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Windows XP - DirectX 9.0 cannot be installed

November 29, 2013
Updated: December 6, 2021
Quick overview:

The new Microsoft gaming interface is enjoying great popularity among gamers, but some users have to put up with a downer, as the setup fails on many Windows XP computers. The reason for this is the deactivation of the cryptography service, which is responsible for the digital signature in the DirectX 9.0 file - if this is deactivated, Windows sounds the alarm and resigns during installation. But even Windows updates, hotfixes and the service pack cannot be made to work without this service. Here you can find out how to reactivate this service and install DirectX properly:

Reactivate DirectX 9.0

1. Click on Start/Control Panel and select here Administration/Services.

2. From the drop-down list, select the Cryptographic service and double-click on it. In the window that appears, set the Start type on Automatic.

After a restart, you should be able to install the ninth version of DirectX without any problems. If it did not work, you can continue reading in this article: Service Pack 1 installation problems!

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in the 90s. His helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (at the time Sandro looked like this). He then went on to write elsewhere, for example for PC-Praxis, Computer Bild and PCWorld in the USA. Microsoft also poached him from us. Now Sandro is back, finally sharing his tweaks here again. For a stress-free digital everyday life. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.

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