Why is Eggplant Functional failing to start with a missing CSLicensingClient-0.dll error?

This error occurs only on Windows systems. You might see this warning message: “The program can’t start because CSLicensingClient-0.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.” However, it’s not typically necessary to reinstall the program; the problem is usually that Eggplant Functional is being launched via the wrong file.

There is an Eggplant.exe file inside the Eggplant.app folder. This file is the actual Eggplant Functional application, but it cannot be launched directly. The application needs to be launched via either the eggPlant.exe or eggPlant.bat file in the top level of the Eggplant Functional installation directory, which by default is C:\Program Files (x86)\eggPlant. eggPlant.exe is an executable version of eggPlant.bat and it is the file that the Eggplant Functional shortcuts point to.

The role of the .bat file is to set up the paths that Eggplant Functional needs to locate its resources, such as CSLicensingClient-0.dll. Because the .bat file is performing these actions, Eggplant Functional doesn’t need to modify the registry or paths when it is installed.

If you are seeing this error, it is likely that you have pinned Eggplant Functional to the taskbar from a running instance of the program, and you are trying to launch it via that pinned icon. The way Windows works, the executable associated with the taskbar shortcut is the last executable that was called in starting that application. The executable in the Eggplant.app folder, Eggplant.exe, is the last one called, so it is referenced by the taskbar shortcut, but it cannot be launched directly because the other .exe needs to set up its environment first.

However, it is possible to launch Eggplant Functional from the taskbar or the Start menu. As mentioned, there is an eggPlant.exe executable in the top level of the Eggplant Functional install directory that ultimately calls Eggplant.exe file in the Eggplant.app folder. Right-click the eggPlant.exe file and select Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu. You can also right-click the Eggplant Functional shortcut on the desktop to find the same options.

For more information about installing and licensing Eggplant Functional, see Installing Eggplant Functional.