Only if you are certain it is not used by any other application. Use Process Explorer (Find → Find Handle or DLL) to check usage.
gflags /i yourapp.exe +sls Then run the application under a debugger (WinDbg or even Visual Studio). You will see entries like: Only if you are certain it is not
Windows updates sometimes replace system runtime files (e.g., midas.dll used by Delphi apps). Reinstall your application’s redistributable files. You will see entries like: Windows updates sometimes
This error typically appears when launching a compiled application (especially those built with older versions of Delphi, C++ Builder, or similar frameworks that rely heavily on statically linked runtime libraries). Unlike simple "DLL not found" errors, this message indicates that Windows did find the required DLL, but the version or architecture of that DLL is incompatible with the one the application expected during its compilation. Unlike simple "DLL not found" errors, this message
Yes, Wine users see this when the wrong native Windows DLL is overridden incorrectly. Use winetricks to install the correct version of the required runtime. Conclusion The "wrong DLL present" error is a frustrating but solvable problem. At its core, it is a version control failure within Windows’ DLL loading mechanism. By methodically identifying the offending DLL—using tools like Dependency Walker, examining import tables, and understanding the application’s build environment—you can resolve the issue by either supplying the correct DLL, isolating the application, or fixing the search order.
Introduction Few error messages in the Windows ecosystem are as cryptic—and as frustrating—as the one that reads: "An error has occurred while loading imports. Wrong DLL present."