As you go about your daily routines in your Windows computer, you may encounter the occasional error messages. One of the more common errors is a missing or corrupt DLL file. Many Windows programs heavily rely on DLL files that they cannot launch or work as intended without them. If for some reason a DLL file has disappeared and is causing errors, here’s how you can fix it.
Before attempting the more sophisticated solutions below, try restarting your computer first. The errors could be temporary and might disappear when the computer reboots. You might be tempted to download DLL files from the Internet to replace the missing ones and fix the errors, but this is highly discouraged. DLL files can be easily injected with malicious lines of code to compromise your computer.
“Missing DLL File” errors typically happen because of your recent actions. For instance, you may have permanently deleted a folder containing the DLL file without realizing it. Undo your recent actions by using System Restore.
Programs that heavily rely on DLL files should have these files in their installation discs. Try reinstalling the program to restore the missing DLL files. Look up the developer website and search for updates that may include fixes to the errors. Also check if Windows has any available updates.
If it’s the operating system itself that’s misbehaving, run the System File Checker tool. Press the Windows button, type cmd in the search field, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter and click Yes in the User Account Control dialog box. In the administrator command prompt, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the command to finish scanning system files and fixing any problem it finds.
If you’re unable to do the steps above because the “missing DLL file” errors is not letting you use Windows, try doing them after booting Windows in Safe Mode.
