We’ll learn how to fix the ‘Failed to install a dependency’ error message on Kodi 18.9 in this troubleshooting guide. When the associated dependencies cannot be installed during the installation of an addon, this message appears.
Kodi is a powerful media player that can not only play local media stored on your device, but also stream online content from all over the world. The third-party Kodi addons are what make Kodi truly amazing. These addons collect streams of your favorite content from a variety of servers and allow you to play it online. Addons, on the other hand, do not work in isolation. They rely heavily on what are known as ‘dependencies,’ which are external services.
Almost all addons require dependencies in order to scrape the internet and retrieve streams. Most popular add-ons, in fact, necessitate multiple dependencies. The required dependencies are installed (if they aren’t already installed) when you install add-ons like Exodus Redux, Covenant, Yoda, or any other. If at least one dependency fails to install, Kodi will display the message “failed to install a dependency.” You won’t be able to install the addon if the dependency fails to install.
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Fix Failed to Install Dependency on Kodi
I’ve seen this error a few times and have come up with some troubleshooting ideas after trying and testing various methods. Even though pinpointing the exact cause of the error is difficult, I am confident that one of the following solutions will work for you.
Clear Kodi Cache
The error ‘failed to install a dependency’ can sometimes be fixed by clearing the cache on Kodi. You won’t lose your existing addons or Kodi settings if you delete the cache instead of clearing the entire data.
The Ares Wizard is the most effective way to clear the cache. Install Ares Wizard first if you don’t already have it. Ares Wizard takes about 4-5 minutes to install, but it is a fantastic tool to have.
Step 1: Go ahead and start Ares Wizard now. Kodi Homescreen > Add-ons > Program Add-ons is where you’ll find it.
Step 2: When the wizard loads, go to the top and click the ‘Maintenance’ tab.
Step 3: In the Cache section on the right, click ‘Delete Cache/Temp’.
Step 4: After you’ve deleted the cache, you’ll see the following message. To continue, click ‘OK.’
The cache size on my system was only 1 MB, as you can see. That’s because I just reinstalled Kodi and haven’t installed many addons yet. The cache will grow in size, and the bigger it gets, the more problems it will cause. This is why deleting the cache may assist you in resolving the ‘Failed to install dependency error.’
Clear Kodi Data
Clearing the cache isn’t always enough. The error ‘Failed to install a dependency’ is often more persistent and does not go away simply by clearing the cache. Another option is to uninstall Kodi and then reinstall it from scratch. It will, for the most part, solve the problem. However, before you do so, you should first try clearing the Kodi data. Clearing the data will return Kodi to its original state and save you time.
You can reset Kodi data on this device from the Settings menu if you received the error message failed to install a dependency on FireStick. Ares Wizard can also be used to clear the data on all Kodi-compatible devices (including FireStick).
Install Ares Wizard on Kodi and proceed as follows:
Step 1: Open Ares Wizard and select the ‘More’ tab in the upper right corner (left to Settings)
Step 2: On the next screen, select ‘Erase All Data/Fresh Start’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: When the following prompt appears, confirm your action by clicking ‘Yes.’
Step 4: To continue, select whether you want to keep your favorites, sources, and addon settings, then click Proceed.
Depending on the size of the Kodi data, clearing it may take a minute or two. Kodi will be as good as new once the data has been cleared. All of your addons, including Ares Wizard, will be removed.
Remove & Reinstate Kodi Database
The database in Kodi holds a lot of information, and when it becomes corrupt, you’ll start seeing errors you’ve never seen before, like the one in question or “Kodi installation failed.”
Many of these issues can be resolved almost instantly by repairing the Kodi database. The good news is that you can still use Kodi despite the corrupt database. Only a few errors are visible. As a result, you can resolve the issue from within Kodi.
The following steps will show you how to remove and reinstall the Kodi database:
Step 1: From the Kodi home screen, go to the top-right corner and select ‘Settings’ (the cog icon).
Step 2: Select ‘File manager’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: In the next window, select ‘Profile Directory.’
Step 4: Select ‘Database’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 5: To bring up the contextual pop-up menu, select ‘Addons27.db’ and press the appropriate button/key (for example, right-click on Windows PC). On the pop-up menu, select ‘Delete.’
Step 6: When prompted, click “Yes” to confirm your action.
Step 7: After about a minute, close Kodi and relaunch it. When you get the ‘failed to install dependency’ error, try reinstalling the addon you were trying to install earlier.
Note: After removing the database, go to Add-ons > My add-ons and re-enable your existing addons after relaunching Kodi.
Install Kodi Dependencies Manually
If nothing else seems to be working, manually installing Kodi dependencies from the TVAddons repository is a good idea. It is, in fact, one of the first things you should try because it is more likely to solve the problem than the other options.
Here’s what you should do:
Step 1: From the Kodi home screen, go to Settings and select ‘System settings’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: On the next screen, on the left, select ‘Add-ons,’ and on the right, enable ‘Unknown Sources.’
Step 3: Confirm your action by clicking ‘Yes.’
Step 3: Return to the Kodi home screen and select Settings > File Manager this time.
Step 4: In the next window, click ‘Add source.’
Step 5: At this point, click on
Step 6: Now type http://fusion.tvaddons.co as the source URL. This is the source from which you will install the repository, so make sure you type it correctly. To proceed, click ‘OK.’
Step 7: In the text field labeled “Enter a name for this media source,” type a name. You are free to call it whatever you want. I’m going to call it fusion so that I can remember it later. To continue, click ‘OK’ once more.
Step 8: Return to the Kodi home screen and select ‘Add-ons’ from the left-hand menu.
Step 9: On the next screen, on the top-left, click the open box icon. ‘Package Installer’ is another name for this option.
Step 10: Next, select ‘Install from zip file’.
Step 11: Next, click ‘fusion’ or whatever name you gave the source previously.
Step 12: Go to ‘Kodi-repos’ and open it.
Step 13: Select ‘english’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 14: Scroll down to ‘repository.xbmchug-3.0.0.zip’ and click it. (Please note that the version number is subject to change.)
Step 15: Wait for the notification ‘TV Addons Co repo installed’ to appear in the top right corner of the screen.
It’s possible that you’ll need to install a few more TVAddons dependencies. As a result, here are the steps to take:
Step 1: Return to the Kodi home screen, then go to Add-ons > Package Installer > Install from Zip File (steps 9-11 above)
Step 2: Open ‘kodi-scripts’ by clicking ‘fusion’ (or whatever name you gave the source earlier).
Step 3: You should now see a few zip files. One has the word ‘methandler’ in its name, while the other has the word ‘urlresolver’ (see the image below)
Step 4: Simply click on each script to install it one at a time.
You have successfully installed all of the required dependencies. Now try installing the same addon that was giving you the ‘failed to install dependency’ error. It has a good chance of resolving the issue.
Not Met Kodi Dependencies
.Another common dependency-related error is ‘Kodi dependencies not met,’ and it would be remiss of me not to mention it.
When you try to install or use an addon that has been updated for a newer version of Kodi on an older version of Kodi, this problem frequently occurs. For example, I might get this error when trying to install a Kodi 18 addon on Kodi 17.6.
Although many updated addons are still compatible with older versions, this cannot be said for all of them. Fortunately, this problem is relatively simple to resolve. All you have to do now is update Kodi to the most recent version.
Please keep in mind that Kodi does not support updating from within the app. As a result, you’ll almost certainly need to start from scratch. This also means you’ll lose your existing data, settings, and installed add-ons.
Note: Similar to ‘Kodi dependencies not met,’ ‘The dependency on version could not be satisfied’ is an error that can usually be fixed by updating Kodi to the latest version. If the problem persists after the update, use one of the other methods listed above to troubleshoot it.
Check Kodi Log File
Finally, if nothing else works, I recommend looking at the Kodi error log file. The Kodi log will help you figure out what’s causing the issue.
There are a few addons for Kodi that allow you to view the log and even upload it to the internet. Look for the error message “failed to install dependency” in the log. Even if you are unable to determine the source of the issue, you can share the logfile with the Kodi experts, who will be able to assist you more effectively.
Final thoughts Failed to Install a Dependency’ on Kodi
Dependencies are what the addons rely on to provide you with streams on Kodi. I can tell you from personal experience that the error ‘failed to install a dependency’ does not occur frequently. When you do run into it, however, you’ll want to be prepared with a solution. At different times, one of the above troubleshooting methods has worked for me. I don’t see why they shouldn’t take care of the problem for you. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments section below.
