Windows 7 Printing a pdf

Question

When I try and print a pdf, the following message is displayed

api-ms-win-core-winrt-l1-1-0.dll is missing

How do i overcome this

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Mike Lowe,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

May I know have you tried to check the AI assistant response yet? Please let me know.

api-ms-win-core-winrt-l1-1-0.dll is a core system file that start to be included in Windows 8 or higher. This is not available in Windows 7. Since Windows 7 is already out of support since 2023, apps might start to implant new requirements to fit more with recent versions, which is why this message appears.

In this case, the workaround is to install an older version of the app you are using (Not necessarily Acrobat Reader). Then stop the auto update of the apps to make sure it won't update to the version that require the file. While there might be some downloadable version of the .dll file on the internet. I'd not suggest using them, since they are not initially made for Windows 7 and could cause issue.

Additionally, you should consider upgrade to a newer Windows version if possible for continuous bug fixes and security updates.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

The missing api-ms-win-core-winrt-l1-1-0.dll when printing PDFs on Windows 7 is related to Adobe Reader no longer being compatible with that older OS version. A practical workaround is to install an older Adobe Reader version that still supports Windows 7 and then disable its automatic updates so it does not update itself back to an incompatible build.

Steps:

1. Uninstall the current Adobe Acrobat/Reader version from Programs and Features.
2. Install an older Adobe Reader version that is known to work on Windows 7 (for example, Adobe Reader XI 11.0.01 as suggested in the referenced discussion).
3. After installation, open Adobe Reader, go to its update/settings area, and turn off automatic updates so it does not upgrade to a newer, incompatible version again.

This avoids the missing-API DLL issue without modifying system files on Windows 7.

---

References:

• Missing api-ms-win-core-winrt-l1-1-0.dll - Microsoft Q&A