D3d8.dll is an important system file and its main job is to add DirectX functionality to Windows games and multimedia tasks. The d3d8.dll module is associated with DirectX version 8.
File Information
By default, d3d8.dll is located in the %system% folder and its file size is 1,209,344 bytes.
Note: %System% is a variable and points to your system folder. By default, it is located in ?C:\Windows\System32 for Windows XP/Vista, C:\Winnt\System32 for Windows NT/2000 and C:\Windows\System for Windows 95/98/ME.
D3d8.dll Errors
Most errors related to the d3d8.dll occur when you try to install or run an application that uses DirectX. Discussed here are a couple of examples of common d3d8.dll errors and their solutions.
Error 1
You may encounter the following error messages when you try to install a new game on a Windows XP computer:
- ?The D3D8.DLL file is linked to missing export DDRAW.DLL:DdEntry12?
- ?The d3d8.dll file is missing?
Cause of the Errors
The errors generally occur when the d3d8.dll file is missing from your computer.
Solution
To fix the missing d3d8.dll errors, you need to procure the DLL. To achieve this, install DirectX 8 on your computer.
Note: Do not copy the d3d8.dll file from another computer to fix missing d3d8.dll issues, as it will not repair the error.
If you have DirectX 8 installed on your PC but are getting the error, check whether DirectDraw is enabled on your PC or not. If DirectDraw is disabled, enable it to repair the error. To fix this on a Windows XP computer, perform the following steps:
- Click Start| All Programs| Accessories| System Tools| System Information.
- In the System Information window, select the Tools menu and then select the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- Next, click the Display tab.
- Now, click the Enable button for DirectDraw Acceleration and then click OK.
- Click the Enable button for Direct3D Acceleration and then click OK.
- Finally, click the Exit button to close DirectX Diagnostic Tool window.
Error 2
When you try to run a program that requires DirectX, You may receive an error message, containing text ?looking for d3d8.dll?
Cause of the Error
This error is generally caused due to missing DirectX 8 drivers.
Solution
To fix the d3d8.dll error in this case, download and install the latest DirectX drivers on your computer.
Besides missing DLL or drivers another major cause of d3d8.dll errors is registry issues. Over time, your system registry gets filled with huge amounts of incorrect and obsolete entries. Often, the unwarranted growth of the registry is the root cause of various errors, including recurring d3d8.dll errors.
To prevent d3d8dll errors from occurring due to a corrupt registry, we recommend you perform regular registry scans using a reliable registry cleaning utility, such as RegServe to weed out the junk information from it.
Is D3d8.dll a system threat?
No, the true d3d8.dll is a safe file.
However, there is also a known rogue d3d8.dll file. The rogue d3d8.dll file is associated with Zlob.Fam malware.
How to check to see if the D3d8.dll file on your system is genuine
To verify if the d3d8.dll file on your system is genuine, check its location. Use the Search utility to locate the d3d8.dll file on your system. The genuine d3d8.dll should be present in C:\Windows\System32 folder. In case the d3d8.dll is located in C:\Windows, chances are high that the file is rogue.
How to get rid of rogue d3d8.dll and its associated malware
If you suspect that unsolicited d3d8.dll is present on your computer, run an antimalware scan on your PC using reliable antimalware tools, such as STOPzilla Antivirus and Spyware Cease to get rid of the rogue file and its associated malware.