When trying to launch Dead Cells, many users are seeing Failed to load library steam.hdl, and the game is crashing afterward. The issue is caused when the software required to create an environment for your game to run is missing. In this post, we are going to see what you need to do if Dead Cells failed to load library steam.hdll.
Why is the Steam.hdll file is missing in Dead Cells
Dead Cells won’t be able to detect Steam.hdll file if your computer doesn’t have the Visual C++ Redistributable. Your game usually installs the required features, but it seems like Dead Cells didn’t actually install all the required files. So, you can either do it manually or have to reinstall the game. However, that is not the only reason. We have mentioned solutions for every potential reason hereinafter.
Fix Dead Cells Failed to load library steam.hdll
If Dead Cells Failed to load library steam.hdll, try the following solutions.
- Install Visual C++ Redistributable
- Repair the game files
- Launch Dead Cells from the game folder
- Download and Install the latest version of DirectX
- Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
- Update Steam Client App
- Opt-in and out of Steam Beta
- Reinstall Dead Cells
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Install Visual C++ Redistributable
Visual C++ Redistributable is important for a lot of games including Dead Cells. It basically provides the C++ fragment of the game an environment to run. One of the reasons why the Steam.hdll is missing is the absence of this tool. That’s why you need to download and install the latest version of Visual C++ Redistributable. After installing it, restart your computer and open the game. If that didn’t work, try installing different versions such as x86 and x64 and see if that helps. Hopefully, you will not see the error code in question and the game will launch without any issue.
2] Repair the game files
We can also try to repair game files using the Steam launcher, this will do the job if the game files are corrupted or missing. It will scan your files thoroughly and then make the required amendments. Follow the prescribed steps to do the same.
- Launch the Steam launcher on your computer.
- Go to the Library.
- Right-click on Dead Cells and select Properties.
- Then, go to the Local Files tab and click on the Verify the integrity of game files option.
Let it run and repair corrupted files. Once the files are repaired, launch the game and see if it helps.
3] Launch Dead Cells from the game folder
Instead of launching the game from Steam let us try to do the same from the folder where it’s installed. All you have to do is go to the location where to game is installed, and then launch it from there. If you have downloaded the game from Steam and not changed the default path, it should be at the following location.
C:\Program Files\Steam(x86)\SteamApps\Common
So, open File Explorer and go to the aforementioned location. Once you have reached the correct location, double-click on the game to launch, hopefully, the game will launch without any issues.
4] Download and Install the latest version of DirectX
Along with Visual C++ Redistributable, DirectX helps in creating the environment for your game to run. If it is absent or the latest version of the tool is not present, your game will not launch. That is why it is important to have the tool on your computer and keep it updated. In case the game is not launching, go ahead and download the latest version of DirectX on your computer. After downloading, install the tool and launch your game. Hopefully, the game will run without any issues. If the issue persists, move to the next solution.
5] Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
Your game can crash if there is an intervention from a third-party program. In that case, you need to perform Clean Boot and find out which app is causing the issue. Once you know the reason for the crashes and error code, just uninstall the culprit. Now, you can play the game without having to worry about anything.
6] Update Steam Client App
There can be a bug in Steam that is causing the issue. In that case, the only thing you can do is wait for an update to fix the issue. You may have noticed that when you launch Steam, it checks for the update and if they are available, it will download and install them. Sometimes, it can fail to work, in that case, we need to check for the update manually. To do the same, open the Steam app, then click on Steam > Check for Steam Client Updates. It will check for the update and install them. Once the app is updated, check if the issue persists. Hopefully, the game won’t crash now.
7] Opt-in and out of Steam Beta
For some users, opting in and out of Steam Beta seems to do the trick. You can also try to do the same using your Steam Launcher, just follow the prescribed steps.
- Launch Steam.
- Go to Steam from the top-right corner of the window and then click on the Settings option.
- From Beta participation, click Change.
- Select Steam Beta from the drop-down menu.
Now, again go to Beta participation and Opt-out of Steam Beta. Check if the issue is resolved.
8] Reinstall Dead Cells
If all else fails, your last resort is to reinstall the Dead Cells game. Reinstalling the game is the best option if it is corrupted beyond the point of repair. Because when you install the game again, it will download and install all the files needed for it to run on your system. So, open Steam, go to your Library, right-click on the game and select Uninstall. Now, download and install it again to see if the issue is resolved.
We hope that the issue is resolved and you are able to play the game using the solutions mentioned in this post.
Read: Fix MISSING DOWNLOADED FILES error on Steam
How to fix Dead Cells Failed to load library steam.hdll?
If you are seeing the error code in question, try executing the solutions mentioned in this post. Make sure to start from the first solution and then move your way down as the solutions are in particular. Hopefully, you will be able to resolve your issue without much trouble using our fixes.
Also Read: Steam doesn’t recognize installed games.
