Why Do DLL Files Get Corrupted? [Causes & Fixes]

Dynamic Link Libraries or DLLs are a vital part of the Windows operating system. They allow Windows programs and other software to share features, without each app having to include the code itself.

When DLL’s go missing or are damaged, it can cause programs to stop working properly or even system-wide failure.

But why would a DLL get corrupted? In this article, we explore why these small but important files can sometimes go wrong and what you can do about it.

• Bad software installations or updates – When a piece of software requires a DLL, it might pull a fresh or updated version from its installer or the internet. If this process goes wrong, it can lead to a corrupted DLL left on your system.
  • The Fix: Reinstall the software or update or use a DLL fixer to do it automatically. You may need to maintain two versions of the same DLL in the case of update conflicts.
• Bad software removal – When a poorly coded program that you uninstall corrupts shared DLLs in the process. In some cases, it may even remove DLL completely.
  • The Fix: Replace the corrupted DLL with a fresh copy.
• Corrupted Windows updates – Sometimes Windows updates are corrupted, damaging DLLs and other system files that came with or were modified by the update package.
  • The Fix: Retry the update or use a Windows repair tool to repair the system files.
• Human error – If you are a developer, you may open and modify DLLs as part of the development process. However, even the smallest mistake can effectively leave a DLL file corrupted. Furthermore, you might access folders where DLLs are stored to replace missing files. Even the act of opening a DLL with Notepad can accidentally change its properties.
  • The Fix: Always make backups before editing DLLs and never open DLLs you are simply trying to replace. All you have to do is put the file in the correct folder. Certainly don’t delete a DLL file from your system, as it may be required by some programs.
• Corrupted backups – Restoring a hard drive or Windows backup which contains DLLs can cause them to become corrupted if the restoration fails or the backup itself was incomplete.
  • The Fix: Retry restoring the backup or use a Windows repair tool to replace the missing files.
• Power outages or system crashes – If your computer is unexpectedly shut down during a DLL file update or installation, it can damage the file or the hard drive sector it is stored on.
  • The Fix: Replace the DLL with a fresh copy, use a DLL fixer, and run a Windows repair tool.
• Malware infections – DLL files can be infected or overwritten by malware and viruses, causing them to perform malicious activities or simply stop working as intended.
  • The Fix: Scan for malware and once removed, obtain a clean copy of the corrupted DLL.
• Hard drive errors – Disk errors, bad sectors, or other hard drive malfunctions can damage any DLL file stored on it.
  • The Fix: Run the CHKDSK (Check Disk) command or consider replacing your hard drive. Replace any corrupted DLLs with fresh copies.
• Memory errors – Physical RAM or other memory-related errors can damage DLLs if the necessary data is not able to be saved.
  • The Fix: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic and consider replacing your RAM if it’s failing. Replace the corrupted files with clean versions.
• Registry errors – A corrupted Windows Registry or invalid entries might not necessarily corrupt DLL files themselves but can prevent software from finding and loading them correctly.
  • The Fix: Use a Registry repair tool and DLL fixer to repair the system.

Use Fortect to easily fix corrupted DLLs

Regardless of how a DLL file became corrupted, Fortect can quickly replace it with a clean version from its repository of shared DLLs and other Windows system files.

Just follow these steps:

1. Download and Install Fortect on your PC.
2. Launch the software and run a scan, which takes just a few minutes.
3. Click Start Repair to repair all Windows problems or click through to view DLL errors.
4. Wait for the process to complete and restart your PC if prompted.

Fortect has the advantage over replacing corrupted DLL files yourself because you don’t have to risk finding them on the web and putting them in the correct folder.

Furthermore, the tool will repair the registry and all other Windows corruption, so many of the causes of corrupted DLLs will be repaired at the same time.

DLL files can become corrupted for many reasons, which can cause programs to crash and even Windows to fail. Fortunately, all it should take is replacing the file with a working copy to get things running again. A good DLL fixer like Fortect does all the hard work for you by scanning and then replacing corrupted DLLs automatically.