“The program can’t start because libsamplerate-0.dll is missing from your computer.” The libsamplerate-0.dll error usually means the application that bundled this audio library is damaged, incomplete, quarantined, or unable to load one of its dependencies.
Do not begin by downloading a replacement DLL or copying one into System32. Find the application that needs the file, then repair that application.
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Which fix applies to you
Use the first matching situation:
- You know which app or game shows the error: verify, repair, update, or reinstall that application.
- The file disappeared after an antivirus alert: check Windows Security Protection history before reinstalling.
- The DLL is present beside the application but still will not load: suspect a missing dependency, blocked file, or incorrect 32-bit/64-bit build.
- The error began after installing or updating software: reinstall the affected application from its official publisher or launcher.
- Several unrelated programs fail: check Windows components and Microsoft Visual C++ requirements, then use DISM and SFC.
- The problem started after a driver or audio-device change: check Device Manager and reinstall the affected driver.
- The error returns after every reinstall: investigate antivirus quarantine, unofficial installers, application logs, and the publisher’s support process.
What is libsamplerate-0.dll
libsamplerate-0.dll is the Windows shared-library build of libsamplerate, also known as Secret Rabbit Code. It converts audio between sample rates, such as 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, so an audio, media, emulator, or music application can process sound correctly.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →It is a third-party application library, not a Windows system DLL and not a Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable file. Different applications can bundle different builds and architectures, so there is no universal version, file size, hash, or installation folder that applies to every copy.
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The file may be located beside an application executable. Confirmed examples include Shotcut, RetroArch Windows builds, MSYS2’s UCRT64 environment, and third-party audio wrappers. That does not mean any of those programs caused your error. The program named in your error dialog is the one to repair.
1. Identify the parent application
The error dialog normally appears while launching the affected program. Record its name and the full path shown in the dialog, if available.
If the dialog does not identify the program:
- Press
Windowsand type Event Viewer. - Open Event Viewer.
- Expand Windows Logs and select Application.
- In the right pane, select Find.
- Search for
libsamplerate-0.dll. - Open matching events and note the failing application name and path.
You can also search common installation locations in File Explorer, including:
C:Program FilesC:Program Files (x86)- The game or application library used by your launcher
- The folder where the application executable is stored
Do not assume the first copy found belongs to the program that failed. An application normally expects its own bundled copy and companion libraries.
2. Verify, repair, or reinstall the application
This is the most likely fix because the application owns the correct DLL and its related dependencies.
Use the application’s launcher
Open the launcher used to install the program and look for an option named Verify, Verify integrity, Repair, or Scan and repair.
The usual process is:
- Exit the application.
- Open its launcher.
- Open the library or installed-games list.
- Select the affected application.
- Open its settings or manage menu.
- Choose Verify, Repair, or the equivalent option.
- Wait for the scan and replacement process to finish.
- Restart Windows and launch the application again.
A successful repair restores the file to the application’s expected directory and allows the program to start. If the launcher reports that files cannot be replaced, close the launcher, temporarily check security software, and run the launcher with administrator rights.
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Some packaged applications expose a repair command:
- Open Start > Settings.
- Select Apps > Installed apps.
- Find the affected application.
- Select the three-dot menu beside it.
- Choose Advanced options.
- Select Repair, if available.
- Test the application.
The Repair option normally preserves the application’s data. If it is unavailable or does not help, return to the same screen and use Reset only if you understand that it may remove application settings or local data.
Reinstall from the official source
If verification and repair fail:
- Back up application-specific saves, profiles, or projects.
- Uninstall the affected application from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Restart Windows.
- Download the installer from the application’s official publisher or use its official launcher.
- Install the application to its normal location.
- Launch it before adding modifications, plugins, or third-party files.
If the clean reinstall works, add extensions and custom files one at a time. That makes it easier to identify a conflicting component.
3. Check Windows Security quarantine
Antivirus software can remove or quarantine a bundled native library. Restore it only when the application and installer came from a trusted official source.
- Open Start and search for Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Select Protection history.
- Review recent detections.
- Look for the exact file name and the affected application path.
- Open the detection details.
- If you have verified the application’s origin and the detection is a false positive, choose Restore or Allow on device, when offered.
- Reopen the application.
If the file is detected again, do not repeatedly restore it or disable antivirus protection. Remove the application, scan the installer, obtain a fresh copy from the official publisher, and contact that publisher if the detection continues.
A file that returns after reinstalling may be removed immediately by security software. Protection history is therefore one of the first places to check when a clean installation appears to lose the DLL.
4. Confirm the application architecture
A 32-bit application requires a compatible 32-bit dependency set. A 64-bit application requires 64-bit binaries. A DLL with the correct filename but the wrong architecture will not repair the program.
To check the application:
- Right-click the application shortcut and select Open file location.
- Right-click the application executable and select Properties.
- Open the Details tab and review available product information.
- Check the application publisher’s documentation or system requirements for its architecture.
Do not replace a 32-bit application’s file with an unrelated 64-bit copy, or the reverse. The safest way to obtain the correct architecture is to reinstall the application or use its launcher’s verification feature.
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5. Install Visual C++ only when the application requires it
libsamplerate-0.dll is not supplied by Visual C++ Redistributable. Installing a Microsoft runtime does not replace this file.
Use this step only when the application publisher requires a Microsoft C or C++ runtime, or when the error identifies a Microsoft runtime dependency.
Microsoft provides the current v14 packages for applications built with Visual Studio 2017 and later:
- x86 Visual C++ Redistributable
- x64 Visual C++ Redistributable
- Microsoft supported Visual C++ downloads
Choose the package architecture required by the application, not merely the architecture of Windows. A 32-bit application on 64-bit Windows may still require the x86 package. Older software may require a particular legacy runtime, so the current v14 package is not a universal replacement.
After installation:
- Restart Windows.
- Open the application normally.
- If the same error remains, return to application repair rather than installing multiple unrelated DLLs.
6. Check Windows Features for media applications
Windows optional features are not the normal source of libsamplerate-0.dll, but a media application can also require a Windows media component.
To review optional features:
- Open Start > Settings.
- Select System > Optional features.
- Select View features.
- Search for a feature specifically named in the application’s documentation.
- Select it, choose Next, then Add.
- Restart Windows and test the application.
On some editions of Windows, media components are managed through Settings > Apps > Optional features. Do not enable random features in an attempt to obtain the DLL. If the application needs a particular Windows media component, follow the publisher’s requirements.
7. Check audio and media drivers
A driver does not normally provide libsamplerate-0.dll, but a broken audio stack can cause a related application load or initialization failure.
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- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right-click the affected audio device.
- Select Properties and open the Driver tab.
- Review the driver status and recent changes.
- Use Update driver only with a driver supplied by Windows or the hardware manufacturer.
- If the problem began immediately after an update, use Roll Back Driver, when available.
- Restart Windows and test the application.
Do not remove a working audio driver merely because libsamplerate-0.dll is mentioned. This step is for applications whose logs or symptoms also point to an audio-device problem.
Manually hunting through many hardware-driver versions can be time-consuming and makes it difficult to know what changed. Outbyte Driver Updater can scan for outdated drivers; its free scan identifies issues, while driver installation is handled by the full version. Reinstalling the application remains the definitive fix when that application owns libsamplerate-0.dll.
8. Repair broader Windows component corruption
SFC is not the first-line repair for this DLL because libsamplerate-0.dll is not a protected Windows system file. Use these commands when several Windows applications are malfunctioning or Windows components are also reporting corruption.
- Open Start and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Run:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Wait for it to complete.
- Then run:
sfc /scannow
- Restart Windows.
- Test the affected application again.
DISM should run before SFC. If either command reports that it could not complete, restart Windows and repeat once. If the application still reports the DLL error, repair or reinstall the application instead of repeatedly running system scans.
Repeating DISM and SFC without knowing which component changed can waste time. Outbyte PC Repair can show issues found during its free scan, while repairs are performed by the full version; it is optional and does not replace reinstalling the application that owns the DLL.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.9. Use System Restore only after a recent change
System Restore is appropriate when the failure began after a recent application, driver, or system change and a suitable restore point exists.
- Press
Windows + R. - Type
rstrui.exeand press Enter. - Select Next.
- Choose a restore point dated before the error began.
- Select Scan for affected programs if available.
- Confirm the restore point and select Finish.
- Test the application after Windows restarts.
System Restore does not replace the need to reinstall an application if its installation files are damaged.
Why copying the DLL or using regsvr32 is usually wrong
Do not copy libsamplerate-0.dll into:
C:WindowsSystem32C:WindowsSysWOW64- A random application folder
- A temporary download directory
This can create version conflicts and does not restore missing companion libraries. The correct location is normally the application’s own installation directory, placed there by its installer.
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Do not use regsvr32 for this file. regsvr32 is intended for DLLs that expose registration entry points such as DllRegisterServer. libsamplerate is a linked native audio library, not normally a self-registering COM component. Registering it will not make an application discover or load it.
If the error returns after reinstalling
Use this checklist:
- Check Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history.
- Confirm that the installer came from the official publisher or launcher.
- Check whether a cleanup utility removed files from the application directory.
- Remove unofficial plugins, modifications, or copied DLLs.
- Confirm the application’s x86 or x64 architecture.
- Review the application’s own logs for a missing dependency.
- Test a fresh installation before restoring custom settings.
- Contact the publisher with the exact error text, application path, Windows version, and architecture.
Do not preserve an unexplained copy of the DLL found in a download or temporary folder. A matching filename can still represent the wrong build, wrong architecture, or unsafe content.
FAQ
Is libsamplerate-0.dll a Windows file?
No. It is a third-party audio library normally bundled by the application that uses it.
Should I download libsamplerate-0.dll separately?
No. Obtain it through the affected application’s official installer, launcher, or repair function. Standalone DLL sites can provide the wrong build or architecture and may introduce unsafe files.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWill Visual C++ Redistributable fix the error?
Only if the application also has a missing or damaged Microsoft runtime dependency. It does not replace libsamplerate-0.dll.
Should I put the file in System32?
No. Use the application’s installer to restore it to the location expected by that program.
Why does the error say a module is missing when the file is visible?
The visible DLL may depend on another library that is absent, blocked, corrupted, or incompatible.
Can I register this DLL with regsvr32?
Normally no. It is a linked audio library, not a self-registering COM DLL.
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Can SFC restore the file?
Normally no. SFC repairs protected Windows system files, while this DLL belongs to a third-party application. Repair or reinstall the parent application first.
