How to Fix Ssleay32.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

Ssleay32.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the OpenSSL Shared Library (ssleay32 DLL file).

In some cases, ssleay32.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure.

Ssleay32.dll Errors

There are several ways ssleay32.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are some of the more common error messages you might see:

• Ssleay32.dll Not Found
• This application failed to start because ssleay32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
• Cannot find [PATH]\ssleay32.dll
• The file ssleay32.dll is missing.
• Cannot start [APPLICATION]. A required component is missing: ssleay32.dll. Please install [APPLICATION] again.

These 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.

Several programs are known to use this DLL file and could therefore encounter an issue with it. Examples include Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, VMware Workstation, Google Earth Pro, and some PDF readers, torrent clients, and Android emulators. Video games like Total War, Dragon Age II, World of Tanks Classic, and Command & Conquer have also produced errors related to ssleay32.dll.

How to Fix Ssleay32.dll Errors

Follow these steps in the order they're given below to try the more likely fixes first.

1. Restore ssleay32.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" ssleay32.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 ssleay32.dll 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. Reinstall the program that uses the ssleay32.dll file. If the ssleay32.dll DLL error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling the program should replace the file.

3. Install OpenSSL to supply the computer with the ssleay32.dll file. The previous step is probably a smarter choice, but if doing that doesn't fix the error or you can't reinstall it for whatever reason, installing OpenSSL is a good plan.

   See where to find the ssleay32.dll file from the installation path if this step doesn't quite fix the problem. Through that link, you can see where the DLL file should be copied in order for it to be used.

4. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some ssleay32.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 ssleay32.dll error you're seeing is related to a hostile program that's masquerading as the file.

5. Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the ssleay32.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration, System Restore could solve the problem.

6. Start the program or game with administrative privileges by right-clicking it and choose Run as administrator. It might be the case that under normal conditions, with regular permissions, the program can't access the ssleay32.dll file.

   You might need to find the source program from the program's installation folder in order to launch the application as an admin. In Windows, this is usually C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\, and you're probably looking for an EXE application file.

7. Update the drivers for hardware devices that might be related to ssleay32.dll. If, for example, you're receiving a "The file ssleay32.dll is missing" error when you play a 3D video game, try updating the drivers for your video card.

   The ssleay32.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 ssleay32.dll errors began after updating a particular hardware device's driver.

9. 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 ssleay32.dll file could be included in one of those updates.

10. 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 ssleay32.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.

11. Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual ssleay32.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.

12. Use a free registry cleaner to repair ssleay32.dll related issues in the registry. A registry cleaner program may be able to help by removing invalid ssleay32.dll registry entries that might be causing the DLL error.

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

13. 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 ssleay32.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 ssleay32.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.

14. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any ssleay32.dll errors persist. After a clean install 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.