XINPUT1_4.dll was not found, what it means and how to fix it

XINPUT1_4.dll is XInput 1.4, the part of Windows that games use to read Xbox and other compatible controllers. It ships inside Windows 8 and later, so on Windows 10 or 11 a missing copy means a damaged system file or a stray copy in the game folder, not a missing download.

The fix, in order

  1. Check the Windows version. Press Windows+R, type winver, press Enter. XInput 1.4 exists only from Windows 8 on. On Windows 7 a game that asks for it needs Windows 8 or later, and no Microsoft installer adds the file.
  2. Remove any XINPUT1_4.dll sitting next to the game's .exe. Games do not need their own copy, and one placed there by a controller wrapper, mod, or forum fix overrides the Windows copy. Rename it (add .bak) and relaunch.
  3. Install all Windows updates and restart. Settings → Windows Update → install everything offered. Updates replace system files, XINPUT1_4.dll included, with the current build for your Windows release.
  4. Repair Windows files. In an admin Command Prompt run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth if SFC cannot repair everything.
Do not download XINPUT1_4.dll from a DLL site. The DirectX End-User Runtime does not contain it either, it installs the older XINPUT1_3.dll, so a downloaded copy is the wrong file from the wrong place, and a wrong-architecture copy causes the 0xc000007b startup error.

If it still happens

If the controller still does not respond after the game launches, the problem is the controller or its driver, not this file. Test the controller in another game, then update or reinstall its driver from the maker's site. If the game still refuses to start, reinstall it cleanly, since a damaged game folder can keep failing next to a healthy Windows copy.

Common questions

Will the DirectX End-User Runtime fix it? No. That package installs the older DirectX SDK libraries, including XINPUT1_3.dll, but XINPUT1_4.dll ships with Windows itself and is repaired only by Windows Update and the system file checker.

Does this error mean my controller is broken? No, it means the game could not load the Windows controller library. A broken controller shows up after the game starts, as missing input, not as a missing file error.

Related errors

D3DX9_43.dll missing · Error 0xc000007b · MSVCP140.dll missing

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