You’re trying to install a game on Windows 10/11, but you can’t finish the installation due to the error “Unarc.dll returned an error code”. The error code could be something like -1, -5, -6, -7, -11, -12, -14, etc.
It’s annoying, but not to worry. The error usually occurs due to the following reasons:
- Corrupted or missing DLL files
- Blocked installation
To fix the error, you can try the following five methods:
Method 1: Download and install the game again
Method 2: Disable your antivirus software
Method 3: Disable Windows Defender
Method 4: Adjust your page file settings
Method 5: Install the game in Safe Mode
Method 1: Download and install the game again
If the downloaded setup file is corrupted or not downloaded correctly, the error “Unarc.dll returned an error code” can occur. To fix the error, the simple method you can try is to redownload the game and try installing the game again.
If Method 1 doesn’t work for you, you can try Method 2.
Method 2: Disable your antivirus software
If you have any antivirus software running in the background, disabling them may help fix the error as these software may block your game installation by deleting some necessary files.
Disable your antivirus software temporarily then check to see if you can install the game without the error. If your antivirus software is the cause, you may need to uninstall them or use another antivirus software.
If Method 3 doesn’t work for you, continue to try Method 4.
Method 3: Disable Windows Defender
In some cases, Windows Defender can block the game installation and present you with the “Unarc.dll returned an error code” error. To fix the error, you can try disabling Windows Defender.
Important: While Windows Defender is disabled, be careful what you download from the internet or what links you click.
Here’s how to disable Windows Defender:
1) Press Win+S keys to open the Search box.
2) Type “windows security” into the Search box and select Windows Security from the result.
3) Click on Firewall & network protection on the left side.
4) Turn off Microsoft Defender Firewall for Domain network, Private network and Public network. To do so:
a) Click on the link (Domain network, Private network or Public network).
b) Click the toggle switch under Microsoft Defender Firewall to turn it off.
If Method 4 doesn’t work for you, continue to try Method 5. Remember to re-enable Windows Defender so your computer is under protection.
Method 4: Adjust your page files settings
To resolve the error, you can follow these steps to adjust the page file settings:
1) Open Control Panel. To Open Control, you can press the Windows logo key, type “control panel” and then select Control Panel.
2) At the Control Panel window, type “performance” in the search box, and under the System section, click on Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows. Then the Performance Options window will open.
3) Go to the Advanced tab, and under the Virtual memory section, click the Change… button.
4) Untick Automatically manage paging file size for all drives, and then select the drive that you have the system installed on. Generally, it could be the C:\ drive.
5) Select Custom size, set Initial size to 100MB and set Maximum size to 3000MB.
6) Click OK to save the changes.
7) Restart your computer and check to see if the error is resolved.
Method 5: Install the game in Safe Mode
If none of the above methods works, the last method you can try is to install the game in Safe Mode.
Firstly, you’ll need to access Safe Mode. To do so:
1) On your keyboard, press Win+R keys to open the Run box.
2) Type “msconfig” into the Run box and click on OK. Then the System Configuration window will pop up.
3) At the System Configuration window, go to the Boot tab and check the box next to Safe boot, and then click Apply -> OK.
4) Restart your computer then your computer will boot in Safe Mode.
Secondly, install the game.
Once done, open System Configuration again and uncheck the Safe boot box.
Hopefully you find the article helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll get back to you ASAP.