Dependencies
A Windows tool that shows which DLL files a program needs, to debug missing-dependency errors.
- Stars
- 11.9k
- Forks
- 954
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- C#
- Last update
- 2.5 years ago
- Type
- App
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
Dependencies is a modern rewrite of the old Dependency Walker tool for Windows. It opens a program or library file and draws a tree of the other DLL files it loads, so you can see where a load failure comes from. It ships as a GUI app plus a command-line tool.
- Open a .exe or .dll and view its direct, forwarded and delay-load dependencies
- Filter the API and module lists to find a specific import
- Switch the tree build behaviour to recursive analysis when you need the full dependency chain
- Run the command-line Dependencies.exe for scripted checks
Great for
- Windows developers troubleshooting DLL load errors
- People debugging a program that fails to start because a library is missing
- Users who want a free replacement for the discontinued Dependency Walker
Not ideal for
- Analyzing DLLs loaded at runtime via LoadLibrary, since the README says those are not supported
- Users who need full recursive analysis on large files without lots of RAM, since the README warns it can use many gigabytes
- Non-Windows users, as the project is built for Windows
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
You'll need: Windows · Visual C++ Redistributable
Download the latest x64 release zip from the README link, then unzip it and run DependenciesGui.exe
git clone https://github.com/lucasg/Dependencies - 2
Run it
- Download the x64 release zip from the Releases section or the README download link.
- Extract the archive.
- Run DependenciesGui.exe.
- Open the program or DLL you want to inspect.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the AV-friendly zip variant without PeView.exe if your antivirus flags the main download
- Change the tree build behaviour under Options > Properties if you need deeper analysis
- Use F5 to refresh an analysis after changes
- Use the CLI Dependencies.exe for batch inspection
Downloads
Strengths
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Rewrites a well-known tool that had stopped development
- Has a GUI and a CLI in one project
Trade-offs
- The README says the binary is unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen may warn at runtime
- Needs the Visual C++ Redistributable installed to run properly
- Does not recursively resolve child imports by default, so the full picture requires changing settings
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependencies (this) | 11.9k | App | beginner | 2.5 years ago | Windows developers troubleshooting DLL load errors |
| DevToys | 32.2k | App | beginner | 1 months ago | Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data |
| calculator | 31.1k | App | intermediate | 13 days ago | Windows 11 users who want to read or modify the built-in calculator |
| Files | 46.4k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Windows users who want a more modern alternative to File Explorer |
| Playnite | 14.4k | App | beginner | 17 days ago | People who own games across several stores and want one place to launch them |
| terminal | 105k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.