How to fix “ffmpeg.dll was not found” error

What is “ffmpeg.dll was not found” error

The program can’t start because ffmpeg.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem. or The code execution cannot proceed because ffmpeg.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem. are two kinds of messages that users may encounter while trying to launch and use various third-party apps. Since ffmpeg.dll is related to ensuring proper audio functioning, the issue is likely to target applications like Discord, WhatsApp, Skype, and others linked with sound features. The reason for the error appearance is either because ffmpeg.dll is missing or got corrupted, which does not let the application function correctly. DLLs (Dynamic Link Library) are crucial components that serve a key role in ensuring the proper operation of various software. Luckily, solving DLL issues is not big of a deal. Follow our guide below and try each solution we propose. At some point, the issue should get resolved eventually, and revive the problematic app back to working without errors.

1. Check integrity of system files

You can identify and fix any system corruptions using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) utilities. They are in-built scans that can be used by entering commands into a console. Make sure to use both using the steps below:

Using SFC

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching box next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console is opened, type the sfc /scannow command and click Enter.
4. When the fixing process is done, restart your computer.

Using DISM

1. Open Command Prompt as we did in the previous step.
2. Copy and paste this command DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
3. Click Enter and wait until Windows ends the scanning and fixing.
4. Once done, restart your PC and try to run the problematic application again.

If this does not pay off, move on to other solutions below.

2. Clear cache of the application

Another easy solution is to clear the cache of the problematic app. There is a chance that there is too much cache that accumulated and caused corruption in certain segments of the program, including proper identification of ffmpeg.dll. Note that the steps below may be slightly different depending on what application you clear the cache for. We will use Discord as an example:

1. Make sure the application is fully closed. You can press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and end the task for Discord or another application there. This way you will make sure it does not continue running in the background.
2. Then, press Windows key + R, copy-paste %AppData% and click OK.
3. Navigate to the application folder (for example, “discord”) and go to a folder with the name Cache or a similar name.
4. Select all files, right-click on them, and click Delete.
5. Once done, you can try to launch the program again and see if it worked.

3. Download ffmpeg.dll and register it manually

If none of the methods above helped, you can try to get the missing or corrupted ffmpeg.dll file from the web. To do so, you can go to this page and download the right file for your system architecture (32 or 64-bit). Please note that downloading DLL files from third-party websites is always risky as they can be bundled with malware. The above-mentioned website is considered safe. Once the file is downloaded, go through the steps below:

1. After downloading, you have to move it to the application version folder. Press Windows key + R, copy-paste %LocalAppData%, and click OK to open.
2. Then go to the program folder (e.g., “Discord”) and navigate to the folder where different DLLs are located. In the case of Discord, dll files, and ffmpeg.dll are located in the version folder like app-1.0.9012
3. Move the ffmpeg.dll file into this folder and try to launch the application afterwards.

If these above steps did not work and you are still facing the same error, you can also try to move the ffmpeg.dll file into system folders and register it afterwards. Here is how you can do this.

1. Move the downloaded DLL file into С:\Windows\system32 for 32-bit systems or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 for 64-bit systems.
2. Then open Command Prompt as we did by typing cmd into Windows search field.
3. To register the manually added DLL, copy-paste this command regsvr32 C:\Windows\system32\ffmpeg.dll for 32-bit or this command regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ffmpeg.dll for 64-bit Windows. Press Enter to run the entered command.
4. Once done, you can try to launch the app that showed the error again. We hope this helped.

4. Copy ffmpeg.dll to the latest application version folder

A similar, but a safer method to the above is to copy ffmpeg.dll from a folder that contains an older version of your application. Sometimes, after updating to a newer version, the application leaves an older folder of the application as well. If the ffmpeg.dll file is missing the new folder, but is present in the old one, you can try to move it. Note that this method will work only if you have access to the older version folder and if there is a missing file that can be copied or moved from there.

1. Press Windows key + R as we did before, copy-paste %LocalAppData% and click OK.
2. Then go to the program folder (e.g., “Discord”) and see if you have two folders with older and current program versions (for example, app-1.0.9010 and app-1.0.9012).
3. Go to the older version folder and copy the ffmpeg.dll file to the current new version of the application.
4. After this, try to open the application again and see if the issue continues to appear.

5. Reinstall the problematic application

The final solution is to try and reinstall the problematic application from scratch. Sometimes it is the application itself that got corrupted and is the root of the problem. The missing file may actually be already present, but it is the program that fails to see it and get over the issue. Thus, running its reinstallation can help with fixing the problem. If you do not know how to run deletion of a program, feel free to follow these short steps below:

1. Left-click on the magnifying glass right next to Start menu and search for Control Panel.
2. Open it up and choose Uninstall a program under Programs.
3. Select the program dealing with the error and click Uninstall.
4. Finally, install it again and check if the error appears.

Summary

This is how the “ffmpeg.dll was not found” error can be fixed. DLL problems are easy to fix simply because the root of the problem is known. It is the exact file that needs to be restored to the location where it’s missing. We hope you managed to fix the error and no longer encounter it while launching applications. If any other problems will appear in the future on your computer, feel free to search for relevant articles on our website. Each day we publish lots of new material dedicated to resolving various errors and eliminating threats on both PCs and smartphones.