How to fix ‘DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows’ issue

Many people wants to know how to fix ‘DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows‘ issue. In Windows, a DLL file has all of the code that a program needs to work right. Like any other software, the functions in the DLL file need to be compatible with Windows if they use an inbuilt service. If you get an error that says “DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error,” it could be a compatibility problem. We remember that one of our users told us that one of our programs didn’t work on a laptop with the latest version of Windows after it was installed.

The error message led to a file called a DLL. It was probably made for a different version of Windows. Or the problem is with the DLL file. Here is the whole thing: This error message is often caused by DLL files like msvcr100.dll, msvcr110.dll, msvcp140.dll, lmirfsclientnp.dll, etc. The D3D11.dll file comes with DirectX11 and is usually used by games and programs that need to do a lot of work with graphics. When starting these games or programs, some users have seen the message “C:WindowsSysWOW64D3D11.dll is either not made to run on Windows or it has an error.” We mentioned below are the ways to how to fix ‘DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows’ issue.

What is the “DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows” error?

Dynamic Link Libraries, or DLLs, are files that contain code for different programs. These codes are used by all third-party apps on your Windows computer to do different things. So, if the DLL files on your computer get damaged or deleted, the apps that use them will crash and not work. The “DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows” error usually happens when you try to run a program on a Windows operating system that depends on a dynamic link library (DLL) file that doesn’t work with your version of Windows or is damaged. Multiple programs can use the code and data in DLL files at the same time, which saves memory and other resources. If you want to know more information about this issue so you can visit Microsoft Official Website.

What causes the “DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows” error?

1. Incompatibility: The DLL might have been designed for a different version of Windows (e.g., a DLL meant for Windows 7 being used on Windows 10).
2. Architecture Mismatch: Trying to use a 32-bit DLL on a 64-bit Windows or vice versa can lead to this error.
3. Corrupted DLL: If the DLL file itself is corrupted, either due to improper installation or file corruption during download, this error can occur.
4. Malware or Virus: In some cases, malware or viruses can modify or replace DLL files, leading to compatibility issues.
5. Software Conflict: Other software or applications might be conflicting with the DLL, causing this error.
6. Incomplete Installation: If the DLL is part of a larger software package and that package wasn’t installed properly, it could result in this error.
7. Registry Issues: Problems in the Windows registry could also lead to DLL errors.

How to fix ‘DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows’ issue

Repair the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages

1. Click the search icon in the taskbar and type Installed apps.
2. Then, next to the search result, click Open to open it.
3. Find the latest version of the Microsoft Visual C++ package and click on the three dots next to it.
4. Choose Modify from the menu and then click Repair.
5. Click Close when it says Setup Successful.
6. Repeat the same step with each of the Microsoft Visual C++ packages, that is, click the three-dot menu, then click Modify and Repair.

Re-register msvcp110.dll

1. Open the Run box by pressing Windows + R on the keyboard.
2. Type regsvr32 /u msvcp110.dll and press the OK button.
3. Close the window that says “Run“.
4. To open the Run box again, press Windows + R.
5. Type regsvr32 /i msvcp110.dll and hit OK.
6. Close the Run window and see if the problem still exists.

Update the Software Causing the Problem

1. Start the program with DLL error.
2. Open settings and find “Check for updates” or “Update.”
3. Update might be in “About” section.
4. If update available, follow on-screen instructions.
5. If DLL error, uninstall app, get latest version from website.
6. If latest version exists, consider previous version.

Install the Missing DLL Manually

To manually install a DLL file, you need to get the file from a DLL downloader website and then move it to the right place. Keep in mind that files from sources you can’t trust could have malware on them or you could accidentally download an incompatible version. So, as a safety measure, please set up a restore point first. Copy the name of the DLL file you want to download before you move on to the next step. Check the error message or pop-up you got, as it should tell you the name of the file that is missing. Here’s how to manually download and install the missing DLL files now that you have a restore point.

1. Go to DLL-Files.com and type the name of the DLL file into the search box. Msvcr120.dll is a good example.
2. To start the search, click the Search DLL file button.
3. Click on the best result and then download the right file (32-bit or 64-bit).
4. Move the file you just downloaded to the software’s directory. For instance, if you get a DLL error when you try to open Chrome, copy the file you downloaded and paste it into Chrome’s home directory. You can also put the DLL file in the Windows system directory, which is C:WindowsSystem32.
5. Type regsvr32 DLLname.dll (replace “DLLname” with the name of the file) into the Command Prompt as an administrator. regsvr32 Msvcr120.dll is one example.
6. Press Enter to add the DLL file you just downloaded to your Windows system.

Upgrade Install

1. Get Windows 11/10 installation media.
2. Install tool and run as administrator.
3. Click Accept on terms page.
4. Choose Upgrade this PC now on What do you want to do? page, then click Next.
5. Wait for update completion.

Conclusion

These ways are very helpful to fix ‘DLL Not Designed to Run on Windows’ issue. Some people have been getting a message that says “MSVCP110.dll is either not made to run on Windows or it has an error” when they get a “blue screen of death” or try to open certain programs. Missing DLL errors are pretty common, and many Windows users can say they have seen them at some point. We have written before about MSVCR80.dll, gdi32full.dll, StartUpCheckLibrary.dll, and many others.

Questions and Answers