I keep getting the error message that d3dx9_30.dll was not found.
I restarted system, reinstalled DX9, rebooted, nothing worked.

GRANTED, the cpu is an Atom dual core D2550 @ 1.88 but the message is irrelevant to that AFAIK.
This on a Windows XP Pro with all the patches etc.

For some reason the game now runs.
Not only that but it runs great.
Case, weirdly, closed.