Troubleshoot Winbio.dll Missing Errors in Windows

Winbio.dll is a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file associated with the Windows Biometric Framework, which is used for biometric methods such as fingerprint recognition, face recognition, and others. Winbio.dll allows applications to interact with the biometric devices connected to the computer. A DLL file contains a piece of code required by many applications to complete their tasks.

When the Winbio.dll file becomes corrupted, replaced, or misplaced by third-party applications such as antivirus software, an error message is displayed. Moreover, there are many different variations of the ‘Winbio.dll is missing’ error message. We have listed some of the most popular ones below.

• The program can’t start because winbio.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
• There was a problem starting winbio.dll. The specified module could not be found.
  Error loading winbio.dll. The specified module could not be found.
• The code execution cannot proceed because winbio.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

Now let’s have a look at some of the best solutions that could fix this error message.

1. Run the SFC scannow

Winbio.dll is located in the System32 folder along with other DLL files, which means we can try running the SFC scannow command to restore the Winbio.dll file if it is corrupted.

SFC, or System File Checker, is a command-line utility used to restore system files, especially DLL files. When you execute the SFC command, it checks the protected system files and replaces any corrupted files with a cached copy located in the %WinDir%\System32\dllcache. To use the SFC command, follow these steps:

1. Press the Win key and type Command Prompt.
2. Right-click the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator to open it in admin mode.
   
3. Here enter sfc /scannow and hit Enter to execute the command. This can take up to several minutes to complete the verification.
   
4. Once done, now try opening the application, showing this error message.

2. Download the winbio.dll file

You can download the winbio.dll file and replace it with the corrupted one. This should fix this error if you download the correct DLL file according to your Windows version. To do so, follow the steps:

1. Go to the link and download the winbio.dll file according to your system type.
2. To find out the system type, click the Start Menu and type About.
3. Hit Enter to navigate into About settings.
4. Here check the System Type and go back to your browser to download the winbio.dll file accordingly.
   
5. Once the DLL file is downloaded, extract the folder using WinRar or 7zip.
   
6. Once done, open the extracted folder and copy the DLL file.
   
7. Go to the following directory.

   C:\Windows\System32

8. And paste the copied DLL file.
9. If you receive the warning, The destination already has a file named “winbio”, click the Replace the file in the destination.
10. Once done, check if the error persists. If it is, you need to register the DLL file. For that, simply click the Start Menu and type Command Prompt.
11. Right-click on it to open it in admin mode.
    
12. Type the following command and hit Enter to register the DLL file.

    regsvr32 winbio.dll

    

13. Once done, try launching the error to see if the error is resolved.

3. Update your Windows

DLL files can also be restored by updating Windows. Updating Windows verifies the protected system files and replaces the corrupted one with a cached copy. Therefore, we recommend updating Windows to the latest version in order to get this issue resolved. To update the Windows, follow the steps.

1. Press the Win key and type Check for updates.
   
2. Hit Enter to open the Windows Update settings.
3. Click Check for updates. If the updates are available, click Download and Install.
   
4. Once done, now restart your computer to install the updates.

4. Make sure all the Biometric Devices drivers are updated

Having corrupted or outdated drivers could also lead you to this error. Since the Winbio.dll file is used to make communication with biometric devices, its drivers should not be outdated or corrupted.

Therefore, in this step, make sure you have the updated drivers for the biometric devices. We recommend reinstalling the drivers because this will ensure there is no corruption in the drivers and they are not outdated. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start Menu and select Device Manager to open it.
2. Here find the biometric device, and right-click on it.
3. Select Uninstall device.
   
4. Click Uninstall to remove the driver.
   
5. Once done, go to the manufacturer of the biometric devices.
6. Search for the driver and download the latest driver from there.
7. Then, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
8. Once done, check for the error.

5. Use a System Restore utility

If you have created a restore point in the past, you can now use it to restore Windows to a previous state. System Restore allows users to create a restore point to save the current state. When you create a restore point, the system restore utility takes a snapshot of the system32 folder, which has all the necessary files, including DLL, registry, and drivers. To use a system restore utility, follow the steps:

1. Click the Start Menu and type the System Restore command rstrui.
   
2. Hit Enter to run the System Restore utility.
3. Click Next, select a restore point, and click Next.
4. Click Finish to restore your Windows to a previous state.
   

6. Reinstall the application

It is possible that the application is unable to access the DLL file. As a result, it keeps displaying this error message. In this case, you can try to reinstall the application, which will fix this error if it is causing due to a problem with the application. To reinstall the application, follow the steps:

1. Click the Start Menu and type Add or remove programs.
   
2. Press Enter to open the settings.
3. Locate the application, click the three dots, and click Uninstall.
4. Once again, click Uninstall to confirm.
5. Now go to the official website of the application to download the installer.
6. Once done, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the application.

If all of the above solutions have failed to fix this error, you can try reinstalling or resetting the Windows. Since all the methods have failed to restore the Winbio.dll file, unfortunately, you don’t have any option apart from resetting or reinstalling Windows.