Steps To Resolve Odbc32.dll Errors

Odbc32.dll is used by your system to access databases using the Microsoft ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) protocol. This file is used extensively to help many different programs read data from stored data sources on your hard drive. However, this file is also the cause of a lot of problems which can make your PC unstable and erroneous.

The typical errors this file shows include:

• “odbc32.dll Not Found”
• “This application failed to start because odbc32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.”
• “Cannot find odbc32.dll”
• “The file odbc32.dll is missing.”
• “Cannot start ODBC DLL. A required component is missing: odbc32.dll. Please install the application again.”

What Causes Odbc32.dll Errors?

Odbc32.dll errors can be caused by a range of problems, but mainly because the odbc32.dll file is corrupt or damaged in some way. This file may have been replaced on your hard drive or could be the victim of a virus infection. The error tends to show when you load up Windows applications that use the Microsoft ODBC protocol, and in order to fix the problem, you should look at these various steps to resolve it:

How To Fix The Odbc32.dll Error

Step 1 – Reinstall Application Giving The Error

If you are receiving this error when you try and use a certain application, you should reinstall the program. Again, this may or may not have the desired result on your PC because odbc32.dll is an essential file that Windows requires to run… and not many programs would actively overwrite it. However, there is no harm in trying to reinstall a program that’s causing the error:

1. Click “Start” > Control Panel > Add / Remove Programs
2. Locate the program causing the error
3. Click “Uninstall” next to it
4. Restart your PC
5. Insert the installation disc for the software and install a fresh copy
6. Test the program to see if the error appears

If this does not fix the issue, proceed to Step 2:

Step 2 – Manually Replace Odbc32.dll On Your System

Replacing the odbc32.dll file is probably the surest way to get your system running as smoothly as possible again. You can do this very easily by following the guide below:

1) Download odbc32.zip from our server

2) Unzip the odbc32.dll file onto your computer’s hard drive

3) Browse to c:\Windows\System32

4) Locate the current odbc32.dll on your system

5) Rename the current odbc32.dll to odbc32BACKUP.dll

6) Copy & paste the new odbc32.dll into C:\Windows\System32

7) Click Start > Run (Or search”run” on Vista & Win7)

8 ) Type “cmd” in the box that appears

9) Type “regsvr32 odbc32.dll” on the black screen

10) Press enter

This will replace the odbc32.dll file on your PC with a fresh, new copy that your PC should be able to access again. However, if this does not solve the error, you may wish to try using Steps 3 and 4 below:

Step 3 – Clean Out Viruses

– Download This Virus Scanner

Antivirus programs are software tools which scan through your PC and remove any of the viruses or malware infections that are on your system. It’s often the case that viruses will infect various DLL files on your computer and then cause them to be unreadable to your PC. To ensure this is not happening on your computer, you should try using an antivirus program to scan through your system and remove any of the infections that cause all these errors. You can download our recommended antivirus program from the link above, but there are a large variety of programs available.

Step 4 – Clean Out The Registry

• Download This Registry Cleaner

Another big cause of the odbc32.dll errors is the registry database of Windows. The “registry” is a central database which stores all the settings, information and options for your computer, and is where Windows keeps many vital settings that it requires to run. It’s often the case that a lot of registry settings become damaged and corrupted, leading your PC to take longer to run, making it run slower and with a lot of errors. To fix this problem, you should use a ‘registry cleaner’ to scan through your PC and fix any of the damaged or corrupt settings that are inside it. You can see our recommended registry cleaner below: