How to Fix Shell.dll Errors
Do not download shell.dll from a “DLL download” website.
There are many reasons whydownloading a DLL file like that is a bad idea.
Restore shell.dll from the Recycle Bin.
The easiest possible cause of a “missing” shell.dll file is that you’ve mistakenly deleted it.
Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system.
Use System Restore to undo recent system changes.
Reinstall the program that uses the shell.dll file.
Try your best to complete this step.
Update the drivers for hardware devicesthat might be related to shell.dll.
The shell.dll file may or may not be related to video cardsthis was just an example.
The key here is to pay very close attention to the context of the error and troubleshoot accordingly.
Install any available Windows updates.
Manyservice packsand otherpatchesreplace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your system.
The shell.dll file could be included in one of those updates.
It’s important to update Windows even if shell.dll isn’t an update provided by Windows Update.
There might be one or more updates not yet installed that are needed for shell.dll to function properly.
Test your memoryand thentest your hard drive.
If the hardware fails any of your tests,replace the memoryorreplace the hard driveas soon as possible.
Repair your installation of Windows.
Use a free registry cleanerto repair shell.dll related issues in the registry.
Perform a clean installation of Windows.
This will erase everything from thehard driveand install a fresh copy of Windows.
If none of the steps above correct the shell.dll error, this should be your next course of action.
All the information on your hard drive will be erased during a clean install.
Troubleshoot for a hardware problemif any shell.dll errors persist.
After a clean Windows installation, your DLL problem can only be hardware related.
Need More Help?
There are several ways shell.dll errors can show up on your system.
Other files, likeshell32.dll, might require different troubleshooting steps.
The context of the error is an important piece of information that will be helpful while solving the problem.
