FIX: Sysprep Fatal Error, Could not load MSESysprep.dll

Trying to run sysprep – fatal error because MSE was once installed
I have a W7 Prof 64 bit machine I am trying to Sysprep.
I had MSE installed previously and uninstalled it. And I am aware of the REARM issue and I dont believe it to be the cause.

If you are also troubled by this error, here are a couple of troubleshooting tips to help you resolve Sysprep Fatal Error, Could not load MSESysprep.dll error in Windows.

How can I fix the Sysprep dll errors on my Windows PC?

1. Delete an invalid entry from the registry

1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run.
2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
3. On the Registry Editor, click on File and Export. Give the file a name and save it in a safe location. This way you can restore the registry files if anything goes wrong.
4. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:
   HKLMsoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSetupSysprepCleanup
5. Right-click on Cleanup Key.
6. Select Permissions.
7. In the Permission window, select Administrators.
   
8. Under Permissions for Administrators, check Allow box for Full Control.
9. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
10. Select the CleanUp key again.
11. From the right pane, delete the following value:
    2D153B43-11B4-461F-AA43-832B2C8B8872
12. Right-click on the value and select Delete.
13. Close the registry editor.

If you can’t edit your Windows 10s registry, then you should use a proper repair tool for this. We strongly recommend you to use Restoro find the quickest solutions to the issue.

DLLs and registries are valuable data libraries that Windows uses in order to run properly.

Because of that, damaged or missing dlls or registry keys can be a leading cause for crashes, freezes, error messages, and they can even prevent you from launching software and Windows features altogether.

Unfortunately, registries and DLLs are clusters of data that even advanced users have a hard time tweaking properly without guidance, and even Microsoft advices against it.

More so, resetting your Windows OS is among the only truly effective solutions to fix these errors, but this solution has far too many drawbacks.

In order to avoid all that, one can always rely on automated third-party solutions, and few are as good as Restoro. It automates pretty much every aspect of your PC repair process, from the scans to the actual fixing.

Follow this small guide to learn to you can restore your PC to peak performance using Restoro:

1. Download and install Restoro
2. Launch Restoro
   • Restoro will now compile data about your PC

     

3. Wait for it to find any system stability issues and possible malware infections
   • Once the scan is complete, Restoro will show you a summary of your PC’s current status

     

4. Press Start Repair
   • Restoro will now start downloading and replacing and faulty registries, DLLs, and any other damaged files it may have found during the scan.
   • This is possible thanks to the online libraries that is uses for comparison, replacing damaged data with its perfectly functional equivalent
5. Restart your PC for all the changes to take effect

Your PC should now work perfectly fine, and you will no longer have to worry about slow response times, BSoD errors, or anything of the sort.

Disclaimer: This program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

2. Use IObit Uninstaller

1. Download and install IObit Uninstaller.
2. Launch IObit Uninstaller.
3. Under Applications, check for the Microsoft Security Essentials application.
4. Select it, and click Uninstall.
5. Next, run the Ccleaner app, and clean any leftover junk files related to MSE.
6. Once done, restart your PC and run the System Preparation tool.

IObit Uninstaller

With IObit Uninstaller you can fully uninstall programs by removing software leftovers, and get your PC working normally again.

3. Delete the Panther folder

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the following location:
   C:WindowsSystem32sysprep 
3. Right-click on the Pather folder.
4. You can delete the folder or simply rename it.
5. Run the System Preparation tool again, and it should run successfully without errors.

File Explorer is slow in Windows 10? Follow the simple steps from this guide and get it running fast again with ease.

The Sysprep Fatal Error, Could not load MSESysprep.dll seems to occur due to incomplete uninstallation of Microsoft Security Essentials.

By following the steps in this article you can fix the error and continue with the Sysprep process.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in February 2020 and was revamped and updated in February 2021 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.