Recently, several users reported that Teams fails to start when they attempt to launch it, and an error message stating ‘The ordinal 345 could not be located in the dynamic link library C:\Users\yaodi.NORTHAMERICA\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe’ appears on the screen. We had a look into the issue and discovered that it can be caused due to generic corruption errors, corrupt user profiles, outdated operating system, and faulty Teams installation. Below is a list of effective troubleshooting methods that have worked for other users. Proceed with the ones that suit you the best.

Run an SFC Scan

If Microsoft Teams is not starting on your Windows operating system, then the first thing you need to do is check your system for any corruption errors and bugs that might be preventing the application from working properly. The easiest way to do this is by using the System File Checker (SFC), which is a built-in Windows troubleshooting utility designed to look for inconsistencies within the system files. It works by scanning the files for issues and then replacing the corrupt files with their cached counterparts.  Here is how you can run an SFC scan on Windows 11:

Install Pending Updates

Your operating system is also likely to experience issues like the one with Microsoft Teams if it hasn’t been updated recently. An outdated system is prone to corruption errors and malware that make applications incompatible with your system, hence the problem. It is therefore imperative to install new updates as soon as they are released. Moreover, there might be a solution to your problem in the latest updates due to new features and fixes. Follow these steps to install the pending updates on your PC: If the error persists, proceed with the next method below.

Create a New User Profile

 Windows users are prone to experience issues similar to this one due to account glitches and bugs as well. If running the SFC scan did not help with the Teams issue, try creating a new Windows user profile, since your Windows user profile might host the bug.  If the issue is within your user account, removing the current one and proceeding with a new account should fix the Teams-related issue for you. Here is what you need to do:

Modify the Group Policy Editor

Another fix that has helped several users fix the Teams issue was setting the ‘Configure Automatic Updates’ policy in the Group Policy Editor to Not Configured.  Sometimes updates contain bugs that negatively affect the experience in a number of ways. During installation, they can break existing features, introduce driver and application compatibility problems, or display errors like the one at hand. Modifying the  ‘Configure Automatic Updates’ policy in the Group Policy Editor will help you make sure that there are no updates installed automatically. 

Use System Restore

System Restore is a Windows feature that takes a snapshot of your system before performing a critical operation and saves this snapshot as a ‘restore point’. This is done so that if your system encounters any errors moving forward, you can always undo the changes and revert it back to a previous point in time. In this method, we will use the Restore feature to revert the system back to a time when Microsoft Teams was working without any issues. However, remember that if the restore point was created after Teams started acting up, it will not fix the issue. In that case, jump to the next method below.

Add a Compiler Directive

If none of the solutions mentioned above has worked for you, then the issue is related to the Teams client installation. On all Windows 10 versions, COMCTL32.dll is version 5.x. In Teams, version 6.x is required, which is installed by the Teams installer. The issue can easily be verified with Windows 10 Dependency Walker, as well as Microsoft’s technical support staff. The missing command “TaskDialogIndirect” was added to COMCTL32 version 6 while Windows is loading version 5. Since Teams doesn’t have a properly programmed Manifest, Windows 10 loads the system version intermittently in memory and results in the error at hand This issue will continue to occur until Microsoft fixes their Teams client based on their own recommendations. If you want your application to use visual styles, you will have to include a compiler directive indicating that ComCtl32.dll version 6 should be used if it is available.

Microsoft Teams Users: 3×3 Grid View Is Nice, But A 5×5 View Is What We Need For…How to Fix Live Events Missing or not Working in Microsoft Teams?How to Fix Bluetooth Headset not Working with Microsoft Teams on Windows 10?How to Fix Hyperlink Not Working in Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 58Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 38Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 20Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 21Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 57Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 32Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 27Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 19Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 69Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 22Microsoft Teams Not Starting  Here s the Fix  - 24