How to fix The procedure entry point InitializeSynchronizationBarrier could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

The error message you are encountering, "The procedure entry point InitializeSynchronizationBarrier could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll," typically indicates that the application you are trying to run is attempting to use a function that is not available in the version of Windows on the target machine.

In your case, the target machine is running Windows Server 2008 R2, which is based on an older version of Windows, and it does not support the InitializeSynchronizationBarrier function, which was introduced in Windows 7 and later versions.

To resolve this issue, you have a few options:

1. Upgrade the Target Machine: If possible, consider upgrading the operating system on the target machine to a more recent version of Windows that supports the required function.
2. Modify Your Application: If upgrading the OS is not feasible, you may need to modify your application to avoid using InitializeSynchronizationBarrier or to implement an alternative synchronization mechanism that is compatible with older versions of Windows.
3. Check for Dependencies: Ensure that your application does not have dependencies on features that are not supported by Windows Server 2008 R2. You may need to review your code and libraries to ensure compatibility.

Given that everything was working fine two weeks ago, it’s possible that a recent change in your development environment or application dependencies may have introduced the use of this function.

Consider reviewing any recent updates or changes made to your project that might have led to this issue.

Thanks for reaching out the error you are seeing:

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

Occurs because the target machine (Windows Server 2008 R2) does not support the API InitializeSynchronizationBarrier. This API was introduced starting from Windows 10/Windows Server 2016 only.

Your application was built on windows 11 + Visual Studio 2022 (v143), and the generated binaries are using newer windows API that do not exist on Server 2008 R2.

Root cause

KERNEL32.dll on Windows Server 2008  (Build 7601) Does not contain the InitializeSynchronizationBarrier entry point. When the application tries to load this function the OS cannot resolve the entry point and fails with the above error.

This is an OS compatibility issue not a Visual Studio problem.

How to fix the issue

Option 1-Rebuild the application with lower windows SDK version

Rebuild your project while targeting a lower Windows version:

Steps:

• Open project properties-> Configuration Properties -> general
• Change:

1. Windows SDK version-> 10.0.19041 or lower
2. Platform toolset-> v142 or v141 (if available)

• In configuration properties -> C/C++ -> Preprocessor Add:

    _WIN32_WINNT=0x0601
  

(This corresponds to Windows 7/ server 2008 R2)

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/porting/modifying-winver-and-win32-winnt?view-msvc-170

Option 2- Avoid using API's unavailable on older windows

if any part of your old or used libraries relies on meanwhile that synchronization API introduced after Windows 10, replace them with earlier equivalent such as:

• CRITICAL_SECTION
• SRWLOCK
• CreateEvent

Option 3- Update the target server OS

If possible, update the target machine to :

• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022

These OS versions include InitializeSynchronizationBarrier in KERNEL32.dll.

Why it worked 2 weeks ago?

Most likely:

• A recent rebuild switched the toolset/SDK to a newer version.
• A library update (e.g., a NuGet/native library) introduced dependencies on newer Windows APIs.

Hope this helps, please let us know if you require any further assistance, we’re happy to help. If you found this information useful, kindly mark this as "Accept Answer".