How to Fix Hid.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

Hid.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the hid DLL file (Hid User Library). In some cases, hid.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure.

Hid.dll Errors

There are several ways hid.dll error messages might be phrased, depending on the cause of the problem.

• Hid.dll Not Found
• The file hid.dll is missing.
• This application failed to start because hid.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
• Cannot find [PATH]\hid.dll
• Cannot start [APPLICATION]. A required component is missing: hid.dll. Please install [APPLICATION] again.
• C:\Windows\system32\HID.DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.

These error messages might appear while using or installing certain programs, when Windows starts or shuts down, or maybe even during a Windows installation.

Noting at what point the error shows up is an important piece of information that will be helpful during troubleshooting. It could apply to any program or system that might utilize the file on any of Microsoft's operating systems, including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000.

How to Fix Hid.dll Errors

Follow these steps in the order they're listed below to address the more likely solutions first.

1. Restore hid.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" hid.dll file is that you've mistakenly deleted it.

   If you suspect this, but you've already emptied the Recycle Bin, you may be able to recover the file with a free file recovery program.

   Start Windows in Safe Mode to complete any of these steps if you're unable to access Windows normally due to the hid.dll error.

2. Scan your entire computer for viruses and other malware. Some hid.dll errors could be related to some kind of malware infection on your computer that has damaged the DLL file.

   It's even possible that the hid.dll error you're seeing is related to a hostile program that's masquerading as the file.

3. Execute the sfc /scannow command to replace a missing or corrupt copy of the hid.dll file.

   Fortunately, the hid.dll file is provided by Microsoft in at least some versions of Windows, so the System File Checker tool (the sfc command) should restore it.

   This is the most likely solution to a missing or not found hid.dll error. Please make every effort you can to complete this step after making sure your computer isn't infected with malware.

4. Install any available Windows updates. Many service packs and other patches replace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your computer. The hid.dll file could be included in one of those updates.

5. Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the hid.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration and System File Checker didn't help, System Restore should solve the problem.

6. Reinstall the program that uses the hid.dll file. If the DLL error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling the program should replace the file.

   This step is most useful for replacing DLL files that are not supplied by Microsoft, but it could help with your hid.dll problem if this program also provides a copy of the file and the previous troubleshooting ideas weren't successful.

7. Update the drivers for hardware devices that might be related to hid.dll. If, for example, you're receiving a "The file hid.dll is missing" error when you play a 3D video game, try updating the drivers for your video card.

   The hid.dll file may or may not be related to video cards—this was just an example. The key here is to pay very close attention to the context of the error and troubleshoot accordingly.

8. Roll back a driver to a previously installed version if the errors began after updating a particular hardware device's driver.

9. Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a Refresh, Startup Repair, or Repair Installation (depending on your version of Windows) should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.

10. Use a free registry cleaner to repair hid.dll related issues in the registry. A free registry cleaner program may be able to help by removing invalid hid.dll registry entries that might be causing the DLL error.

    We rarely recommend the use of registry cleaners. We've included the option here just in case it turns out to be helpful, in which case you could avoid the more difficult testing and last-resort options below.

11. Test your memory and then test your hard drive. We've left the majority of hardware troubleshooting to the last step, but your computer's memory and hard drive are relatively easy to test and are the most likely components to cause hid.dll errors as they fail.

    If the hardware fails any of your tests, replace the memory or replace the hard drive as soon as possible.

12. Perform a clean install of Windows. This will erase everything and install a fresh copy of Windows. If none of the steps above correct the hid.dll error, this should be your next course of action.

    To be clear, all the data on the drive you have Windows installed on will be deleted during a clean install, so be sure to back up important files if you're able to. Make sure you've made every attempt possible to fix the error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one before you take on a clean installation.

13. Troubleshoot for an unknown hardware problem if any hid.dll errors persist. A clean install of Windows is a fresh start on the software-side of the troubleshooting. So, unfortunately, if that didn't work, your DLL problem must be hardware related.