Wininet.dll Error – How To Resolve The Wininet.dll Error

The Wininet.dll error is a common and annoying DLL error which continuously appears on Windows PCs. This error is highly common with computers that use the Internet frequently, and can be fixed quite easily if you use this simple method. Here’s what you need to do…

What Is The Wininet.dll Error?

The Wininet.dll error is caused by the file “wininet.dll” becoming corrupted and damaged. This file contains a series of functions and features which many Windows programs rely on to connect to the Internet. The reason why you are seeing the error that you have right now is because this file is continuously becoming damaged & corrupted, resulting in Windows being unable to read it.

The typical error messages that the Wininet.dll file causes are as follows:

Error Message 1

When you type a URL in the Address box in Internet Explorer, you may encounter the following wininet.dll error:

“IEXPLORE caused an Invalid Page Fault in module Wininet.dll”

Error Message 2

When you type anything in the Run dialog box, you may encounter the following wininet.dll error:

“EXPLORER caused an Invalid Page Fault in module Wininet.dll”

Cause Of The Wininet.dll Error

Funnily enough, the cause of the Wininet.dll error is very simply when Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or another leading browser tries to use the “AutoComplete” feature with corrupted historical data inside the browser. This causes your system to post the error that you’re seeing, to alert you to the fact that it cannot perform the task you want.

This is a big problem which can prevent you from using the Internet. fortunately, there’s a simple way to fix this which even the biggest beginner can do:

How To Fix The Wininet.dll Error

Step 1 – Fix Internet Explorer Settings

1. Double-click on the Internet Explorer icon to open its corresponding window.
2. Select the Tools menu and then click Internet Options.
3. Next, in the Internet Options window, click on the Advanced tab.
4. Next, clear the check boxes before the Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses and Use inline AutoComplete for Windows Explorer options.
5. Click Apply and then click the OK button to save your changes and exit the dialog box.
6. Restart your PC and press the F8 key while your system is booting to enter the Startup menu.
7. Next, select the Command Prompt Only option and press the Enter key.
8. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands and press Enter after each command to run them:
   • cd \windows
   • deltree downlo~1
   • deltree tempor~1
   • deltree history
   • deltree cookies
     Note: If prompted, press the Y key to confirm deletion.
9. Restart your PC in the Normal mode.
10. Double-click on the Internet Explorer icon.
11. Go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options
12. Next, in the Internet Options window, select Advanced.
13. Next, select the check boxes before Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses and Use inline AutoComplete for Windows Explorer.
14. Finally, click the Apply button and then click OK.

This solution should cure the error if you keep seeing it in Internet Explorer. However, if you’re getting the error because of a viral infection or from a corrupted file, you should follow some further steps:

Step 2 – Replace The File

– Download Wininet.dll here

If Step 1 does not work for you, you should try replacing the existing file with a fresh one. To do this, you need to first download a new version of the Wininet.dll file from this link.

You will see this is a .zip file, which you should open up and then extract the .dll from it. After you have the file in a folder on your PC, you should open up c:\windows\system32\ and then rename the current wininet.dll file to wininet.dll.old. This will act as a backup and you should then take the new Wininet.dll file and put it into that folder.

After you’ve done that, restart your PC and see if the error has gone away. If it hasn’t then you should proceed onto Step 3…

Step 3 – Scan For Viruses

Beacuse the Wininet.dll file is directly linked to the Internet of your computer, it’s constantly being attacked by viruses and other malicious infections. To ensure that the file on your PC is 100% safe and reliable, you should download an anti-malware program such as XoftSpySE and then let it scan your system. If there are any infections inside your Wininet.dll file, then the software will target and remove them from your system.

Step 4 – Clean Out The Registry

– Download This Registry Cleaner

Registry cleaners are software tools that clean out all the damaged setting and files in the “registry” database of Windows. The registry is a central storage facility for your system and is where many references to DLL files are stored. It’s often the case that a lot of registry files are corrupted and damaged inside Windows, leading to your PC becoming full or errors such as the Wininet.dll error. To fix this, you can download a registry cleaner tool and then use that to fix all the damaged parts of the registry, allowing your system to run faster and without these errors. Your can download our recommended registry cleaner below: