Winsock is a short form for Windows sockets. It is an Application program interface (API) which acts as a connecting bridge between an application program for internet such as your browser and Windows operating system. It runs as a DLL file which needs to be loaded into the memory when any application needs it. In simple terms, it helps you to connect to the internet. If you ever experience a stuck browser or errors while connecting to internet mentioning Winsock, then you are probably facing Winsock error.
What causes Winsock error?
• System bug or a malicious spyware
• Too many programs running at the same time requiring resources more than the capacity of the system
• Failure of hardware
• Problem in Windows registry
How to fix Winsock error?
1. You might have deleted Winsock file by accident. Restore it from Recycle bin. In case you have emptied the recycle bin before you could even retrieve the respective file, download file recovery software available online for free.
2. If you are not so sure whether you deleted the file or not, scan your computer for viruses using the antivirus software you already have. It might be that the Winsock error you are seeing is actually a virus pretending to be error.
3. If you got Winsock error after making changes to an important program, restoring your system might work. Use system restore to restore your system to any backup “restore point” before the change. This will reverse the changes you made recently.
4. You may also attempt to uninstall and then reinstall the program that uses Winsock file.
5. Winsock error might have occurred because of update problem. You may opt for drivers update. Update the drivers that are required by a particular program that shows a Winsock error while being accessed.
Note: If driver’s update caused Winsock error to happen, reverse the updates to old version.
6. Use system file checker (sfc) utility. Open start and type “cmd” in the search box. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER together. It will log you in the command prompt as an administrator. Type “sfc /scannow” without quotes and scan the system for errors. You can then repair the Winsock defected file.
7. Open start and and click control panel. Locate “windows update” and click on it. It will show you important and optional updates. Go for these updates. It might replace the defected Winsock.dll file with a new one. After updating, reboot your computer. (This procedure works in Windows 7, 8, and Vista).
8. If you are still facing problem, you may need to upgrade your RAM so that windows sockets do not get jammed.
Bottom line:
These are just few of the things you can do to fix Winsock error. If the problem still persists, you may also need to edit your registry, or reinstall windows. That might have you lose some data. Even after doing everything mentioned in this blog the Winsock error doesn’t get fixed, then it’s a hardware problem. Troubleshoot for it.