DirectPlay 8.2 and DirectX 8.1b

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This download contains DirectX 8.1b plus some DirectPlay fixes related to performance and connectivity issues exhibited with some online multiplayer game titles. This release of DirectX is not recommended for general installation. You should only consider installing this release if you have an online gaming problem that has been identified as being fixed with DirectX 8.2. This version of DirectX can replace all previous released versions of DirectX.

The DirectX 8.2 release supports Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The DirectX installation process requires approximately 60 megabytes (MB) of free space on your hard drive. Once installed, you can delete the installation files. The remaining DirectX files use approximately 16 MB of hard drive space. If you had an earlier version of DirectX installed on your computer, you will see little difference in used space on your hard drive. DirectX 8.2 will overwrite the earlier versions.

Note: After installation, the DirectX 8.2 runtime cannot be removed (uninstalled). The installation process changes core components and makes numerous registry changes within your operating system. Microsoft does not support un-installation.

News source: Microsoft Dowload article - DirectPlay 8.2