Why Do We Need DLL Files?

The first time most of us come across DLL files is when software isn’t working correctly due to a missing DLL. But what are DLL files, what are they used for, and how can you fix things when they go missing?

What are DLL files and how do they work?

DLL files are important Windows files, which are linked to the Dynamic Link Library (DLL). The files contain functions and data that can be used by multiple Windows programs and third-party software simultaneously.

Many of the most important Windows system files are DLL files.

When an application needs to use a function that is contained in a DLL, it loads the DLL into memory and uses the function. If the DLL or function is not found, the program will return an error and stop working correctly.

This is where the dreaded ‘DLL missing’ error comes from.

What are DLL files used for?

DLL files are useful because they allow multiple programs to share functions. This allows developers to keep their apps light and for Windows to run more efficiently. The sharing of code and resources reduces the amount of disk space and memory needed.

There are many common Windows DLL functions, but one example is the ‘MessageBox’ function, which is part of the User32.dll library.

The MessageBox function displays a dialog box with a message and optional buttons for the user to click.

This function can be used by any program that needs to display a message to the user, such as error messages or confirmation dialogs.

Other examples of commonly used Windows DLL functions include ‘CreateProcess’ for creating a new process and ‘GetWindowText’ for retrieving the text of a window.

What to do if DLL Files are missing?

Programs stop working properly or crash altogether when a DLL cannot be located. This may be because the file is actually missing, it has been damaged, or the Windows registry has become disorganized, and can’t find it even though it’s there.

The most obvious fix is to find the missing file from the error message online and put the DLL in the correct folder.

However, it can be difficult to locate legitimate DLLs, and sites are often overrun with ads and other unwanted junk. Moreover, some DLLs share the same name but can be completely different versions.

Even when you have the correct DLL files, it’s not always clear where to put them. DLLs do not run themselves.

The next best solution is to use a DLL fixer like Fortect. Its quick system scan will find all the problems with shared DLLs, including those you hadn’t even realized are damaged.

It then does all the hard work for you, locating and downloading the missing DLLs from its vast database of Windows files and installing them automatically.

Fortect also repairs the entire Windows registry and removes malware, so it fixes many of the problems that lead to missing DLLs in the first place. 

1. Download and install Fortect on your system.
2. Accept the scan, which takes no longer than 5 minutes.
3. Fix each section or click ‘Start Repair‘ to fix all sections.

Conclusion

Because DLL files are shared across Windows, if they go missing or become corrupted, it can render your software unusable and harm the stability of the entire operating system. Fortunately, programs like Fortect quickly identify DLL errors and replace any missing files automatically.