FM20.dll is Missing or Not Correctly Registered: 7 Quick Fixes

Re-registering the DLL worked for most users

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fm20.dll
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The FM20.dll, developed by Microsoft and a critical part of the PC, is used by several programs, including SMART DB, GEPath, ASTRA, and Microsoft Excel. When there are issues with the DLL, you get the Runtime error ‘339’: Component “FM20.DLL” or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid error while launching the app.

This usually happens if FM20.dll is not available or unregistered, system files are corrupted, critical permissions are missing, or the app throwing the missing DLL error wasn’t installed properly.

Before you proceed to the solutions, restart the PC, restore FM20.dll from the Recycle Bin, install all pending Windows and software updates, and scan the PC for malware. For most, these basic checks will do the trick!

What can I do when FM20.dll is not found or correctly registered?

1. Re-register FM20.dll

  1. Press Windows + S to open Search, type Command Prompt in the text field, and click on Run as administrator.
  2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  3. Paste the following commands one at a time and hit Enter after each: regsvr32 /u FM20.DLL regsvr32 C:\Windows\System32\FM20.DLLregister FM20.dll
  4. On the 32-bit OS architecture, you will have to replace System32 in the path with SYSWOW64.
  5. Once done, reboot the PC and verify whether FM20.dll is downloaded and registered in Windows.

2. Move FM20.dll to System32 and SysWOW64 folders

When getting the FM20.dll is missing or not found error, you should check whether the DLL is stored in its default path. For the unversed, the FM20.dll location is either of the two: C:\Windows\System32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64

storage path for FM20.dll
FM20.dll in System32 folder

So, even when the DLL is missing, simply go to another PC running the same iteration and architecture of Windows > copy the DLL to an external flash drive > connect it to the affected PC > move FM20.dll to System32 or SysWOW64 > restart the computer to apply the changes.

3. Run as affected app as an administrator

  1. Right-click on the affected app’s launcher (.exe file), and select Properties.
  2. Go to the Compatibility tab, and tick the checkbox for Run this program as an administrator.run as admin
  3. Click Apply and OK to save the changes, and then reboot the PC.

4. Repair the corrupted system files

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.command prompt
  2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  3. Paste the following DISM commands individually and hit Enter after each: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  4. Execute this command to run the SFC scan: sfc /scannowsfc scan to fix FM20.dll
  5. Finally, restart the computer for the changes to come into effect.

Since FM20.dll is a Microsoft DLL, corrupted system files can lead to errors with it. In this case, running the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) and SFC (System File Checker) scans will replace all problematic files with their cached copies and fix things in no time!

5. Repair Microsoft Office

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, go to Apps from the navigation pane, and click Installed apps on the right.
  2. Click on the ellipsis next to Microsoft 365 and select Modify.modify
  3. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  4. Select the Quick Repair option, and click on Repair.quick repair
  5. Once done, reboot the PC and check for improvements.
  6. If the error reappears, open the Microsoft Office repair utility, and perform an Online Repair.online repair to fix FM20.dll errors

If you are getting FM20.dll errors in Excel, Word, or other Microsoft Office apps, performing a repair will get things up and running. This clears out any misconfigurations and replaces the problematic files!

6. Reinstall the affected app

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type appwiz.cpl in the text field, and hit Enter.
  2. Select the app triggering the missing or unregistered DLL error, and click on Uninstall.uninstall app to fix FM20.dll errors
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process and then restart the PC.

A few apps that use FM20.dll install it in their dedicated directory and load it when needed. If that didn’t happen the first time, reinstalling it will fix things.

In case a quick removal doesn’t work, leftover files or Registry entries from the app might still be triggering conflicts within Windows. Here, I recommend using a top-rated software uninstaller to wipe all traces of the previous app installation!

7. Perform an in-place upgrade

Note icon NOTE
The steps listed below are for Windows 11. If you running the previous iteration, learn how to perform an in-place upgrade on Windows 10.
  1. Go to Microsoft’s official website, select the OS version and product language, and download the Windows 11 ISO.download ISO
  2. Right-click on the downloaded ISO, select Mount, and then click Open in the confirmation prompt.
  3. Run the setup.exe file.setup.exe
  4. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  5. Click Next to proceed.windows setup
  6. Now, review Microsoft’s license terms and click on Accept.
  7. Make sure the setup reads, Keep personal files and apps, then click on Install, and confirm the change.in-place upgrade to fix FM20.dll errors

If the previous solutions failed to fix the FM20.dll missing or not currently registered error, an in-place upgrade will do the trick. It is basically a Windows reinstall, but you don’t lose any files or apps!

Remember, FM20.dll errors are easy to fix, and in most cases, you wouldn’t have to perform an in-place upgrade. Simply re-registering the DLL or running the affected app as administrator will suffice. In my experience, these fixes worked for most.

Before you leave, learn more about DLL errors in Windows and take the necessary steps to prevent them from reappearing!

For any queries or to share more fixes with our readers, drop a comment below.

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