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Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team
The "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error is a troublesome issue that often appears when attempting to run certain games or applications on a Windows PC. The root of this problem lies in the Vulkan Runtime Libraries, more specifically, the 'vulkan-1.dll' file. If this file is missing or corrupt, you might encounter this error message.
One of the initial steps to tackle this issue is to simply restart your computer. A large number of problems can originate from temporary bugs that cause errors in your system. Restarting your PC can often eliminate these bugs and rectify the issue at hand. Once you reboot your system, check to see if the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error persists. If the problem has been resolved, you can resume using your PC as usual. However, if the error message still appears, further technical steps would need to be taken.
If restarting your computer did not fix the issue, don't worry! There are additional technical solutions that often prove successful in resolving the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error. These methods may range from manually replacing the 'vulkan-1.dll' file, updating your drivers, or reinstalling the affected application itself.
In the event these solutions don't work or you continually encounter the same error, it may be that there is a more serious underlying bug causing the issue. A platform to check for ongoing bugs related to your issue is the Roberts Space Industry issue council. The RSI issue council is a community-powered troubleshooting platform where users can report bugs and view workaround solutions proposed by other users. If you're unable to fix the problem yourself, it's worth checking whether the issue has been reported here, and if it has, what solutions others users have found to tackle it.
Vulkan-1.dll is a crucial component of the Vulkan Runtime. Hence, if Vulkan Runtime is not installed on your system or if there's an obsolete version of the Runtime on your computer, you may encounter the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error. Here is a helpful guide with steps to install the latest version of Vulkan Runtime.
Start by opening your preferred web browser, and then navigate to the official Vulkan website.
Once on the Vulkan website, look for the most recent version of Vulkan Runtime. Select it by clicking the corresponding VulkanRT installer link.
The Vulkan Runtime installer should now begin downloading. After it's done, navigate to your downloads folder and run the installer. You would have to agree to terms and conditions, following which, the Vulkan Runtime will begin installing on your device.
After the Vulkan Runtime has been installed, close the installer and restart your PC. Upon restart, verify if the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error has been resolved.
If installing the latest version of Vulkan Runtime didn't solve the issue, you might want to consider downloading the 'vulkan-1.dll' file manually. Below are the steps to accomplish this.
Firstly, you need to download the vulkan-1.dll from a reliable online source.
After downloading the DLL file, copy it to the install directory of the program displaying the error message. Alternatively, move the DLL file to the system directory. Usually, for 32 bit systems, this would be ‘C:\Windows\System32’. And for a 64 bit system, ‘C:\Windows\SysWOW64’.
Finally, reboot your computer. If there are no further error messages like "vulkan-1.dll Missing" or "vulkan-1.dll Not Found," your issue is likely resolved.
If the above methods do not solve the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error, an underlying corruption within your Windows image might be the cause. The Deployment Image & Servicing Management (DISM) is a powerful command-line tool that repairs such corruptions, using Windows Update to fetch necessary files for the repair process.
While holding down the "Windows" and "R" keys to open a Run dialog, type in "CMD". To open the Command Prompt as an administrator, hold down the "Ctrl", "Shift", and "Enter" keys simultaneously.
Once the Command Prompt window appears, type in: "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth" and press Enter. This command will initiate a scan for system image corruption. After the scan is complete, type in: "DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" and hit Enter. This command uses Windows Update to provide the files for repairing any detected corruption.
After executing the DISM commands, close the Command Prompt window and restart your PC. This allows the changes to take effect. Upon restart, check to see if the error persists.
Another powerful tool for resolving system-related errors such as "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error is the System File Checker (SFC). This utility scans and repairs corrupted or missing system files.
Type "cmd" into the search box next to the Start Menu button to open Command Prompt. Make sure to run Command Prompt as an administrator by right-clicking on 'Command Prompt' option and selecting 'Run as administrator'.
With the Command Prompt window open, type "sfc /scannow" and press Enter. This initiates a system scan which may take some time to complete.
After the SFC scan and repair process are complete, restart your computer, and check if the "vulkan-1.dll was not found" error has been resolved.
If you're still having problems, contact Support.Com for personalized assistance.
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