Troubleshooting Desk.cpl: How To Guide (Free Download)

Last Updated: 11/24/2023
[Time to Read Article: 5 minutes]

Desktop Settings Control Panel files such as desk.cpl utilize the CPL file extension. This file is considered a Win32 DLL (Dynamic link library) file, and was first created by Microsoft for the Microsoft® Windows® Operating System software package.

The first release of desk.cpl for the Windows Vista platform was on 11/08/2006 for Windows Vista. The latest file update released for Windows 10 was on 07/29/2015 [file version 10.0.15063.0 (WinBuild.160101.0800)]. desk.cpl is included in Windows 10, Windows XP, and Windows Vista versions.

Please see below for more detailed information, CPL file troubleshooting instructions, and free downloads of different versions of desk.cpl.

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File Overview


General Information
File Name: desk.cpl
File Extension: CPL file extension
Description: Desktop Settings Control Panel
Object File Type: Dynamic link library
File Operating System: Windows NT 32-bit
MIME Type: application/octet-stream
User Popularity Rating:
 
Developer and Software Information
Software Developer: Microsoft Corporation
Software Program: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Legal Copyright: © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
File Details
Character Set: Unicode
Language Code: English (U.S.)
File Flags: (none)
File Flags Mask: 0x003f
Entry Point: 0x10790
Code Size: 66048


What are desk.cpl Error Messages?


Dynamic Link Library desk.cpl Errors

desk.cpl is considered a type of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file. Dynamic Link Library files, like desk.cpl, are essentially a "guide book" that stores information and instructions for executable (EXE) files - like sapisvr.exe - to follow. These files were created so that multiple programs (eg. Windows) could share the same desk.cpl 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 CPL 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 desk.cpl is attempted to be loaded either when Windows is starting up, or in some cases already running. Some of the most common desk.cpl errors include:

Your desk.cpl file could be missing due to accidental deletion, uninstalled as a shared file of another program (shared with Windows), or deleted by a malware infection. Furthermore, desk.cpl file corruption could be caused from a power outage when loading Windows, system crash while loading desk.cpl, 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.



How to Fix desk.cpl Errors in 3 Steps (Time to complete: ~5-15 minutes)

If you're encountering one of the error messages above, follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve your desk.cpl issue. These troubleshooting steps are listed in the recommended order of execution.


Step 1: Restore your PC back to the latest restore point, "snapshot", or backup image before error occurred.

To begin System Restore (Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10):

  1. Hit the Windows Start button
  2. When you see the search box, type "System Restore" and press "ENTER".
  3. In the search results, find and click System Restore.
  4. Please enter the administrator password (if applicable / prompted).
  5. Follow the steps in the System Restore Wizard to choose a relevant restore point.
  6. Restore your computer to that backup image.

If the Step 1 fails to resolve the desk.cpl error, please proceed to the Step 2 below.

Step 2: Run SFC (System File Checker) to restore the corrupt or missing desk.cpl file.

System File Checker is a utility included with every Windows version that allows you scan and restore corrupted system files. Use the SFC tool to fix missing or corrupt desk.cpl files (Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10):

  1. Hit the Windows Start button
  2. In the search box, type "cmd" but DO NOT PRESS "ENTER".
  3. Press and hold "CTRL-Shift" on your keyboard while pressing "ENTER".
  4. You'll be prompted with a permission dialog box.
  5. In the box, click "YES".
  6. You should have a black screen with a blinking cursor.
  7. In that black screen, type "sfc /scannow" and hit "ENTER".
  8. SFC will begin scanning for desk.cpl issues and any other system file problems.
  9. Follow any on-screen commands to complete the process.

Please be aware that this scan might take a while, so please be patient while it is working.

If this Step 2 fails as well, please proceed to the Step 3 below.

sfc /scannow

Step 3: Perform a Windows Update.

When the first two steps haven't solved your issue, it might be a good idea to run Windows Update. Many desk.cpl error messages that are encountered can be contributed to an outdated Windows Operating System. To run Windows Update, please follow these easy steps:

  1. Hit the Windows Start button
  2. In the search box, type "Update" and press "ENTER".
  3. In the Windows Update dialog box, click "Check for Updates" (or similar button depending on your Windows version)
  4. If updates are available for download, click "Install Updates".
  5. After the update is completed, restart your PC.

If Windows Update failed to resolve the desk.cpl error message, please proceed to next step. Please note that this final step is recommended for advanced PC users only.



If Those Steps Fail: Download and Replace Your desk.cpl File (Caution: Advanced)

If none of the previous three troubleshooting steps have resolved your issue, you can try a more aggressive approach (Note: Not recommended for amateur PC users) by downloading and replacing your appropriate desk.cpl file version. We maintain a comprehensive database of 100% malware-free desk.cpl files for every applicable version of Windows. Please follow the steps below to download and properly replace you file:

  1. Locate your Windows operating system version in the list of below "Download desk.cpl Files".
  2. Click the appropriate "Download Now" button and download your Windows file version.
  3. Copy the file into the appropriate directory for your Windows version:

  4. Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\
    Windows XP: C:\Windows\System32\
    Windows Vista: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
    Windows Vista: C:\Windows\System32\
    Windows 7: C:\Windows\System32\
    Show 4 more directories +
    Windows 7: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\
    Windows 8: C:\Windows\System32\
    Windows 8.1: C:\Windows\System32\
    Windows 10: C:\Windows\System32\
  5. Restart your computer.

If this final step has failed and you're still encountering the error, you're only remaining option is to do a clean installation of Windows 10.


GEEK TIP : We must emphasize that reinstalling Windows will be a very time-consuming and advanced task to resolve desk.cpl problems. To avoid data loss, you must be sure that you have backed-up all of your important documents, pictures, software installers, and other personal data before beginning the process. If you are not currently backing up your data, you need to do so immediately.



Download desk.cpl Files (Malware-Tested 100% Clean)


CAUTION : We strongly advise against downloading and copying desk.cpl to your appropriate Windows system directory. Microsoft typically does not release Windows CPL files for download because they are bundled together inside of a software installer. The installer's task is to ensure that all correct verifications have been made before installing and placing desk.cpl and all other CPL files for Windows. An incorrectly installed CPL file may create system instability and could cause your program or operating system to stop functioning altogether. Proceed with caution.

Windows 10
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 8.1
Windows 8
Windows 7


Files Related to desk.cpl


CPL Files Related to desk.cpl

File Name Description Software Program (Version) File Size (bytes) File Location
hdwwiz.cpl Windows Control Panel Item Windows 7 234496 C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther\
main.cpl Mouse and Keyboard Control Panel Applets Microsoft® Windows® Operating System (6.3.9600.17415) 466944 C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\ro-RO\
timedate.cpl Windows Control Panel Item Windows Vista 714240 C:\Windows\Logs\DPX\
desk.cpl Desktop Settings Control Panel Microsoft® Windows® Operating System (6.2.9200.16384) 197632 C:\Windows\inf\
TabletPC.cpl Tablet PC Control Panel Microsoft® Windows® Operating System (6.1.7601.17514) 684032 C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther\

Other Files Related to desk.cpl

File Name Description Software Program (Version) File Size (bytes) File Location
OneX_v1.xsd XML Schema Definition Windows XP 5957 C:\Windows\L2Schemas\
WLANAP_profile_v1.xsd XML Schema Definition Windows 7 7504 C:\Windows\L2Schemas\
WLAN_profile_v1.xsd XML Schema Definition Windows Vista 15591 C:\Windows\L2Schemas\
WLAN_policy_v1.xsd XML Schema Definition Windows 8 7627 C:\Windows\L2Schemas\
WLAN_policy_v1.xsd XML Schema Definition Windows 8.1 7627 C:\Windows\L2Schemas\


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