Many users today actively use the popular Skype program to communicate via video calls. However, the installation or launch of the application does not always go smoothly, and the system for some reason gives an incomprehensible message about the impossibility of loading the Kernel32.dll module (in the problem description log it is Fatal Error Skype KERNEL32.dll). What kind of failure it is and how to fix such a problem will now be examined with the simplest examples.
What does the message with the text “Kernel32.dll. Skype Error"?
If you look at the failure itself, to identify its nature and the reasons for its appearance, you should build on what the problem module Kernel32.dll is. We note right away that this is not a program file, but a “native” dynamic Windows library, when trying to access it, problems arise.
Despite the fact that there is an error starting Skype, Kernel32.dll can fail and for a completely different reason. The inability to start this service is only a consequence, for example, if the module itself is busy with other processes. But it happens and vice versa, it is Skype that becomes the root cause due to problems with parallel updates of the program itself and the operating system as a whole. Let us illustrate with an example.
The reasons for the failure
For those who don’t know what some of the Windows modules are responsible for, we’ll explain: in this case, we are dealing with one of the components of the system core that is responsible for updating its core modules and system files. As already understood, this is the dynamic library Kernel32.dll. Skype (an error or failure may occur in several cases) simply cannot gain access to this module. There are three main reasons for this:
- virus infection of either the program or the Kernel32.dll module;
- Conflicts when updating Skype to a later version when Windows cannot be updated;
- damage or lack of library.
The most likely cause of the failure is usually called the situation when Skype independently updates its modules and components, and the update of the operating system is turned off or impossible for some reason. The situation is paradoxical: the updated application conflicts with outdated components of the operating system. This is the same as trying to run a program developed for Windows 10 in a Windows XP environment. The example, of course, is not the most successful, but it shows the essence of the problem quite well. The same thing is observed in this case. It is bad that Skype does not coordinate its update actions with the OS update in the sense of installing the necessary packages or even its more recent version.
In principle, there is nothing catastrophic here, and any failure indicated in the error log as Fatal Error Skype KERNEL32.dll can be easily fixed. However, in order to eliminate such errors, you should initially pay attention to several important aspects, without which the correction of the failure may lead to nothing.
Bug Fix: Basic Methods
As already clear, based on the root causes that cause a crash with a description like “Kernel32.dll. Skype Access and download error ”or something like that, an integrated approach should be taken to solve the problem.
To do this, you can use several main areas:
- make a system restore (if there was no failure up to a certain point);
- check the system for viruses;
- clarify the situation with updating the system and program.
Rollback system
To get started, let's dwell on the simplest solution, which in some cases helps to fix the problem. Initially, we assume that the program until some point worked without problems, but at some point a call to the Kernel32.dll module failed, Skype throws an error and, to put it mildly, simply refuses to start, despite all the warnings and attempts to restart.
In this case, the only thing that comes to mind is the rollback of the system (after all, everything worked before). Restore it is not difficult. To do this, it’s enough to use the corresponding section of the “Control Panel”, but only before the start of the rollback process, you need to select the control point that preceded the time the error occurred. If this is not in the list, select the option to display all control points. After completing the process and rebooting the system, we look at how Skype behaves. If the situation has not changed, proceed to the next step.
System scan for viruses
Failure with the log “Kernel32.dll. Skype Access Error ”can often occur due to exposure to viruses. However, we may not talk about threats that directly affect the operating system. The fact is that Skype, like any other similar application, belongs to those software products that are, so to speak, in the high-risk group of viruses and computer worms. Accordingly, after the virus is activated in the application itself, its action can spread to the entire system, including the Kernel32.dll dynamic library.
Regarding the verification of the system, we proceed from the fact that there is a standard anti-virus installed, but for some reason he nevertheless missed the threat. To identify threats and disinfect your computer or laptop, you should use the so-called portable anti-virus utilities, other than the anti-virus installed on this device. The most powerful in this regard are packages like Dr. Web CureIt and Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. But since some modern viruses are able to settle deep in RAM, it is recommended to scan using recovery disks such as Kaspersky Rescue Disk, which have their own graphical interface and are loaded even before the start of the operating system itself.
Enabling System Update
As mentioned above, one of the main problems is an inconsistent update of the Skype program, when the application becomes impossible in the operating system with its outdated modules. One way to solve the problem is to turn on the automatic update of the system in the corresponding section of the "Control Panel" (in Windows 10, access is through the options menu with the choice of the update and security section).
If someone doesn’t want to keep this feature always on, you can use it only for a while, wait until the service pack is fully downloaded and installed for a specific version of Windows, and then see how Skype behaves. If everything is fine, the automatic update can be disabled. True, in this case the option is not ruled out that the situation will happen again.
Skype is not installed. Kernel32.dll crashes: what to do?
In addition to all of the above, a problem may arise at the stage of installation of the program. So, if you suddenly see a Skype installation error , Kernel32.dll has a lower version than that which is necessary for the program to work correctly. Accordingly, the launch of the application is impossible. What to do? Naturally, you can try to update the system, but this method, due to its specificity, may not always work.
Here, the easiest solution is to use an earlier version of the Skype application itself, for example, its popular version of Skype SSE or the application version of the fifth version. Only after the installation is complete in the program, you need to disable the automatic update function. As practice shows, it works on obsolete versions of Windows XP, even if there are no recent service packs. By the way, installing SP3 of the latest version on Windows XP often instantly solves the problem of launching or installing Skype of any modification, of course, provided that this version is not intended to be installed exclusively in later versions of Windows itself.
Library recovery using special utilities
As for damage to the system library, of course, it can be found on the Internet and downloaded for any version of Windows. True, it is far from the fact that everything will work fine.
In this case, it is better to use utilities like DLL Suite or Microsoft FixIt, which allow you to download missing or damaged files from the Web in a matter of minutes and re-integrate them into the system. Alternatively, this method is also suitable.
Conclusion
It remains to say that here we consider the most common problems of the Kernel32.dll Skype module failure (error starting or loading a system component). Often, he cannot start precisely because of this. As you can see, the problem can be solved quite simply. True, in this case, some specific points were not considered, for example, a program can be blocked by antivirus or Windows firewall). Although rare, it still occurs. But in general, based on the root causes, the above solutions to correct the situation almost always help.