DLL Is Either Not Designed to Run on Windows or It Contains an Error

A DLL file in Windows carries all the code that one program can use to function correctly. Like any other software, the functions in the DLL file needs to be compatible with Windows if they are using any inbuilt service. If you receive an error saying “DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error,” then it could be a compatibility issue.

Fix: DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows

First of all, you can choose to re-download and install the related corrupted or missing DLL file. But notice that you should do that via official sources in case you unwittingly bring potential dangers into your system.

1. Perform SFC and DISM Scans

SFC and DISM are two excellent built-in tools for repairing system file corruption. You can run these tools to see if the DLL issues can be fixed by that.

1. Type Command Prompt in Search and choose Run as administrator.

2. Copy and paste this command and press Enter.

sfc /scannow

3. Then you need to wait for a while until the scan finishes and perform the next command for further check and repair.

DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

After that, you can restart your computer to check if the error has been fixed.

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2. Run a Malware or Virus Scan

The possibility is that your computer has been infiltrated by viruses or malware and therefore, the DLL file gets missing or corrupted. You can scan your computer for sure via Windows Antivirus or third-party antivirus programs.

1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security.

2. Click Virus & threat protection from the right panel and in the next window, click Scan options > Full scan > Scan now.

3. Update the Software Causing the Problem

Old software often causes DLL errors due to system incompatibilities. Therefore, just as you update your computer, you should also update your software.

If you're facing the DLL error after running a software, here's how to check for its software updates and apply them:

1. Start the software causing the DLL error.

2. Open its settings and search for an option like Update or Check for updates. The update option might also be in the About section of the software.

3. If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to update it.

4. If the app fails to launch because of the DLL error, try uninstalling it and then downloading the latest version from the app's website. Alternatively, if you own the most recent version, go down a version.

Updating your software often solves compatibility issues because updates usually include the latest DLL files. So, try it before moving on to advanced methods.

4. Repair the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

Visual C++ Redistributable Packages consist of essential files for some third-party software to function correctly. If these packages are missing or corrupted, it can lead to errors such as the "DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows" error.

To resolve this issue, you need to repair the Visual C++ Redistributable packages as follows:

1. Click on the search icon on the taskbar and type Installed apps.Then, click Open next to the search result to open it.

2. Search for the latest Microsoft Visual C++ package version and click the three-dot menu next to it.

3. Choose Modify from the context menu and then click Repair.

4. Once it says Setup Successful, click Close.

5. Repeat the same step, i.e., click the three-dot menu, Modify, and Repair with each of the Microsoft Visual C++ packages.

Don't worry; the above steps take little time; repairing takes a few seconds, so there should be no difficulty while repairing each package in your system.

5. Install the Missing DLL Manually

If all else fails, you can install the missing DLL manually. However, this must absolutely be done as a last resort.

Installing a DLL file manually requires using a DLL downloader website to get the file, then moving the files to the correct location. Note that the files obtained from untrustworthy sources may be loaded with malware, or you could accidentally download an incompatible version. So, please create a restore point first as a safety measure.

Before proceeding with the steps, copy the DLL file name you want to download. For reference, you can check the error message or popup you received, as it should specify the name of the missing file.

Now that you have a restore point, here's how to download and install the missing DLL files manually.

1.Visit DLL-Files.com and type the DLL file name in the search field. For example, Msvcr120.dll.

2. Click the Search DLL file button to start the search.

3. Click the best matching search result and download the appropriate file (32-bit or 64-bit).

4. Move the downloaded file to the directory of the software that needs it. For example, if you face a DLL error while opening Chrome, paste the downloaded file into Chrome's home directory. Alternatively, you can place the DLL file in the Windows default system directory (C:\Windows\System32).

5. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type regsvr32 DLLname.dll (replace 'DLLname' with the name of your file). For an example, regsvr32 Msvcr120.dll.