Bad Image, D3D11.dll is not designed to run (0xc0000020)

Here is a full guide on how to fix Bad Image, D3D11.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error problem on Windows 11/10. The D3D11.dll file is part of the DirectX 11 distribution, and it is primarily used by applications and games that require a lot of graphical processing. Some users have complained of facing this error when opening an application or game. Usually, reinstalling the software fixes the error in most cases, but it doesn’t seem to fix this specific error. Now, if you encounter this particular error with it, this post will help you. We will list down multiple methods to help you fix the error.

Bad Image – File is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support. Error status 0xc0000020.

Before we mention the solutions, we recommend that if you are considering replacing the D3D11.dll file with a clean version from a third-party website, you avoid that completely. Their versions might contain malicious code, and you will end up putting your system at risk.

Now, let us find out the fixes to resolve this error.

How do you fix DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error?

The DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error bad image error can be fixed by using some general fixes. Update or reinstall the software to the latest version, ask the vendor for the latest version of the DLL, or simply run a System File Checker scan. These methods should fix the error for you.

Bad Image, D3D11.dll is not designed to run on Windows, Error 0xc0000020

Here are the methods to fix the error D3D11.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error:

Run System File Checker Scan.
Re-register the D3D11.dll File.
Replace the D3D11.dll file with a local copy manually
Reinstall DirectX 11.

1] Run System File Checker Scan

This error is most likely a result of corrupted or damaged system files on your PC. So, before trying some other solutions, you can try repairing the damaged system files. To do that, you can use the built-in utility in Windows called System File Checker (SFC). It is a command-based tool that scans your system for corrupted or damaged system files and restores them to a healthy state. You can try running an SFC scan via Command Prompt and then check whether the problem is fixed.

Here are the steps to run an SFC scan on Windows 11/10:

Firstly, launch the Command Prompt with elevated privileges from the Start menu search bar.
Once inside the CMD, type the below command to perform an SFC scan:
```
SFC /scannow
```
Now, press the Enter button to execute the command.
Next, let the command execute completely; it might take 15-20 minutes for Windows to perform an SFC scan and repair your system files.
When done, restart your computer to apply changes.
Finally, try to run the application that was previously giving you this error and check if the error is resolved now.

If performing an SFC scan doesn’t resolve your problem, try the next potential method from this guide.

Read: Fix ISDone.dll error, Unarc.dll returned error code.

2] Re-register the D3D11.dll File

In case the above methods didn’t fix the error for you, you can try re-registering the D3D11.dll file and then see if it helps you get rid of the error. This method has proven to fix the error for some affected users and might just work for you as well. You can use a Windows built-in utility called Regsvr32 tool for re-registering DLL files. It is a command-line tool that enables you to register and unregister OLE controls like DLL or OCX files in Windows.

Here are the main steps to re-register the D3D11.dll file on your Windows 11/10 PC:

Firstly, open the Command Prompt with administrator rights from the taskbar search option. Type CMD in the search box, hover the mouse over the Command Prompt app, and then select the Run as an administrator option.

Next, type the following DLL re-registration command in CMD:

for %d in (*.dll) do regsvr32 -s %d

After that, press the Enter button and wait for the command to execute completely.

When the command is finished, close the CMD window and then restart your system.

On the next startup, check whether the “D3D11.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error” error is now fixed or not.

If this doesn’t give you any luck, we have one more method to fix the error. So, move on to the next potential fix to resolve the error.

See: How to fix Missing DLL files errors on Windows.

3] Replace the D3D11.dll file with a local copy manually

If the above solutions don’t fix the error for you, you can manually try replacing the D3D11.dll with a fresh copy. Some users could resolve the error with this method, and you can also try doing the same.

Do note that we have two different d3d11.dll files on Windows –

One is located inside the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder and
One inside the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

For 64-bit Windows, we are going to replace the d3d11.dll file, which is located inside the SysWOW64 folder.

Warning: You need to be sure of what you are doing before attempting this method. Because the steps need some technical operations you must be familiar with Command Prompt to carry out this solution. If not performed correctly, it can cause some problems on your PC. Hence, please opt for this method if you are confident of what you are doing.

Now, here are the steps to replace the d3d11.dll file with a local copy manually:

Firstly, open the Command Prompt with the administrator rights.
Now, to take ownership of the d3d11.dll file, type the below command and press Enter:
```
takeown /f C:\Windows\SysWOW64
```
For users with a 32-bit architecture PC, replace SysWow64 with SysWow.
Next, you need to take full control using the cacls command to delete the file. For that, enter the below command:
```
C:\Windows\System32\en-US\winload.exe.mui /G *TWC*:F
```
In the above command, replace *TWC* with your username.
After that, when asked “Are you sure?”, type the letter “Y” and press the Enter button. And you can now close the Command Prompt.
Then, you need to open File Explorer and navigate to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder.
Now, locate the d3d11.dll file and delete it.
Next, navigate to the following location: C:\Windows\WinSxS\wow64_microsoft-windows-directx-direct3d11_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.22000.120_none_f5722a07873a5925 and from here, copy the clean d3d11.dll file.
If you don’t find a d3d11.dll at the above location, you can manually search for it in File Explorer.
Lastly, paste the previously copied d3d11.dll file at the C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ location and restart your PC. Now, check whether the “C:\Windows\SysWOW64\D3D11.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error” problem is fixed.

4] Reinstall DirectX 11

If nothing helps, you may download Microsoft DirectX and reinstall it on your Windows system.

Read: Unsupported DirectX version, No supported DirectX version found when launching a game.

How do I fix bad image error 0xc0000020?

To fix the Bad Image error 0xc0000020 in Windows 11 or Windows 10 computers, you need to run the System File Checker or use the SFC scan first. Following that, you need to re-register the D3D11.dll file. If that doesn’t work, you need to replace the DLL file with a local copy. Finally, you can try reinstalling DirectX 11 to get it fixed.

This should help.

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