If you use Skype on the good, old Windows XP OS and if you recently updated the Skype app, then you might have received a strange message failed to load library 'dxva2.dll'. After that, Skype does not start and you cannot sign in. Here is how to fix it and why it happens.
That's because Microsoft made some changes to the app. Version 7.5 onwards, it uses DirectX Video Acceleration 2.0 which requires you to have .NET Framework 4.0 installed. Many users do not have .NET 4.0 installed and as a result, they got this error message.
It is not clear why Microsoft didn't add the .NET framework requirement to the installer and the updater apps. Windows XP is not supported by Microsoft any more but since Skype still works on Windows XP, they could do it. The DXVA2.dll file is a component that was introduced with Windows Vista and it is installed on Windows XP when you install .NET 4.0.
So, to get rid of the failed to load library 'dxva2.dll' in Skype message, go to the following link:
.NET Framework 4 web installer
Download the web installer for .NET 4 and install it on your Windows XP system. Right after that, you can continue to use Skype.
That's it. You might also be interested in knowing: How to disable ads in Skype’s chat window and How to fix the error about outdated version of Skype and continue to use older versions.
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Thaaanks duude
It’s always a pleasure to come across someone who knows what they are on about. Thanks so much for publishing this.
Thank you so much dude! Great article it helped me a lot , I thought dxva2 was a directX component and after installing all directX updates I was still getting the same error (not for skype though)
Your article solved my trouble , thanks a BUNCH!!!!
You are welcome.