NetcardApi.dll is considered a type of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file. Dynamic Link Library files, like NetcardApi.dll, are essentially a "guide book" that stores information and instructions for executable (EXE) files - like MpSigStub.exe - to follow. These files were created so that multiple programs (eg. NETGEAR Genie) could share the same NetcardApi.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 NetcardApi.dll is attempted to be loaded either when NETGEAR Genie is starting up, or in some cases already running. Some of the most common NetcardApi.dll errors include:
- Access Violation at address - NetcardApi.dll.
- NetcardApi.dll could not be found.
- Cannot find C:\Program Files (x86)\NETGEAR Genie\bin\NetcardApi.dll.
- Cannot register NetcardApi.dll.
- Cannot start NETGEAR Genie. A required component is missing: NetcardApi.dll. Please install NETGEAR Genie again.
- Failed to load NetcardApi.dll.
- The application has failed to start because NetcardApi.dll was not found.
- The file NetcardApi.dll is missing or corrupt.
- This application failed to start because NetcardApi.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
Your NetcardApi.dll file could be missing due to accidental deletion, uninstalled as a shared file of another program (shared with NETGEAR Genie), or deleted by a malware infection. Furthermore, NetcardApi.dll file corruption could be caused from a power outage when loading NETGEAR Genie, system crash while loading NetcardApi.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.