DLL files or Dynamic Library files are an important part of Windows operating system. Even despite the fact that they are essential for proper performance of Windows system, most PC users have no idea what these files are and what they do.
What is DLL file in Windows?
Many important and complex tasks are usually stored in DLL files, making the main program much smaller in size DLL files are the means of sharing data and code by developers, allowing them to upgrade functionalities without the need to re-link or recompile applications. That means that DLL files contain code and data used by several different applications. Different applications can use one and the same DLL file and in such a way eliminating the need to have many copies of the same information stored on your computer.
DLL files are downloaded during DLL initialization process which takes place at the very beginning of downloading a software program. If a certain file is missing, you will see an error message telling you which one is missing. This missing DLL file becomes the reason why errors in the operating system of your computer occur. There are various reasons for that. You could have possibly deleted unnecessary files manually because you thought that they were unnecessary, but when trying to run a program you received a thousand of errors messages informing about missing DLL files. It is even possible that you have installed a new operating system and have not yet installed the VC++ libraries or DirectX, etc.
Whatever the reason of the problem is, it is always possible to fix it. All you have to do is to find out the name of the missing DLL file and to search for it on the Internet. This is the most popular way of fixing DLL errors. There is a significant number of websites like Fix4dll.com where you can easily download the missing file. Then you need to place DLL file inside corresponding program’s folder. However, like one and the same DLL file can be used by several programs, it is advised to store the file in a folder that can be easily reached by all these programs, for example, System32″ folder (C:\Windows\System32). x64 users should also copy the DLL file to “C:\Windows\SysWOW64″.
Another way to fix DLL error is to restart your computer. There is a high possibility that the problem that has caused DLL error is temporary and restarting your computer will help to fix it. This alternative can be used only in case DLL error does not stop your computer before Windows fully starts.
Some of the DLL errors come in the messages form like “DLL Not Found” and “Missing DLL.” The reason such errors occur is very simple – you have accidentally deleted DLL file thinking it was unnecessary. All you have to do is restore deleted file from recycle bin of your computer. If you have already emptied recycle bin, and you think that the errors are caused by the absence of this particular deleted file, you can use a free file recovery program.