Lately, the “Winmm.dll is Missing or not found” error is going around Windows 10 and is reported by a lot of users. The error prompt displays the said message, “This application has failed to start because winmm.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem”. The winmm.dll is associated with Windows Multimedia API primarily for joysticks and audio smooth functions.
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Steps to Fix Winmm.dll Missing Error
The Winmm.dll error is commonly caused by malware issues, accidental deletion of files, recent changes in the system, corrupt or missing system file or several other instances. However, the said error issue is a common one and can be resolved quickly in no time. For getting rid of the “Winmm.dll is Missing on Windows 10” follow any of the fix mentioned in this article below:
FIX 1: Restore the deleted winmm.dll file from Recycle Bin:
The “Winmm.dll file is missing or not found” error on Windows 10 can commonly occur if the user has mistakenly deleted the Winmm.dll file from their computer. If the deletion has happened in the near past days, the file would still be lying in the Recycle Bin. To recover/ restore the file from Recycle Bin, follow the steps given below:
- Firstly, open Recycle Bin.
- Now locate the Winmm.dll file, right-click on it and select the option Restore. It will relocate the file to its original directory.
- Once done, re-run the relevant Program and check whether the said issue got resolved or not.
FIX 2: Re-install the affected Program:
If the “Winmm.dll file is missing or not found” error on Windows 10 only appears while you run or open a specific program/ software, then the problem might lie in that Program itself. Here the best solution is to re-install that affected Program. For doing so, follow the steps given below:
- Firstly, launch the RUN dialogue box by pressing WINDOWS + R altogether.
- Now on the empty text box, type “appwiz.cpl” and then click on OK. It will open the Program & Features window for you.
- Now here from the list of application, locate the Program that is showing the said error, right-click over it and select the option Uninstall from the sub-menu.
- Further on the confirmation prompt, click on Yes.
- Now restart your computer.
- Further, download the latest version of the same application and install it into your computer.
- Once done, re-run the relevant Program and check whether the said issue got resolved or not.
FIX 3: Run the System File Scan:
At times, corrupt and missing system files can also result in the “Winmm.dll file is missing or not found” error on Windows 10. System files are necessary elements for smooth processing of any PC. Thus, we recommend you perform a System File Scan via the Command Prompt window to resolve this scenario. For doing so, follow the steps given below:
- Firstly, on the desktop search bar, type “cmd” and choose the Command Prompt from the search results. Make sure you open it with Administrator
- Now on the Command Prompt window, type SFC /scannow and then press Enter.
- Once done, restart your computer and further, re-run the relevant Program to check whether the said issue got resolved or not.
If this does not help, or you are not able to run the SFC scan, then run DISM by the steps given below:
- Firstly, on the desktop search bar, type “cmd” and choose the Command Prompt from the search results. Make sure you open it with Administrator access.
- Now on the Command Prompt window, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and then press Enter.
- Once done, restart your computer. The issue might have got resolved by now.
FIX 4: Restore your system to an earlier date:
At times some recent changes in your system can trigger the “Winmm.dll file is missing or not found” error on Windows 10. Thus in similar cases, a system restore to past date will undo the recent changes and resolve the error in no time. For restoring your system to an earlier date, follow the steps given below:
- Firstly, press Windows key+ R simultaneously to open RUN dialog box.
- Then type “rstrui” and click OK button.
- In the newly opened System Restore window, click Next to proceed.
- Here tick the checkbox besides Show more restore points to see the entire list of dates.
- Now choose a Restore point (past date) to which you think your system working fine without the said error.
- Finally, press the Next and then click on Finish.
- Once the restoration process is done, restart your computer, launch the relevant Program that was causing the issue and check whether it got resolved or not.
FIX 5: Disable antivirus temporarily:
Most of the computer users have Antivirus software installed and running in their system. The antivirus software detects the malicious files and keeps them from running or harming the system. However, at the time, the antivirus program detects the Winmm.dll file as malicious and thus stops it from running. If it happens, the user might receive error prompts like “Winmm.dll file is missing or not found” error on Windows 10.
To get rid of this situation, it is advisable to disable the antivirus software temporarily and check whether it helps or not. If yes, then the user would further have to Whitelist the .dll directory from that antivirus software.
These were the tried and tested fixes for the “Winmm.dll is missing on Windows 10” error issue. If none of the above fixes works for you, we recommend you copy the same file from a trusted source/ another system and paste it on the affected system.
Moreover, the said error can also be a result of outdated or corrupt drivers. If the error is only appearing while playing a 3D video game, we recommend you update your Video card drivers. We hope all the information as mentioned above, will help you resolve the issue. If you have any queries or feedback, please write down the comment in the below comment box.