Все способы:
- Включаем функцию DirectPlay в Windows 10
- Способ 1: Меню «Включение или отключение компонентов Windows»
- Способ 2: Средство устранения проблем с совместимостью
- Способ 3: Переустановка DirectX
- Вопросы и ответы: 3
Как известно, политика компании Microsoft по отношению к библиотекам DirectX после выхода Windows 10 немного поменялась. Теперь все необходимые файлы уже заранее установлены в операционной системе, а пользователю не приходится осуществлять никаких дополнительных действий, чтобы программы и игры корректно взаимодействовали со всеми нужными объектами. Соответственно, разработчики ПО тоже пересмотрели свои взгляды. Сейчас в последней версии Виндовс одна из ранее ключевых функций DirectPlay, отвечающая за работу определенных опций в играх, попросту отключена из-за ненадобности. Однако иногда может потребоваться ее активация, о чем мы и хотим поговорить далее.
Включаем функцию DirectPlay в Windows 10
Всего существует один способ, отвечающий за включение рассматриваемой опции в операционной системе, а остальные, которые вы увидите далее, сосредоточены лишь на исправлении проблем с ее функционированием. Мы советуем начать с первой инструкции и переходить к следующим только в той ситуации, когда параметр по каким-то причинам отсутствует или приложения после его активации все еще уведомляют об ошибках.
Способ 1: Меню «Включение или отключение компонентов Windows»
Все стандартные компоненты ОС Windows 10 помещены в отдельное меню для простоты управления ими. Там же находится и DirectPlay, поэтому у пользователя не должно возникнуть никаких трудностей при возникновении надобности включить или отключить эту опцию. Все действия выполняются буквально за несколько кликов и выглядят следующим образом:
- Откройте «Пуск», через поиск отыщите приложение «Панель управления» и запустите его.
- Здесь переместитесь в раздел «Программы и компоненты».
- Воспользуйтесь панелью слева, чтобы открыть дополнительное меню «Включение или отключение компонентов Windows».
- Опуститесь вниз по списку, где отметьте галочкой каталог «Компоненты прежних версий». Теперь вы можете раскрыть его, кликнув по самой папке.
- Активируйте «DirectPlay» и закройте данное меню настройки.
После внесения изменений рекомендуется перезагрузить ОС, чтобы они точно вступили в действие, затем можно запускать приложение для проверки его работоспособности.
Способ 2: Средство устранения проблем с совместимостью
В Windows 10 имеется не только режим совместимости, настраиваемый вручную, но и специальное средство, отвечающее за решение неполадок, связанных с запуском программ и игр, разработанных специально для прошлых версий операционных систем. Если запустить его для проблемного ПО, оно может автоматически найти ошибку DirectPlay и устранить ее без участия пользователя.
- Для этого щелкните по значку приложения правой кнопкой мыши и в контекстном меню выберите пункт «Свойства».
- Переместитесь на вкладку «Совместимость».
- Нажмите на кнопку «Запустить средство устранения проблем с совместимостью».
- Ожидайте завершения диагностики.
- Вы можете использовать рекомендованные параметры или перейти к настройке совместимости на основе замеченных неисправностей. Мы советуем задействовать первый вариант, проверив работоспособность ПО.
- В противном случае в этом же меню свойств активируйте режим совместимости, отметив галочкой соответствующий пункт.
- Во всплывающем перечне укажите версию ОС, на которой данное приложение точно функционирует корректно, а затем примените изменения.
Сразу же переходите к запуску ПО, чтобы проверить действенность внесенных изменений. Если никакого эффекта добиться не удалось, лучше вернуть значения по умолчанию, чтобы в будущем из-за этого не возникло дополнительных проблем.
Способ 3: Переустановка DirectX
Последний вариант включения DirectPlay, рассматриваемый в нашей статье, является самым радикальным, поскольку подходит только тем юзерам, у кого этот пункт отсутствует в меню «Включение или отключение компонентов Windows». Дело в том, что далеко не все скачивают официальные сборки ОС или же вручную удаляют DirectX, что и приводит к появлению таких проблем. Единственный выход из данной ситуации — полная переустановка библиотеки с добавлением и включением старых библиотек. Более детально об этом читайте в другой нашей статье по ссылке ниже.
Подробнее: Переустановка и добавление недостающих компонентов DirectX в Windows 10
Как видно, иногда DirectPlay не получается так просто включить, однако рассмотренные только что инструкции должны помочь справиться с этой задачей и решить возникшие трудности.
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Если какая-то игра сообщает, что для работы её функций требуется DirectPlay, не торопитесь искать, где скачать эти компоненты в Интернете — подход к установке этого недостающего компонента совсем иной.
В этой простой инструкции для начинающих о том, как установить DirectPlay для Windows 10 или Windows 11 и почему их не требуется скачивать.
Установка DirectPlay в новых системах
Компоненты Microsoft DirectPlay могут требоваться для старых игр, но в новых ОС, таких как Windows 10 или Windows 11 по умолчанию отключены, хотя присутствуют и готовы к включению — то есть скачивать DirectPlay не требуется. Чтобы установить DirectPlay, выполните следующие простые шаги:
- Откройте панель управления и перейдите в раздел «Программы и компоненты» (чтобы он отображался, справа вверху в поле «Просмотр» установите «Значки»). Для открытия панели управления можно использовать поиск в панели задач Windows 10 и 11. Второй способ быстро открыть «Программы и компоненты» — нажать клавиши Win+R, ввести appwiz.cpl и нажать Enter.
- В окне со списком программ, слева нажмите по пункту «Включение или отключение компонентов Windows».
- В списке доступных компонентов найдите раздел «Компоненты прежних версий» (Legacy Components), а затем отметьте «DirectPlay» и нажмите «Ок».
В результате DirectPlay будет установлен на вашем компьютере или ноутбуке: обычно перезагрузка не требуется, но, если игра продолжает сообщать об отсутствии необходимых компонентов, попробуйте выполнить перезагрузку.
Дополнительный способ быстрой установки DirectPlay:
- Запустите командную строку от имени администратора
- Введите команду
dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:DirectPlay /All
и нажмите Enter
Видео инструкция
В завершение еще один момент: если игре требуется DirectPlay, не исключено что после включения компонентов она потребует и каких-то файлов от старых версий DirectX. Если этого произойдёт, скачайте веб-установщик DirectX с официального сайта Майкрософт https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/details.aspx?id=35 и он установит всё недостающее.
Table of contents
- How to enable DirectPlay in Windows 10
- Initiate Windows Features
- Find DirectPlay from Legacy Components
- Enable DirectPlay
- Restart Your Computer
- How to install DirectPlay on Windows 11
- How to download DirectPlay
- How to fix my DirectPlay
- Temporarily Disable Your Anti-Virus Software Application
- Use Task Manager to Shut Down Anti-Virus Processes
- Re-Enable DirectPlay from Windows Features
- Use Command Prompt to Install DirectPlay with the No-Restart Option
- Use DirectPlay with Compatibility Mode
Windows has come a long way as a useful computer operating system (OS). Some of the best features of this OS have been further developed over the years. Others have long lost their usefulness and have been replaced by more efficient features. However, there are a few Windows features like DirectPlay that can still serve a purpose.
DirectPlay used to be one of the most important features on Windows, especially for gamers. The feature served as a multigame functionality and allowed more than one user to play the same game at the same time. In other words, with DirectPlay, two or more Windows users could play games together or against one another.
As DirectPlay is part of the Microsoft DirectX, it also boosts gameplay on Windows. As such, experienced Windows gamers will be able to tell when DirectPlay was enabled on a computer and when it was not. However, DirectPlay is no longer a default feature on Windows 10 or 11. This means that you need to enable it yourself before you can use it.
This article is all about showing you how to enable DirectPlay in Windows 10 and even how to install DirectPlay on Windows 11. The article also gives pointers on how to solve DirectPlay issues using different methods, and download it to use or keep for future references.
How to enable DirectPlay in Windows 10
Enabling DirectPlay in Windows 10 is not difficult. As long as you pay attention to the following steps, you should be able to get DirectPlay running on your Windows machine in 2 minutes or less. These steps can be simplified as follows:
- Initiate the Windows Features from Control Panel
- Locate DirectPlay from the Legacy Components option
- Enable DirectPlay by ticking the checkbox next to it
- Click OK and restart your computer to save and activate your changes.
If these steps are simple enough for you, then all is well and good. However, since we are not all computer wizards, here are a few more specifics on enabling DirectPlay in Windows 10 or 11.
Initiate Windows Features
Windows Features are very important components for the smooth running of the Windows OS. They work the same way as addons and extensions on web browser applications. More importantly, these features are original, meaning that they are not created by third-party developer companies but by Microsoft Corporation. Therefore, they are trustworthy.
If you want to get DirectPlay running on your Windows computer, you don’t have to rely on a third-party software distributor. Instead, you can simply enable it from Windows Features the same way you enable any other DirectX component.
First, however, you may want to check to see if it is already enabled. You can do that by running Command Prompt as Administrator. Then type in the following code:
DISM /online /get-features /format:table | more
If you notice that DirectPlay is disabled, you can turn on Windows Features using any of the following methods:
- Click
Windows key + Sto enter search mode, and typeTurn Windows features on or offinto the search bar. Select the best match categorized under Control Panel and tapENTER. - Click
Windows key + Rto start the Run prompt, and typeoptionalfeatures. Click OK to launch Windows Features this way. - Launch Command Prompt and click the Run as administrator. Then type the following and tap
ENTERon your keyboard afterward:
DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:DirectPlay
Find DirectPlay from Legacy Components
If you were unable to use the Windows command line to enable DirectPlay, it means that there is a requirement that your OS does not meet yet. There is nothing to worry about. You can use either of the other methods. Both of these methods will lead you to the same place—the Windows Features page where you can Turn Windows features on or off. Here, you will see all of the main Windows features that allow your OS to run smoothly.
Some of these features serve as the framework for others. For example, NETFramework is one of the main components that make it possible for certain software applications to run on your computer. So, just to be thorough, make sure that this feature is enabled.
DirectPlay should be the only feature under the Legacy Components folder on this Windows Features page. To locate it, simply click on the box next to the Legacy Components folder to expand it.
Enable DirectPlay
Once you have located DirectPlay in the Legacy Components folder, you can enable it by simply clicking on the empty box behind it.
Also, make sure that your computer is connected to the internet so that it can download and install the feature immediately. You should see a prompt telling you that your computer is applying changes to Windows Features.
Restart Your Computer
Once the changes have been applied, close the Windows features page and restart your computer.
Once your OS and up and running, you can enter DISM /online /get-features /format:table | more in Command Prompt (as an administrator) to see if DirectPlay is now included in the list of enabled Windows features.
How to install DirectPlay on Windows 11
Installing DirectPlay on Windows 11 is not different from what we have shown above. Microsoft has made it possible for you to simply install the DirectX component as one of the many Windows features. The installation process does not have to be a separate process from the enabling process. As a result, you don’t have to download DirectPlay as a separate software application from a third-party distributor.
So, in essence, to install DirectPlay on Windows 11, you only need to follow the steps we outlined in the previous section. Use Command Prompt as an administrator to enable DirectPlay. This will work if DirectPlay is already installed in your Windows OS. If it isn’t, you can use the Windows Features option to achieve the same results as the Command Prompt option.
Whichever option you choose, make sure to restart your computer to implement the changes.
How to download DirectPlay
As earlier mentioned, you don’t have to download DirectPlay to have it enabled on your PC. The feature is part of the native Microsoft Corporate store. However, downloading it as a standalone computer program is difficult, if not impossible.
Of course, many third-party software distributors will be happy to offer you versions of DirectPlay. But the chances of these versions negatively affecting the operation of your PC are very high. So, it is better to ignore these downloadable DirectPlay variants and stick to the original DirectPlay version from Microsoft.
How to fix my DirectPlay
Even though DirectPlay is a native Microsoft application, there are times it becomes impossible to use. During such times, it would either seem as if the application has completely disappeared from your PC or it has been disabled. However, you will find that it is still included in the list of enabled Windows features. In such instances, you need to fix DirectPlay.
Fixing DirectPlay is not difficult. There are many ways to go about this. So, if you find error messages like Microsoft.directx.directplay.DLL Not Found, you can use any of the following methods to fix DirectPlay.
Temporarily Disable Your Anti-Virus Software Application
Many useful antivirus software applications can boost Windows protection against malware. Auslogics Anti-Malware, for example, is very effective in detecting and removing all kinds of malware from your PC.
Download Auslogics Anti-Malware
Detects malware, spyware and viruses, then safely removes them from your PC to help keep it as secure as possible. The program is made to complement your main antivirus.
Nevertheless, the operation of advanced anti-virus applications like Auslogics’ can prove to be a deterrent for the activation of DirectPlay and other outmoded Windows components. Therefore, you have to temporarily disable your anti-virus software to get DirectPlay running.
There are many ways to disable anti-virus applications on Windows. The most popular of these is using the disable switch from the anti-virus itself. To do this, you only need to
- Locate the anti-virus software on your taskbar or among the apps on your taskbar tray.
- Right-click on the anti-virus icon to bring up the options.
- Select the option that indicates a temporary deactivation.
It is important that you don’t restart your PC once you have deactivated the anti-virus. Most of these applications are programmed to start running whenever you boot up your computer. Therefore, restarting your PC immediately after deactivating the anti-virus will only delay you, and not fix the problem.
Once you have disabled your anti-virus application, try enabling DirectPlay from Windows Features or through Command Prompt once again.
Use Task Manager to Shut Down Anti-Virus Processes
If you notice that DirectPlay runs temporarily and is disabled once again, you might have to uninstall the antivirus you are currently using and replace it with another. But if you don’t want to uninstall the anti-virus, you can simply terminate the anti-virus processes whenever you need to use DirectPlay.
To terminate anti-virus processes so you can use antiquated Windows components like DirectPlay, you only need to:
- Use
Ctrl + Shift + Esckeys to start Task Manager. (You can also useWindows key + X + Tfor the same purpose.) - From the 7 tabs of the Task Manager window, select the Processes tab.
- From the Apps, Background processes, and Windows processes header options, select everything related to the anti-virus and use the End task option after you right-click on these processes. You have to do this one by one under each category.
- Close the Task Manager window and try to use DirectPlay again.
If you notice that your anti-virus starts running after you restart your Windows:
- Bring up Task Manager once more and navigate to the Startup tab this time. This tab shows all your installed programs that Windows automatically launches whenever the OS boots up.
- Select the anti-virus application and right-click it to bring up options.
- Select the Disable option to deactivate the launching of your anti-virus.
This should solve the problem of your anti-virus blocking DirectPlay once and for all. Whenever you need to use your anti-virus or if you no longer need to use DirectPlay, simply activate the anti-virus application processes from Task Manager. You should also enable the anti-virus from the Startup tab in Task Manager.
Re-Enable DirectPlay from Windows Features
Although the previous suggestions on how to fix DirectPlay problems are effective, they may be necessary. Maybe there was a problem during installation, so DirectPlay was not correctly enabled on your Windows PC. In that case, you only need to re-enable DirectPlay to get it working.
The best means of re-enabling DirectPlay to fix .dll not found issues is to use Windows Features. We outlined the steps for this in an earlier section, so you should be able to easily enable DirectPlay this way.
However, if you find that DirectPlay is enabled, first uncheck the box next to DirectPlay (that is, under Legacy Components in the Windows Features window) and restart your PC. Once your OS is up and running, go back to Windows Features and enable DirectPlay. This should fix the problem.
Use Command Prompt to Install DirectPlay with the No-Restart Option
If disabling and enabling DirectPlay using Windows Features does not work, you may have to fall back on Command Prompt to fix it. As earlier stated, make sure you start Command Prompt (or Windows PowerShell) as an administrator. Then copy and paste the following code:
C:/ dism /Online /enable-feature /FeatureName:”DirectPlay” /NoRestart
Once the process is complete, DirectPlay should have been enabled.
Use DirectPlay with Compatibility Mode
The last method to fix issues with DirectPlay on Windows 10 and 11 is compatibility mode. This method allows your OS to run a particular program under an older configuration state. All you need to do here is:
- Right-click on the desktop application of the game to select the Open file location option.
- Select the game file and right-click to bring up the options.
- Select Properties and click on the Compatibility tab.
- Check the Run this program in compatibility mode for option and select any of the older Windows OSes.
- Click Apply and close the window, and then restart the game to use DirectPlay.
Whether you want to install or fix DirectPlay, the Windows Features option and Command Prompt serve as reliable methods. As long as you use any of these methods well, you should be able to decide how DirectPlay runs on your Windows 10 and 11.
DirectPlay is an old API library that was used by DirectX to run games. It’s so old that modern games don’t need it any more which is why, you won’t find it on your Windows 10 PC. You might have the latest version of DirectX running but DirectPlay may not necessarily be enabled. Games simply don’t need it anymore however, if you’re trying to run an older game, you will need to enable DirectPlay on Windows 10 to get it going. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to do.
DirectPlay will need DirectX installed if you’re trying to run a game so go ahead and install it. Once you’ve done that, you can proceed to enable DirectPlay.
Open the Control Panel and select Programs. Click the Turn Windows features on or off option. Alternatively, open File Explorer and enter the following in the location bar. Again, click Turn Windows features on or off.
Control Panel\Programs
In the window that opens, you will see a list of features that you can enable. This is where you can enable or disable Internet Explorer if you want. In this list of items, look for Legacy Components and expand it. Under it, you’ll find DirectPlay. Select it and click OK.
The component will take some to install and you will run into one or two prompts. Once it has been installed, you will have to reboot your system for the change to take effect.
Playing games
While DirectPlay may be an essential component needed to play older games, it likely isn’t the only thing you need. Older games that were built for older operating systems, architectures, and technology relied on multiple components to run. After you enable DirectPlay on Windows 10, check what else is required to run the game you want to play.
The older the game is, the more you will need to install additional components to make it compatible. You can try looking into emulators and they may take the pain out of running an older game however, there are few emulators that can run every single legacy game there is. The games themselves are too many to account for and legacy games might span a period of ten years which will make for different requirements depending on when it was released. It’s been a while since gaming improved and quite a lot of the popular games are now old, legacy ones which is why there’s no single emulator to run them all. In fact, you might be better of running an older version of Windows in a virtual machine and installing and playing the game on it if it’s very old.
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Do you want to enable DirectPlay on Windows 10 to be able to play old videogames? In this post, you can learn how to do it.
The newest operating system has the advantage that you will have an optimized and modern performance that you will notice in video games.
Modern videogames are based on 3D worlds, VR, and more, and your computer has the appropriate codes and services to be compatible with those games.
Trought the gaming history on PCs, DirectPlay was one of the first components that you need to have correctly installed to be able to play classic videogames.
DirectPlay is built into DirectX and was required to make the old operating system compatible with the videogames that you want to play at that time. Still, after several changes and new API releases, this old component has been deprecated.
The problem comes when you want to play a videogame that requires DirectPlay because, without it, you won’t be able to launch the game correctly.
DirectPlay Features
One of the features that make games awesome at that time was some of these:
- Manage users and groups in an active session
- Manage and control messages sent by users
- Let gamers to communicate with each other using voice commands
As you can see, DirectPlay was created to play classic games, and there exist several users that still want to play some games in a new operating system like Windows 10.
DirectPlay will be essential to play almost all the videos before 2008 because some of those have been developed not to run when you don’t have this component installed. If your game or app requires DirectPlay and you don’t have enabled, you will see a warning message that says that your computer is missing a core component.
In this tutorial, I want to fix that problem and teach you how to can enable DirectPlay on Windows 10 and be able to play classic games without issues.
Install DirectPlay on Windows 10
You first need to install or more acurrately, enable DirectPlay on Windows 10 because it is disabled by default.
- Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu or run the command control in the Run dialog
- Once there, navigate to the Programs and Features section and there click on Programs
- On the left sidebar, you will see some options, click on the last one that says Turn Windows features on or off
- A window will pop up, there you need to find and expand the section Legacy Componets
Finally, check the box DirectPlay and click on OK
- Windows will start the installation process automatically. Once finished, click on the Close button, and you have enabled DirectPlay successfully on Windows 10.
Disable Antivirus to Install DirectPlay
In some cases, DirectPlay won’t be installed or enabled correctly following the steps above. Some users have reported an error code 0x80073701 when they try to install DirectPlay on Windows 10.
One of the leading causes of this error is some false positive in your security software. A way to avoid this problem is disabling your antivirus temporarily while you complete the DirectPlay installation process.
- Navigate to the taskbar and right-click on your antivirus icon
- In the menu that opens, navigate trought the options Disable shield > Disable for 10 minutes
- Now, follow the previous steps and enabled DirectPlay from the Control Panel. Surely this time you won’t have any problem to install DirectPlay.
Run Game on Compatibility Mode
You have enabled DirectPlay on Windows, but you still haven’t been able to launch your game. Maybe there is some compatibility issue that requires some other measures like enabling the compatibility mode.
To enable the compatibility mode for your game, follow these steps:
- First, navigate to your game shortcut and right-click on it. In the menu click on Open File Location
- Now right-click on your game executable and select the option Properties
- In the window that opens, you need to navigate to the Compatibility tab and there enable the checkbox: Run this program in compatibility mode for.
- Below you will have some options to choose from. I recommend selecting Windows XP (Service Pack 3)
- When you finish, click on Apply and OK to save the changes
- Finally, try to launch the game
Wrapping Up
DirectPlay is easy to install the component on Windows 10, but when you don’t know the steps, it becomes a complicated process.
Thanks to this tutorial, you will be able to play your classic videogames without issues on your computer with Windows 10.