What gchp1020.dll is and the safest fix
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesgchp1020.dll is an HP printer-driver component associated with the HP LaserJet 1020 printer series. If gchp1020.dll is missing, not found, or could not be loaded, the reliable repair is to remove the affected printer and reinstall the correct HP driver package.
This is not a general Windows DLL, Visual C++ runtime, DirectX component, or .NET file. It normally belongs in a Windows print-driver directory, commonly below:
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%WINDIR%System32spoolDRIVERS
A commonly observed 64-bit location is:
C:WindowsSystem32spoolDRIVERSx643GChp1020.dll
Do not copy the file into C:WindowsSystem32 or C:WindowsSysWOW64. Installing an isolated DLL does not restore the printer driver’s INF registration, print processor, permissions, related files, or catalog signature.
gchp1020.dll identification
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| File | gchp1020.dll or GChp1020.dll |
| Description | HP Printer Software Driver |
| Associated hardware | HP LaserJet 1020 printer series |
| Related files | SUhp1020.ENT, SUhp1020.VER |
| Related component | HP1020PrintProc print processor |
| Category | Printer driver |
| Typical location | Windows print-driver spooler directories |
| Reported listing | One listing identifies a 32-bit, version 6.1.0.0 file of about 0.91 MB |
The version, size, architecture, and exact directory can vary between driver packages, Windows releases, languages, and printer installations. The reported 32-bit details should not be treated as universal.
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- Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
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HP LaserJet 1022 installations can also expose legacy 1020-series driver files. Check the actual printer model before removing or reinstalling a driver.
Errors associated with the file
Windows may display messages such as:
The program can't start because GChp1020.dll is missing from your computer.
GChp1020.dll was not found.
Error loading GChp1020.dll.
The specified module could not be found.
GChp1020.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.
The exact wording depends on the Windows version and the part of the print subsystem reporting the problem. The message may appear when you:
- Install or remove the printer
- Open printer properties
- Print a document
- Start or use the Print Spooler
- Open an application that enumerates printers
- Launch a document or print-related utility
Although the message may appear while another program is starting, the file points more strongly to HP printer software than to that application. Check whether the program is opening a print dialog, listing printers, or converting a document.
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This is the most effective repair when the file is missing or the error appears during printing, setup, or printer-property access.
Remove the affected printer
- Disconnect or turn off the HP printer temporarily.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Select Bluetooth & devices.
- Select Printers & scanners.
- Select the affected HP LaserJet printer.
- Click Remove.
- Confirm the removal.
- Restart Windows.
Removing the printer first prevents Windows from continuing to use a damaged printer instance while the driver is being replaced.
Remove an old driver package if it remains
After restarting:
- Press Windows + R.
- Enter:
text
control printers
- Press Enter.
- In the Devices and Printers window, select any printer once.
- Select Print server properties from the toolbar.
- Open the Drivers tab.
- Select the old HP LaserJet 1020 driver.
- Click Remove.
- Choose Remove driver and driver package if Windows offers that option.
- Confirm the removal.
Only remove the HP LaserJet 1020 driver after confirming that another printer does not depend on it. If Windows refuses to remove the package, leave it in place and continue with the official HP installer.
The layout of Print Server Properties differs between Windows releases. On some systems, you may need to open Control Panel > Devices and Printers first.
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Install the official package
- Open HP’s official support page for the HP LaserJet 1020 Printer Series.
- Choose the installed Windows version when prompted.
- Select the package intended for your Windows architecture.
- Download the complete printer software or driver package.
- Run the installer as an administrator if Windows requests permission.
- Reconnect or turn on the printer when the installer asks.
- Complete the setup.
- Return to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer.
- Open Printer properties and print a test page.
Success means the printer installs without the DLL message and can print a test page. The driver directory should be recreated by the installer. Do not create the directory or copy GChp1020.dll into it yourself.
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If the HP package does not support the installed Windows release, check Windows Update for an available printer driver. Microsoft recommends Windows Update or the printer manufacturer’s official site rather than third-party driver repositories.
When the manual process involves checking several old packages and determining which driver architecture is correct, Outbyte Driver Updater can scan for driver issues and identify available driver updates; its free scan shows the findings, while driver installation through the full version is optional.
Fix 2: Check the printer driver architecture
A 32-bit printer component is not automatically interchangeable with a 64-bit component. Legacy printer packages can also include 32-bit files on a 64-bit Windows installation.
Check your Windows architecture before reinstalling:
- Press Windows + I.
- Select System.
- Select About.
- Check System type under Windows specifications or Device specifications.
Then choose the matching operating-system option on HP’s LaserJet 1020 support page. Do not infer the required architecture from the filename alone.
To inspect the existing driver directories:
- Open File Explorer.
- Enter this path in the address bar:
text
%WINDIR%System32spoolDRIVERS
- Look for
x64orx86directories. - Search within the driver directories for:
text
GChp1020.dll
The presence of the file does not prove that the installation is correct. The driver may still have a broken package registration, missing dependency, invalid print processor entry, or incompatible bitness.
Fix 3: Restart the Print Spooler
The Print Spooler manages Windows print jobs and loads printer-driver components. A damaged spooler state can prevent an otherwise valid HP driver from loading.
Restart it from Services
- Press Windows + R.
- Type:
text
services.msc
- Press Enter.
- Find Print Spooler.
- Right-click it.
- Select Restart.
If Restart is unavailable, select Stop, wait a few seconds, then select Start.
Try printing again. If the DLL error returns, restart Windows and repeat the clean printer removal and HP driver installation. Restarting the service alone does not repair a missing driver package.
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Fix 4: Check antivirus quarantine
Security software can sometimes quarantine a printer-driver file. This is a diagnostic possibility, not evidence that antivirus software commonly misidentifies this particular DLL.
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Select Protection history.
- Look for an event involving
GChp1020.dllor the HP printer package. - Review the detected file location and publisher information.
- Restore the file only if the security product identifies it as a legitimate HP driver component.
- Reinstall the complete HP package afterward.
Do not create a blanket antivirus exclusion for the Windows driver directory. Do not restore a file simply because its name matches the missing filename. A file found outside the printer-driver directories may be unrelated or malicious.
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If the security product does not clearly identify the file as legitimate, leave it quarantined, run a full scan, and reinstall the driver from HP’s official support page.
Fix 5: Repair Windows components when other system errors exist
gchp1020.dll is not normally a protected Windows system file, so System File Checker is not the primary repair for this problem. Use DISM and SFC when Windows is also showing component corruption, repeated system-file errors, failed updates, or unrelated damaged system files.
Open an elevated Command Prompt:
- Open Start.
- Type
Command Prompt. - Right-click Command Prompt.
- Select Run as administrator.
- Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Run:
cmd
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Wait for DISM to finish.
- Run:
cmd
sfc /scannow
- Restart Windows.
- Reinstall the HP printer driver if the DLL error remains.
Microsoft recommends running DISM before SFC. SFC may repair protected Windows files, but it should not be expected to restore a missing HP printer-driver DLL.
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Fix 6: Check Device Manager for the printer
Device Manager may expose a failed or stale printer entry, although printer-driver cleanup is usually handled more completely through Printers & scanners and Print Server Properties.
- Right-click Start.
- Select Device Manager.
- Expand Print queues.
- Expand Printers if that category is present.
- Look for the HP LaserJet device or an entry with a warning icon.
- Right-click the affected entry.
- Select Uninstall device.
- Confirm the removal if prompted.
- Restart Windows.
- Reinstall the official HP package.
If Windows offers to remove the driver package, select that option only when you are certain no other printer uses it. Do not uninstall unrelated print queues.
Windows Update may supply a generic class driver that handles basic printing but does not reproduce all HP software behavior. If the generic driver does not resolve the error, use the HP package instead.
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- Works with these HP Printers: ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
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Fix 7: Use Windows Update for driver discovery
If HP does not show a suitable package for the installed Windows version, check Windows Update.
- Press Windows + I.
- Select Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- Open Advanced options.
- Select Optional updates.
- Expand Driver updates if available.
- Install a printer driver that clearly matches the HP device.
- Restart Windows.
- Print a test page.
Do not install an unrelated driver merely because it appears in Optional updates. If the printer is not detected, reconnect the USB cable, power-cycle the printer, and repeat the official installation process.
Why regsvr32 usually does not apply
Do not use this as a routine repair:
regsvr32 gchp1020.dll
regsvr32 is intended for DLLs that provide registration entry points such as DllRegisterServer. Printer-driver DLLs are normally installed and referenced through the driver package, its INF file, the driver store, and the print subsystem.
If regsvr32 reports that the entry point is missing, that means registration is inappropriate. It does not mean the DLL should be downloaded, renamed, or copied into another Windows directory.
What not to do
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not download the DLL separately
Random DLL download sites can provide:
- Malware or tampered files
- The wrong driver version
- The wrong architecture
- A file missing its related driver components
- An unsigned or incorrectly packaged replacement
A matching filename alone does not establish that a DLL is genuine. Use the official HP printer-driver package or Windows Update.
Do not copy it into System32 or SysWOW64
The correct location is determined by the printer-driver package. Copying the file into a general system directory can create a misleading duplicate and will not recreate the print processor, INF registration, permissions, or related files.
Do not treat the file as a game dependency
The available evidence associates gchp1020.dll with HP printer software, not a game or general-purpose application. If the message appears when launching another program, check whether that program is invoking printer enumeration or a print-related component.
Do not assume one version fits every computer
Driver packages can differ by Windows version, architecture, language, and printer model. The reported 32-bit, version 6.1.0.0, approximately 0.91 MB listing is not a universal requirement.
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- These cartridges work with: HP ENVY 6010e, 6020e, 6022e, 6030e, 6032e, 6034e, 6050e, 6052e, 6055, 6055e, 6075, 6075e, 6420e, 6422e, 6430e, 6432e, 6450e, 6452e, 6455e, 6458e, 6475e; HP ENVY Pro 6455, 6458, 6475
- Cartridge yield (approx.): 240 pages black, 100 pages tri-color
- Up to 2x more prints with Original HP Ink vs. non-Original HP Ink
If the error continues
If reinstalling the driver does not work:
- Remove every stale instance of the affected HP printer from Printers & scanners.
- Check Print Server Properties > Drivers for an obsolete HP LaserJet 1020 package.
- Restart Windows.
- Restart the Print Spooler.
- Install the HP package again.
- Check Event Viewer for print-related errors:
- Right-click Start.
- Select Event Viewer.
- Expand Applications and Services Logs.
- Review Microsoft print-related logs if present.
- Test the printer from a newly created Windows user profile.
- Run a full Windows Security scan if the DLL is found outside the printer-driver directories.
- Consider System Restore only if the problem began immediately after a known driver, update, or migration change.
If the file exists but Windows still reports it as missing, the actual problem may be another dependency, damaged package registration, an invalid print processor entry, or a 32-bit and 64-bit mismatch.
FAQ
Is gchp1020.dll a Windows system file?
No. It is associated with HP LaserJet 1020-series printer software and normally belongs under the Windows print-driver spooler directories.
Which printer uses gchp1020.dll?
The strongest association is the HP LaserJet 1020 printer series. Related LaserJet 1022 installations may also expose legacy 1020-series files.
Should I copy gchp1020.dll into System32?
No. Reinstall the complete HP printer-driver package instead.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteShould I run regsvr32?
Usually not. Printer-driver DLLs are normally installed and referenced through the printer package rather than manually registered.
Can SFC restore the file?
SFC is not normally expected to restore this HP driver component. Use it when Windows itself shows broader corruption, then reinstall the printer driver.
Is a file with this name safe?
Not automatically. Verify its location, digital signature, security history, and installation source. A file outside the printer-driver directories should be treated cautiously.
Will Windows 11 support every LaserJet 1020 driver?
No guarantee applies to every legacy package. Check the current HP driver options for the installed Windows version and architecture.
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