diff --git a/install.bat b/install.bat
index fdb309a..132e631 100644
--- a/install.bat
+++ b/install.bat
@@ -104,14 +104,17 @@ echo Installing tesserocr wheel...
 "%PYTHON%" -m pip install --force-reinstall "%~dp0dependencies\tesserocr-2.5.2-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl" >nul 2>&1
 
 :: --- Smoke test: import key dependencies ---
+:: Note: os.add_dll_directory (not ctypes.WinDLL) is the correct mechanism.
+:: Python 3.8+ loads .pyd files with LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_USER_DIRS which
+:: searches user-registered dirs for the pyd AND all its transitive deps.
 echo.
 echo Verifying dependencies...
-"%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys,ctypes;dirs=[d for d in [os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',x) for x in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin']] if os.path.isdir(d)];[os.add_dll_directory(d) for d in dirs];os.environ.__setitem__('PATH',os.pathsep.join(dirs)+os.pathsep+os.environ.get('PATH',''));t=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin','tesseract51.dll');ctypes.WinDLL(t) if os.path.isfile(t) else None;import cv2,mss,numpy,tesserocr,discord,transitions,rapidfuzz" >nul 2>&1
+"%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys;[os.add_dll_directory(d) for d in [os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',x) for x in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin']] if os.path.isdir(d)];import cv2,mss,numpy,tesserocr,discord,transitions,rapidfuzz" >nul 2>&1
 if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
     echo.
     echo WARNING: Dependency check failed. Running diagnostics...
     echo.
-    "%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys,ctypes; lb=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin'); dlls=[f for f in (os.listdir(lb) if os.path.isdir(lb) else []) if any(k in f.lower() for k in ['tess','lepton'])]; print('  Tesseract DLLs in Library/bin:',dlls or 'NONE'); dirs=[d for d in [os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',x) for x in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin']] if os.path.isdir(d)]; [os.add_dll_directory(d) for d in dirs]; os.environ.__setitem__('PATH',os.pathsep.join(dirs)+os.pathsep+os.environ.get('PATH','')); t=os.path.join(lb,'tesseract51.dll'); r=ctypes.WinDLL(t) if os.path.isfile(t) else 'missing'; print('  ctypes tesseract51.dll:',type(r).__name__); __import__('tesserocr'); print('  tesserocr import: OK')" 2>&1
+    "%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys; lb=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin'); dlls=[f for f in (os.listdir(lb) if os.path.isdir(lb) else []) if any(k in f.lower() for k in ['tess','lepton'])]; print('  Tesseract DLLs in Library/bin:',dlls or 'NONE'); [os.add_dll_directory(d) for d in [os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',x) for x in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin']] if os.path.isdir(d)]; import tesserocr; print('  tesserocr import: OK')" 2>&1
     echo.
     echo *** Do NOT run "pip install tesserocr" manually - it builds from source and
     echo *** will always fail on Windows. Re-run install.bat to fix dependencies.
diff --git a/src/d2r_image/ocr.py b/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
index 2c4f868..77c0e34 100644
--- a/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
+++ b/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
@@ -1,28 +1,17 @@
 import os
 import sys
 if os.name == 'nt':
-    import ctypes
-    # Collect all conda DLL dirs that exist
-    _conda_dll_dirs = [d for d in [
+    # Python 3.8+ loads .pyd files with LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_USER_DIRS, which
+    # searches directories registered via os.add_dll_directory() — including
+    # all transitive DLL dependencies. This is the correct mechanism for
+    # making tesserocr find tesseract51.dll and leptonica without conda activate.
+    for _d in [
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'bin'),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'mingw-w64', 'bin'),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'usr', 'bin'),
-    ] if os.path.isdir(d)]
-    # 1) os.add_dll_directory: lets Python find tesserocr's direct deps when
-    #    loading the .pyd via LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_USER_DIRS.
-    for _d in _conda_dll_dirs:
-        os.add_dll_directory(_d)
-    # 2) Prepend to PATH: when ctypes.WinDLL loads tesseract51.dll by absolute
-    #    path, Windows resolves *that DLL's* own transitive deps (leptonica,
-    #    zlib, libpng, …) using the standard search order: app-dir → System32
-    #    → Windows-dir → cwd → PATH. Those libs live in Library\bin, not
-    #    System32, so without PATH they won't be found.
-    os.environ['PATH'] = os.pathsep.join(_conda_dll_dirs) + os.pathsep + os.environ.get('PATH', '')
-    # 3) Pre-load tesseract51.dll now (PATH is set, so all its deps resolve).
-    #    Once it's in the DLL cache the .pyd import below reuses it.
-    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'bin', 'tesseract51.dll')
-    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
-        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
+    ]:
+        if os.path.isdir(_d):
+            os.add_dll_directory(_d)
 from tesserocr import PyTessBaseAPI, OEM
 import numpy as np
 import cv2
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 72e4db4..76b0694 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -1,22 +1,17 @@
 # Fix: On Windows, Python 3.8+ requires os.add_dll_directory for conda-forge DLLs
 # that tesserocr depends on (tesseract51.dll, leptonica-1.78.0.dll).
 # This must run BEFORE any import that might trigger tesserocr loading.
+# os.add_dll_directory registers dirs with LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_USER_DIRS,
+# which applies to the .pyd and all its transitive DLL dependencies.
 import os, sys
 if sys.platform == "win32":
-    import ctypes
-    _bundled = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))), "conda_env", "Library", "bin")
-    _conda_dll_dirs = [d for d in [
-        _bundled,
+    for _d in [
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin"),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "mingw-w64", "bin"),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "usr", "bin"),
-    ] if os.path.isdir(d)]
-    for _d in _conda_dll_dirs:
-        os.add_dll_directory(_d)
-    os.environ['PATH'] = os.pathsep.join(_conda_dll_dirs) + os.pathsep + os.environ.get('PATH', '')
-    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin", "tesseract51.dll")
-    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
-        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
+    ]:
+        if os.path.isdir(_d):
+            os.add_dll_directory(_d)
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from input_layer import keyboard
diff --git a/src/shopper.py b/src/shopper.py
index 46547c6..344fb64 100644
--- a/src/shopper.py
+++ b/src/shopper.py
@@ -1,18 +1,14 @@
 # Fix: On Windows, Python 3.8+ requires os.add_dll_directory for conda-forge DLLs
+# that tesserocr depends on (tesseract51.dll, leptonica-1.78.0.dll).
 import os, sys
 if sys.platform == "win32":
-    import ctypes
-    _conda_dll_dirs = [d for d in [
+    for _d in [
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin"),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "mingw-w64", "bin"),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "usr", "bin"),
-    ] if os.path.isdir(d)]
-    for _d in _conda_dll_dirs:
-        os.add_dll_directory(_d)
-    os.environ['PATH'] = os.pathsep.join(_conda_dll_dirs) + os.pathsep + os.environ.get('PATH', '')
-    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin", "tesseract51.dll")
-    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
-        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
+    ]:
+        if os.path.isdir(_d):
+            os.add_dll_directory(_d)
 
 from beautifultable import BeautifulTable
 import logging