System Error when reinstalling MuseScore 3

• Nov 7, 2020 - 18:22

This is the error message I am getting: "The program can't start because api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem."

I have tried reinstalling the program several times, but the same error message appears. I have been using MuseScore on this computer for almost ten years, but I did have to do a factory reset after the last Windows 10 update, and I have reverted to Windows 7, the same system I originally used to install MuseScore so many years ago. What can I do to get MuseScore to run on my Windows 7- 64-bit system now? If I need to use an older version of MuseScore, that would be OK with me, but I can't see where to download any of the older versions.


Comments

In reply to by Jojo-Schmitz

Could you please give more detailed instructions about how to access and download the missing DLL from Microsoft? I am told I need to install the Windows 7 Service Pack, but whenever I go to the download site, I am told that support for Windows 7 has stopped, that I should upgrade to Windows 10. I did run Windows 10 for about 5 years, but the latest update is what led to problems, and why I have returned to Windows 7. In reading the history of this issue in the Forum, I see there have been suggestions that MuseScore include this particular dll file in their own download, which I would highly recommend, even if it has to be a separate download from the regular program download. Thank you so much for any help getting me back into the MuseScore fold.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks, Marc and Jeetee, for your advice and concern. My problem with Windows 10 was the summer update. It destabilized my entire system, and I lost everything. Fortunately most of my files were backed up, but it did leave me shaken. I tried Ubuntu, but that led to "missing binutils." I may try reinstalling Windows 10 and see if it does better now, a couple months later. Thanks again for your advice.

In reply to by nlncmjd

I suspect you might have been hit with the issue of your user account name being changed. That seemed to affect a handful of people but the solution was simple, and no actual files should have been lost, just a surprising change to the pathname. Anyhow, whatever extremely unusual problem happened in that particular situation, at least WIndows 10 problems are being continually fixed. Windows 7's problems won't be. If the goal is avoiding problems, you definitely should not be risking using an unsupported OS that is known to be a security risk from now on.

In reply to by nlncmjd

Well, I'm back in Windows 10 and gradually reinstalling programs, but I'm still having trouble with MuseScore. I've tried three or four times, and when it tries to open, it's just a white square, with no real access to the program. JoJo, somewhere I saw a comment by you that the current version is an "unstable release". Could you elaborate, and tell me which version I should be trying to install, and where I can download it? Lately everything seems so complicated. I want to go back to the simply life of writing music!

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Marc, and all you other wise computer folks, I really need your help. I have re-updated to Windows 10 via the cloud, to the very latest version that even uses a PIN instead of a password to logon, but I'm still in trouble. As soon as I get "updated" I am plagued by a flickering screen whenever I try to access the Settings App. I've followed all the instructions given here:
https://techwiser.com/how-to-fix-flickering-screen-issue-on-windows-10-…
I suspect my difficulty is the last option, "Hardware Acceleration", but because of my difficulties with the Settings App, I have not yet succeeded in solving the problem using his advice. Can anybody tell me what I need to do and how to do it?
The graphics card installed is NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 and the device status states "This device is working properly." When I try updating the driver, I get the message, "The best drivers for your device are already installed." The issue is not the "account name" since changing the account name several different times has not solved the issue.
I do not get a flickering screen with Windows 7, nor with earlier versions of Windows 10. It's just the Windows 10 that first reached my computer last August, and is now downloading from the cloud.
Thanks so much for any wizards out there who know how to handle this!

In reply to by nlncmjd

I guess we need to know if this is a laptop or desktop. If a desktop, we need to know if the graphics card (GPU) is integrated (built into the MB (Motherboard)), or an add on card in a pci slot. That chip is used in both types of units. In the case of a desktop, one way to test if the GPU is the problem would be to remove or disable the card. Then the integral GPU would take over. Most, but not all desktops have integral graphics, also. That chip technology is quite old from 2005.

Also, the only way I personally install Windows would not be through an update or upgrade. I do it with a fresh copy the erases your drive and starts over. Check this out.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
The page might take a bit to load. Scroll down to "Create Windows 10 creation media" and read through the process starting there. Ignore anything that says DVD.

There is also a Recovery tool in the Control Panel that should let you do a fresh install.

But, I have the sense that this is an older computer. As such, there could be any number of things wrong with it. There could be faulty ram, or a cable, overheating due to a fan not spinning fast enough. Different OS's can stress different parts of the system differently. Many problems fixable.

In reply to by nlncmjd

If this computer is so old that it came with Windows 7, it could well be it simply won't support Windows 10. Or you might need a new device driver. Unfortunately, there really isn't much we can do here to diagnose the problem. You might try instead doing a more general web search for sites that deal in hardware and/or Windows problems in general ("Tom's" is one I have found useful in the past).

Some thoughts:

If basic things like getting rid of the Start Center, restarting audio devices, and a few others, don't help than reinstalling MS won't work either in 95% of cases. Rather get your scores and music fonts of the machine. Then delete everything MS related you can find in Programs and ALTDATA. Run a drive search and delete whatever you find elated to MuseScore. Then reinstall.

It is suspicious to me that this dll was missing. Rather than do the upgrade to W10 from within W7, a better route is to download the latest W10 from Microsoft. They have instructions for putting it on a flash drive. It is a full, fresh, complete W10. I have the latest updates on five W10 boxes as well as MuseScore without issue.

In reply to by bobjp

I am in MuseScore! Clicking ESC once on the white screen worked, once I got it reinstalled. I am still having issues with the flickering screen in the settings app. Yes, it is an old desktop, but I really like it and am very slow to want to give it up. I'll keep trying! Thanks so much for all your help!

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