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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Open the Fix toolOther problems like this
- There was a problem validating your serial
- MTA will not start in a virtual machine or sandbox
- MTA says Windows is in Safe Mode
- MTA says it is incompatible with software on your PC
- MTA warns that it could not detect an anti-virus
- CL29: client integrity warning at launch
- Another MTA or GTA instance is already running
- MTA data files or core.dll are missing
All fix guides · Every MTA:SA error code · Crash codes and offsets
Where this comes from
Official MTA guidance · reviewed 3 October 2026
- wiki.multitheftauto.com/wiki/Known_Issues_-_FAQ
- multitheftauto.com/
- forum.multitheftauto.com/topic/139149-i-cant-get-into-the-mta/
Read from these sources on 3 October 2026 and written in our own words here.