One of the most commonly used pieces of software on personal computers worldwide; Internet Explorer is also one the buggiest. In fact, it will be difficult for any user to remember a longish web-surfing session when he/she did not encounter at least one Internet Explorer error.

Ever since Microsoft Inc. won the browser wars in the late ‘90-s by tightly integrating their Internet Explorer product with the Windows platform and thus shutting out the rival product from Netscape Inc., they let their browser division stagnate and languish. There was no reason why they should continue to pour money into a game that had already been decided in their favor. So the development and maintenance of Internet Explorer largely stuck to where it was in the late ‘nineties, and remained there till very recently.

Meanwhile, the internet developed into a veritable jungle. Numerous new ways to exploit and take over other people’s computers were invented and used. New beasts like cross-site scripting, unblockable pop-ups and other bits of malicious code embedded in plain-looking html went on a rampage, making it very very unadvisable for users of the undercooked Internet Explorer to go online unprotected by various brands of anti-malware programs.

Just to find out how many Internet Explorer errors you never even get to know about, try this out. Activate script debugging and notifications for script errors before you go checking your web-based mail or your favorite news website or blog. You can access the relevant options through the Tools -> Options -> Advanced menu inside Internet Explorer. It’s a good bet that you’ll find it impossible to do any real work, and want to turn it off in a few minutes.

Turning Internet Explorer error notifications off, however, isn’t the best solution. The errors keep mounting up, you just don’t get to know about them. Another thing to do is to turn off scripting support altogether, through the same menu. But on most modern interactive websites, that would also turn off most of the functionality.

To add to Internet Explorer’s woes, Netscape’s old product seems to have risen from the ashes, sporting a new look and much, much improved performance – it’s called Firefox. It’s small, fast, extensible, and features many revolutionary concepts (think tabbed browsing, for instance) that Microsoft never thought of. Started and maintained by a voluntary non-profit organization, this upstart new kid on the block has eaten into Internet Explorer’s market share at an incredible rate.

Because of its tight integration with the Windows shell, Internet Explorer errors also generate another kind of problem – when the browser goes down, it often tends to take the whole system down with it. A bad script on a website hosted halfway across the world may be responsible for crashing your bedroom PC ten times a day.

Microsoft is sitting up and taking notice, but its new product, Internet Explorer 7, is still playing catch-up with the dark horse that stormed past while it was having its beauty sleep.

To avoid Internet Explorer errors, then, you should switch over to something that’s freely downloadable, far more secure and much lighter on the system – Firefox, or Opera, which is another little-known but outstanding browser that deserves much more popularity than it gets.

When do you realize that your PC’s performance is not optimal? You know the answers, but I’ll tell you anyway - when it is so slow that a snail would seem like Carl Lewis in comparison, or when it makes a habit of crashing or hanging. That is the time to optimize your PC performance, and you can do so by following certain basic steps:

Clean your windows registry every day

It is surprising how many people overlook this vital task to optimize PC performance. The problem is compounded because Microsoft does not include a windows registry clean-up tool in any of the Windows versions, so many users are not even aware that they must clean windows registry regularly.

Windows registry is a vast internal database of Windows settings, and every time you install a program, changes are made to the registry. Virtually all Windows programs, including Windows itself, store a huge mass of information on the database, which means they control the behavior of your entire system. So when you make changes to the system, they may not always reflect correctly in the registry, thereby slowing down your PC. As these changes accumulate, windows registry becomes bloated and possibly corrupt.

The registry can be edited manually using a Windows program called Regedit, but this is not recommended unless you are an expert. For mere mortals, programs such as RegCure (direct download link) are more advisable, because they scan your registry, look for entries that are invalid and list them. Such programs also run automatically in the background every time you start up.

Empty recycle bin!

We’re dead serious about this, because too many users simply forget that deleting a file is not the same as removing it from the PC. All these deleted items pile up in the Recycle Bin, eating up hard drive space and negatively impacting PC performance. Therefore, empty your Recycle Bin at least once a week to release hard drive space and optimize PC performance.

Remove unused programs

Installing programs is fun, but it isn’t fun when these same programs clog your hard drive, because you’re too lazy (or forgetful) to remove programs that you no longer use. Since most programs have an uninstall option, removing them is easy as pie, thanks to the Programs entry on the Start menu. If the uninstall options is absent, you can still manually remove a program by selecting Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-clicking Add/Remove Programs, which gives you the Change/Remove option for every program. Once you have removed the program, clean Windows Registry, because some programs leave uninstalled residues in the there.

Clean up your disk

Once again, this is a basic and easy-to-perform task that plenty of users ignore. Thanks to the built-in Windows Disk Clean Up tool, you can immediately free space on your hard drive by deleting temporary Internet files and setup log files. All you need to do is double-click My Computer, right click on your ‘C’ drive, select Properties and choose Disk Cleanup, at least once a month. Your PC will then searches for the sections that can be cleaned. To clean a section, simply check the box next to it and click OK.

Run disk defragmentation

When you store programs on your hard disk Windows saves fragments of these programs in the first available empty space. This slows down your PC because it has to look for the fragments and piece the files together. This is where Windows Disk Defragmenter comes in, as it gathers program fragments and restores them to the right order. Thus your PC finds what it is looking for in no time.

However, defragmentation is a process that takes at least an hour to complete, so you obviously can’t do it daily. A quarterly frequency would be good enough for most users. To begin the process, click the Start menu and go to Accessories, from where you select System Tools and then Disk Defragment.

You thought the typical virus was the only threat to your PC? Think again, because you now have to contend with the malware menace. Malware is a common threat to computers these days and has in fact become more widespread than your regular virus. Essentially, malware is ‘malicious software’ designed to damage your PC or spy on your activities. Under the broad heading of malware, you have:

• Adware: This hides on your PC and shows pop ups containing ads for various products.

• Virus: A virus is typically created to hide within executable software and become active when the host software is activated. It will self-replicate and place copies of itself in other software or documents, causing immense damage to your PC.

• Worm: A worm will also self-replicate but can execute itself without a host application. It will then send multiple copies of itself to other computers via the Internet.

• Trojan Horses: Vividly named, Trojan horses conceal their true identity disguised as or hiding inside legitimate software. They usually enter your PC as part of free software downloaded from the Internet.

• Spyware: Spyware monitors and records all keyboard actions, Internet activity and personal information such as credit card details and passwords, sending them to the spyware-maker using email.

PC infection basics

• If you receive email from unknown senders, don’t open it, period. For the weaker willed, make sure you get your anti virus software to scan it before opening it.

• Don’t spend too much time browsing websites that seem suspect in some way, because the malware can be hidden as code within the web page.

• If you are a regular user of file sharing software to share illegal music, software and video, you are in a high-risk group. Plenty of files on peer-to-peer networks have malware hidden within them.

• Malware also infects your PC via pop-ups or IP pop-ups. The latter are so called because they can go straight to your computer’s IP address bypassing pop-up blockers. You can spot IP pop-ups fairly easily, because they are usually camouflaged as Windows error messages that ask you to ‘click here’ to sort out the error. DO NOT click, because that executes the malware.

• Instant messaging software can be a source of infection too. Surprised? Well, infection usually occurs when sharing files, so be careful whom you share with.

Prevention better than cure

• To begin with, you never want to install software from questionable sources, as this could actually be malware-in-disguise! We recommend AVG Anti-Virus, an excellent free scanner, and XoftSpy (direct download link) to remove Adware, Spyware and Malware. Whichever software you use, make sure you update it regularly, because outdated anti virus software is useless.

• A firewall is another complete must. Both Windows XP and Vista have built-in firewalls, or we can recommend Zone Alarm, an excellent full-featured firewall that is free for personal use.

• Use Windows Update regularly to know about the latest critical updates. There are frequent security holes in Windows, which Microsoft has patches for.

If after all this, you still detect malware on your PC, don’t panic. With any decent quality Internet securities software, removing malware is easy. Just set the software up and it will remove the offender automatically.

Does this sound at all familiar? You’re using your PC, and then suddenly your PC suddenly hangs or freezes on you? If so, no doubt you’re feeling annoyed and frustrated. You’re probably also wondering why it happened and what you can do about it.

PC freezes can occur from many sources. These are some steps you can take to isolate and resolve the problem. Let’s start with the easiest steps and work down to the more involved. Fortunately, in most cases, it is a simple thing that will fix the problem.

Run a Virus Scan

The cause of your problem may be due to a rogue piece of software that’s found its way on to your computer. You’ll want to run a full virus scan, but before you do, make sure you have the most current virus definitions. This way you’ll be sure to catch everything.

Run a Spyware Scan

This is listed separately because as a spyware scan is different than a virus scan. Chances are that your virus checker is not thoroughly scanning for spyware. Ad-Aware is a very good and free adware/spyware scanner. Make sure to run a thorough scan with current spyware definitions.

Run Windows Update

Sometimes random lockups can be attributed to internal Windows components like software drivers. Run Windows Update to make sure you have all the current updates and system patches. You can run Windows Update by going to Tools -> Windows Update in Internet Explorer. Some updates need to be applied in a certain order, make sure to rerun Windows Update until it tells you that no more updates are required.

Clean & Repair Your Registry

Another common, yet often overlooked cause of PC slowing, freezes, lockups and crashes is the Windows registry. The registry is central configuration database used by Windows and the software programs on your PC. Over time, the registry grows large and inefficient. This problematic state eventually manifests itself though PC slowness, registry errors and eventually in computer freezes and crashes. A good registry cleaner like Regcure will scan your registry and fix any problems on the spot.
Play PC Detective

The above steps are all mandatory steps for having a healthy and secure PC. However, if you’re still experiencing the problem, we need to look for other causes. Another common cause might be hardware related. Did the problem start after installing a new piece of hardware? Does it seem to happen when using the same piece of hardware? This could be sign of bad or failing hardware. Remove the hardware, does the problem persist? If not, it looks like you’ve identified the culprit. If the item is new or still under warranty, you might be able to get a replacement … otherwise, it might be time to purchase a replacement.

If the problem seems to not be tied to hardware, then the next and most likely cause is your system’s memory. Bad or failing memory chips will absolutely cause things like lockups and freezes. Download Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and run a memory scan. If errors are found, try re-seating the memory chips, that is, open up the case and remove and reseat the chips. If this task is too much, take your PC to the local computer shop.

Re-seating the chips may correct the problem, if not, you will need to replace your memory with new memory.

Finally, if none of the above troubleshooting steps fix the problem, it may be something on the motherboard on inner-circuitry of the PC. This is may require diagnosis by a computer technician. However, unless your PC is older side (over 5 years) likely one of the earlier (and easier steps) will fix your problem.

The application set that you use most often on your Windows machine is probably the office suite. With most people, this is Microsoft Office, though some prefer other not-so-well-known suites like the Corel WordPerfect Suite, or the Lotus Smartsuite.

So it hurts the most when MS Office crashes or freezes up. It breaks the rhythm of your work, disrupts your concentration and wastes valuable time while you restart the application (or, in extreme cases, restart Windows). What do you do to get rid of MS Office errors? Reinstallation is an option, but that works only if your existing installation has somehow become corrupted. And even in that case, it’ll only work until it becomes corrupted again.

Perhaps the best option for you is to try something different, something that has been built from the ground up on an entirely different code base, a solid and mature product that won’t cost you one cent to try out or even to switch over to entirely.

Enter OpenOffice.org. It sounds like a website, and it is a website – http://openoffice.org. But it is also an office suite, of the same name. OpenOffice.org differs from other office suites in a few major ways. First, it is free, as in free lunch. Yes, completely free – no strings attached and no adware, shareware or nagware business. It’s yours to download and use (from the website link given above).

Another difference is that OpenOffice.org is also free as in free speech. It is open source and Free Software (notice the capital F and S), which means that the source code of the program is also downloadable for free, and anyone who knows how to program can legally modify and redistribute it, as long as he/she passes on the same modification and redistribution rights to the recipients.

Enough about differences; now on to similarities. The user interface of OpenOffice.org is almost a clone of what Microsoft Office used to be, till very recently when Microsoft released version 2007. And for this very reason, people who are used to the Microsoft product should have little or no difficulty accomplishing the same task in OpenOffice.org. Perhaps they could even achieve greater productivity, because while most of the modules in it are at least as good as in the MS product, some modules are actually better. Stability-wise, too, it seems to be more solid and robust than its competitors, so what better way is there to get rid of those crashes, and for free too?

Now is a great time for you to take a serious look at OpenOffice.org. That’s because Microsoft’s office suite has recently undergone a complete change of user interface, done away with the traditional menus and introduced something called ribbons instead. Whether the new style is better or worse than before is a matter of debate. But on thing is for sure – office workers will have to learn their way around from scratch.

So if you want to upgrade your office applications to something more solid, dependable and familiar, think OpenOffice.org. It has everything where you expect them to be, and can read and write MS Office formats (doc, pps, xls and so forth) without the slightest hitch. What’s more, it can export its documents to the PDF format for convenient transfers, which is something MS Office lacked.

So go ahead and download it now, and get rid of your office productivity errors.

Given enough time and usage your Windows PC will crash. An occasional PC crash is nothing to get too worried about; usually just rebooting your PC will allow to get back to what you were doing. However, frequent computer crashes are a sign that some bigger problem is lurking in your PC. This article will attempt to pass along some helpful pointers.

Why Does my PC Crash?

PC crashes and the accompanied”Blue Screen of Death” are what happens when Windows encounters a stop error, or simply put an error or condition that it cannot recover from. The causes of these errors can range from poorly written software drivers, failing hardware and problem in your PC’s registry.

PC Crashes during Startup

When the crash happens may be the first step in identifying the cause (although these crashes may appear to happen randomly, we’ll discuss this a bit later). For example, a PC crash during Windows startup may point to a problem with the hard drive or critical system files. Try running Windows check desk utility to check your hard drive’s integrity and Windows Update to make sure all of your drivers and system software is up-to-date.

Hardware Related PC Crashes

Failing hardware can account for many crashes. A crash that seems to happen when using a certain device is usually a strong indication that the device is failing. It may also indicate a problem with the current driver – a “driver” is needed in order for Windows to “know” how to communicate and use any particular hardware. Power down your PC and remove the hardware, does the problem continue. If not, you’ve likely isolated the source of your woes. One note, before assuming that the hardware is ready for the trash bin, attempt to obtain a new driver. Many times this is as simple as going to the manufacturer’s web site and finding your device.

Random (or Intermittent) PC Crashes

One of the most frustrating things to try to fix are random PC crashes. Of course, if your computer crashes every time you start a certain program, this is a good indication that the source of your problem is that software. One note of caution here, what may seemingly point to a software problem, may actually be a hardware problem. For example, software that controls your scanner may crash when it loads … however; the reason for this might be a problem with the scanner it’s attempting to use and not the software itself.

But what should you do for seemingly random crashes with no discernable commonality? In other words, at each crash, you don’t see any similarities.

An often overlooked cause of PC crashes is the Windows registry. Since Windows and every program on your computer uses the Windows registry, problems here can manifest themselves through PC freezes and crashes and overall slowness. A good registry cleaner will scan your registry looking for things like data corruption, broken references and unneeded entries that slow your overall PC’s performance.

We only touched on the main causes of PC crashes, there are certainly others. Hopefully you found this information helpful.

Download RegCure and put a stop to PC crashes .

Though we take them for granted, your common desktop PC is quite an intricate and complicated machine. Treat it right, perform regular maintenance and you’ll be rewarded with a faster and safer computer. In fact, many people are surprised to see their PC come back to life after doing the following basic steps.Wait, I know what you’re thinking; these are only for computer experts, right? No, these simple steps are for everyone! You’re probably also wondering, how much is this going to cost? Well, the good news that most of the recommended items are free … it will just cost a little bit of time.

1 - Apply Windows Updates

If you use Windows and you’re on the Internet, it’s MANDATORY that you regularly apply the system fixes and updates that Microsoft releases through their Windows Update service. Not doing this critical step is practically giving an open door to hackers, viruses and spyware. MS has made it super easy to run the updates – if you’re running Internet Explorer, simply go to Tools –> Windows Update.

This will trigger a scan of your PC to see what patches and updates your PC needs. If you run other MS software like Office, the Windows Update service will check for any new updates for that software too. You will be prompted to enable your computer to receive automatic updates, if you have a high-speed connection, this is highly recommended.

2 - Remove Viruses, Adware and Spyware

The next step is to make sure your PC is free and clear of unwanted junk like viruses and spyware. You probably already have an anti-virus program, if not Norton and McAfee make excellent products. While most people have a virus checker, they may not know that they also need a spyware remover. An excellent free adware and spyware remover is Ad-Aware. It’s recommended that you run a system scan at least once a week.

While removing this unwanted junk is mainly a security and privacy concern, it can also provide a substantial performance boost!

3 - Add a Firewall

A firewall is another essential tool. Without a firewall, your PC is ready and able to communicate with just about anyone, friend or foe, that initiates contact with it. A firewall is like a traffic cop that inspects all traffic coming in and going out of your computer. If it’s from a suspicious source, your firewall will simply block the connection.

Windows XP comes with a free firewall. It’s better than not having one. Zone Alarm is another free firewall. Zone Alarm provides much better protection and is recommended over Windows built-in firewall.

4 - Remove unwanted startup items

It seems that almost every program you install assumes that it’s the most important program on your PC. They do things like automatically install short-cuts on your desktop and automatically start with Windows loads. Usually they do these things without asking! Well, anything that starts when Windows loads is using valuable memory. Having too many items auto-starting is sure to slow down your PC. One solution is to buy more memory … but there’s another option that won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.

Try MSCONFIG. MSCONFIG is free utility that allows you to manage the programs that auto-start with Windows. To use the utility, do the following:

Goto Start –> Run
Type in msconfig and click OK.

When the System Configuration Utility loads, click on the Startup tab. Take a moment to look through the list, if there are any unwanted programs in the list, simply deselect them. Note: this will not remove the program from your PC; it’s simply disabling that program from auto-starting when Windows loads.

Of course adding as much memory to your computer as you can, will always increase performance, the above step will help you get the most out the memory you already have.

5 - Run a Registry Cleaner

The Windows registry is one of the most important, yet most neglected components of your PC. The registry is the configuration database used by Windows and the software that’s installed on your PC. Cleaning your registry will result in a faster computer, ignoring the registry can lead to many maladies like .exe errors, .dll errors, system freezes and crashes. The main problem is that as it grows in size, it becomes more and more inefficient. The more you use your PC, the more the registry grows in size. Over time, the average PC many have thousands of outdated entries. Processing all of this unneeded information greatly slows down your PC.

Recommendation, download a top quality registry cleaner like RegCure (direct download link). Run a cleaning at least once a month. Doing this simple step will greatly contribute to your PC’s health and stability.

Conclusion

Well, that wasn’t so bad was it? Again, there’s no one thing or “magic bullet” that will give you a safer and faster computer. It’s really just a matter of several small things like the tips above that will deliver a big reward in the long run.

If you ever happen to venture into the system folders on your Windows installation, you may come across these mysterious entities called dot-dll files which take up a lot of space, but don’t seem to do anything important. They aren’t movie or music files, they don’t work in a word processor, you can’t color them in the paint program. They are just DLLs.

These are the shared libraries of the operating system, and most of the time you don’t really want to touch them, for they are also mighty delicate critters, and tend to break easily. One broken DLL can give you days of hell while you try to figure out what is wrong with your machine.

I said most of the time. Because there are times you may need to mess with them and get your hands dirty, just on the possibility that you might be able to recover from an error on your own that could otherwise mean calling support and responding to the endless automated options on the telephone. And when you finally reach live support, you find you had somewhere pressed the wrong button, and have to do it all over again.

So here’s something that may help you to avoid all that.

Suppose you have lost the ability to preview certain types of images in the tab called ‘Desktop’, inside the Display Properties window (the one you get when you right-click on the desktop and choose ‘Properties’). Normally, bitmap pictures (dot-bmp) will continue to show up as previews, but sometimes jpegs and gifs will stop previewing. So before calling support, you need to re-register one of your DLLs. DLLs are delicate little thingies, as I have said before, and if you look at them cross-eyed, they can get unregistered. Re-registering them often solves many problems without having to resort to a painful support call.

Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, just follow these steps and you’ll be all right. This is what you can do to restore normal behavior.

Click the Start button, click ‘Run’. Now type in the following:

regsvr32 /i shell32.dll
and then press ENTER.

That’s telling the registration method to re-register the DLL called shell32, which contains most of the graphic functions of the Windows desktop, and controls the way you navigate and work. In nine cases out of ten, this will restore the lost preview function. Easy, wasn’t it?

Try another one. Sometimes you’ll find that the Quick Launch bar (usually locate just to the right of the Start button) is missing, and you’ll want to have it back. How to go about it?

It’s a two-step process, but you already know the first step. That’s right – click on Run, type in

regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

and hit ENTER.

Then, click on Run again, and this time type in

regsvr32 /i browseui.dll

and you’re done. You have the Quick Launch again.

Can you believe it? You’re re-registering DLL-s now, hacking Windows internals (well, almost) to make it work for you! That’s called a power user! Just remember to stick to these commands only, and not venture out on your own, and you’ll be all right. And if they don’t work, they surely won’t do any harm.

Just one thing more – after each of these re-registrations, remember that you may not see the change right away, but may have to restart Windows before you do. Good bye and happy hacking!

What’s the deal with DLLs? These little, quizzical, unassuming little files seem to exist in thousands upon thousands on your hard disk, eating up precious space where you could have stored a couple more movies or installed a few more programs. Well, sure hard disk space is cheap nowadays, but still that’s no excuse for throwing it away. You might even be tempted to delete some or all of them and see if your computer notices. Don’t make a mistake – if you so much as touch them, your operating system may stop working at least temporarily. Depending on the extent of the damage you perpetrate, you may even have to do a complete re-install. Digital real estate is cheap; let these untouchables set up their own ghetto somewhere out of the way on your hard disk, and then just forget about them. You don’t ever have to go there or hold their hands; they wouldn’t really mind if you didn’t. That’s really the best way to handle DLL files – don’t handle them at all.

What are DLLs and why are they so important?

Well, if you really want to know, they’re like libraries. That’s where they get their name from – Dynamic Link Library.

Several programs inside Microsoft Windows share similarities with each other, and have a lot in common. When creating programs for an operating system, it often makes sense not to build those common part into each program separately, over and over again. That would be an awful waste of space, time and other resources. The best way to do it would be to put the common parts in a separate place, and have each program refer to them as and when needed.

It’s quite like a real-life book-lending library, really. Or a common volume used by everyone in a household. Does it make sense to keep one copy of the same book with every member of a family? Surely one per house is enough, unless of course it’s the latest craze and everyone wants to read it at once. Whoever needs it can go to the shelf, take it down, use it and put it back.
That’s exactly how it works with DLLs. What they’re doing is the complete opposite of occupying space – they actually save you lots of space by unifying information. Without them, programs would be much, much larger than they actually are. If there are four members in your family, imagine multiplying the number of books in your house by four – one copy of each book for each member. Yes, including the telephone directory.

That would be the condition of your hard disk if DLLs weren’t there to take care of things. So they are good critters, really. Step lightly around them and leave them in peace. Hopefully, they’ll leave you in peace too.
Download RegCure and fix DLL errors.

Let me give you, from my personal experience, an insight into the nature of Windows DLL files.
Many, many moons ago, when I bought my first computer, it used to run Windows 98. Everything about a computer was new to me then – I knew nothing. But I was learning fast. Before that, I had used DOS a little, and remembered that I could invoke dot-exe, dot-com and dot-bat files to make them run. This time, I was learning that I could click on dot-mpeg files to run movies and dot-mp3 files to listen to music, and so forth.

But no one had told me what I could do with another type of files, called dot-DLLs. So when I came across a whole folder full of them, buried somewhere deep inside C:\WINDOWS, I was at a loss.

I tried playing them with the movie player – not a flicker.

I tried enqueue-ing them in Winamp – not a toot.

I tried to open them with Notepad, and when some ridiculous garbage came up, I closed the window quickly.

‘I know’, I said to myself. ‘These are virus files. I have become infected.’
So I ran the virus check on them, and nothing showed up.
‘My God,’ I thought. ‘These files seem to be completely useless. I must be able to do something with them! Why, they are not even harmful. All they are doing is sitting there and occupying valuable space.’

Back in those olden days my hard disk was just 2 Gigs, and that was considered high end. And these damned useless DLLs were taking up a lot of that precious real estate. I wanted to free up more space for my songs (I was just learning to rip audio).

So I just went ahead and deleted the whole lot of them. Sure, some of them were stubborn and didn’t want to go at first. They invented imaginative excuses, and stalled me with various types of bogus warning signs, and in general seemed quite reluctant to leave. But I was stern, and firmly showed them the door. And when they were all gone, I did something I had recently learned, to really free up my space – I emptied the recycle bin. You see, I was a quick learner.

The next thing I knew, I was on the phone talking to customer support. For an hour or more, I had them sweating as I swore up and down that I had done absolutely nothing to warrant the present situation, and had no idea why my computer behaved in the unacceptable way that it did. “All I did was free up a little space… ” I said.

• “You did what?”
• “Deleted these annoying bundle of worthless little space-hogging stuff. You wouldn’t believe, you can do nothing with them. They don’t even compress well with Winzip. Lousy useless good-for-nothing rubbish. DLLs, I think they’re called. You’ve probably never even heard of them.”

You can guess whose turn it was to swear then.

So just to make a long story short, don’t delete your DLLs. They’re awful delicate critters, so don’t even look at them. Better still, try not to even think of them. They don’t play, they don’t run, they don’t do nothing useful. Except when they aren’t there, your computer doesn’t work. End of story.

Download RegCure and fix DLL errors.