Did these steps clear up the error, or are you seeing a like "0xc000007b"?

: Security software (including Windows Defender) often flags this DLL as suspicious because it "hooks" into other processes. It may be moved to your Quarantine folder automatically. Corrupted Updates

Navigate to the game's installation folder (usually SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II\__Installer ).

: As a last resort, you might consider reinstalling Steam. This is a more drastic measure but can resolve issues if your Steam installation has become corrupted.

Here are the verified, safe methods to resolve the error for Dark Souls II .

He frowned. The file was there . Permissions were fine. He ran sfc /scannow —nothing. He disabled his firewall. Nothing. He even reinstalled the entire 14 GB game, watching the progress bar like a hawk.