Computer Bytes - No. 46 Looking for ways to repair your computer or computer programs? You could get information on the Internet by doing a search for the problem or there are a lot of do-it-yourself (DIY) books covering every manner of computer topic. However, if you are planning to repair your computer or a computer program . . . proceed with caution. There are many computer books on the market, including those covering operating systems, program usage and gaming. As far as 'DIY' books, the most familiar series that comes to mind are the 'Dummies' books. There are 'Dummies' books for just about everything. However, if you are not an expert with computer hardware and the various operating systems, you should not attempt to make any changes yourself - particularly to the dynamic-link library (DLL) or Registry files. Before making any repairs, the problem must be defined. One probable cause for a computer program to mal-function could be a problem with its DLL files. A DLL is a collection of smaller sized executable files that can be called on when needed to perform a particular task. DLL files cannot run on their own. If a DLL file is needed by the program running then it is called on and loaded to perform a function such as printing. The advantage of using DLL files is that they do not get stored in your computer's random access memory (RAM) thus saving space. You should know that DLL files allow programs in your computer to share resources and code. Therefore, it is possible should you have deleted an un-used program from your computer to have also deleted, albeit unintentionally, some DLL files. It is also possible the DLL files may have been re-named. If either of these is the case, it is likely that you will get an error message similar to 'cannot locate abc.dll' or 'Call to undefined dynalink' when trying to run a program that had previously been using a shared DLL file that is no longer found in the Registry. Should you get out your DIY book? or go to the Internet find the file, download it, put it into the system and delete the old file in the Registry? Absolutely NOT! Editing your Registry is enormously risky and one mistake can cause permanent damage. What do you do? There are programs available that will run Registry scans and repair the damage if you are confident doing it yourself. Or, take your computer to a qualified computer technician and have them perform the Registry scan. While books and Internet 'help' sites are good, don't believe everything you read. If directed to 'delete' a file, DLL or Registry entry, you would be wise to verify the process before hand with a professional computer tech. A good site on the Internet for additional information on DLL files is www.dlldoctor.com. Moncrief Web2 Home Page Moncrief Web Design Computer Bytes Index Web Design | Search Engine Optimization | Site Maintenance & Management | Request Information | About Us ~ Sample Sites Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.