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    explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.

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    • EkopalypseE
      Ekopalypse @Carlos Zhang
      last edited by

      @Carlos-Zhang

      Could it be that it finds another explorer.dll first?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • Carlos ZhangC
        Carlos Zhang @PeterJones
        last edited by

        @PeterJones said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

        unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us what went wrong. Were there error messages?

        The same message.
        c:\notepad++\plugins\explorer\explorer.dll
        The specified module could not be found.
        explorer.dll is not compatible with the current version of notepad++.

        PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • PeterJonesP
          PeterJones @Carlos Zhang
          last edited by

          @Carlos-Zhang ,

          The same message.
          c:\notepad++\plugins\explorer\explorer.dll

          It gave the error message for c:\notepad++\plugins\explorer\explorer.dll when you tried to install it while running C:\Users\Carlos\Desktop\npp.7.8.6.bin\notepad++.exe? That doesn’t seem right to me: the one on your desktop shouldn’t know anything about c:\notepad++. Are you sure when Notepad++ re-launched after you installed the plugin in your desktop copy that it correctly ran the desktop copy again?

          Further, I like @Ekopalypse’s theory: your Notepad++ is somehow finding a different explorer.dll. Two experiments for that, using your desktop copy of Notepad++ (we’re still trying to keep things independent of other settings and plugins that might be interfering):

          1. From a command prompt (cmd.exe), you could try where explorer.dll: if there’s an explorer.dll in your path (that it would thus possibly find before going to the plugins\explorer\explorer.dll), the cmd.exe where command might tell you about it.
          2. Go into desktop`npp.7.8.6.bin\plugins`, rename the folder explorer to MyExplorer and the dll that was explorer\explorer.dll to MyExplorer\MyExplorer.dll. Close Notepad++. Run the desktop copy of Notepad++.
          Carlos ZhangC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • cmeriauxC
            cmeriaux
            last edited by

            You may also try to use the Proc Monitor tools , to check which explorer.dll is loaded.

            https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • cmeriauxC
              cmeriaux
              last edited by

              Here is a screenshot of procMonitor which could be tricky to use.
              Add a filter " process name contains notepad" and “paht contains explorer.dll”. Then you’ll se detail operations and query and its status.

              bf06b8d7-8a95-40f0-b687-3d0f3f5b075f-image.png

              Carlos ZhangC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • Carlos ZhangC
                Carlos Zhang @PeterJones
                last edited by

                @PeterJones said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                It gave the error message for c:\notepad++\plugins\explorer\explorer.dll when you tried to install it while running C:\Users\Carlos\Desktop\npp.7.8.6.bin\notepad++.exe? That doesn’t seem right to me

                I meant the same message except the path.
                2020-05-04_204151.jpg

                Carlos ZhangC PeterJonesP 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Carlos ZhangC
                  Carlos Zhang @Carlos Zhang
                  last edited by

                  >where explorer.dll
                  INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).

                  2020-05-04_204733.jpg

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • PeterJonesP
                    PeterJones @Carlos Zhang
                    last edited by PeterJones

                    @Carlos-Zhang said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                    I meant the same message except the path.

                    I’m sorry for misunderstanding.

                    INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).

                    I thought it might show something else, which would have made it easier to debug. But alas, it did not.

                    Please make sure you try @cmeriaux’s suggestion of procMonitor, which can precisely identify the location of the DLL Notepad++ is really trying to load. And please make sure you try my suggestion #2 of renaming the DLL and its folder.

                    Carlos ZhangC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • Carlos ZhangC
                      Carlos Zhang @cmeriaux
                      last edited by

                      @cmeriaux said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                      Here is a screenshot of procMonitor which could be tricky to use.

                      I happen to have another tool Process Hacker which can also find dlls.
                      2020-05-04_211041.jpg

                      cmeriauxC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • cmeriauxC
                        cmeriaux @Carlos Zhang
                        last edited by

                        @Carlos-Zhang said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                        I happen to have another tool Process Hacker which can also find dlls.

                        I don’t think this is the same goal.
                        ProcMonitor will say which DDL notepad++ querys on plugin loading.
                        Process hacker will say which one is in use but in your situation , explorer.dll is not loaded, so it’s not in use. You’ll wont find it in process hacker

                        Carlos ZhangC 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
                        • Alan KilbornA
                          Alan Kilborn
                          last edited by

                          Suggestion:

                          OP is doing too much thinking and this is a problem because his thinking is counter-productive to the thinking of the people trying to help him.

                          OP needs to do (exactly and only) what the helpers are suggesting, and report back clear results.

                          That’s the only way this is going to get solved for the OP. My 2c.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • guy038G
                            guy038
                            last edited by guy038

                            Hi, @peterjones and All,

                            Sorry to answer only now, but my wife and I spent the big weekend of May 1st doing some interior renovations, in our living room !

                            I also got problems with the plugin explorer.dll ( v1.8.8.0 - x86 - 222,720 bytes ) !

                            When I started N++, I was told that This application could not be start as MSVCP140.dll could not be found ! I started searching with the Dependency Walker software and it happened that all the following DLL were missing to get explorer.dll to work properly !

                            ********************************| Module List |*********************************
*                                                                              *
* Legend: D  Delay Load Module   ?  Missing Module           6  64-bit Module  *
*         *  Dynamic Module      !  Invalid Module                             *
*                                E  Import/Export Mismatch or Load Failure     *
*                                                                              *
********************************************************************************

       Module                                 File Time Stamp   Link Time Stamp   File Size   Attr.  Link Checksum  Real Checksum  CPU  Subsystem  Symbols     Preferred Base  Actual Base  Virtual Size  Load Order  File Ver         Product Ver      Image Ver  Linker Ver  OS Ver  Subsystem Ver
-----  -------------------------------------  ----------------  ----------------  ----------  -----  -------------  -------------  ---  ---------  ----------  --------------  -----------  ------------  ----------  ---------------  ---------------  ---------  ----------  ------  -------------
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-CONVERT-L1-1-0.DLL      Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-ENVIRONMENT-L1-1-0.DLL  Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-FILESYSTEM-L1-1-0.DLL   Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-HEAP-L1-1-0.DLL         Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-LOCALE-L1-1-0.DLL       Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-MATH-L1-1-0.DLL         Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-MULTIBYTE-L1-1-0.DLL    Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-RUNTIME-L1-1-0.DLL      Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-STDIO-L1-1-0.DLL        Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-STRING-L1-1-0.DLL       Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-TIME-L1-1-0.DLL         Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  API-MS-WIN-CRT-UTILITY-L1-1-0.DLL      Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[ ? ]  VCRUNTIME140.DLL                       Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[D? ]  CONCRT140.DLL                          Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[D? ]  IESHIMS.DLL                            Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
[D? ]  WER.DLL                                Error opening file. Le fichier spécifié est introuvable (2).
...
...
...
************************************| Log |*************************************

Error: At least one required implicit or forwarded dependency was not found.
Warning: At least one delay-load dependency module was not found.
Warning: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function in a delay-load dependent module.

                            However, after download and installation of the missing dll, either, in system32 folder or in ...\Plugins\Explorer, I always got the same message This application could not be start as MSVCP140.dll could not be found :-((.

                            Luckily, the next day, I found out the solution ! As my Win WP SP3 laptop is quite an antiquity, when rebuilding the OS, after a C partition crash, in 2018, I simply had installed the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistribuable x86

                            So I decided to upgrade and downloaded the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015. As the requirements include Win XP SP3, even if VS2015 is not present, and that some hardware specifications were OK, I ran the executable and restarted my laptop.

                            And…, miraculously, after starting notepad++, no more error message and the Explorer plugin was well installed and fully functional ;-))

                            Best Regards,

                            guy038

                            Carlos ZhangC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                            • EkopalypseE
                              Ekopalypse
                              last edited by

                              @guy038
                              hmmm - interesting approach - I guess you are on the right track.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • Carlos ZhangC
                                Carlos Zhang @PeterJones
                                last edited by

                                @PeterJones said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                                And please make sure you try my suggestion #2 of renaming the DLL and its folder.

                                Yes I did. Please see above.

                                PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • PeterJonesP
                                  PeterJones @Carlos Zhang
                                  last edited by

                                  @Carlos-Zhang said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                                  Yes I did. Please see above.

                                  Sorry, it looked so much like the post above that I didn’t notice the picture was different. My bad.

                                  It does not look like Windows is trying to load the wrong DLL when Notepad++ requests Explorer.dll / MyExplorer.dll. So, that’s good news … but also not helpful, unfortunately. :-(

                                  My next guess would be that @guy038 is on the right track: try to download the most recent “Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable”: I believe that this MS page has the most recent versions of the redistributables. Since you are on 64bit OS, but using 32bit applications, I would suggest installing both the x86 and the x64 versions from the 2015/2017/2019 section at the top.

                                  If that isn’t sufficient, since you do have a 64bit OS, try downloading the 64bit Notepad++ portable zipfile, and unzip it to your desktop. Try to install the Explorer plugin in the 64bit (using Plugins Admin), and see if that one works better for you.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                  • Carlos ZhangC
                                    Carlos Zhang @cmeriaux
                                    last edited by

                                    This post is deleted!
                                    Carlos ZhangC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • Carlos ZhangC
                                      Carlos Zhang @Carlos Zhang
                                      last edited by

                                      This post is deleted!
                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • Carlos ZhangC
                                        Carlos Zhang @cmeriaux
                                        last edited by

                                        @cmeriaux said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                                        ProcMonitor will say which DDL notepad++ querys on plugin loading.

                                        Here you are.
                                        2020-05-05_211838.jpg

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                        • Carlos ZhangC
                                          Carlos Zhang @guy038
                                          last edited by

                                          @guy038 said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                                          So I decided to upgrade and downloaded the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015.

                                          I downloaded the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 for x86 from
                                          https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads.
                                          It really miraculously solved the issue.
                                          Thanks all for the great help!!

                                          PeterJonesP 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
                                          • PeterJonesP
                                            PeterJones @Carlos Zhang
                                            last edited by

                                            @Carlos-Zhang said in explorer.dll. The specified module could not be found.:

                                            It really miraculously solved the issue.

                                            I am glad it solved the issue for you.

                                            But it wasn’t a miracle: if the plugin has a dependency on the MSVC++ Redistributable, then that dependency must be satisfied in order to run. Unfortunately, plugins don’t always advertise that requirement.

                                            I have submitted an issue #12 and PR #15 to fix oviradoi’s README to include that requirement.

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
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