CITMTA & CIT FixCIT Tools

MTA:SA fix

loader.dll error 126

MTA cannot load its own loader.dll. The MTA FAQ says antivirus programs, Avast and McAfee by name, have wrongly removed or blocked this file.

The message

loader.dll (error 126)

Steps

Try one step, then check whether the problem is still there. Follow any "only if" line before changing a setting.

  1. Avast: update it, then reinstall MTA

    Only if you use Avast.

    Make sure Avast is up to date, then run the MTA installer again from the official site.

  2. McAfee: add an exclusion

    Only if you use McAfee.

    In McAfee open the settings cog, then Real-Time Scanning, then Excluded Files, and choose Add file. The FAQ says to exclude the MTA installation folder first.

  3. Reinstall MTA and narrow the exclusion

    Reinstall MTA. Then add loader.dll itself to the exclusions and remove the wider exclusion for the whole MTA folder. The FAQ says you may also leave the whole folder excluded.

    Careful: Only exclude files that came from the official MTA installer.

  4. Another antivirus

    Only if your antivirus shows that it blocked loader.dll.

    The FAQ says other antivirus programs may do the same. Look in yours for a blocked or quarantined loader.dll, restore it or reinstall MTA, and allow only that file.

Still stuck? The Fix tool reads MTA's own log on your computer and points at the matching steps. Nothing is uploaded.

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Where this comes from

Official MTA guidance · reviewed 3 October 2026

Read from these sources on 3 October 2026 and written in our own words here.