The procedure entry point DecodePointer could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll."

I have a feeling I might have not installed everything on the computer, maybe a service pack isn't updated is what I've found online. I'm not sure if the cd I have should do the trick, or if I need to download something online? I have all the CD's to install onto the computer if somebody can give me the rundown, thanks!

Chenmunka

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asked Jun 10, 2013 at 17:24

2

Make sure your Windows XP version is fully patched and updated to Windows XP Service Pack 3.

This:

could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll

Means that the application is not written for whatever version of the operating system (KERNEL32.DLL is a core Windows file) that you have installed. If you know you have the correct major version (i.e., XP, Vista, 7, 8), then this usually indicates that software requires an older or newer minor version (service pack). Tentative research on DecodePointer suggests you need a newer version.

answered Jun 10, 2013 at 19:28

Darth AndroidDarth Android

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I had the same problem also. I had a few games for win7 and transferred therm to winxp and most games said decodepointerer error. It seems reinstalling a few games did the trick, but all other games still had the error. It seems installed service pack 1,2, or 3 onto XP will fix it, although you may then get a different .dll error. Just update your whole OS to Windows Service Pack 3, as games that say "windows xp compatible", really want to say "Windows XP SP3 comaptible." A few new games don't even run with Windows XP anymore. It may be worth it to update to Windows Vista, as it isn't so much of a performance jump in terms of CPU and RAM as Windows 7.

answered Jul 20, 2014 at 3:39

Use the command Sfc /scannow in prompt command, will inspect all of the important Windows files on your computer, including Windows DLL files. If System File Checker finds an issue with any of these protected files, it will replace it.

/KERNEL32.dll not found: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10

Get the fix for the error KERNEL32.dll not found on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

About “KERNEL.dll not found”

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.

Description and Symptoms

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.

Symptom 1: “KERNEL32.dll not found” error screen on startup

The KERNEL32.dll file is a 32-bit dynamic link library file used in Windows to handle memory management, input/output operations, interrupts, synchronization, and process creation. It also exposes most of the Win32 base API’s to applications, and if this file becomes missing or corrupt, the “KERNEL32.dll not found” error screen appears.

Here is an example of “KERNEL32.dll not found” error screen for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7:

STOP: c0000135 (Unable To Locate Component) This application has failed to start because KERNEL32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix the problem.

On Windows 8 this error generates a more generic “Your PC did not start correctly” error screen:

Automatic Repair Your PC did not start correctly Press "Restart" to restart your PC, which can sometimes fix the problem. You can also press "Advanced options" to try other options to repair your PC. While on Windows 10, it also causes a slightly different error screen to appear:

Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, and then we'll restart for you(45% complete) If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this error: 0xc0000135

Causes of this Error

This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes:

Cause 1: KERNEL32.dll file is corrupt or missing

Virus attacks, power outages and disk write errors may cause files to become missing or corrupt. If that’s the case, then the operating system can’t find the KERNEL32.dll file, and the boot process is halted with a “KERNEL32.dll was not found ” error.

Fixing “KERNEL32.dll not found” on Windows

Windows Setup CD/DVD Required! Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.

Fix

1: Replace KERNEL32.dll

Windows Setup CD/DVD Required! Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.

If kernel32.dll is in fact missing or corrupt, you can restore the original kernel32.dll file back from your Windows XP installation disc.

Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD? See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.

1. Insert your XP CD into the computer.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Press any key to boot into the CD when you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message.
4. Press R to start Recovery Console when the Options screen appears.
5. Type in your Administrator password followed by the Enter key to submit it.
6. You’ll reach the Command Prompt now, type the following command, where D:\ is your CD’s drive letter and C:\ is the letter of the drive you installed Windows to: expand D:\i386\kernel32.dl_ C:\Windows\system32\
7. Press Y when you are asked if you want to overwrite this file and then hit Enter to submit the command.
8. Restart your computer.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the KERNEL32.dll file is properly restored:

KERNEL32.dll restored from Win XP install CD

Fix

2: Repair corrupted system files with the SFC command

On Windows Vista and Windows 7, it is possible to use the built-in Windows SFC(system file checker) tool to automatically scan a computer’s system files and repair them if necessary.

Here are the steps to run SFC:

1. Boot from your Windows install disc
2. Click on Repair your computer after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.
3. Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually C:\, and click Next
4. Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears
5. Write the following command and press Enter afterwards: sfc /scannow /offbootdir=D:\ /offwindir=D:\Windows\ Replace D: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed, and D:\Windows with the Windows folder location.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the sfc.exe scan is complete and missing files are successfully restored:

KERNEL32.dll restored by the SFC utility

Fix

3: Check the hard drive with CHKDSK utility

If the hard drive has its file integrity compromised, it is possible to use built-in Windows CHKDSK utility to scan the disk and fix the file system errors.

Here are the steps to run CHKDSK:

1. Boot from your Windows install disc
2. Click on Repair your computer after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.
3. Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually C:\, and click Next
4. Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears
5. Write the following command and press Enter afterwards: chkdsk C: /f Replace C: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the chkdsk.exe is complete:

Chkdsk utility results screen

More Information

Linked Entries

• chkdsk

Support Links

Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.

It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.