How to fix
Entry Point Not Found
on windows

“Entry Point Not Found” keeps appearing in Windows 10 or Windows 11 when an app starts, and the program fails before it can open normally.

That message usually appears when Windows tries to load a DLL and the program cannot find the function it expects inside that library. The source material describes the error as a sign of a deleted, missing, damaged, or misplaced DLL file in an application's directory, and the full message can appear as “The procedure entry point couldn't be spotted in the dynamic link library.” When that happens, the application may stop launching entirely, or it may fail as soon as it reaches the part of startup that depends on that file. Programs such as gaming software, Google Chrome, and photo or video editors are specifically called out as examples where the error can show up.

The symptom usually feels like a launch failure rather than a normal crash. A user may double-click an app, see the entry point error immediately, and then watch the program close or refuse to open. The source text also notes that the error can involve a misplaced file location, an erroneous DLL file name, and an application directory path. Those details matter because the error is not only about the file itself, but also about where Windows expects to find it and how the app is referencing it when the program starts.

In practical terms, the error points to a broken dependency chain. The application is asking Windows to load a DLL, then call a specific entry point inside that DLL, and one part of that request is failing. If the file is missing, the request cannot be completed. If the file exists but is damaged, Windows may be able to see the file but still fail when the program looks for the required function. If the wrong file is present in the application folder, the software may load the wrong library version and still miss the expected entry point.

That is why the error often appears after changes to the system or the application. A security tool may remove a DLL during protection, an update may replace a library with an incompatible version, or a manual cleanup may delete a file the program still needs. In each of those cases, the app itself can remain installed, yet the startup chain is still broken because one of its required files is gone or no longer matches what the executable expects.

Windows depends on DLL files to share code across programs, and many desktop apps rely on the same supporting components to avoid carrying every library inside the installation folder. Visual C++ runtime packages, system DLLs, and application-specific libraries all participate in that arrangement. When one of those pieces is missing or damaged, the error message reflects the point where the software and the library can no longer connect correctly.

The Windows component involved here is not a single feature but the broader loading process that links an executable to its required libraries at startup. That process matters because the program cannot fully initialize unless the loader resolves every dependency it needs. If the loader cannot locate the correct function in the correct DLL, the application has no stable way to continue and the user sees the entry point message instead of the program window.

Security software is one possible cause because it can quarantine a DLL before the application has finished using it. The source text specifically points to Windows Defender in the first fix and to its Protection history in the second fix, which shows that security actions can affect the exact files an app needs. If a DLL is isolated as quarantined content, the program may still be installed correctly but still fail because the library it needs has been removed from active use.

Another common cause is accidental deletion. A user may remove a file during cleanup, empty the Recycle Bin, or move a DLL out of the folder where the application expects to find it. That creates the same startup failure because the executable still points to the same path, but the file system no longer contains the library at that location. In the source material, deleted DLL files are treated as a direct reason to search the Recycle Bin or recover the file with data recovery software.

Corruption inside Windows system files can produce the same symptom even when the user did not touch the app folder. If a system DLL or a supporting component is damaged, the program may load far enough to begin startup and then stop as soon as it calls a broken dependency. The source text recommends DISM and SFC because those tools check Windows image health and repair protected system files, which helps when the entry point failure comes from the operating system layer rather than from one app alone.

Version mismatch is another technical reason the error appears. The source text links the issue to missing Visual C++ Redistributable packages, which supply runtime components used by many applications. If the required package is absent or outdated, the program may try to call a function that does not exist in the installed library version. In that case, the DLL is present, but the entry point the app expects is not available in the version that Windows has loaded.

Path and naming problems can also create the message. The source material mentions an erroneous DLL file name and an app directory path, and those details indicate a loader mismatch rather than a simple missing file. If a program references the wrong library name or points to the wrong folder, Windows can load an unrelated file or fail to load anything at all. Either outcome leaves the application unable to find the entry point it was written to call.

Those details matter because DLL loading is one of the first things that happens when an application opens. The executable asks Windows to resolve its required imports before the interface appears, so an entry point failure often shows up before the user can interact with the program at all. The source text ties this behavior to apps such as gaming software, Chrome, and photo-video editing tools, which depend on several external libraries to launch and function.

That also explains why the error often feels broader than a single application glitch. The file that fails may belong to the app itself, to Windows, or to a redistributable package shared by several programs. A broken dependency can therefore affect one title, several installed apps, or a whole set of programs that use the same runtime. The repair path depends on which layer is broken, so the solution has to match the likely cause instead of treating the error as one universal fault.

Windows uses its security stack, system file tools, and runtime packages to keep that loading process stable. When one of those pieces is altered, the application may still appear installed and intact while its startup chain is no longer complete. Here are 4 solutions to fix Entry Point Not Found.

Fix 1. Disable Windows Defender protection

Turning off the active security block can help when Windows Defender has quarantined the DLL the program needs at launch.

• Open Settings.
• Go to Update & security.
• Open Windows Security.
• Select Firewall & network protection.
• Choose Private network or Public network.
• Disable the firewall from the prompt that appears.
• Confirm the action with Yes if Windows asks.
• Close the security window and start the application again.

Fix 2. Restore missing DLL files

Restoring the missing library directly addresses the most common cause, which is a quarantined or deleted DLL in the app path.

• Open Windows Security.
• Go to Virus & threat protection.
• Select Protection history.
• Click Filter.
• Choose Quarantined items.
• Restore any DLL files that belong to the affected app.
• Open the Recycle Bin and look for deleted DLL files.
• Restore the file if it is still available there.

Fix 3. Recover deleted DLL files with data recovery software

If the DLL is no longer in the Recycle Bin, file recovery can bring back the deleted library from the drive where it was lost.

• Download and install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.
• Launch the recovery software on your PC.
• Select the drive or partition that held the deleted DLL file.
• Start the scan for lost data.
• Preview the recovered results after scanning completes.
• Select the DLL files you want to restore.
• Choose a different location to save the recovered file.
• Confirm the recovery and open the restored folder afterward.

Fix 4. Repair Windows files with DISM and SFC

Running the system repair tools helps when the entry point failure comes from corrupted Windows components rather than from one app folder alone.

• Open the Start menu.
• Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
• Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
• Press Enter.
• Wait for DISM to finish.
• Type sfc /scannow.
• Press Enter again.
• Restart the PC after the scan completes.

Fix 5. Install the required Visual C++ Redistributable

Installing the missing runtime package resolves cases where the DLL exists but the expected entry point is absent from the installed library version.

• Open the Microsoft Visual C++ download page.
• Choose the x64 package for 64-bit Windows.
• Download the newest Visual Studio 2015/2017/2019/2022 redistributable pack.
• Open VC_redist.x64.exe after the download finishes.
• Accept the license terms.
• Click Install.
• Confirm Yes in the UAC prompt.
• Restart the computer after setup ends.

Fix 6. Reinstall the affected application

Reinstalling the program can replace a damaged application folder and restore the DLL that the executable expects at launch.

• Open Control Panel.
• Go to Programs & features.
• Select the affected application.
• Click Uninstall.
• Follow the on-screen removal steps.
• Download the application again from its official source.
• Install it on the computer.
• Restart the app and check whether the error is gone.

Šaltinis: easeus.com