What to do if “Entry point not found” in Windows 7, 8, 10?

The “Entry point not found” message usually indicates a specific file on the system that may be missing or damaged. As a result, the requested process cannot be executed. In particular, this happens when one of the dll files is affected.

An error can occur when trying to launch or install various programs, such as iTunes, Photoshop, Trillian, as well as games such as Grand Theft Auto V. If the missing or damaged component is part of the operating system, it can be replaced automatically. In all other cases, you will have to follow the steps described below.

Solution 1: Install the latest Visual C ++ Redistributable Package

The Visual C ++ Redistributable Package may include missing / corrupted items causing an error. Thus, downloading and installing the latest version of the problem will be solved automatically.

1. Visit Microsoft’s official website, and in particular, the page with Visual C ++ components
2. You need to download both 32-bit and 64-bit versions – x86: files vc_redist.x86.exe and x64: vc_redist.x64.exe
3. Run each of the installers and follow the instructions on the screen.
4. Restart your computer and see if the error goes away.

Solution 2: Run System File Checker

System File Checker is a great tool that can solve many problems with damaged elements in the system.

1. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. In the system window, copy and paste the following command: sfc / scannow
3. Press Enter and wait for the operation to complete.
4. At the end of the process, the system will report the corrected errors or indicate the files that could not be restored.
5. If successful, restart your computer.
6. If the problem persists, go to the next method.

Solution 3: Repair or reinstall the appropriate program

One option is to reinstall the application or repair it using Windows tools. However, this only works with programs that are part of the OS.

1. Press the Win + X combination and select Programs and Features.
2. Find the problematic program in the list.
3. Right-click on it and select Restore.

However, most of the apps that are throwing the error are most likely third-party. In this case, you should reinstall this particular program. Find it in the list and uninstall it, and then install it again.

Solution 4: Re-register the DLL file

How to do it:

1. Open a command prompt as administrator as described earlier.
2. Enter the following commands, pressing Enter after each (the values ​​of XXX.dll must be replaced with the name of the dll that is written about in the error message): regsvr32 / ua XXX.dll
   regsvr32 a XXX.dll
3. After that, restart your computer so that the files are registered in the system.

Solution 5. Perform a system restore

System Restore rolls the computer back some time without affecting personal files. If the problem began to appear relatively recently, for example, after installing the latest Windows update or as a result of any other actions with the system, this procedure may fix the problem.

1. Press Win + R, enter the following command and click OK: rstrui.exe
2. In the start recovery window, click Next.
3. In the next window, you need to select the date to which you want to roll back the system.
4. Check the box: “Show other restore points” to choose the best option.
5. Mark a specific date and click Next.
6. Wait for the end of the process, as a result of which the computer will be restarted, and the system will roll back to the selected restore point.

Solution 6. Use the Media Creation Tool recovery tool

If during Windows installation you get an error like: “Setup.exe – Entry point to DecodePointer procedure was not found due to missing component KERNEL32.dll”, you should use Media Creation tool to extract the missing files.

1. Visit official site Microsoft to download the installation media.
2. Run the installer, agree to the terms and click Next.
3. Select: Create installation media (USB stick, DVD or ISO file) for another PC and click Next.
4. Connect a USB stick or disk to the problem computer.
5. Choose to install from a USB stick or disk.
6. As soon as you can define the style of the partition, specify UEFI.
7. Follow the further instructions to complete the installation process.
8. When asked, “What should I do with my personal files?”, Select Save.