Dynamic Link Library (DLL) errors can be a common plight for PC users. What are DLL errors, and what can you do to make them go away?

Causes of DLL errors

DLL files can be thought of as central repositories of code. Programmers can reuse code by creating a DLL that can be referenced by numerous programs. As is the case with other common Windows errors, there is no single source responsible for all DLL errors. Common causes are:

• Missing DLL files – when Windows or a program expects to find the file in a certain location, and it’s no longer there.
• Corrupted DLLs – the data in the file becomes “garbled” or otherwise unusable.
• Unregistered DLLs – the DLL in question is still on your PC, however, the program lost its reference or pointer to the file.

Fixing these Errors

The first and easiest step is to run a good registry cleaner and repair utility like RegCure. RegCure will scan your entire registry looking for problems like DLL errors, corrupt or broken entries, and unneeded registry entries that can cause general PC slowness. Regular registry maintenance is also a good idea, and especially if your receiving DLL or EXE errors.

Update Your Programs to Correct Broken References

Many programs like Microsoft Office included a Repair option that will attempt to fix problems like missing or unreferenced DLL files. If the program in question, does not appear to have such a utility, you may be able to re-install the program over itself. However, before this step, contact the program’s support.

Fixing Windows DLLs

If the DLL error in question involves a missing Windows DLL, it may be necessary to do a repair installation of Windows. A repair installation is meant to be “non-destructive” meaning that no data is deleted, however, it’s always best to take a full backup of your PC. True Image from Acronis is a great program for taking full “snap shots” of your entire PC and software. How to perform a Repair installation is beyond the scope of this article, however, here are instructions for running a Repair installation.

The Windows registry is a large and important configuration database storing everything from critical system information, to what wallpaper to display on your desktop. As you use your PC, your registry grows in size. Without regular maintenance, your registry can grow to the point where it causes your PC to run inefficiently. If left untreated, your PC can be become unstable, freeze and/or become unusable.Here are 7 general symptoms that your PC is due for a much needed clean and repair:

1. Your PC runs slower.
2. Your computer suddenly hangs or freezes.
3. Your computer hangs during start-up.
4. You see Windows errors (.exe errors, dll errors and/or blue screen fatal errors).
5. You see one or more registry error messages.
6. One or more programs “crash” as you start them.
7. Programs take a long time to start.

If you’re experiencing any of the above behavior, you’ll want to download a registry cleaning program. In as little as 5 minutes or less, a good cleaning program can work wonders on your PC. Here’s to safe computing.

Arguably the Windows registry is one most critical components of your operating system, and yet most people are not aware of it. Simply put, the registry can be thought of as your PC’s central database. This database holds information about your Windows installation, the users on your PC and the application (or software) you’ve installed.

While you may not have realized it, you’ve likely interacted with your registry numerous times. Utilities like Control Panel and Device Manager are really tools to edit those corresponding portions of the registry. The registry is read during each computer startup, and numerous times thereafter as you start new programs.

Registry Structure

The registry is divided into the following sections (or classes):

* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT – Known mostly for storing file associations – e.g., .doc files are opened by Word, .xls files are opened by Excel, and so on.
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER – stores settings for the user currently logged-on. This is a sub-key of HKEY_USERS.
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE – stores computer, or machine-specific information.
* HKEY_USERS – Stores settings for all user accounts.
* HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG – computer run-time information.

Registry Strengths

The registry model is a significant improvement to its predecessor — .INI files. In older versions of Windows, configuration data would be stored in separate files that were scattered across the hard drive.

So, the major benefit is having all your PC configuration data in one location. This makes backing up the registry much easier since it’s a small number of files in one location.

Registry Weaknesses

While the current registry design is a significant improvement over past methods, it’s not without its weak points. The largest of which is the centralized approach. While it eases other tasks like backups, it presents a single point of failure. As with any database, data corruption can occur with in serious cases can prevent your computer from loading.

The registry is also prone to bloating. This happens when programs are installed and load data into the registry, but do not remove their data during program un-installation. The registry is read during each system start-up outdated and useless information does nothing but waste computing time. Eventually this will lead to a noticeably slower PC and ultimately it can lead to computer freezes and crashes.

Registry Maintenance

Since the registry can present a single point of failure, regular maintenance is necessary for the overall health of your computer. Remember, the registry stores information from the time Windows was first installed on. This could be many months or even years of data. Much of this information is no longer needed.

Regular cleaning is vital for your PC’s healthy.

How to clean the registry

Since the registry has no method of self-cleaning, it’s necessary to run a registry cleaning program regularly. Many cleaners are available and most offer a free download and trial scan.

What do the cleaners do? Basic “housecleaning” tasks like removing unwanted and unneeded items. They will search for and remove redundant data, broken links and short-cuts – i.e. short-cuts to files that are no longer on the system, and registry settings that are no longer valid. Realistically, if you’ve never cleaned your registry there could be 10,000 – 100,000 or more such entries. It’s easy to understand how this could slow down your PC.

The Windows registry is arguably one of the most used, yet least understood components of your PC. Quite simply it’s a central configuration database that’s used by Windows, and by the programs and hardware on your computer. The registry is a key component of Windows and any registry error(s) should be dealt with quickly to ensure the health and vitality of your PC. It may be tempting to ignore these problems, but in most cases they will not simply go away.

Common causes of registry errors?

Registry errors are a diverse lot and can be caused by many things. Usually, it’s one or more of the following:

• Programs that load when your PC starts-up
• Junk or useless entries created by computer viruses
• Corrupted registry entries (data gets “garbled” and cannot be read properly)
• Broken links and short cuts
  Program folders, help files, fonts and configuration files

There could be other causes of registry errors, for instance, a hard shutdown (when you loose power and are not able to gracefully shut the system down) but the ones above represent the bulk of registry errors.

What to do when you get a registry error.

It may be possible to simply reboot your PC to temporarily make the error go away, however, this only is a short-term fix.

Registry errors are an indication of a deeper issue and must be dealt with before the problem escalates. If left untreated, these errors will likely lead to your PC freezing up and/or the dreaded blue screen (this is when Windows encounters an unrecoverable problem). Eventually the errors could become so severe that your PC will not start or freeze during startup. At this point, any kind of repair or recovery may not be possible.

Registry Repair Programs

Fortunately most registry errors can be fixed easily by a registry cleaner and repair program. These are programs that will scan through your entire registry looking for known problems. Usually in 5 minutes or less a complete registry scan and cleaning can be done. Not only will this scan fix errors, it will remove unwanted and unneeded entries in your registry. Depending of the amount of these junk entries, your PC’s performance can be dramatically improved.

Along with cleaning and fixing errors, a good registry cleaner will backup your registry before making any changes. This will ensure that you can restore your registry in the unlikely event that you need to restore a removed item.

Note: we recommend RegCure as the premere Registry repair tool and scanner. You can download it here (direct download link).

The errors are gone … now what?

Now that you’ve removed the cause of your registry errors and all the other unknown problems that were lurking in your registry, what’s next?

Remember at the core the Windows registry is a database. All databases require regular maintenance to perform at peak efficiency. It’s recommended that your run regular registry scans at least once a month. Not only will this ensure that your PC is running at tip-top shape, it will prevent other serious problems from developing in the first place. This will do wonders for the lifespan of your PC!

The best way to check your PC performance and confirm registry errors is to run a free diagnostic scan on your PC to locate and eliminate Windows registry errors. Fixing such problems immediately with the help of proper tools/software and/or manually will save your PC from potential dangers.

All vital information and settings for all the hardware, software, files, registry keys, and preferences on your PC that runs on a windows environment are stored in the Windows Registry database. Whenever you make any changes in your Control Panel settings, installed software and file associations and system policies these changes are translated and stockpiled in the registry database. Every time any software or hardware is added or removed from your PC, these registry files and keys are susceptible to corruption.

If you run regedit.exe or regedt32.exe from the windows directory then this will edit your registry manually. The registry can also be manipulated from the command line using the reg.exe utility. This is crucial and requires proper knowledge of the windows registry system as any slip-up can cause irretrievable damage to your PC.

So whenever you are editing manually it is always advisable to create disk back up or back-up files for review and modifications later. Unless you are complete windows system savoir-faire it is not prudent to edit the registry manually without creating a hard drive back up.

The most common windows registry errors are detected if your PC is running slower than the normal speed when you first bought it or your PC has crashed quite a number of times in critical situations. Your PC might require frequent booting if you have a registry problem. When your PC has a windows registry problems you might be unable to add or remove any software program. You might also face problems while start up or shutting down. The Blue screen of death is another symbol of specific windows registry problem.

The spyware and adware that normally infects your PC are difficult to uninstall using add/remove programs or uninstall options. They also leave behind traces that cause broken registry errors that are difficult to identify running regular scan disk or remover tool options. Even when you are using a spy-doctor, it will only remove the spyware or adware but will not repair any trace that the software leaves behind that causes a broken registry error.

Specific software designed to fix this registry error in Windows are available from the net (e.g. EasyCleaner, Registry Patrol etc.). Such software will provide auto scan option to detect the registry problem exclusively. This option is a simple option for non-technical users to clean up the registry error. You can use manual clean up options after your computer is fully scanned for errors and the registry errors are listed in details.

Competent and useful software should also provide you with the options of creating back up files to review and modify later if required. Scheduling for regular error checks is a potentially the most effective ways to guard your PC from Windows Registry errors. Setting the scheduler to perform the scan at start up and while shutting down can minimize the probability of such errors considerably.

Studies show that almost 95% of the PCs have corruption problems and include many files that are potentially detrimental to improved PC performance. Fixing hidden bugs and errors will increase the speed and the performance of your PC considerably.

Windows registry acts as a centralized database that stores your systems configuration settings. Registry comprises of two distinct files: SYSTEM.DAT that contains information specific to your system and USER.DAT that contains information specific to the user. This classification helps in network administration.

Any mistake on the registry can be rectified by copying the backups and overwriting the corrupted files. You can also restore a corrupted registry by using your command prompt by using attrib and copy user command. This helps to restore the registry from the last successful boot. It is always better to store the command for restoring the registry in a .txt file to access it quickly in case you are unable to remember the command.

Chances of registry errors increase with any change made in our systems. Registry errors might occur from outdated information along with new entries that are saved in your registry files. As previous entries are never deleted from the registry files even after modification of previous settings with new entries, the files often get cluttered with entries. Again when you are using add/remove programs, the software program you wish to uninstall might leave unsuccessful and fragmented files that could not be removed from your PC. This leads to registry problems that lead to diminishing PC performance and speed.

Spyware and adware also contribute to registry errors and reduced PC functioning. Malware attacks make your PC more vulnerable and lead to malfunctioning of your PC with reduced immunity to external virus threats. To avoid all such problems it is best to use software that cleans your registry errors.

There are quite a number of reputed and dependable freeware available to address the issues related to windows registry errors. Using any such cleaning device helps to optimize the PC performance by minimizing the inconsistencies created due to registry problems. JV16 PowerTools and EasyCleaners are two such cleaning tools that are almost like touchstones to rectify the registry errors in your PC. Of the many tools available these are cautious cleaning devices that abstain over aggressive cleaning and list items that are safe to remove from your PC.

These devices have produced desirable outcomes on repeated use and fully functional trial versions are also available. Just like you have a budget for anti virus and anti spyware kits, you should have budget for registry cleaning software or look for a freeware device that protects your PC from malware threats.

Manual fixing without proper knowledge could be dangerous to crash the system completely. However, if you want to save money learn more about manual editing and create a complete back up of your hard disk if you’re attempting a manual edit. Heavy internet users should either educate themselves properly to fix such errors manually or buy a proper cleaning kit to put a stop to the degradation in your PC performance clean up the clog that your machine survives on indiscriminate browsing and downloading.

When you run your PC with its default settings it performs quite impressively with a satisfactory speed. And then you start customizing it according to your needs. You start adding new software, games, music and all the stuff you want to store in your PC storehouse. Your PC which was optimized to give you the best speed possible under its default configuration now starts revealing a typical indolence.

If your PC shows too much lassitude at start up then you can click the start menu, go to Run and type msconfig. You need to click the Startup tab to list all the applications that are included in your start up. You can uncheck the applications which you think you do not need to start at boot-up. However the unchecking should be done one at a time for all the applications that you want to uncheck. Cleaning up your registry, using fewer fonts, upgrading your RAM and choosing the auto-loading applications often help to retain the faster PC operations.

But what exactly makes your PC run slower? There are quite a number of factors that can be unfavorable to your PC performance.

One common problem that causes deterioration in PC performance is too many programs run simultaneously. Your PC configuration: RAM and processor are all designed and perfected to support certain operations. If you do not know the limit of PC performance then over usage might lead to crashing.

Whenever an application is run there are hundreds and thousands of programs that runs simultaneously in the background to support the application. This requires greater processing capacity, memory to make your PC run fast even when you are running several applications simultaneously. So make sure that you customize your factory setting properly according to the kind of work you do and your requirement for the CPU usage.

Another common problem is when the registry of your PC is affected or gets congested then your PC starts slowing down. You might experience frequent crashes, the blue screen of death, your PC taking much longer time to boot; error messages while adding or uninstalling new program and software etc. This is mainly because you have tailored your PC settings that are distinctively different from its default settings that were optimized to give it a maximum speed during its operation.

Manually editing your registry or using registry cleaning tools often helps to solve PC sluggishness problems. If you have decided to edit the registry manually then you must be confident about your technical skills and should always have a hard disk back up before you start the same.

Give a trial diagnostic scan to your computer using a program like RegCure or other reputable scanning device available on the net. Proper prognosis of the problem will help you to get the best solution for the same. Remember to clean up your registry, limit auto-loading applications, upgrading your RAM for faster boots and keep a budget to buy and install an anti-malware kit just like you budget for your anti-virus kit.

Tool like EasyCleaner, XP medic program have advanced and undiminished features that allows comprehensive cleaning yet refrain from aggressive clean up that might cause potential damage to your system. The software also exhibits internet optimizer, cache cleaner and memory booster. You can have total control over your start up menu with the system optimizer that is surely one of the most competitive and advanced registry optimizers available today.

A PC that has an original Intel motherboard, 400 GB HDD, core duo processor, and 512MB RAM is always a better performer than 486 PC with its vintage configuration. However even these bleeding-edge technologies are susceptible external threats that can slow down the performance of your PC.

You can give your PC a free scan from free cleaning devices like RegCure to identify the problem that make it run slow. There are free registry cleaning kits and trial versions that will help in through scanning and listing all the infected files. Reputed cleaning devices also provide a disk back up option before performing a registry edit. Most of the best cleaning devices remove files that are only safe to remove leaving a comprehensive back up for review and modifications later if required.

The rising security crisis also manifests in your PC performance as your PC becomes susceptible to spyware and adware. These are most virulent forms of threat that can damage your PC to the extent that there might be very little chance for retrieval. Spyware and adware are distinctively different from the virus and spams and even hacker attacks. Your PC firewall and antispam kits might not be well equipped to fight these back.

Your registry might be contaminated by these malware that contributes to mar the PC performance in a subtle but organized fashion. If you are a heavy internet user then your PC is susceptible to spyware and adware that your antivirus kit is unable to detect and annul the damages that are caused.

Spyware and adware unlike viruses do not multiply or contaminate your emails. These trace your behavior and transmit it to others, appropriate your private information, change your web browser and alter your PC settings for displaying ads.

The most interesting fact about spyware and adware are that even if you remove these successfully these will leave traces and files that are almost impossible to detect and delete and this will continue to corrupt your registry for an infinite period of time.

Adware and spyware insert themselves on your PC in highly organized manner. When you’re visiting various websites these irritants are downloaded into your PC. There is no way you can list them and turn away from such sites. These contaminate your PC through illegal downloads and even when you are downloading or installing a specific software that you require.

Spyware can also be installed on your PC when you consciously download and install other legitimate programs. The most common are Search hijackers, Browser Hijackers, Key Loggers and Pop-up generators.

Try to obtain a good antispyware program and use it regularly to scan your PC. Ad-Aware SE Personal and Spybot Search & Destroy are two such freeware to protect your PC from malware. There are other antispyware devices like Spy Sweeper that are paid software.

Most PC perform sluggishly due top presence of malware, however you need to be cautious about other aspects that could slow down the performance of your PC. Overheating of the PC, excessive fragmentation, less than 512 MB RAM and some antivirus programs like Norton & McAfee also contribute to slow down your PC. Remember to clean up your logs and avoid running too many programs to get a better PC performance.