The Windows Registry is one of
the most important facets of the Windows operating system. It includes all
details, settings, and information regarding your system, the users on that
system, and the software installed. New entries are added to coincide with the
addition of a new application or even a new file. The registry should also
update when an application is removed by similarly removing the entries
associated with that application, unless they are still required by another
program.
Every DLL and application on
your computer requires at least one registry entry in order to store pertinent
details about it. When a new DLL is installed, a new entry should be added. When
an old DLL is removed, Windows should first check to see whether it is required
by any other applications and then remove or update the entry as appropriate. If
a DLL is updated or changed in any way, then, again, the associated registry
entry should also be changed to represent the differences.
Unfortunately, the registry of
your computer can become filled with obsolete, incorrect, or corrupt entries.
Similarly, many entries are inadvertently deleted causing an equal number of
problems. Because DLLs are referenced and called by many applications, and
because each DLL usually consists of a reasonable number of different functions
it is imperative that registry entries are kept for each of the DLLs on your
system and that they are updated accordingly to match the latest system
information you have.
As we already mentioned, the
registry is prone to problems. If you regularly install or remove software, make
changes to your system settings, or generally use your computer then you are
unfortunately leaving your system prone to errors. Cleaning the registry is
absolutely essential if you wish to use your applications and the DLLs that are
installed properly. This should be one of the first things you try when
attempting to recover from a DLL error and the procedure is discussed later in
this guide.
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