Typical DLL files contain commands, resources and/or data that are common to a certain task, for instance, earlier versions of Windows has many DLL files built-in which other programs access and utilise.
Originally developed as part of both the Windows
® operating system from Microsoft
® and the now discontinued OS/2 operating system.
DLL files offer a unique way to facilitate easy upgrading of both hardware and software.
A common example of this is spool32.dll, which is used for printing control within the Windows environment. Other installed applications use the DLL (and the printer device driver which is also a DLL, file extension
.drv) to
spool and transmit files to the printer, this means that the software in question only has to know how to communicate with spool32 and not the myriad of printers on the market. This is the reason you don't have to install a software-specific printer driver each time you install a new software application. Installed applications may also take advantage of the DLL files that control video, sound, IO (Input/Output) and many more.
Unfortunately, the first time you may become aware of the existence of DLL files is when your computer crashes, and you are presented with a message such as an "
invalid page fault".
The errors associated with DLL files are beyond the scope of this page. However, DLL files can be updated and most of the time a problem can be solved by updating the DLL file in question. If you do encounter an error, make a note of the DLL file which is referenced in the error message, and then use a search engine to learn more about what may be causing the error. You may find that someone has already had the same problem, especially with common hardware or software.
Common file extensions used by DLL files
.dll
.ocx
.cpl
.drv
|
click here for more on file extensions
For more on DLL files in Windows
click here [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/815065/]
