A DLL, or Dynamic Link Library, is a collection of small executable files or functions. They can be used to perform a number of tasks in the same way that any executable file is used to perform tasks. However, the functions and features that a DLL offers is much more restricted. There are also a number of other distinct differences between a DLL and an EXE file that we cover later in the guide. For now, though, it is important to realize that while a DLL is essentially an executable file, it cannot be run independently.

WHAT DOES A DLL ACTUALLY DO?

It sounds counter intuitive and more than just a little confusing but a DLL is a small executable that must be run through a main executable. A program can call a DLL file to perform a very specific task and, in doing so, it reduces the amount of system memory (RAM or Random Access Memory) that the main program needs to use.

In place of potentially hundreds of lines of code, a program can call a DLL function by using just a few lines of code. The DLL is then opened, the function performed, and the DLL closed. This means that your system memory is free to run without this code for the remainder of the time. The DLL file was introduced in a bid to save system resources when programs were becoming more competent, but before computer systems included so much RAM as standard. They are still used today because they offer a streamlined and much improved user experience.

However, for all of the benefits of the DLL file, it is certainly not without its potential problems. DLL error messages occur with alarming regularity for some users and virtually all of us will experience one of these errors at some point during our computer using lives. Unfortunately, DLL errors can also be accompanied by more serious errors. Software can become impossible to open, system errors more frequent, and you may also experience the blue screen of death or even a phenomenon dubbed as DLL hell.

Some applications naturally rely on the use of more DLL files than others. Theoretically, it would be possible to write an entire application using nothing but DLL calls, although in practice a program will require some skeletal programming to make it unique. The Windows operating system includes a large number of standard DLL files within its system folders but other applications, as well as the software associated with peripherals and other hardware, may also install DLL files into the appropriate section of your computer system.

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DLL files are often updated to include new features, improve on existing features, and to generally update the way they operate. In most cases applications can run along more than adequately using the older versions, but with major changes it may be necessary to update the DLL you use. While this can cause errors with other applications that rely on the same DLL, application installers and updaters should check with the Windows registry to determine whether the update will cause any conflicts or errors.

DLL files are not only used to perform routine functions within applications. They are also executed in order that an application can communicate with other hardware on your system. For example, a common use of a DLL file is the print DLL. When called, this DLL will ready the printer and then execute the necessary code to complete the print. Other hardware such as your speakers, and input devices such as a scanner also have associated DLL files that work in a similar manner. All in all, the job of a DLL, is to save system memory on your computer and to make programs more uniform in their execution of regular functions.

A DLL file is a library of dynamic links. This means that a single DLL can contain a number of functions or features. When a DLL is called it is important that the program only calls the correct function within that DLL otherwise errors can occur. This process of calling only a small part of a DLL is referred to as a Declaration. Incorrect declarations, like incorrect calls, can cause serious errors with software and with your system as a whole and is one of the leading causes of DLL errors. Again, though, this is not actually an error caused by the DLL itself.

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Dll Error Repair Introduction to Dlls What is a Dll File?	How is a DLL different from an Exe The Windows Registry and Dll Files Other Dll Problems	Steps to fix Dll errors Replacing a missing Dll 30 Common Dll errors