How To Fix DLL Errors

General Advice for Fixing DLL Not Found or DLL Missing Errors

Photo of a puzzle that's missing one piece
© Elisabeth Schmitt / Moment Open / Getty Images

A DLL error is any error with a DLL file - a kind of file ending in the DLL file extension.

DLL errors can appear in any of Microsoft's operating systems including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

DLL errors are especially troublesome because there are so many of these types of files in existence, all with the potential to cause trouble. Luckily, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take that have a great chance of fixing any DLL error you might have.

Important: These are general DLL error troubleshooting steps. If you haven't already, search Lifewire for the specific DLL file you're having issues with. We may not have information for the exact DLL but if we do, the steps there will be more likely to help.

Time Required: Fixing a DLL error could take as long as an hour or more depending on the specific error and usually, although it depends on the cause of the problem, it's pretty easy to do.

Don't Want to Fix This Yourself?

If you're interested in fixing whatever DLL problem you're having yourself, continue with the troubleshooting in the next section.



  1. IMPORTANT: Do NOT download DLL files from DLL download sites in an attempt to replace your missing or corrupt DLL files.

    There are several reasons why downloading a DLL file to solve a DLL error is a very bad idea, least of which is that it may not solve your problem.

    Note: If you've already downloaded a DLL file from one of these DLL download sites, remove it from wherever you put it and continue troubleshooting below.
  1. Restart your computer. It's possible that the problem that's causing the DLL error is just temporary and a restart is all you need.

    Note: This is only an option if the DLL error isn't stopping your computer before Windows fully starts. If you have one of those more serious DLL issues, you'll need to forcefully restart your computer. See How to Restart Anything for help if you need it.

    Most DLL errors come in the "DLL Not Found" and "Missing DLL" form. The easiest possible cause of a DLL error like this is that you've deleted the DLL file without realizing it.

    Note: Enter Safe Mode to do this or any of the following steps if you're unable to access Windows normally due to this DLL error.

    Important: Recovering a DLL file with a file recovery program is a smart idea only if you're confident you've deleted the file yourself and that it was working properly before you did that.

    Important: Don't skip this step if you can help it. Reinstalling the program that provides the DLL file is a very likely solution to any program specific DLL error.
  1. Update drivers for any hardware that might be related to the DLL error. For example, if you're receiving a "Missing DLL" error when you use your printer, try updating your printer drivers.

  3. Apply any available Windows Updates. Many operating system service packs and other patches can replace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your computer.
  4. Perform a repair installation of Windows. If the individual DLL troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, a repair installation of the operating system should restore all Windows DLL files to their original working versions.
  1. Perform a clean installation of Windows. A clean install of Windows will erase everything from the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows. If a repair install doesn't correct the DLL error, this should be your next course of action.

  2. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any DLL errors persist. After a clean install of Windows, your DLL problem can only be hardware related.

Search for Your Specific DLL Error

As I mentioned above, these steps are general troubleshooting steps and are not specific to any particular DLL error.

While you're certainly welcome to follow the steps above, some may be less specific to the DLL error you're getting. We do have some troubleshooting guides for some specific DLL based errors so searching the site using your exact error could turn up something more useful.