Launcher.dll is considered a type of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file. Dynamic Link Library files, like Launcher.dll, are essentially a "guide book" that stores information and instructions for executable (EXE) files - like FileCoAuth.exe - to follow. These files were created so that multiple programs (eg. Minecraft) could share the same Launcher.dll file, saving valuable memory allocation, therefore making your computer run more efficiently.
Unfortunately, what makes DLL files so convenient and efficient, also makes them extremely vulnerable to problems. If something happens to a shared DLL file, either it goes missing or gets corrupted in some way, it can generate a "runtime" error message. Runtime is pretty self-explanatory; it means that these errors are triggered when Launcher.dll is attempted to be loaded either when Minecraft is starting up, or in some cases already running. Some of the most common Launcher.dll errors include:
- Access Violation at address - Launcher.dll.
- Launcher.dll could not be found.
- Cannot find C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft Launcher\game\Launcher.dll.
- Cannot register Launcher.dll.
- Cannot start Minecraft. A required component is missing: Launcher.dll. Please install Minecraft again.
- Failed to load Launcher.dll.
- The application has failed to start because Launcher.dll was not found.
- The file Launcher.dll is missing or corrupt.
- This application failed to start because Launcher.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
Your Launcher.dll file could be missing due to accidental deletion, uninstalled as a shared file of another program (shared with Minecraft), or deleted by a malware infection. Furthermore, Launcher.dll file corruption could be caused from a power outage when loading Minecraft, system crash while loading Launcher.dll, bad sectors on your storage media (usually your primary hard drive), or quite commonly, a malware infection. Thus, it's critical to make sure your anti-virus is kept up-to-date and scanning regularly.