“The program can’t start because microsoft-windows-kernel-processor-power-events.dll is missing from your computer.” Other messages include “There was a problem starting microsoft-windows-kernel-processor-power-events.dll” and “microsoft-windows-kernel-processor-power-events.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.”
The microsoft-windows-kernel-processor-power-events.dll file is a Microsoft Windows resource DLL, normally stored in %SystemRoot%System32. The safest repair is to install pending Windows updates, run DISM, then run System File Checker rather than downloading a replacement file.
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What this DLL does
The file is described as Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power-Events Resources. It supplies event-provider metadata, message strings, and related resources that Windows uses when recording and displaying processor power-management events in Event Viewer.
It is associated with the Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power provider, which reports information about processor idle and performance states. A resource-only DLL contains data used by another Windows component rather than being a normal application library. Microsoft describes this resource-DLL and event-provider model in its documentation on resource-only DLLs and event reporting.
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This is part of Windows itself. It is not a Visual C++ runtime, DirectX component, .NET assembly, game file, or general-purpose redistributable.
What usually caused the error
The most likely causes are:
- Corruption in the Windows component store or a protected system file
- An interrupted Windows update or upgrade
- Antivirus quarantine or malware cleanup
- Disk or file-system corruption
- A recent system change that can be reversed with System Restore
- A damaged Windows installation that needs an in-place repair
The exact error may appear at startup, when opening a Windows tool, or when a program tries to load a Windows component. The wording “not designed to run on Windows” can also appear with error 0xc000012f, but that is a common Windows loader pattern, not a diagnosis specific to this DLL.
Fix 1: Update Windows, then run DISM and SFC
This is the correct first repair for a missing or corrupted Windows-owned DLL.
1. Install pending updates
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- On Windows 10, select Update & Security, then Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- Install available updates.
- Restart when prompted.
After restarting, test the program or Windows feature that produced the message. If the error remains, continue with DISM and SFC.
2. Run DISM
- Open Start.
- Type Command Prompt.
- Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Select Yes at the User Account Control prompt.
- Enter this command:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Press Enter.
- Wait for the operation to complete. Do not close the window while it is working.
DISM repairs the Windows component store, which provides the source files used by other repair tools. It may obtain replacement components through Windows Update. Microsoft documents this sequence in its guide to using System File Checker.
3. Run System File Checker
When DISM finishes successfully, use the same elevated Command Prompt and enter:
sfc /scannow
Press Enter and wait until the scan reaches 100 percent. Then restart Windows and test again.
A message saying Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them indicates that SFC changed protected files. If it reports that it found no integrity violations, the missing-file message may involve a damaged application path, an incomplete update, or another problem. If it says some files could not be repaired, run DISM again, restart, and repeat SFC.
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Fix 2: Check whether antivirus quarantined the file
Security software can remove or quarantine a system file after detecting suspicious modification or activity. Do not immediately restore it.
- Open Start and select Settings.
- Choose Privacy & security.
- Select Windows Security.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Choose Protection history.
- Open the relevant detection.
- Review the file path, detection details, publisher, and available action.
The expected Windows location is normally:
%SystemRoot%System32
Restore or allow the file only if the location and Microsoft signature are verified. If the detection is recent and the file is not clearly a genuine Microsoft component, leave it quarantined and repair Windows with DISM and SFC instead. Windows Security protection history is retained for a limited period, so older detections may no longer be visible. See Microsoft’s instructions for Protection History.
If malware is still present, a restored DLL may be removed again. Run a full Windows Security scan before repeating the repair.
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Verification can show whether Windows is missing its own file or whether another program is requesting an unsafe copy.
Check the path and signature
- Open File Explorer.
- Enter
%SystemRoot%System32in the address bar. - Look for
microsoft-windows-kernel-processor-power-events.dll. - Right-click the file and select Properties.
- Open the Digital Signatures tab.
- Select the signer and choose Details.
- Confirm that Windows reports the signature as valid and identifies Microsoft as the signer.
If the file exists only in an application folder, Downloads, or a temporary directory, do not assume it is the correct Windows component. A normal application should not need to bundle an arbitrary copy of this Windows event-resource DLL.
Check architecture and version
Open the Details tab in Properties and review the displayed product information and file version. Exact versions, sizes, language resources, and architecture vary with the installed Windows build. A previously reported version or byte size is not a universal target for repair.
On 64-bit Windows, System32 normally contains 64-bit system components, while SysWOW64 contains 32-bit system components. Do not copy the file between those folders or assume this particular resource DLL should exist in both. Let Windows servicing restore the correct build and architecture.
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Fix 4: Repair Windows from matching installation media
If DISM reports that source files could not be found, use an official Windows repair source matching your edition, language, and build.
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Microsoft’s documentation covers repairing a Windows image. A mismatched source can leave Windows with incompatible components, so do not use a DLL copied from another computer or another Windows release.
An in-place repair installation is appropriate when:
- DISM and SFC repeatedly report corruption
- Windows Update cannot complete
- The file keeps disappearing after repair
- Several Windows components produce loader errors
- The installation was interrupted or heavily damaged
Back up important files first. Start the official Windows installation media from within Windows, choose the option to keep personal files and applications when offered, and follow the setup prompts. The available choices depend on the Windows edition and installation media.
Fix 5: Use System Restore after a recent change
If the error began immediately after a driver installation, update, cleanup operation, or other system change, System Restore may return system files and settings to an earlier restore point.
- Open Start.
- Type recovery.
- Select Recovery.
- Choose Open System Restore.
- Select a restore point from before the problem began.
- Select Next, review the affected changes, and select Finish.
System Restore does not intentionally remove personal files, but available restore points differ between systems. If no suitable restore point exists, return to DISM and SFC or use an in-place repair.
Do not download or register this DLL manually
Random DLL download sites can provide malware, a modified file, the wrong Windows build, or the wrong architecture. Even a genuine-looking file may not match your component store, language resources, servicing level, or digital signature, and copying it into System32 often leaves the underlying corruption untouched.
The safe sources are Windows Update, Windows component servicing, official matching installation media, or a repair installation. Do not use regsvr32 for this file. That command is intended for DLLs that expose registration entry points such as DllRegisterServer; a resource/message DLL is not normally a COM or ActiveX server. Microsoft documents the command’s registration requirements in its regsvr32 reference.
When the problem is actually hardware or a driver
A missing-DLL loader message is not proof of a bad CPU, power supply, overheating, or motherboard. Separately, Event Viewer may contain ordinary entries from the Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power provider even when no DLL is missing.
If you are seeing unexpected shutdowns, sleep failures, processor throttling, overheating, or recurring critical power events, investigate those symptoms separately:
- Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
- Expand Processors, System devices, and Firmware.
- Look for warning icons.
- Right-click a relevant device and select Update driver.
- Prefer drivers and firmware supplied by the computer or motherboard manufacturer.
- Review BIOS power, thermal, and performance settings only if you understand their effects.
- Check CPU temperatures and power connections using the manufacturer’s diagnostic guidance.
- Back up important data before running disk checks or replacing storage hardware.
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A Kernel-Processor-Power entry by itself does not establish a hardware failure. Look at the event level, timing, surrounding shutdown or sleep symptoms, and recent driver or firmware changes.
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FAQ
Should I download this DLL separately?
No. It is a Windows system resource file. Repair Windows through Windows Update, DISM, and SFC instead of replacing the file from a download site.
Is the file safe?
A valid copy in %SystemRoot%System32 with a valid Microsoft digital signature is consistent with a genuine Windows component. Verify the actual path and signature rather than trusting the filename alone.
Is this a CPU or power-supply error?
Not by itself. A missing or corrupt DLL message concerns Windows file loading. Hardware and power investigation is appropriate only when you also have shutdowns, throttling, sleep problems, overheating, or recurring power-related events.
Why did SFC repair the file but the error remain?
Restart first, then run SFC again. If the message continues, check which path the failing program is loading, review antivirus history, and determine whether a damaged application, user profile, disk, or malware is recreating the problem.
Should I copy the file from another Windows PC?
No. Windows builds, architectures, language resources, signatures, and component-store state can differ. Use matching official installation media only for controlled Windows servicing.
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