Errors related to user32.dll can arise for a few different different reasons. For instance, a faulty application, user32.dll has been deleted or misplaced, corrupted by malicious software present on your PC or a damaged Windows registry.
The most commonly occurring error messages are:
- The program can't start because user32.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
- There was a problem starting user32.dll. The specified module could not be found.
- Error loading user32.dll. The specified module could not be found.
- The code execution cannot proceed because user32.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.
- user32.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vender for support.
In the vast majority of cases, the solution is to properly reinstall user32.dll on your PC, to the Windows system folder. Alternatively, some programs, notably PC games, require that the DLL file is placed in the game/application installation folder.
For detailed installation instructions, see our FAQ.
Additional details about user32.dll
The file User32.dll is necessary for the correct operation of Windows. If this file is damaged, deleted, or removed, the system will no longer work correctly. If a program or a service accesses User32.dll incorrectly, the program or the service will not work correctly. Since this is a system critical file, we do not recommend that you download or tamper with this file locally on your computer. It is much more likely that the program or process you are trying to run/access is incompatible in some way with your system. Try to re-install the program, alternatively look for available updates.
If this is a system error, your best option is to try a system restore to a restoration point before the issue appeared.
Reported Errors when tampered with:
Illegal System DLL Relocation. The system DLL user32.dll was relocated in memory. The application will not run properly. The relocation occurred because the DLL C:WindowsSystem32SHELL32.dll occupied an address range reserved for Windows system DLLs. The vendor suppling the DLL should be contacted for a new DLL.