cudart32_30_9.dll is a legacy 32-bit NVIDIA CUDA runtime file used by some older games and applications. If Windows says it is missing or cannot be loaded, repair the program that requested it rather than downloading a loose DLL.
What cudart32_30_9.dll is
The filename is associated with the CUDA 3.0-era C Runtime. It is an application-level dependency, not a protected Windows system file and not something that every NVIDIA graphics driver installs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| File | cudart32_30_9.dll |
| Architecture | 32-bit |
| Catalogued version | 6.14.11.3000 |
| Catalogued size | Approximately 0.28 MB |
| Typical role | Legacy CUDA runtime used by an application or game |
| Correct location | Usually the folder containing the program’s 32-bit executable |
The version and size above are third-party catalog information, not independently verified NVIDIA release metadata. The filename is consistent with a versioned NVIDIA CUDA runtime, but the exact file-to-package mapping is not fully documented on NVIDIA’s current site.
Older game distributions have included this file, including some installations of Papo & Yo. Reports have also connected the error with older titles such as Transformers: War for Cybertron, Mafia II, Gothic 4/Arcania, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The particular program on your computer is the one named in the error dialog, launcher, shortcut, or crash report.
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Start with the affected game or application
This is the most likely fix because the missing DLL normally belongs beside the application that needs it.
Steam games
- Open Steam.
- Select Library.
- Right-click the affected game and choose Properties.
- Select Installed Files.
- Click Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to complete the check.
- Start the game again from Steam.
Steam should replace missing or damaged files in the game’s own installation directory. If the file was quarantined immediately after verification, check your security software before repeatedly verifying the installation.
Other launchers
Look for an option named Repair, Verify, Scan and repair, or Validate files in the launcher. Run it, restart Windows if requested, and test the application again.
If no repair option exists:
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Select the affected application.
- Choose Advanced options, if available.
- Select Repair.
- If Repair does not help, use Reset only if you understand that it may remove application settings.
- Otherwise uninstall the program.
- Restart Windows.
- Reinstall it from the original publisher or store installer.
For an old boxed game or standalone installer, run the original setup program again. Use Run as administrator only when the installer needs elevated permissions. Do not copy a DLL from a different game, a backup of unknown origin, or a modified installation.
A successful repair normally produces one of these results:
- The program starts normally.
- The original error disappears.
- A different, clearly named prerequisite is reported.
If a new error names Visual C++, DirectX, PhysX, or another DLL, repair that newly identified dependency rather than substituting another CUDA file.
Install the appropriate PhysX prerequisite
The filename identifies a CUDA runtime, but older games sometimes deploy CUDA-related files as part of a wider graphics or PhysX dependency bundle. This does not mean every cudart32_30_9.dll error is a PhysX problem.
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Install the official NVIDIA PhysX System Software package when the game’s documentation or installer identifies PhysX as a prerequisite. For very old games, NVIDIA also provides PhysX Legacy System Software for content built against older PhysX SDK versions.
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Use this order:
- Close the game and its launcher.
- Download PhysX System Software from NVIDIA’s official driver and PhysX support pages.
- Run the installer.
- Accept the license terms.
- Keep the default installation options unless the installer says otherwise.
- Restart Windows.
- Test the game.
If the game is particularly old and the regular PhysX package does not help, install the official PhysX Legacy package as well. Legacy PhysX is a strong candidate for older titles, not a universal cure.
Do not assume that installing a modern CUDA Toolkit or updating your graphics driver will recreate this particular application file. Modern CUDA runtimes are not automatically compatible with software built against an old, versioned runtime.
Check whether security software quarantined the file
Antivirus software can remove or quarantine a game file after an update, cleanup, or false detection.
Windows Security
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Choose Protection history.
- Look for an entry involving
cudart32_30_9.dllor the affected game. - Confirm that the parent application came from a trusted, legitimate installer.
- Do not restore an unexplained loose DLL.
- Instead, reinstall or verify the application after confirming that its source is trusted.
If the same file disappears after every repair, the cause may be antivirus quarantine or damaged installation media. Check the security product’s quarantine and exclusions settings, but do not create a permanent exclusion for an untrusted game folder.
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The catalogued file is 32-bit. A 32-bit process cannot load a 64-bit DLL, and a 64-bit process cannot load a 32-bit DLL.
Most older games that request this filename are 32-bit programs, even when they run on 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11. Restore the file through the game installer so it is placed beside the correct executable.
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Do not solve this by copying files between System32 and SysWOW64. Despite their names, those folders serve different Windows architecture roles, and manual placement can create new loading conflicts. Application-local deployment is normally the correct arrangement.
To inspect the program:
- Open the application’s installation folder.
- Right-click the game executable.
- Choose Properties.
- Open the Details tab to identify the executable.
- If you need deeper diagnosis, use a reputable dependency-analysis utility only to identify missing dependencies.
- Do not use that utility as a source for downloading replacement DLLs.
The error may name cudart32_30_9.dll even when another dependency of that DLL is the component that cannot be found. This is especially relevant when the message says, “The specified module could not be found.”
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Repair Windows components as a secondary step
Windows integrity commands are useful when several applications are failing or Windows itself is behaving abnormally. They will not normally recreate an application-bundled CUDA DLL.
First install pending Windows updates:
- Open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Choose Check for updates.
- Install available updates.
- Restart the computer.
Then open an elevated Command Prompt:
- Press Start.
- Type
Command Prompt. - Right-click Command Prompt.
- Select Run as administrator.
- Approve the permission prompt.
- Run:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Wait for it to finish. Then run:
sfc /scannow
Restart Windows after both commands complete and test the affected application. If SFC reports that it repaired files, test again. If it reports that it could not repair everything, repeat the application repair steps and investigate the Windows repair result separately.
Repeatedly running SFC and DISM without knowing what changed can waste time. Outbyte PC Repair can scan for the issues behind recurring Windows repair work; its free scan shows what it finds, while repair features require the full version. Reinstalling the affected game or application remains the definitive fix when its private DLL is missing.
Update drivers only when the evidence points there
A graphics-driver reinstall is not the normal first fix for this filename. Consider it when the application also reports display-driver failures, PhysX initialization errors, crashes across several games, or a recent driver cleanup.
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- Right-click Start.
- Select Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters.
- Right-click the graphics adapter.
- Choose Update driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
- Restart Windows if prompted.
For a clean reinstall, download the correct driver from the graphics hardware manufacturer, run its installer, and select the clean-install option when offered. Do not uninstall random devices from Device Manager or replace the CUDA runtime with a similarly named file.
Manually checking hardware models, driver branches, and installation options can take time. Outbyte Driver Updater can scan for outdated drivers; its free scan identifies findings, while driver installation requires the full version. It is optional, and it does not replace repairing the game that owns this DLL.
What not to do
Do not download a standalone DLL from a random website
A loose download can have the wrong version, wrong architecture, altered contents, or no relationship to the application’s original package. It may also leave the real cause unresolved, such as a missing PhysX prerequisite or another dependency.
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Use the affected application’s official installer, launcher repair, or file verification first. If the application’s documentation specifically requires NVIDIA software, use NVIDIA’s official CUDA or PhysX distribution pages.
Do not copy it into System32
cudart32_30_9.dll is not a Windows system DLL. Copying it into C:WindowsSystem32 can hide the real installation problem and expose unrelated programs to an incompatible file.
Do not run regsvr32 for this file
regsvr32 is intended for DLLs that expose registration entry points such as DllRegisterServer. Runtime libraries generally do not require COM registration.
Running this command is therefore not a routine fix:
regsvr32 cudart32_30_9.dll
It may produce an error stating that the module was loaded but the DllRegisterServer entry point was not found. Restore the file through the application installer instead.
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Do not rename or replace the file with cudart32_40_12.dll, a 64-bit CUDA runtime, or another similarly named DLL. Versioned runtime files are not interchangeable merely because their names look similar.
If the error remains
Work through this final sequence:
- Identify the exact executable producing the message.
- Verify or reinstall that application.
- Check antivirus quarantine.
- Install the official NVIDIA PhysX package.
- Install PhysX Legacy if the game is very old.
- Confirm that the application is 32-bit and that its installer restored the matching file.
- Run DISM and SFC if other Windows components also appear damaged.
- Test again and note any new error message.
If the error began immediately after a cleanup, update, or installation and System Restore is available, open Settings > System > Recovery > System Restore and follow the restore-point wizard. Use this as a recovery option, not as the primary method for replacing an application file.
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FAQ
Is cudart32_30_9.dll part of Windows?
No. It is a third-party, application-level 32-bit dependency associated with legacy NVIDIA CUDA runtime software.
Is it CUDA or PhysX?
The filename identifies a CUDA runtime. Older games may install it alongside PhysX or other game dependencies, so PhysX repair can help in some cases. It is not proof that every affected program obtains the file from PhysX.
Which program caused the error?
The program that was starting when the message appeared is the likely host application. Check the window title, shortcut, launcher, game folder, and recent crash report. The DLL filename alone does not identify one universal owner.
Should I install CUDA Toolkit 3.0?
Usually not as the first step. It is an archival developer toolkit, not necessarily the correct repair for a packaged game. Repair the game first and install only the prerequisite specified by the application.
Will DISM or SFC restore this file?
Normally no. They repair protected Windows components, while this DLL is generally installed with a particular application.
What if reinstalling changes the error?
That often means the original missing file was restored and Windows has moved to the next missing dependency. Repair the newly named component rather than downloading another unrelated DLL.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsQuick Recap
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