Bass.dll errors are caused by situations that lead to the removal or corruption of the bass DLL file. This file is associated with the BASS audio library.
In some cases, bass.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure.
Bass.dll Error Messages
There are several ways bass.dll errors can show up on your computer. Here are some of the more common ones:
- Bass.dll Not FoundThis application failed to start because bass.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.Cannot find [PATH] of bass.dllThe file bass.dll is missing.Cannot start [APPLICATION]. A required component is missing: bass.dll. Please install [APPLICATION] again.
Those error messages might appear while using or installing certain programs, when Windows starts or shuts down, or maybe even during a Windows installation. It could apply to any program or system that might utilize the file on any of Microsoft’s operating systems, including Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.
The context of the error is an important piece of information that will be helpful while solving the problem.
How to Fix Bass.dll Errors
- Restore bass.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a “missing” bass.dll file is that you’ve mistakenly deleted it.
- If you suspect that you’ve accidentally deleted the file, but you’ve already emptied the Recycle Bin, you might be able to recover it with a free file recovery program.
- Undeleting bass.dll is smart only if you’re confident you’ve deleted the file yourself and that it was working properly before you did that.
- Reinstall the program that uses the bass.dll file. If the error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling that specific software should replace the file.
- Try your best to complete this step. Reinstalling the program that provides the bass.dll file, if possible, is a likely solution to this error.
- Download the BASS audio library to replace the bass.dll file. This is the source of the file and should be the next thing you try if reinstalling the program doesn’t correct the error.
- Inside the download are two bass.dll files, one of which is meant specifically for 64-bit operating systems. Be sure to use the right one for your particular needs.
- It might seem strange that there’s a download link for bass.dll when we just mentioned above that you shouldn’t download the DLL file. However, this instance pertains to a download from the original creator of the file—it’s completely safe to download this one.
- Some applications might give you a specific DLL error that says where on the computer that the bass.dll file is missing from. If you know this information, you can copy the file from this download and put it exactly where it needs to be for the problem program to see and use it.
- Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some DLL errors are related to a virus or other malware infection on your computer that has damaged the file. It’s even possible that the error you’re seeing is related to a hostile program that’s masquerading as the file.
- Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the bass.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration, a System Restore could solve the problem.
- Update the drivers for hardware devices that might be related to bass.dll. If, for example, you’re receiving a “The file bass.dll is missing” error when you listen to music, try updating the drivers for your sound card.
- The bass.dll file may or may not be related to sound cards—this was just an example. The key here is to pay very close attention to the context of the error and troubleshoot accordingly.
- Roll back a driver to a previously installed version if bass.dll errors began after updating a particular hardware device’s driver.
- Install any available Windows updates. Many service packs and other patches replace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your computer. The bass.dll file could be included in one of those updates.
- Test your memory and then test your hard drive. We’ve left the majority of hardware troubleshooting to the last step, but your computer’s memory and hard drive are easy to test and are the most likely components that might cause bass.dll errors as they fail.
- If the hardware fails any of your tests, replace the memory or replace the hard drive as soon as possible.
- Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual bass.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.
- Usa a free registry cleaner to repair bass.dll related issues in the registry. A registry cleaner program might be able to help by removing invalid bass.dll registry entries that might be causing the error.
- We rarely recommend the use of registry cleaners. It’s included here as a “last resort” attempt before the destructive step coming up next.
- Perform a clean installation of Windows. This will erase everything from the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows. If none of the steps above correct the bass.dll error, this should be your next course of action.
- All the information on your hard drive will be erased during a clean install. Make sure you’ve made the best attempt possible to fix the bass.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.
- Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any bass.dll errors persist. After a clean install of Windows, your DLL issue can only be hardware related.
Need More Help?
If you’re not interested in fixing this problem yourself, see How Do I Get My Computer Fixed? for a full list of your support options, plus help with everything along the way like figuring out repair costs, getting your files off, choosing a repair service, and a lot more.
Do not download bass.dll from a “DLL download” website. There are many reasons why downloading a DLL file is a bad idea. If you need a copy of this file, it’s best to obtain it from its original, legitimate source.
Start Windows in Safe Mode to complete any of the following steps if you’re unable to access Windows normally due to the error.
Restore bass.dll from the Recycle Bin. The easiest possible cause of a “missing” bass.dll file is that you’ve mistakenly deleted it.
If you suspect that you’ve accidentally deleted the file, but you’ve already emptied the Recycle Bin, you might be able to recover it with a free file recovery program.
Undeleting bass.dll is smart only if you’re confident you’ve deleted the file yourself and that it was working properly before you did that.
Reinstall the program that uses the bass.dll file. If the error occurs when you use a particular program, reinstalling that specific software should replace the file.
Try your best to complete this step. Reinstalling the program that provides the bass.dll file, if possible, is a likely solution to this error.
Download the BASS audio library to replace the bass.dll file. This is the source of the file and should be the next thing you try if reinstalling the program doesn’t correct the error.
Inside the download are two bass.dll files, one of which is meant specifically for 64-bit operating systems. Be sure to use the right one for your particular needs.
It might seem strange that there’s a download link for bass.dll when we just mentioned above that you shouldn’t download the DLL file. However, this instance pertains to a download from the original creator of the file—it’s completely safe to download this one.
Some applications might give you a specific DLL error that says where on the computer that the bass.dll file is missing from. If you know this information, you can copy the file from this download and put it exactly where it needs to be for the problem program to see and use it.
Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system. Some DLL errors are related to a virus or other malware infection on your computer that has damaged the file. It’s even possible that the error you’re seeing is related to a hostile program that’s masquerading as the file.
Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. If you suspect that the bass.dll error was caused by a change made to an important file or configuration, a System Restore could solve the problem.
Update the drivers for hardware devices that might be related to bass.dll. If, for example, you’re receiving a “The file bass.dll is missing” error when you listen to music, try updating the drivers for your sound card.
The bass.dll file may or may not be related to sound cards—this was just an example. The key here is to pay very close attention to the context of the error and troubleshoot accordingly.
Roll back a driver to a previously installed version if bass.dll errors began after updating a particular hardware device’s driver.
Install any available Windows updates. Many service packs and other patches replace or update some of the hundreds of Microsoft distributed DLL files on your computer. The bass.dll file could be included in one of those updates.
Test your memory and then test your hard drive. We’ve left the majority of hardware troubleshooting to the last step, but your computer’s memory and hard drive are easy to test and are the most likely components that might cause bass.dll errors as they fail.
If the hardware fails any of your tests, replace the memory or replace the hard drive as soon as possible.
Repair your installation of Windows. If the individual bass.dll file troubleshooting advice above is unsuccessful, performing a startup repair or repair installation should restore all Windows DLL files to their working versions.
Usa a free registry cleaner to repair bass.dll related issues in the registry. A registry cleaner program might be able to help by removing invalid bass.dll registry entries that might be causing the error.
We rarely recommend the use of registry cleaners. It’s included here as a “last resort” attempt before the destructive step coming up next.
Perform a clean installation of Windows. This will erase everything from the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows. If none of the steps above correct the bass.dll error, this should be your next course of action.
All the information on your hard drive will be erased during a clean install. Make sure you’ve made the best attempt possible to fix the bass.dll error using a troubleshooting step prior to this one.
Troubleshoot for a hardware problem if any bass.dll errors persist. After a clean install of Windows, your DLL issue can only be hardware related.
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