# Visual Studio 2019 - executables can't find the .dll libraries - Help!

**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [May 4, 2021, 12:38pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700 "2021-05-04T12:38:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ChrisEdge](https://discourse.vtk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@ChrisEdge](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ChrisEdge)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2021, 12:38pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700/1 "2021-05-04T12:38:42Z")

</div>

On windows, building with Visual Studio 2019 everything builds OK with VTK Examples but none of the executables can find the .dll libraries it needs for VTK - Help!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![DavidMiraut](https://discourse.vtk.org/user_avatar/discourse.vtk.org/davidmiraut/32/3329_2.png) [@DavidMiraut](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/DavidMiraut)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700/2 "2021-05-04T13:07:25Z")

</div>

Hello Chris,

Probably you need to have the corresponding (Debug or Release) VTK dll folder on your path.  
Another option would be copying all needed dll files into the folder where your executable is. It can be done by hand or as a Pre-Built event (just like an script with the (x)copy commands).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ChrisEdge](https://discourse.vtk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@ChrisEdge](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/ChrisEdge)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2021, 1:21pm UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700/3 "2021-05-04T13:21:27Z")

</div>

Thanks David – yes, just before I read your response I added the explicit build/bin/release and build/bin/debug paths to my system environment Path and now all is well. Previously I had only created paths for build/bin and build/lib.

Regards,

Chris

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Etzka](https://discourse.vtk.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Etzka](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/Etzka)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2024, 7:13am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/visual-studio-2019-executables-cant-find-the-dll-libraries-help/5700/4 "2024-10-02T07:13:46Z")

</div>

thank to your comment that I fixed my error!