How to use Dependencies: find missing DLLs on Windows

What Dependencies is for

Dependencies is a rewrite of the legacy software Dependency Walker, which shipped with Windows SDKs but whose development stopped around 2006. It helps Windows developers troubleshoot DLL load dependency issues by showing which DLLs a file depends on, so you can see where a load failure comes from.

• Good fit: Windows developers troubleshooting DLL load errors
• Good fit: people debugging a program that fails to start because a library is missing
• Good fit: users who want a free replacement for the discontinued Dependency Walker
• Not a fit: analysing DLLs loaded at runtime via LoadLibrary, which the README says is not supported
• Not a fit: non-Windows users, since the project is built for Windows

Install Dependencies on Windows

Dependencies ships as a download with no installer. Download the latest x64 release zip from the link in the project README, unzip it, and run the GUI binary. The project README also lists a separate download for users whose antivirus flags the default package.

Dependencies needs the Visual C++ Redistributable installed to run properly. Because the binary is not signed, Windows SmartScreen might warn you when you start it.

• Requirement: Windows
• Requirement: Visual C++ Redistributable
• Download the latest x64 release zip from the README link
• Unzip the archive and run DependenciesGui.exe

Open a file and read the dependency tree

Dependencies ships as two binaries. DependenciesGui.exe is the GUI, and Dependencies.exe is the command-line tool. Open the program or library you are investigating in the GUI, and the tree shows the DLLs it loads. Find the branch that stops or reports a missing module to locate the load failure.

• DependenciesGui.exe: graphical interface
• Dependencies.exe: command-line tool
• ClrPhTester.exe is also bundled and is described as a dumpbin-like executable used to test for non-regressions

Choose a tree build behaviour

Dependencies does not recursively resolve child imports when parsing a new file, because full recursion can be very memory-hungry; the README says it can use over a GB even for simple PE files. You can change this app-wide under Options, then Properties, then Tree build behaviour.

• ChildOnly (default): only processes PE child imports and nothing beyond
• RecursiveOnlyOnDirectImports: does not process delayload DLLs
• Recursive: full recursive analysis, which needs plenty of time and RAM

Know the current limitations

The README says Dependencies recreates features of depends.exe, with some limits. It supports direct, forwarded and delay load dependencies. Dynamic loading via LoadLibrary is not supported. It also supports API set schema redirection, checks between API imports and exports, and only minimal side-by-side (SxS) private manifest search.

• Supported: direct, forwarded and delay load dependencies
• Not supported: dynamic loading via LoadLibrary
• Supported: API set schema redirection and checks between imports and exports
• Minimal support: SxS private manifests search only

Build from source

The README says building is straightforward. The one caveat is that you must select the Debug or Release configuration and the x64 or x86 platform, which may not be the default in your setup.

• Choose Debug or Release configuration
• Choose x64 or x86 platform