Method 1: Installing the Pdctrl32.dll File to the Windows System Folder 

1. The file you will download is a compressed file with the ".zip" extension. You cannot directly install the ".zip" file. Because of this, first, double-click this file and open the file. You will see the file named "Pdctrl32.dll" in the window that opens. Drag this file to the desktop with the left mouse button. This is the file you need.

   

2. Copy the "Pdctrl32.dll" file file you extracted.
3. Paste the dll file you copied into the "C:\Windows\System32" folder.

   

4. If your operating system has a 64 Bit architecture, copy the "Pdctrl32.dll" file and paste it also into the "C:\Windows\sysWOW64" folder.

   NOTE! On 64 Bit systems, the dll file must be in both the "sysWOW64" folder as well as the "System32" folder. In other words, you must copy the "Pdctrl32.dll" file into both folders.

   

5. In order to complete this step, you must run the Command Prompt as administrator. In order to do this, all you have to do is follow the steps below.

   NOTE! We ran the Command Prompt using Windows 10. If you are using Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can use the same method to run the Command Prompt as administrator.

   1. Open the Start Menu and before clicking anywhere, type "cmd" on your keyboard. This process will enable you to run a search through the Start Menu. We also typed in "cmd" to bring up the Command Prompt.
   2. Right-click the "Command Prompt" search result that comes up and click the Run as administrator" option.

   

6. Let's copy the command below and paste it in the Command Line that comes up, then let's press Enter. This command deletes the Pdctrl32.dll file's problematic registry in the Windows Registry Editor (The file that we copied to the System32 folder does not perform any action with the file, it just deletes the registry in the Windows Registry Editor. The file that we pasted into the System32 folder will not be damaged).

   %windir%\System32\regsvr32.exe /u Pdctrl32.dll

   

7. If you are using a Windows version that has 64 Bit architecture, after running the above command, you need to run the command below. With this command, we will clean the problematic Pdctrl32.dll registry for 64 Bit (The cleaning process only involves the registries in Regedit. In other words, the dll file you pasted into the SysWoW64 will not be damaged).

   %windir%\SysWoW64\regsvr32.exe /u Pdctrl32.dll

   

8. In order to cleanly recreate the dll file's registry that we deleted, copy the command below and paste it into the Command Line and hit Enter.

   %windir%\System32\regsvr32.exe /i Pdctrl32.dll

   

9. If you are using a 64 Bit operating system, after running the command above, you also need to run the command below. With this command, we will have added a new file in place of the damaged Pdctrl32.dll file that we deleted.

   %windir%\SysWoW64\regsvr32.exe /i Pdctrl32.dll

   

10. If you did the processes in full, the installation should have finished successfully. If you received an error from the command line, you don't need to be anxious. Even if the Pdctrl32.dll file was installed successfully, you can still receive error messages like these due to some incompatibilities. In order to test whether your dll problem was solved or not, try running the software giving the error message again. If the error is continuing, try the 2nd Method to solve this problem.

Method 2: Copying the Pdctrl32.dll File to the Software File Folder 

1. First, you need to find the file folder for the software you are receiving the "Pdctrl32.dll not found", "Pdctrl32.dll is missing" or other similar dll errors. In order to do this, right-click on the shortcut for the software and click the Properties option from the options that come up.

   

2. Open the software's file folder by clicking on the Open File Location button in the Properties window that comes up.

   

3. Copy the Pdctrl32.dll file into the folder we opened.

   

4. The installation is complete. Run the software that is giving you the error. If the error is continuing, you may benefit from trying the 3rd Method as an alternative.

Method 3: Doing a Clean Install of the software That Is Giving the Pdctrl32.dll Error 

1. Press the "Windows" + "R" keys at the same time to open the Run tool. Paste the command below into the text field titled "Open" in the Run window that opens and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This command will open the "Programs and Features" tool.

   appwiz.cpl

   

2. On the Programs and Features screen that will come up, you will see the list of softwares on your computer. Find the software that gives you the dll error and with your mouse right-click it. The right-click menu will open. Click the "Uninstall" option in this menu to start the uninstall process.

   

3. You will see a "Do you want to uninstall this software?" confirmation window. Confirm the process and wait for the software to be completely uninstalled. The uninstall process can take some time. This time will change according to your computer's performance and the size of the software. After the software is uninstalled, restart your computer.

   

4. After restarting your computer, reinstall the software that was giving the error.
5. You can solve the error you are expericing with this method. If the dll error is continuing in spite of the solution methods you are using, the source of the problem is the Windows operating system. In order to solve dll errors in Windows you will need to complete the 4th Method and the 5th Method in the list.

Method 4: Solving the Pdctrl32.dll Problem by Using the Windows System File Checker (scf scannow) 

1. In order to complete this step, you must run the Command Prompt as administrator. In order to do this, all you have to do is follow the steps below.

   NOTE! We ran the Command Prompt using Windows 10. If you are using Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can use the same method to run the Command Prompt as administrator.

   1. Open the Start Menu and before clicking anywhere, type "cmd" on your keyboard. This process will enable you to run a search through the Start Menu. We also typed in "cmd" to bring up the Command Prompt.
   2. Right-click the "Command Prompt" search result that comes up and click the Run as administrator" option.

   

2. After typing the command below into the Command Line, push Enter.

   sfc /scannow

   

3. Depending on your computer's performance and the amount of errors on your system, this process can take some time. You can see the progress on the Command Line. Wait for this process to end. After the scan and repair processes are finished, try running the software giving you errors again.

Method 5: Solving the Pdctrl32.dll Error by Updating Windows 

Some softwares need updated dll files. When your operating system is not updated, it cannot fulfill this need. In some situations, updating your operating system can solve the dll errors you are experiencing.

In order to check the update status of your operating system and, if available, to install the latest update packs, we need to begin this process manually.

Depending on which Windows version you use, manual update processes are different. Because of this, we have prepared a special article for each Windows version. You can get our articles relating to the manual update of the Windows version you use from the links below.

Guides to Manually Update the Windows Operating System 

1. Guide to Manually Update Windows 10
2. Guide to Manually Update Windows 8.1 and Windows 8
3. Guide to Manually Update Windows 7 and Windows Vista
4. Guide to Manually Update Windows XP