Fix: Enable DirectPlay in Windows 10

What is DirectPlay?

DirectPlay is a Network Communication Library constituent of the Microsoft DirectX API (Application Programming Interface). This is the element that lets a PC gamer connect their PC games to the internet or a LAN network, in order to find online matches for them.

This is based on the UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which makes it easier to connect your DirectPlay with other systems that have DirectPlay enabled. 

In simple words, DirectPlay is responsible for your game to connect to multiplayer games so that you can play with other players on the internet. 

DirectPlay Errors

Old games like GTA: San Andreas is cult classics that need DirectPlay to run on Windows 10. This DirectPlay has the needed components to run slightly old games on your modern PC. Without it, you will see a lot of errors like this message:

“Microsoft.directx.directplay.DLL Not Found”

Ways to fix the DirectPlay errors

1. Enable Direct Playthrough Control Panel
2. Enable Direct Play through Windows PowerShell
3. Enable Direct Play through Compatibility mode
4. Disable/Adjust the Antivirus Software
5. Use Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

How to fix DirectPlay errors on Windows 10

Enable DirectPlay in the Control Panel

If you try running classic online multiplayer games on Microsoft Windows 10 Operating System (OS) based computers, you need to ensure that the DirectPlay attribute is enabled on your device.

1. Open your Control Panel, by searching for it in the search bar on your taskbar.

2. Open the Programs and Features settings, in the Programs option in the Control Panel. 

3. Select the Turn Windows features on or off button on the left panel.

4. In the Windows Features dialog box, locate and click on the plus sign next to the Legacy Components option. In here, check the box near DirectPlay.

5. Click Ok to save the changes. The DirectPlay feature will be downloaded and automatically enabled on your device.

Enable DirectPlay through Windows PowerShell

1. Right-click on the Windows icon on the Taskbar or press the Windows key + X key on your keyboard simultaneously to bring up the Quick Link menu.

2. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
3. In the Windows PowerShell window, type in the following command:

C:/ dism /Online /enable-feature /FeatureName:”DirectPlay” /NoRestart

4. It takes a while for the DirectPlay to be installed. Once complete, it will be installed on its own. 

Enable the Compatibility Mode on Windows 10

The Compatibility mode adjusts the configuration so that older games run on relatively new computers with newer software, while it was designed to suit older software. 

These are the steps to enable the Compatibility mode in Windows 10:

1. Locate the Game that you want to run. If you have a desktop shortcut to the game, right-click on the shortcut and select Open file location. This will take you to the installation location. 
2. Right-click on the executable file and select the Properties option. 
3. Click on the Compatibility tab in the Properties window.

4. Press the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” checkbox.
5. Select the Operating Systems one-by-one from the drop-down menu below and try running the game. You can also try to relate when the game was released with the OS that was the latest at that time.

Once you find out which earlier versions of the OS are compatible with the program for running on your PC.

Disable/Adjust the Antivirus Software

Sometimes, users may see the 0x80073701 issue when installing and enabling DirectPlay on their computer. If this is the case, you cannot download the DirectPlay feature through the abovementioned methods.

You may not be able to enable DirectPlay and many other features because your Antivirus program is blocking you from doing so. You can try turning your Antivirus off for a while and re-installing DirectPlay. If you can install it when the antivirus is off, this means that your Antivirus is responsible. 

These are the steps to disable the Antivirus on your device:

1. Launch the Task Manager by pressing your keyboard’s Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys. 
2. Click on the Start-up tab. You will see all the processes that run during the system startup, by default. 

3. Click on the Antivirus and then, press the Disable button at the bottom of the window.

4. Perform the installation and run the game to see if it works without any problem.

Use Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

The Program Compatibility troubleshooter is a troubleshooting agent, exclusive to finding and resolving problems related to technology compatibility. This can be used to figure out and fix issues arising from Direct Play. 

Here’s how you can run this troubleshooter:

1. In your search bar, type in Compatibility.
2. Your best result should be the Run Programs for earlier Windows versions. Open it as an administrator.

3. Press the Next button and choose the application that needs to be tested for compatibility. 
4. If the chart does not have the application that you need to troubleshoot, by default, you can browse for it, by selecting Not Listed and searching for it. 
5. After you find it, click on it and then click on the Next button.
6. Do as instructed by the interface’s details, which should fix your DirectPlay error.

Conclusion

DirectPlay is an important aspect for every gamer. When this causes problems and throws error messages, do not worry; follow the above instructions to enjoy your online matches.