DirectX not reading as installed

i get this message when i try to install Evil Genius

'Evil Genius requires DirectX 9b or later to be installed.
DirectX 9.0a is installed.
Please install DirectX from...' blah blah

iv tryed windows update, an the 9.0c redistribution, i know i have 9.0c
oddly dxdiag claims i hav 9.0a even tho i reinstalled it and i am staring at
the windows update screen, an it says i dont need anything....

i have windows ME

I tried installing DirectX 9.0c from Windows Update on my
Windows 98SE machine. It would act as if it was
successful, but when I re-scanned with Win Update, it
would say that it still needed to be installed.

I then downloaded the stand-alone 9.0c redistribution and
tried installing that. It failed saying that it could not
copy a required file. It appeared that "joystick.inf" was
being copied at the time of the failure.

It is strange that Windows update fails but reports
success.

Not sure what to do from here.

Conrad
>-----Original Message-----
>i get this message when i try to install Evil Genius
>
>'Evil Genius requires DirectX 9b or later to be installed.
>DirectX 9.0a is installed.
>Please install DirectX from...' blah blah
>
>iv tryed windows update, an the 9.0c redistribution, i
know i have 9.0c
>oddly dxdiag claims i hav 9.0a even tho i reinstalled it
and i am staring at
>the windows update screen, an it says i dont need
anything....
>
>i have windows ME
>.
>