USER32.dll not found: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10

Get the fix for the error USER32.dll not found on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

Contents

About “USER32.dll not found”

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.

Description and Symptoms

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.

Symptom 1: “USER32.dll not found” error screen on startup

The USER32.DLL file, which is usually located at the Windows\system32 folder, implements the Windows USER component that creates and manipulates the standard elements of the Windows user interface, such as the desktop, windows, and menus. It thus enables programs to implement a graphical user interface that matches the Windows look and feel. If this file becomes missing or corrupt, then the system is unable to load properly and the “USER32.dll not found” error screen appears.

Here is an example of “USER32.dll not found” error screen for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7:

STOP: c0000135 (Unable To Locate Component)
This application has failed to start because USER32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix the problem.

On Windows 8 this error generates a more generic “Your PC did not start correctly” error screen:

Automatic Repair

Your PC did not start correctly
Press "Restart" to restart your PC, which can sometimes fix the problem. You can also press "Advanced options" to try other options to repair your PC.

While on Windows 10, it also causes a slightly different error screen to appear:

Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, and then we'll restart for you(45% complete)
If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this error: 0xc0000135

Causes of this Error

This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes:

Cause 1: USER32.dll file is corrupt or missing

Virus attacks, power outages and disk write errors may cause files to become missing or corrupt. If that’s the case, then the operating system can’t find the USER32.dll file, and the boot process is halted with a “USER32.dll was not found ” error.

Fixing “USER32.dll not found” on Windows

Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.

Fix #1: Replace USER32.dll

If user32.dll is in fact missing or corrupt, you can restore the original user32.dll file back from your Windows XP installation disc.

Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.

Insert your XP CD into the computer.
Restart your computer.
Press any key to boot into the CD when you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message.
Press R to start Recovery Console when the Options screen appears.
Type in your Administrator password followed by the Enter key to submit it.
You’ll reach the Command Prompt now, type the following command, where D:\ is your CD’s drive letter and C:\ is the letter of the drive you installed Windows to:
```
expand D:\i386\user32.dl_ C:\Windows\system32\
```
Press Y when you are asked if you want to overwrite this file and then hit Enter to submit the command.
Restart your computer.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the USER32.dll file is properly restored:

Fix #2: Repair corrupted system files with the SFC command

On Windows Vista and Windows 7, it is possible to use the built-in Windows SFC(system file checker) tool to automatically scan a computer’s system files and repair them if necessary.

Here are the steps to run SFC:

Boot from your Windows install disc
Click on Repair your computer after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.
Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually C:\, and click Next
Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears
Write the following command and press Enter afterwards:
```
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=D:\ /offwindir=D:\Windows\
```
Replace D: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed, and D:\Windows with the Windows folder location.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the sfc.exe scan is complete and missing files are successfully restored:

USER32.dll restored by the SFC utility

Fix #3: Check the hard drive with CHKDSK utility

If the hard drive has its file integrity compromised, it is possible to use built-in Windows CHKDSK utility to scan the disk and fix the file system errors.

Here are the steps to run CHKDSK:

Boot from your Windows install disc
Click on Repair your computer after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.
Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually C:\, and click Next
Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears
Write the following command and press Enter afterwards:
```
chkdsk C: /f
```
Replace C: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the chkdsk.exe is complete:

Chkdsk utility results screen

More Information

Linked Entries

chkdsk

Support Links

Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.

It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.

Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.

Applicable Systems

This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:

Windows XP (all editions)
Windows Vista (all editions)
Windows 7 (all editions)
Windows 8 (all editions)
Windows 8.1 (all editions)
Windows 10 (all editions)

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