element-web: GetPackageFamilyName could not be located in KERNEL32.dll

Steps to reproduce

When I started up the Element desktop app this morning, it fails to run, displaying this popup error:

The procedure entry point GetPackageFamilyName could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

GetPackageFamilyName was introduced in Windows 8, but I am running on Windows 7.

The app was working perfectly fine yesterday. I had originally installed v1.11.22.0, but apparently somehow v1.11.24.0 got installed. I DID NOT install v1.11.24.0 myself, did it auto-update itself?

I have now reinstalled v1.11.22.0 and it runs fine.

Outcome

What did you expect?

I expected it to run.

What happened instead?

It failed to run.

Operating system

Windows 7 Home Premium

Application version

Element version: 1.11.24

How did you install the app?

https://element.io/download

Homeserver

matrix.org, gitter.im

Will you send logs?

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created a year ago
Comments: 16 (6 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

@durablenapkin or do it the officially supported way by creating a config.json file and adding "update_base_url": null to it.

t3chguy on Mar 1, 2023

If anyone wants to get it working again:

Edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts and add 127.0.0.1 packages.element.io
Uninstall Element
Download https://packages.element.io/desktop/install/win32/x64/Element Setup 1.11.23.exe (Windows x64 build,or 32 bit build - https://packages.element.io/desktop/install/win32/ia32/Element Setup 1.11.23.exe)
Install (shouldn’t be any need to re-log in/authenticate)
Confirm autoupdate is disabled by going to Settings => Help & About => Click on Check for update and confirm an error message is shown

Disclaimer: this effectively disables Element autoupdates so it could break if major changes are introduced server-side, but it does get it working again on Windows 7/8/8.1

There was mention of a --no-update param somewhere in a Riot/Element Github issue but it didn’t work for me.

durablenapkin on Mar 1, 2023