How to Fix Advrcntr5.dll Missing Errors

Reinstalling Nero is the most likely fix

By
Tim Fisher
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Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

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Updated on February 9, 2023

Advrcntr5.dll errors, most often the "This program requires the file advrcntr5.dll, which was not found on this system." error, are caused when, for whatever reason, the advrcntr5.dll file is deleted or moved from its proper location.

The advrcntr5 DLL file might go "missing" because it was accidentally deleted from the folder, because an antivirus or another security program mistakenly removed it thinking it was a security threat, or due to an issue when you last upgraded or reinstalled Nero.

This DLL error could be seen on any of Microsoft's operating systems, from Windows 11 down through Windows XP, especially systems that Nero is compatible with. However, advrcntr5.dll errors might even appear on computers without Nero installed if there's a malware infection of some kind.

Advrcntr5.dll Errors

advrcntr5 DLL error message in Windows

Advrcntr5.dll errors may show up a few different ways depending on how it was generated:

  • This program requires the file advrcntr5.dll, which was not found on this system.
  • ADVRCNTR5.DLL MISSING
  • File advrcntr5.dll not found

Most advrcntr5.dll "not found" errors are due to issues with certain versions of the Nero CD and DVD burning software program. The advrcntr5 DLL file must exist in the correct folder for Nero to burn CDs or DVDs.

The advrcntr5.dll error message could also be related to HTCMonitorService used with HTC Sync Manager. This program is installed within the Nero installation folder, so they're closely related.

How to Fix Advrcntr5.dll Errors

Follow these steps in the order they're listed:

Do not, under any circumstances, download advrcntr5.dll from any "DLL download site." There are several reasons why downloading DLLs like that is never a good idea. If you've already done so, remove it from wherever you copied it to and continue with the following steps.

  1. Restart your computer. The advrcntr5.dll error might be a fluke and a simple restart could clear it up completely.

  2. Record the serial number of your particular Nero installation. One way to do that is with a product key finder program.

  3. Uninstall Nero from your computer.

    You can do this with a free uninstaller tool as well as via the Uninstall Nero link in the Nero program group (if available). Another way is to use the Programs and Features or Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.

  4. Restart your computer.

  5. Download Nero General CleanTool. Extract and then run this free program from Nero. This utility will ensure that Nero is completely removed from your computer.

    This file is in the ZIP format. Unzip it from within Windows or use a dedicated file unzipper like 7-Zip.

    Nero General CleanTool is only guaranteed to work up through Nero 9. Newer versions of Nero should uninstall more completely via the standard uninstall method in Step 3, but feel free to try this method if you like.

  6. Restart your computer again, just to be safe.

  7. Reinstall Nero from your original installation disc or downloaded file. Hopefully, this step should restore the advrcntr5.dll file.

  8. Install the latest update to your Nero program if there is one available. There may have been certain issues in your original version of Nero that caused the advrcntr5.dll error you've been seeing.

  9. Restart your computer, again.

  10. Reinstall HTC Sync Manager or disable HTCMonitorService to see if that's what's causing the advrcntr5.dll error.

    To disable the service, execute the msconfig command in Run or Command Prompt, and then go into the Services tab to disable it. If this fixes the error after a reboot, be sure to reinstall HTC Sync Manager.

  11. Run a virus/malware scan of your entire system if the Nero reinstallation steps and other troubleshooting steps above don't resolve your issue. Some advrcntr5.dll issues are actually related to hostile programs that masquerade as the advrcntr5.dll file.

    The advrcntr5.dll file should be located in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Nero\AdvrCntr5 folder. If you find the advrcntr5.dll file in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, chances are it is not Nero's legitimate advrcntr5.dll file.

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