How to Fix Wininet.dll Not Found or Missing Errors

Wininet.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the wininet DLL file. In some cases, these errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure.

Wininet.dll Errors

There are several ways wininet.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are some common messages:

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

These 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 Wininet.dll Errors

1. Restore wininet.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a "missing" 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 wininet.dll with a free file recovery program.

   Completing this step is a smart idea only if you're confident you've deleted the file yourself and that it was working properly before you did that.

2. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some wininet.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 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 the 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 wininet.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, as it's a likely solution to this DLL error.

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

   The wininet.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 the error began after updating a particular hardware device's driver.

7. Run the sfc /scannow System File Checker command to replace a missing or corrupt copy of the wininet.dll file. If this DLL file is provided by Microsoft, the System File Checker tool should restore it.

8. 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 wininet.dll file could be included in one of those updates.

9. 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 wininet.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.

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

11. Use a free registry cleaner to repair wininet.dll related issues in the registry. A free registry cleaner program may be able to help by removing invalid wininet.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.

12. 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 wininet.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 wininet.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.

13. Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any wininet.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.