How to Fix Shell.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

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

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

Shell.dll Errors

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

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

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

How to Fix Shell.dll Errors

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

1. Restore shell.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" shell.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 data recovery program.

   Start Windows in Safe Mode to complete this step, or any of the following steps, if you're unable to access Windows normally due to the error.

2. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some shell.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 shell.dll error you're seeing is related to a hostile program that's masquerading as the file.

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

4. Reinstall the program that uses the shell.dll file. If the shell.dll DLL 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 the shell.dll file, if possible, is a likely solution to this DLL error.

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

   The shell.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.

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

7. 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 shell.dll file could be included in one of those updates.

   It's important to update Windows even if shell.dll isn't an update provided by Windows Update. There might be one or more updates not yet installed that are needed for shell.dll to function properly.

8. 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 easy to test and are the most likely components that might cause shell.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.

9. Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual shell.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.

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

11. 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 shell.dll error, this should be your next course of action.

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

12. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any shell.dll errors persist. After a clean Windows installation, 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.