diff --git a/install.bat b/install.bat
index 718a356..7df49e2 100644
--- a/install.bat
+++ b/install.bat
@@ -99,15 +99,15 @@ echo Installing tesserocr wheel...
 :: --- Smoke test: import key dependencies ---
 echo.
 echo Verifying dependencies...
-"%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys;[os.add_dll_directory(p) for p in [os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d) for d in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin']] if os.path.isdir(p)];import cv2,mss,numpy,tesserocr,discord,transitions,rapidfuzz" >nul 2>&1
+"%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys,ctypes;lb=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin');[os.add_dll_directory(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d)) for d in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin'] if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d))];ctypes.WinDLL(os.path.join(lb,'tesseract51.dll')) if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(lb,'tesseract51.dll')) else None;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; lb=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin'); print('  Prefix:',sys.prefix); print('  Library/bin exists:',os.path.isdir(lb)); 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 found:',dlls if dlls else 'NONE - re-run install.bat'); [os.add_dll_directory(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d)) for d in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin'] if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d))]; __import__('tesserocr')" 2>&1
+    "%PYTHON%" -c "import os,sys,ctypes; lb=os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library','bin'); print('  Prefix:',sys.prefix); 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(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d)) for d in ['bin','mingw-w64\\bin','usr\\bin'] if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(sys.prefix,'Library',d))]; t=os.path.join(lb,'tesseract51.dll'); r=ctypes.WinDLL(t) if os.path.isfile(t) else None; print('  ctypes load tesseract51.dll:','OK' if r else 'skipped'); __import__('tesserocr'); print('  tesserocr import: OK')" 2>&1
     echo.
-    echo If you see "NONE" above, re-run install.bat once more to let conda finish.
-    echo If the error persists, see development.md for manual steps.
+    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.
 ) else (
     echo All key dependencies verified.
 )
diff --git a/src/d2r_image/ocr.py b/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
index d34e757..08ab186 100644
--- a/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
+++ b/src/d2r_image/ocr.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import os
 import sys
 if os.name == 'nt':
-    # Python 3.8+ requires explicit DLL directories; conda puts tesseract/leptonica in Library\bin
+    import ctypes
+    # Add all conda DLL dirs so Python's loader can find them
     for _dll_dir in [
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'bin'),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'mingw-w64', 'bin'),
@@ -9,6 +10,16 @@ if os.name == 'nt':
     ]:
         if os.path.isdir(_dll_dir):
             os.add_dll_directory(_dll_dir)
+    # Pre-load tesseract51.dll by absolute path so Windows anchors it to
+    # Library\bin when resolving its own transitive deps (leptonica, zlib, etc.).
+    # os.add_dll_directory alone is not enough: when Python loads the .pyd via
+    # LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_USER_DIRS, Windows finds tesseract51.dll there, but
+    # then resolves tesseract's transitive deps using only System32 — not the
+    # user DLL dirs. Loading by absolute path first puts tesseract in the cache
+    # with Library\bin as its home, fixing the transitive search.
+    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, 'Library', 'bin', 'tesseract51.dll')
+    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
+        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
 from tesserocr import PyTessBaseAPI, OEM
 import numpy as np
 import cv2
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 6fa9648..7d080cf 100644
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # This must run BEFORE any import that might trigger tesserocr loading.
 import os, sys
 if sys.platform == "win32":
+    import ctypes
     _conda_dll_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))), "conda_env", "Library", "bin")
-    # Also check the conda env where this python lives (sys.prefix is reliable on Windows)
     for _dll_candidate in [
         _conda_dll_dir,
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin"),
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ if sys.platform == "win32":
     ]:
         if os.path.isdir(_dll_candidate):
             os.add_dll_directory(_dll_candidate)
+    # Pre-load tesseract51.dll by absolute path so Windows anchors its transitive
+    # deps (leptonica, zlib, etc.) to Library\bin. os.add_dll_directory alone is
+    # insufficient: transitive deps of a user-dir DLL are not searched there.
+    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin", "tesseract51.dll")
+    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
+        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from input_layer import keyboard
diff --git a/src/shopper.py b/src/shopper.py
index 6d9d47a..40939d3 100644
--- a/src/shopper.py
+++ b/src/shopper.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Fix: On Windows, Python 3.8+ requires os.add_dll_directory for conda-forge DLLs
 import os, sys
 if sys.platform == "win32":
+    import ctypes
     for _dll_dir in [
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin"),
         os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "mingw-w64", "bin"),
@@ -8,6 +9,9 @@ if sys.platform == "win32":
     ]:
         if os.path.isdir(_dll_dir):
             os.add_dll_directory(_dll_dir)
+    _tess = os.path.join(sys.prefix, "Library", "bin", "tesseract51.dll")
+    if os.path.isfile(_tess):
+        ctypes.WinDLL(_tess)
 
 from beautifultable import BeautifulTable
 import logging