Presence in Error Messages

• With the amount of times DLL files are mentioned in Windows error messages, users might think there is something inherently wrong with them. This is not necessarily the case. DLL is one of the most common Windows file extensions, and is therefore more likely to pop up in errors. The problems caught by a malfunctioning DLL file usually relate to a resource with which it has attempted a connection, not the DLL file itself.
  
  

Important DLL Files

• KERNEL32.DLL is responsible for hundreds of functions involving memory management. USER32.DLL controls user interface functions involved in every Windows program. GDI32.DLL contains functions involved in graphics, text display and font management. The appearance and behavior of the Windows OS is kept consistent across different programs by the use of these DLL files.
  
  

Registering DLL Files

• DLL files need to be referenced in your PC`s registry. Corruption in a registry reference will cripple the functionality of a DLL file. To re-register a DLL file, open the Start menu and click the "Run" dialog. Enter the text "regsvr32 badfile.dll" with "badfile" being the name of the malfunctioning DLL.
  
  

Reason for DLL files

• DLL files were created to simplify things for programmers using Windows. Different applications use many functions in common. Rather than require each program to create, for instance, a graphical interface with its own separate code, programs can use a common DLL file. This cuts down the duplication of effort and frees programmers to work on the functions of their own software.