun2010_redist.exe setup from the following link.

Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center

Right-click directx_Jun2010_redist.exe and choose Run as administrator.

Let me know if that resolves the error. If that doesn't help, we need to extract the module manually.

Answer 2

The error indicates that a DirectX component used by games (XINPUT1_3.dll) is damaged or missing. Even though Windows 11 includes DirectX 12, older games often require the legacy DirectX 9/10/11 runtime files, which are installed separately.

To fix it, follow these steps in order:

1. Install the legacy DirectX runtime
   • Download and run the DirectX End-User Runtimes (Web Installer) from Microsoft.
   • Let it complete and then restart the PC.
   • Try launching the affected games again.
2. Update the graphics driver
   • Use Windows Update to check for and install any available display adapter updates.
   • Alternatively, install the latest driver from the GPU vendor (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel), then reboot and test the games.
3. Check for background software conflicts
   • Perform a clean startup so only essential services and drivers load, then try launching the games again. This helps rule out antivirus or other utilities interfering with DirectX.

If the problem persists after these steps, the DirectX or display driver stack may still be corrupted; repeat the DirectX runtime install and driver update, then test with another DirectX game to confirm whether the issue is system-wide.

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References:

• DirectDraw or Direct3D option is unavailable
• Which version of DirectX is on your PC?