How to fix
“Dllhost.exe not found” error
on Windows

My PC often throws an error “Dllhost.exe not found.” It shows up under various conditions, for example, when trying to launch apps or remove some useless content. When it shows up, the process is not being executed and the system freezes. I have no idea why this is happening. Could someone please help?

“Dllhost.exe not found” is a Windows OS specific error, which may occur due to the corrupted, damaged or accidentally deleted Dllhost.exe file, corrupted display adapter drivers,[ref en-3] disk errors, etc. Nevertheless, we will try to help you fix “Dllhost.exe not found” on Windows - check the step-by-step guide below.

The original Dllhost.exe file belongs to the Microsoft Windows Operating System and is known as COM Surrogate. It runs a process on Task Manager continually, which is responsible for the smooth performance of the DLL[ref en-1] based applications, controls the operations in Internet Information Services (IIS), and prepares the .NET[ref en-2] runtime for loading. The original Dllhost.exe file is located in the C:\\Windows\\System32 or C:\\Windows\\winsxs directory.

Unfortunately, but the Dllhost.exe file seems to be extremely vulnerable to various system changes and malware infections. Many people reported diverse errors regarding this file, one of which is “Dllhost.exe not found.” You may also get the following error messages related to this file: “Dllhost.exe Application Error,” “Dllhost.exe is not a valid Win32 application,” “Dllhost.exe failed,” “Faulting Application Path: dllhost.exe,” and similar.

If Dllhost.exe file is located in the subfolder of the user profile, C:\\Windows, C:\\Program Files, C:\\Windows\\System32 or subfolder of Windows folder for temporary files, it’s security rating is more than 60% dangerous. It means that malware is hiding in your operating system. 

Security experts have found the following malicious programs named as Dllhost.exe: WORM_INJECT.OB, WORM_VB.GZP, W32.SillyFDC, and W32.Fontra. Therefore, to fix “Dllhost.exe not found” error, you’ll have to launch a scan with a professional anti-malware program.

Fix 1. Update Windows OS

Usually, the problem may occur due to missing Windows updates or corrupted Windows update files. Therefore, we would recommend installing Windows updates or, if you have recently installed them, remove the installed updates and check if that helps. For this purpose, you should:

• Press Win key + I and select Update & security
• Press Check for Updates
• Wait till the Windows Update dialog box appears. If there are any available updates, select the Install Updates button.

  

Fix 2. Uninstall Windows updates

In case the “Dllhost.exe not found” error occurred after the installation of the updates, you can uninstall updates or fix the error using Windows System File Checker. To remove the Updates, follow these steps:

• Press Win key + I and select Update & Security
• Click Update History link and select Uninstall Updates
• Select the update that you have installed right before the “Dllhost.exe not found” error occurred and click Uninstall
• Reboot your PC.

  

Fix 3. Run System File Checker

If Dllhost.exe not found error occurred due to damaged Windows system files, you can run [d1] repair software to fix them. If you prefer manual option, here's how to enter Windows System File Checker:

• Right-click on Windows key and select Command Prompt (Admin)
• Type sfc /scannow and hit Enter

  

• Wait while Windows System File starts and finishes scanning for the system file errors.

Fix 4. Check for Disk errors

Disk errors might cause a variety of errors on Windows operating systems including "Dllhost.exe not found." To fix it, run error check as follows:

• Open File explorer (Win key + E)
• In the left pane, click on This PC
• Select the hard disk drive (start from C and proceed to others), right-click and pick Properties
• Go to Tools tab
• Click on Check

  

• Wait till Windows finishes the scan.

Fix 5. Re-register all DLL files

• In Cortana's search box, type in cmd
• Right-click on the the search results and pick Run as administrator
• When Command Prompt opens, type in the following:

  cd C:\\Windows\\system32

• Hit Enter
• Next, type in the following and press Enter again:

  for %i IN (dir /b *.dll) DO (regsvr32 /i/s %i)