DLLs, Explained
~~ Jasmine
Unfortunately, with Windows Operating Systems (OSs)
you may sometimes experience the "dropping of," or "corruption of," or "loss
of" DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files. This can cause a rather great variety
of Windows error messages and the loss of functionality of inter-related
software programs which "share" a DLL or set of DLLs. Needless to say,
this, in turn, can cause a great deal of frustration on your part.
Since
hardware "devices," such as a printer, etc., are supported by a category of
DLLs known as "device drivers," when a device-driver DLL file goes bad, the
device itself goes "on the fritz." The device won't work properly or work at
all.
While Windows DLLs (.dlls) can often be restored from the original
Windows OS installation CDs, or Device Driver Installation CDs (such as your
Printer Installation CD,) and via other methods, it can often be helpful to
understand, in simplified terms and as an "overview," what DLLs are in the
first place.
The following edited extract is a relatively easy-to-understand
explanation of what DLLs are all about.
I've placed explanatory notes within brackets [ ]s in the text below.
In computers, a dynamic link library (DLL) is a collection of small
programs, any of which can be called [upon] [or used] when needed by a
larger program that is running in the computer. The small program that lets
the larger program communicate with a specific device such as a printer or
scanner is often packaged as a DLL program (usually referred to as a DLL
file). DLL files that support specific device operation are known as
"device drivers."
The advantage of DLL files is that, because they don't get loaded into
random access memory (RAM) together with the main program, space is saved in
RAM. When and if a DLL file is needed, then it is loaded and run. For
example, as long as a user of Microsoft Word is editing a document, the
printer DLL file does not need to be loaded into RAM. If the user decides to
print the document, then the Word application causes the printer DLL file to
be loaded and run.
A DLL file is often given a ".dll" file-name suffix [or "extension."] DLL
files are dynamically linked with the program that uses them during program
execution, rather than being compiled with the main program. The set of such
files (or the DLL) is somewhat comparable to the library routines provided
with programming languages such as C and C++.
Source:
http://searchwin2000.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid1_gci213902,00.html
Jasmine is founder/group moderator of
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pro_tech and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/computersupport_2. She is also the
co-founder of
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Error_Messages_Really_Mean and the
OneWorldTechAlliance, as well as a moderator of
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mycomputerheadaches
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