How to Fix Mingwm10.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

Mingwm10.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the mingwm10 DLL file.

In some cases, mingwm10.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure.

This DLL file is part of the MinGW (Minimalist GNU for Windows) development environment.

Mingwm10.dll Errors

There are several ways mingwm10.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are some of the more common error messages you might see:

• Mingwm10.dll Not Found
• This application failed to start because mingwm10.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem
• Cannot find [PATH]\mingwm10.dll
• The file mingwm10.dll is missing
• Cannot start [APPLICATION]. A required component is missing: mingwm10.dll. Please install [APPLICATION] again

These error messages might appear while using or installing certain programs, or when Windows starts or shuts down. The context of the error is an important piece of information that will be helpful while solving the problem.

How to Fix Mingwm10.dll Errors

Follow these steps in the order they're given below to try the simpler solutions first.

1. Restore mingwm10.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" mingwm10.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 error.

2. Edit the Windows PATH variable and add the MinGW bin folder, likely this path (but check your installation to verify):

   C:\MinGW\bin
   

   If you know that MinGW isn't installed, see Step 4 below.

3. Reinstall the program that uses the mingwm10.dll file. If the error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling the program should replace the file.

   Try your best to complete this step. Reinstalling the program that provides this file, if possible, is a likely solution to this error.

4. Download and install MinGW if the previous step didn't fix the DLL error.

   When you open this program after the installation, you'll use MinGW Installation Manager to install mingw32-base-bin. Mark the box next to that entry in the list, and then go to Installation > Apply Changes to install it and, by extension, download mingwm10.dll.

5. Search your computer for the mingwm10.dll file. If you find it (it'll probably be in the same path shown above, in Step 2), copy it to the folder that contains the program that's prompting the missing DLL error.

   8 Best Free File Search Tools

6. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some mingwm10.dll errors could be related to a virus or other malware infection on your computer that has damaged the DLL file. It's even possible that the mingwm10.dll error you're seeing is related to a hostile program that's masquerading as the file.

7. Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the mingwm10.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration, System Restore could solve the problem.

8. Update the drivers for hardware devices that might be related to mingwm10.dll. If, for example, you're receiving a "The file mingwm10.dll is missing" error when you play a 3D video game, try updating the drivers for your video card.

   The mingwm10.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.

9. Roll back a driver to a previously installed version if mingwm10.dll errors began after updating a particular hardware device's driver.

10. 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 mingwm10.dll file could be included in one of those updates, or a Windows update could be necessary for this DLL file to work properly.

11. Test your memory and then test your hard drive. I've left the majority of hardware troubleshooting to the last step, but your computer's memory and hard drive are easy to test and are the most likely components that might cause mingwm10.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. Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual mingwm10.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.

13. Use a free registry cleaner to repair mingwm10.dll related issues in the registry. A free registry cleaner program may be able to help by removing invalid mingwm10.dll registry entries that might be causing the DLL error.
    

    We rarely recommend the use of registry cleaners. They're included here as a "last resort" attempt before the destructive step coming up next.

14. Perform a clean installation of Windows. This will erase everything from the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows. If none of the steps above correct the mingwm10.dll error, this should be your next course of action.

    All the information on your hard drive will be erased during this step. Make sure you've made the best attempt possible to fix the mingwm10.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.

15. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any mingwm10.dll errors persist. After a clean installation of Windows, your DLL problem can only be hardware related.

Need More Help?

If you're not interested in fixing this problem yourself, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a lot more.