Software & AppsTroubleshooting

Fixing ” DLL is missing” errors when trying to launch games

by RebootTips

Nothing grinds my gears quite like booting up a game, excited to finally relax, only for Windows to throw up a cryptic error box: “The program can’t start because [insert random DLL name here] is missing from your computer.” It’s infuriating, and I’ve seen it way too many times. You just bought a game, downloaded it, and now you’re stuck debugging dependencies. Happens every time, almost.

My approach to these “DLL is missing” errors isn’t the usual “reinstall the game” advice you’ll find plastered everywhere. Why? Because nine times out of ten, reinstalling is a colossal waste of bandwidth and time. The problem rarely lies with the game’s core files themselves, unless your download got corrupted, which Steam or Epic usually catch anyway. What’s often missing are shared system libraries that Windows *should* have, or that the game *expects* Windows to have, but for whatever reason, they’re not there or they’re broken. My method cuts through the nonsense and hits the common culprits directly.

How I tackle these missing DLLs

I always start with the least destructive and most common fixes, working my way down to the “dirty” but effective solutions. Trust me, I’ve spent enough late nights figuring this crap out so you don’t have to.

Step 1: Verify Game Files – The Sanity Check

This is my absolute first move. It’s quick, easy, and sometimes, just sometimes, it actually works. It tells your game launcher to check if all the files it expects are actually there and aren’t corrupted. If your game’s launcher is missing a critical game-specific DLL, this usually fixes it.

  1. For Steam: Open Steam, right-click the game, go to Properties, then the Local Files tab, and click Verify integrity of game files….
  2. For Epic Games Launcher: Open Epic, go to your Library, click the three dots next to the game, and select Verify.
  3. For GOG Galaxy: Open GOG Galaxy, select the game, click the Customization icon (next to Play), then Manage Installation > Verify / Repair.

I let this run, and if it finds anything, I try launching the game again. If not, I move on.

Step 2: Install Visual C++ Redistributables – The Prime Suspect

This is the big one. If I had a dollar for every “DLL is missing” error traced back to a missing or corrupted Visual C++ Redistributable, I’d retire to a private island. Games, especially older ones, rely on specific versions of these libraries. Windows doesn’t always come with every version, and sometimes they just get borked. The first time I ran into this problem, I only installed the latest 64-bit version thinking it’d cover everything. Nope. Old 32-bit games need their specific 32-bit runtimes, and sometimes even a 2010 game needs its 2010 redistributable, not a 2019 one.

  1. Go to Microsoft’s official Visual C++ Redistributable download page. Just search “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable” and make sure you’re on a microsoft.com domain.
  2. Download and install *all* versions from 2005 through the latest (usually 2015-2022 now). Crucially, download both the x86 and x64 versions for each year. Yes, even if you have a 64-bit system, a lot of older games are 32-bit and need the x86 versions.
  3. Run each installer as an administrator. If you get an option to “Repair,” click it. If you get an option to “Install,” click that.
  4. Reboot your PC after installing all of them. This is key. I’ve wasted too much time trying to launch a game without a proper reboot after this step.

If your missing DLL has a name like MSVCR100.DLL or VCRUNTIME140.DLL, this is almost certainly your fix.

Step 3: DirectX Runtime Web Installer – The Older Game Saver

Modern Windows versions come with the latest DirectX, but many games, especially those a few years old, still rely on older DirectX 9.0c components that aren’t included by default. This web installer pulls down and installs those legacy bits.

  1. Search for “DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer” on Microsoft’s site. Again, make sure it’s from microsoft.com.
  2. Download and run the installer. It’s a small file, but it will download additional components.
  3. Let it complete, and reboot your PC again for good measure.

This often fixes errors involving DLLs like d3dx9_43.dll or similar.

Step 4: System File Checker (SFC) – Windows’ Own Cleanup Crew

Sometimes, the missing DLL isn’t directly related to a game or a common runtime, but a core Windows system file. When these get corrupted, it can cause all sorts of weird issues. SFC is a built-in tool that scans and repairs damaged Windows system files.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type cmd, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
  2. In the command prompt, type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
  3. Let it run. It can take a while. If it finds and fixes anything, reboot your PC.

If SFC reports it couldn’t fix everything, I sometimes run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool first, which helps repair the underlying Windows image:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
After DISM completes, I run `sfc /scannow` again.

Step 5: Malware Scan – The Sneaky Culprit

It’s not common for this specific error, but malware can occasionally delete or corrupt DLLs, leading to game launch issues. A quick scan can rule this out.

  1. Run a full scan with your preferred antivirus (Windows Defender is usually sufficient for a quick check, but I prefer Malwarebytes for a deeper dive).
  2. If anything is found, quarantine or remove it, and then try the game again.

Step 6: The “Dirty” Fix – Manual DLL Placement

Okay, this is controversial, and I only ever recommend it as an absolute last resort if nothing else has worked. Why? Because you’re essentially downloading a random file from the internet and trusting it. There’s a non-zero risk of malware or an incorrect version. That said, I’ve had to do it myself a few times when a specific DLL was just impossible to find through official channels or if Windows just kept refusing to register it properly.

  1. Identify the exact name of the missing DLL (e.g., xinput1_3.dll).
  2. Search for “download [DLL name]” online. I usually stick to sites like dll-files.com because they tend to be relatively reliable and often provide clear instructions, but always proceed with extreme caution.
  3. Once you find the DLL, ensure you download the correct version for your system (x86 for 32-bit games, x64 for 64-bit games).
  4. Unzip the DLL.
  5. First, try placing the DLL directly into the game’s installation folder (where the game’s .exe is located). This is the safest spot.
  6. If that doesn’t work, you might need to place it in the system directories:
    • For 64-bit DLLs on a 64-bit system: C:\Windows\System32
    • For 32-bit DLLs on a 64-bit system (or any DLL on a 32-bit system): C:\Windows\SysWOW64
  7. You might need administrator privileges to copy files into these folders.
  8. Try launching the game. If it still doesn’t work, sometimes you need to register the DLL using an elevated Command Prompt:
    regsvr32 [DLL name]
    (e.g., `regsvr32 xinput1_3.dll`)

I’ve had to use this trick more times than I care to admit, especially for obscure, older titles.

Typical issues

Even with these steps, sometimes things still go sideways. I seen this happen a lot.

  • Wrong Architecture: Downloading an x64 DLL for a 32-bit game, or vice-versa. Always double-check. A 32-bit game needs 32-bit DLLs.
  • Skipping Reboots: Seriously, rebooting after installing Visual C++ or DirectX is not optional. Windows often needs to properly register the new files. I once forgot and spent an extra hour debugging because of it.
  • Antivirus Interference: Sometimes your antivirus gets a little overzealous and quarantines a legitimate game DLL, thinking it’s malware. Check your AV’s quarantine log if the problem persists. You might need to whitelist the game folder.
  • UAC Problems: User Account Control (UAC) can prevent files from being copied to `System32` or `SysWOW64` without explicit admin approval. Make sure you run explorers or command prompts as administrator if you’re messing with those directories.
  • Corrupted Windows Profile: Very rare, but I’ve seen user profiles get so borked that DLL registration just fails. Creating a new Windows user account and trying the game there can rule this out.
  • Old Drivers: While not directly a DLL issue, outdated graphics or chipset drivers can manifest as missing DLLs for certain game components. Keep your drivers updated.

This systematic approach usually resolves even the most stubborn “DLL is missing” errors, getting you back to gaming without resorting to a full system reformat.

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