How to Fix ‘Entry Point Not Found’ Errors in Windows
Hey there! So, you know how the Windows operating system and the software on it have improved a lot over time? Well, sometimes things don’t go as smoothly as we’d like. Just the other day, I was working on a client’s computer and it kept showing me this annoying ‘entry point not found’ error. Apparently, it’s a pretty common issue. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! I’m going to show you how to fix those ‘entry point not found’ errors in Windows.
But before we get into it, let me give you a quick rundown.
About Software Entry Points
Alright, so an entry point is basically a point in a software program where control is passed from the operating system to that program. Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Imagine you’re using Windows 10 and you open up your web browser. The entry point is when the browser is fully loaded and taking up the whole screen, so the system is focusing all its resources on the browser instead of Windows.
Now, if you encounter an ‘entry point not found’ error, it means that the file responsible for passing control to the program is either damaged, unreadable, or missing. If you’re lucky, the error message will tell you which exact file is missing. All you need to do then is replace that file or reinstall the program that’s causing the issue.
For instance, you might see an error message like ‘The procedure entry point FILENAME could not be located in the dynamic link library msvcrt.dll’ when you try to open a program on Windows. Or it could say ‘The procedure entry point xmlTextReaderConstName could not be located in the dynamic link library libxml2.dll’.
In both examples, the application you’re trying to open can’t find a DLL file. In the first example, it’s ‘msvcrt.dll’, and in the second, it’s ‘libxml2.dll’. A DLL file stands for Dynamic Link Library file, which is a shared resource that any program installed on a Windows computer can use. Instead of installing a separate copy in each program folder, Windows keeps a shared library of common files to save space and make the operating system more efficient.
If anything happens to one of those shared files, any program that needs it to work will throw an error. But hey, the good news is that fixing it is actually quite straightforward!
Fixing ‘Entry Point Not Found’ Errors in Windows
There are a couple of ways to tackle those pesky ‘entry point not found’ errors in Windows. You can take the manual route and locate/install the missing DLL file yourself. Or, you can try installing the program that includes the file, or the program that’s calling the file. Lastly, you can also run a System File Check and let Windows do the fixing for you.
Now, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. You just have to go with the fix that you’re most comfortable with. If you’re not sure which program installs a certain file, it might be best to reinstall that program or run a System File Check. In my case, I know that msvcrt.dll is part of the Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package for (X86), simply because I have over twenty years’ experience working with Windows computers. But hey, if you don’t have that same level of expertise, using SFC may be your best bet.
But wait! Before you start Googling ‘missing DLL file’ and downloading files from random websites, let me give you a word of caution. Stay away from those sites! Not all of them can be trusted, and some are known to deliver malware. If you care about your system’s security, your safest options are either reinstalling the program or running SFC instead.
Running a System File Check
Lucky for you, Windows has a built-in utility called System File Check (SFC) that can scan your OS installation for missing or corrupt files. It compares what it finds to a database of what files should be there. If there’s a mismatch, SFC will automatically grab a fresh copy of the file and replace it for you.
- To start, open a CMD window as an administrator. (Right-click the Windows start button and select Command Prompt (Admin)).
- Type ‘SFC /scannow’ and hit Enter.
- Now, be patient and let the process complete.
If the scan finds any file mismatches or errors, it’ll take care of fixing them for you. But if it doesn’t find anything wrong, it’ll let you know. In that case, you’ll need to try one of the other methods I mentioned earlier.
Manual Installation of the DLL File
If you’re missing or have a damaged file, you can often find a copy of it in another program and copy it over. This can be a quick and temporary solution if you need the program to work right away. Just use Windows Explorer and search for the file in question.
Installing the Program that Contains the File
As I mentioned earlier, msvcrt.dll is part of the Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package for (X86). So, to replace the file, I can download the Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package directly from Microsoft. If you can identify the DLL file causing the error, you can do the same, as long as the source of the file is reliable, like Microsoft or another trusted vendor.
Reinstalling the Program
If a specific program keeps showing the ‘entry point not found’ error, it might be best to just reinstall it. As long as you have the installer file or DVD, you can simply reinstall or select the Repair option from the installer menu to scan and replace the damaged or missing file. By reinstalling the program, you shouldn’t lose any functionality or data.
