You may be tempted to go download the specific DLL off the internet from 3rd-party sites, but that’s not always a great idea. This article covers the general troubleshooting steps to fix missing DLL files in Windows 10.
The winmm.dll is a module associated with the Windows Multimedia API, which contains low-level audio and joystick functions. It is located in the System32 or the SysWOW64 folder. This error pops up when you attempt to run programs on your computer. The complete error message says: A problem with this error message is that it shows up on many applications. So, re-installing every application is not feasible. With the winmm.dll missing, the associated programs will either not launch or not run optimally. Read this guide to the end to learn how to fix this issue.
Fix winmm.dll not found in Windows 10
If you experience the winmm.dll missing problem, here are the best ways to clear the error permanently:
1] Restore the deleted winmm.dll file
There is a rare chance that you might have mistakenly deleted the winmm.dll file off your computer. If the deletion didn’t happen up to a month ago, it should still be in the Recycle Bin. To restore the file, open the Recycle Bin and search for “winmm.dll.” If it is there, right-click on the deleted file and hit Restore. This brings the file back to its original directory.
2] Run System File Checker
This is the best way to replace missing system DLL files. Click on the Start button and enter cmd. Right-click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator. Enter the following command, and hit ENTER to run the System File Checker: sfc /scannow Restart your PC and see. If t does not help, run DISM to repair a potentially corrupted system image. In a Command Prompt window, type the following command and press ENTER to run it: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth On completion of the scan, restart your computer and see.
3] Reinstall the affected program
If the winmm.dll file problem only appears when you run a specific application, then fixing it is easier than you might’ve thought. The error message suggests that “reinstalling the application may fix the problem.” First, uninstall the application and restart your machine. Finally, download and reinstall the program. If you’re not sure how to do this, follow the steps below.
Press the Windows key + R combination to open the Run dialog box.In Run, enter appwiz.cpl and click the OK button.Find the application from the list in the Control Panel applet and right-click on it.Select Uninstall from the context menu and hit Yes.Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the application.Restart your computer.Download and install the application again.
4] Disable antivirus temporarily
I always recommend that users have their security software running on their machines at all times. Antiviruses disallow malicious files from running on your PC and causing any harm. The problem with security software is that they are merely software and can make mistakes. DLL files, including the winmm.dll, could have been taken as malicious software. When this happens, the file won’t be able to run in your system as it gets quarantined. If your antivirus is the cause of the winmm.dll problem, disable the antivirus temporarily and try again. If it works this time without an error message, then all you have to do is whitelist the DLL directory from your antivirus.
5] Restore your system to an earlier date
A system restore rolls your machine back to its state at an earlier date when you created a restore point. If you have a restore point that precedes the DLL error message, then restoring to that time will resolve the problem. This guide will teach you how to run a system restore and get rid of the problem.
6] Download the dll file from Microsoft
You can download Windows 10 exe, dll, etc, OS files from Microsoft using the Winbindex services. See if your file is available there.
7] Copy the file from another computer
If you have a healthy system on which your Windows Media Player and other programs all run smoothly without errors, you can get the winmm.dll file from the computer. For this technique, start by inserting a removable storage drive (flash drive, hard drive, etc.) into the health PC. Next, navigate to the C:\Windows\System32 (or SysWOW64) directory of the healthy PC. Find the winmm.dll file in this folder and copy it to the storage drive. Ensure never to hit cut. Paste it in the USB drive and connect the USB drive to the PC you want to repair. Now, copy or cut the winmm.dll file from the external drive and paste it in C:\Windows\System32. The final step is to re-register the dll file. If you’ve tried the solutions in this guide and still have no luck getting rid of the issue, you have to back up your data and use the Fresh Start option in Windows 10.
