Solution to Corefoundation.dll Errors in Windows

Corefoundation.dll is associated with Apple products, such as iTunes and QuickTime. The file is installed on your computer when you run the iTunes installer.

Error 1

You may encounter the following error when you start Windows or iTunes.
“This application has failed to start because CoreFoundation.dll was not found.
Re-installing the application may fix this problem.”

Solution

Make use of the following methods, in the sequence they appear below, to resolve the error.

Method 1 – Uninstall and Reinstall iTunes

In case iTunes is installed on your computer, remove the program and install it again to fix the error.

If you need help on how to uninstall iTunes, perform the steps listed below:

  1. Click Start.
  2. Click Control Panel.
  3. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
  4. Locate and select iTunes in the currently installed programs list.
  5. Click Remove/Uninstall.

Method 2 – Uninstall and Reinstall QuickTime

If you don’t use iTunes, but have QuickTime on your computer, uninstall the QuickTime application and reinstall it to fix the above application error.

The following steps take you through how to uninstall QuickTime:

  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
  3. Locate and select QuickTime.
  4. Click Remove/Uninstall.

Method 3 – Download the DLL File

In case you don’t have either iTunes or QuickTime, download the corefoundation.dll file from a reliable online DLL directory and save the file in %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\

While downloading a file from the Internet it is essential that you verify the file size and version to ascertain the file you are downloading is genuine and not malware-related. Many websites are notorious of pushing rogue files in lieu of genuine files by giving rogue files the same name as legitimate files.

Note: %ProgramFiles% is a variable and denotes the Program Files folder on your Windows computer. By default the path is C:\Program Files.

Error 2

You may receive any of the following error messages while opening the MobileMe Control Panel:

  • “MobileMe Control Panel cannot continue as Apple Application Support is missing or outdated.
    Please uninstall and reinstall the latest version of iTunes and MobileMe Control Panel to fix this issue."
  • This application has failed to start because CoreFoundation.dll was not found.
    Re-installing the application may fix this problem."

Cause

The above-mentioned error generally occurs when you open MobileMe Control Panel after you have uninstalled Apple Mobile Device Support or Apple Application Support. As MobileMe Control Panel needs these two programs, it returns an error when you try to run either of the two aforementioned programs and they are absent from your computer.

Solution

iTunes installer contains both Apple Mobile Device Support and Apple Application Support. So, you can resolve the error by uninstalling iTunes and then reinstalling it.

Error 3

After you have upgraded to iTunes 9.1 you may encounter the following error everytime you boot Windows:
“AppleSyncNotifier.exe unable to locate CoreFoundation.dll “
Solution

Many Windows users have been able to resolve the above issue by uninstalling MobileMe software from their computer. So, if you don’t require the functionalities attached with MobileMe, you can uninstall this program from your computer to get rid of this error message.

To uninstall MobileMe, perform the following steps:

  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs icon.
  3. Locate and select MobileMe from the currently installed programs list.
  4. Click Uninstall/Remove.