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pxc_nt.dll is a legacy interface DLL used with Imagenation PCX200 frame-grabber hardware and software. If Windows says pxc_nt.dll is missing or was not found, the safest fix is to repair the HexSight or Imagenation installation that originally supplied it, not to download a replacement DLL.
What pxc_nt.dll belongs to
LMI Technologies’ HexSight documentation lists PXC_NT.DLL with these companion interface files:
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FRAME_32.DLL
PXC_NT.DLL
PXC2_NT.DLL
That group is required when HexSight communicates with an Imagenation PCX200 frame grabber. The files were supplied through the HexSight bin directory or an Imagenation driver, SDK, or installation package.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThis is not a normal Windows component. It is not part of Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, DirectX, .NET, or the standard Windows runtime. The error usually points to a missing, moved, quarantined, incompatible, or incompletely installed machine-vision component.
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Applications that may request it include:
- HexSight-based inspection and machine-vision applications
- Legacy Imagenation PCX200 utilities
- Customer-developed programs built with the Imagenation SDK
- Equipment-control software installed alongside a PCX200 frame grabber
If you do not recognize HexSight, Imagenation, PCX200, or any machine-vision equipment on the computer, do not immediately restore the DLL. The message may come from an obsolete startup entry, an incomplete uninstall, or an old application that is still configured to launch.
File identity and version information
Public vendor documentation identifies the file’s role, but it does not provide a verified version, checksum, universal file size, or architecture record for every build.
| Item | Verified information |
|---|---|
| File | pxc_nt.dll |
| Category | Third-party application component |
| Associated hardware | Imagenation PCX200 frame grabber |
| Associated software | HexSight and legacy Imagenation software |
| Companion files | PXC2_NT.DLL and FRAME_32.DLL |
| Publisher details | Not listed for every build |
| Version, size, checksum | Not publicly verified for every copy |
| Windows status | Not a native Windows DLL |
The documentation describes a legacy Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP-era driver and Win32 software environment. That strongly suggests old application compatibility concerns, but it does not prove the exact bitness of the copy you need. A 64-bit version of Windows can still run a 32-bit HexSight application, so Windows’ own architecture does not determine which DLL set is correct.
First, identify the program requesting the file
Before reinstalling anything, find the parent application.
Check the error window
Look at the title bar and the executable named in the message. A HexSight application, inspection program, camera utility, or equipment-control program is a useful clue.
If the error appears immediately after sign-in, the cause may be a startup entry rather than an application you opened manually.
Check installed applications
- Press Windows + I.
- Select Apps.
- Select Installed apps.
- Search for HexSight, Imagenation, PCX, or the name of the machine-vision vendor.
- Open the application’s menu and select Advanced options if available.
- Note whether Repair, Modify, or Uninstall is offered.
Also inspect the list for the application that owns the camera, inspection station, or frame-grabber hardware. The program requesting the DLL may not include “HexSight” in its name.
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Check startup entries
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Select Startup apps.
- Look for an entry associated with HexSight, Imagenation, PCX200, a camera system, or an old inspection application.
- If the related hardware is no longer used, select the entry and choose Disable.
- Restart Windows and check whether the error returns.
Disabling an obsolete startup entry stops the message but does not repair the application. If the program is still required, continue with the vendor-package repair below.
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Fix 1: Repair or reinstall HexSight or Imagenation
This is the most likely and most reliable fix.
Use Windows application repair
- Open Settings with Windows + I.
- Select Apps.
- Select Installed apps.
- Find the HexSight-based application or Imagenation package.
- Select its three-dot menu.
- Choose Advanced options.
- Select Repair, if available.
- Restart Windows.
- Launch the application again.
If the application starts and the frame grabber initializes, the repair restored the required interface files.
Some older installers provide Modify or Repair through Control Panel instead:
- Press Windows + R.
- Type
appwiz.cpl. - Press Enter.
- Select the relevant HexSight or Imagenation entry.
- Choose Change, Modify, or Repair.
- Complete the installer and restart Windows.
Reinstall from the original package
If Repair is missing or does not work, use the original HexSight installation media, vendor package, or equipment integrator’s approved installer.
- Close the machine-vision application.
- Disconnect or power down the frame-grabber equipment only if the equipment instructions require it.
- Back up application settings and inspection projects.
- Uninstall the damaged HexSight or Imagenation software only if you have the installation package available.
- Restart Windows.
- Run the correct installer by right-clicking it and selecting Run as administrator.
- Install the matching PCX200 driver, SDK, and application components together.
- Restart Windows again.
- Open the application and verify that the frame grabber and camera are detected.
Do not restore only pxc_nt.dll. The application may also require PXC2_NT.DLL, FRAME_32.DLL, a driver service, configuration files, and other dependencies from the same release. Mixing a catalog copy of one DLL with files from another release can turn a missing-file error into an entry-point or initialization error.
The historical HexSight documentation describes copying the complete interface set from the installation bin directory to System32. Treat that as a product-specific legacy procedure, not a general Windows rule. Use the vendor installer first, and do not copy a lone DLL into System32 merely because the error names it.
Fix 2: Check Windows Security quarantine
Security software may have removed or quarantined the file.
- Open Windows Security from the Start menu.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Select Protection history.
- Review recent detections for the HexSight or Imagenation installation directory.
- Open a detection to inspect its path and details.
- Restore the file only if you can confirm that it came from the trusted vendor package.
- Reinstall the complete vendor package afterward if possible.
Microsoft warns that a restored quarantined file may be detected again. Do not disable protection simply to force an unknown DLL into place. If the original installer is unavailable, contact the equipment supplier or the current vendor support channel instead of trusting a random archive.
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A message saying that pxc_nt.dll was not found does not always mean that the file itself is absent. Windows may be unable to load a dependency of that DLL.
Check the application’s installation directory and look for the complete interface set:
PXC_NT.DLL
PXC2_NT.DLL
FRAME_32.DLL
Do not assume that the files belong in a system directory. Modern Windows applications commonly load private DLLs from the directory beside the executable or from a configured application path. The correct location depends on how the original HexSight or Imagenation software was installed.
If the files exist but the application still fails:
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- Check the application’s event log or vendor diagnostics for a dependency failure.
- Re-run the vendor installer rather than replacing individual files.
- Confirm that the PCX200 hardware and its driver are installed.
- Test the application under the same Windows account and permissions normally used by the equipment.
Fix 4: Reinstall and check the PCX200 driver
pxc_nt.dll is an interface component for frame-grabber software, not a general-purpose runtime. The related hardware and driver stack may be required.
- Right-click Start.
- Select Device Manager.
- Expand Imaging devices, Cameras, System devices, and any vendor-specific category.
- Look for the Imagenation or PCX200 device.
- If it has a warning icon, right-click it and select Properties.
- Read the status shown on the General tab.
- Select Driver and record the provider and driver details.
- Use the original PCX200 driver package to reinstall the driver.
- Restart Windows and check Device Manager again.
An Imagenation PXC200A manual documents a legacy driver service named pxc. In that specific environment, an elevated Command Prompt can be used to check the service:
net start pxc
To open an elevated Command Prompt:
- Open the Start menu.
- Type
cmd. - Select Run as administrator.
- Run the command.
If Windows reports that the service does not exist, do not create it manually. That may simply mean your HexSight release uses a different driver arrangement. Reinstall the matching vendor package instead.
When manually hunting through old driver packages and determining which of several device drivers belongs to the frame grabber becomes the problem, Outbyte Driver Updater can scan for outdated drivers; its free scan identifies issues, while driver installation is handled by the full version. Reinstalling the original PCX200 package remains the definitive fix for this application-specific DLL.
Fix 5: Account for legacy Windows compatibility
HexSight 4.x has documented Windows 10 support, but that does not guarantee that every PCX200 driver works on every Windows 10 or Windows 11 build. Old kernel drivers, unsigned components, hardware interfaces, and application assumptions can fail even when the DLL is present.
If reinstalling the correct package does not solve the error:
- Confirm the exact HexSight and PCX200 release required by the equipment.
- Check whether the application is 32-bit or 64-bit from the vendor documentation or executable properties.
- Do not replace a 32-bit application DLL with a 64-bit file, or mix releases.
- Check whether Windows has blocked an old driver during installation.
- Use the vendor-supported legacy computer or operating-system environment if the equipment requires it.
- Contact the equipment integrator before changing driver-signing or security settings.
The operating system’s bitness alone is not enough to choose the DLL. The application, companion DLLs, driver, SDK, and frame-grabber hardware must be treated as one compatible stack.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix 6: Repair Windows only when broader corruption exists
SFC and DISM repair protected Windows components. They will not normally restore a third-party Imagenation DLL, but they are reasonable if other Windows files and applications are also malfunctioning.
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- Open Start.
- Type
cmd. - Select Run as administrator.
- Run:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Wait for it to finish.
- Run:
sfc /scannow
- Restart Windows.
- Test the HexSight or Imagenation application.
If the scan reports repairs but pxc_nt.dll remains missing, that is expected. Return to the vendor-package repair rather than repeating SFC and DISM.
When repeated manual SFC and DISM runs leave you guessing what changed, Outbyte PC Repair can scan for broader Windows issues; its free scan shows detected problems, while repair is performed by the full version. It does not replace the HexSight or Imagenation installer, which remains the definitive source for this DLL.
What not to do
Do not download a lone DLL
Random DLL download sites sites can provide malware, an altered file, the wrong architecture, or a build that does not match PXC2_NT.DLL, FRAME_32.DLL, the driver, or the SDK. Even a file that removes the first message may leave the application unable to initialize the frame grabber.
Use the original HexSight or Imagenation installation media, an approved equipment-integrator package, or the vendor’s support channel.
Do not run regsvr32
Nothing in the vendor documentation identifies pxc_nt.dll as an ActiveX control or COM server. It is documented as a frame-grabber interface DLL, so registering it is not a repair step. regsvr32 can produce entry-point or module-load errors and does not install missing dependencies or drivers.
Do not install unrelated runtimes
Visual C++ Redistributables, DirectX, and .NET are not justified merely because this filename appears. Install those components only when the application separately reports a missing Microsoft runtime.
Do not copy the file into arbitrary folders
Avoid copying a DLL into System32, the Windows directory, or unrelated application folders. Use the vendor installer and preserve the matching companion files.
If you no longer use the PCX200 hardware
If the frame grabber has been removed, the error likely comes from an obsolete application, scheduled task, startup entry, or incomplete uninstall.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Identify the requesting executable, disable its startup entry, and uninstall the parent application if it is no longer needed. If the uninstall is broken, reinstall the original application first and then remove it cleanly.
If you still need the equipment but no installer is available, preserve the existing machine image, identify the executable requesting the DLL, and contact LMI or the equipment integrator. Microsoft Process Explorer can help identify which process is attempting to load the file. Do not use System Restore as a source for an isolated DLL.
FAQ
Is pxc_nt.dll part of Windows?
No. It is associated with Imagenation PCX200 frame-grabber software and HexSight integrations.
Can I fix it with SFC?
Usually not. SFC repairs protected Windows files, while pxc_nt.dll is a third-party application component. Run SFC only when broader Windows corruption is also suspected.
Does the PCX200 hardware need to be installed?
Normally, yes. This DLL is an interface component for frame-grabber software, not a general Windows runtime.
Is the file 32-bit or 64-bit?
The available documentation describes legacy Win32 software but does not verify the architecture of every build. Install the complete DLL and driver set supplied for the specific application release.
Why does Windows still report the DLL as missing when the file is present?
A dependency may be missing, the file may be incompatible, or the application may be searching the wrong directory. Reinstall the matching vendor package instead of replacing the visible file alone.
Will this work on Windows 11?
There is no blanket guarantee. HexSight 4.x has documented Windows 10 support, but old PCX200 drivers and hardware may not work with every current Windows configuration. Use the vendor-supported environment when necessary.
