Errors this guide covers
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You may see one of these messages when starting a program or game:
- “The code execution cannot proceed because libssl-1_1-x64.dll was not found.”
- “libssl-1_1-x64.dll is missing from your computer.”
- “Error loading libssl-1_1-x64.dll.”
- “The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b).”
- “The procedure entry point could not be located in the dynamic link library.”
- “libssl-1_1-x64.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.”
The wording depends on whether Windows cannot find the file, cannot load one of its dependencies, or has loaded an incompatible copy.
The 60-second answer
libssl-1_1-x64.dll is the 64-bit Windows OpenSSL 1.1.x library used by a third-party application for SSL and TLS connections. It is not a normal Windows system file, and Windows does not provide it as a protected DLL in System32.
The safest and most likely fix is to identify the program named in the error, then use that program’s official Repair, Verify files, update, or reinstall function. Restore the matching libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll file at the same time if the application package includes it.
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Do not download an isolated copy from a random DLL website or place it in System32. The file must match the application’s build, architecture, and companion OpenSSL libraries.
What libssl-1_1-x64.dll does
OpenSSL uses:
libsslfor SSL and TLS communicationlibcryptofor cryptographic operations
The x64 suffix indicates a 64-bit build. A 32-bit application normally uses libssl-1_1.dll instead. A 64-bit version of Windows does not make a 32-bit program compatible with an x64 DLL.
This file is normally installed beside the application executable or inside a product-specific bin or lib folder. Windows searches the application directory before standard system locations, so copying the file globally can cause conflicts and security problems.
OpenSSL 1.1.1 and OpenSSL 3.x also use different DLL names and application interfaces. Installing a current OpenSSL package does not automatically replace an application’s OpenSSL 1.1.x dependency. OpenSSL 1.1.1 is obsolete for new deployments, so maintained software should eventually be updated by its vendor rather than repaired indefinitely with old binaries.
Why the file is missing
The usual causes are:
- The application was incompletely installed or updated.
- An uninstall or cleanup utility removed part of the application bundle.
- An installer failed while extracting files.
- Antivirus software quarantined the DLL.
- The application has a mismatched or damaged OpenSSL bundle.
- The program is 32-bit but is trying to use a 64-bit file, or the reverse.
- A Microsoft Visual C++ runtime required by the DLL is missing.
- The file exists, but Windows cannot load one of its dependencies.
- Broader Windows corruption is affecting application startup.
No single application owns this filename. Various applications, development environments, database tools, and bundled products can install it.
1. Identify the program requesting the DLL
Start with the error dialog. It often names the executable or appears immediately after you launch a particular application.
If the message is unclear:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Select Processes.
- Close the affected program.
- Launch it again and watch which process appears briefly.
- Right-click the process and choose Open file location if it remains visible.
- Note the product name and installation folder.
You can also inspect shortcuts:
- Right-click the program’s desktop or Start menu shortcut.
- Select Properties.
- Check the Target field.
- Record the executable name and its folder.
This matters because the correct replacement belongs in that application’s own installation directory, not in a Windows folder.
2. Repair or reinstall the affected application
This is the primary fix for libssl-1_1-x64.dll.
Use the application’s repair option
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Apps.
- Choose Installed apps on Windows 11, or Apps & features on Windows 10.
- Find the affected program.
- Select the three-dot menu or the program entry.
- Choose Advanced options, if available.
- Select Repair.
- Start the program again.
Some desktop applications provide repair through Control Panel instead:
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- Type
appwiz.cpland press Enter. - Select the affected program.
- Choose Repair or Change.
- Follow the installer prompts.
If the program is managed by a launcher, open that launcher and look for Verify, Scan and repair, Repair installation, or Check files. This is preferable to copying one DLL because it restores the application’s complete matching bundle, including libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll when required.
Reinstall from the official source
If repair does not work:
- Save any application settings or project data that are stored outside the program folder.
- Uninstall the affected application from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Restart Windows.
- Download the current supported installer from the application’s official vendor or launcher.
- Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.
- Complete the installation without interrupting extraction.
- Launch the program again.
If the program works after reinstalling, the original issue was probably a deleted, incomplete, or mismatched application file. Do not copy the old DLL back into the new installation.
3. Check Windows Security quarantine
Antivirus software may remove or quarantine a genuine bundled DLL after an update or failed reputation check.
- Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Choose Protection history.
- Look for an event involving the affected application or
libssl-1_1-x64.dll. - Expand the event and inspect the original file path, detection name, and source.
- If the file came from the official application installer and its signature or hash can be verified, follow your security policy before choosing Restore or Allow on device.
- If the source is uncertain, leave it quarantined and reinstall the application instead.
Do not create a broad antivirus exclusion for System32, the whole drive, or a random download folder. If the freshly installed official copy is repeatedly quarantined, update Windows Security and contact the application vendor before allowing it.
4. Repair the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime
The OpenSSL DLL may be present but unable to start because a Microsoft runtime file such as VCRUNTIME140.dll, VCRUNTIME140_1.dll, or MSVCP140.dll is missing or damaged.
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Use Microsoft’s official Latest supported Visual C++ Redistributable downloads page to obtain the installer. Choose the architecture that matches the application:
- 64-bit application:
vc_redist.x64.exe - 32-bit application:
vc_redist.x86.exe
A 32-bit application requires the x86 package even on 64-bit Windows. If you use both types of applications, installing both architectures is appropriate.
After downloading:
- Close the affected application.
- Run the correct redistributable installer.
- Accept the license terms.
- Choose Repair if that option appears.
- Restart Windows.
- Test the application.
If the redistributable installer reports that setup failed, remove only the damaged Microsoft Visual C++ entry through Settings > Apps, restart, and run the official installer again. Do not replace individual VCRUNTIME files from a DLL download site.
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The filename itself provides an important clue. libssl-1_1-x64.dll is intended for a 64-bit application. A 32-bit program normally needs libssl-1_1.dll.
To check the program:
- Open the application’s installation folder.
- Right-click its main executable.
- Select Properties.
- Open the Details tab and record the product information.
- If the vendor offers separate x86 and x64 installers, install the build matching the program and its other bundled libraries.
Do not solve an architecture mismatch by renaming a DLL. A 32-bit program cannot use an x64 library simply because the operating system is 64-bit.
6. Understand “entry point” and “not designed to run” errors
If the message says entry point not found, Windows probably loaded an OpenSSL DLL that does not match the application’s expected build. This can happen when files from different applications have been mixed.
If it says the file is not designed to run on Windows or contains an error, check:
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- Whether the file came from the official installer.
- The application and DLL architecture.
- The file’s digital signature, if the vendor signs its binaries.
- Whether antivirus changed or quarantined part of the installation.
- Whether the matching
libcrypto-1_1-x64.dllis also present.
The reliable fix is to restore the vendor’s complete application bundle through repair or reinstall. Replacing individual files at random usually creates another mismatch.
7. Update or reinstall a relevant driver only when appropriate
A driver reinstall is relevant only when the driver package itself is the program requesting the DLL. A graphics or chipset driver update will not normally repair an unrelated application’s OpenSSL files.
If the error began immediately after a driver installation:
- Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
- Expand the category for the affected device.
- Right-click the device and choose Properties.
- Open the Driver tab.
- Use Roll Back Driver if Windows offers it and the problem began after that update.
- Otherwise choose Uninstall Device, restart Windows, and install the current driver from the hardware manufacturer.
- Test the application that originally produced the error.
Manually hunting through Device Manager can mean checking many devices and comparing driver versions. Outbyte Driver Updater can scan for outdated drivers and show what needs attention; its full-version driver installation is optional, and reinstalling the affected application remains the definitive fix when that program owns the DLL.
8. Repair Windows components when broader corruption is suspected
SFC and DISM repair Windows components. They normally do not recreate a third-party application’s OpenSSL DLL, so run them only after repairing the application or when other Windows features are also failing.
- Open Start and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click Command Prompt.
- Select Run as administrator.
- Run:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Wait for it to finish.
- Then run:
sfc /scannow
- Restart Windows and test the affected program.
If SFC reports that it could not repair some files, run DISM again after Windows Update completes, then repeat SFC. Outbyte PC Repair can show what is wrong before attempting a repair, which avoids repeatedly running SFC and DISM without knowing what changed; its full-version repair is optional.
Check Windows Features only when the application requires them
Windows Features are not a normal source for libssl-1_1-x64.dll, but an older application may also require a separate Windows component.
- Press Windows key + R.
- Type
optionalfeaturesand press Enter. - Review the features enabled for the affected application.
- Enable only a feature named in the application’s official requirements.
- Select OK and restart if Windows requests it.
Do not enable unrelated legacy features as a substitute for reinstalling the application.
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9. Consider System Restore only after a known system change
System Restore is reasonable when the error began after a known update, cleanup operation, or driver change and a suitable restore point exists.
- Open Start and search for Create a restore point.
- Open it and select System Restore.
- Choose a restore point dated before the problem began.
- Review the affected programs and drivers.
- Start the restore only if the change is acceptable.
- Restart and test the application.
System Restore is not a replacement for reinstalling a damaged application. Avoid it when the problem is limited to one program and the vendor installer is available.
Do not use regsvr32 for this file
regsvr32 registers COM DLLs that expose functions such as DllRegisterServer. OpenSSL’s libssl library is not normally a COM component.
Running this command is therefore not an appropriate repair:
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regsvr32 libssl-1_1-x64.dll
It may produce “DllRegisterServer entry point was not found.” That message does not mean the OpenSSL file needs registration.
Is manually copying the DLL safe?
Only copy the file when the application vendor explicitly instructs you to do so, or when you are deploying software you control and have the exact matching signed build from the same product package.
Avoid these actions:
- Downloading from random DLL websites
- Copying the file into
C:WindowsSystem32 - Copying an x64 file into
C:WindowsSysWOW64 - Renaming
libssl-1_1.dllto pretend it is an x64 build - Adding an unknown DLL folder to the global
PATH - Mixing files from different applications
- Using registry cleaners
The safe sources are the affected application’s official installer, launcher repair function, or vendor support package, plus Microsoft’s official Visual C++ redistributable when a runtime dependency is missing.
FAQ
Is libssl-1_1-x64.dll a Windows file?
No. It is an OpenSSL library normally bundled with the application that needs it.
Where should it be located?
Usually beside the application executable or in that product’s bin or lib directory. The exact location depends on the application.
Do I need `libcrypto-1_1-x64.dll too?
Often, yes. libssl handles SSL/TLS functions while libcrypto supplies cryptographic functions. Restore the matching pair through the application installer.
Will installing OpenSSL 3 fix the error?
Not necessarily. OpenSSL 3.x uses different filenames and interfaces from OpenSSL 1.1.x. The application vendor must provide a compatible update.
Should I install both Visual C++ architectures?
Install x86 for 32-bit applications and x64 for 64-bit applications. Installing both is appropriate if both application types are affected.
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When should I contact the vendor?
Contact the vendor if repair and reinstall fail, the official installer repeatedly loses the DLL, antivirus quarantines a signed file, or the error identifies a proprietary launcher or product component.
Should I run SFC first?
Usually no. Repair the affected application first. Run DISM followed by SFC when several Windows components are failing or broader system corruption is suspected.
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