Nearly everyone that has used a computer on a regular basis has received an error message saying something like “cannot find xxxx.dll.” When this happens you most likely either have a corrupted dll file or a dll file that you need has been removed from the computer.

There are a number of ways that a DLL file can become corrupt or missing. Incorrectly removing some programs from a computer can result in DLL files that are used by other applications being deleted or partially deleted. Installing new software on your computer can also cause DLL files to become missing or corrupt. Installing new software sometimes causes DLL files to be overwritten with older versions of that file that may not be compatible with other applications or with your operating system. This can cause your computer applications to not be able to recognize the DLL file, causing missing or corrupt DLL file error messages. Hardware problems are a less common cause of missing or corrupt DLL files. When a hard drive goes bad, it can damage or delete information stored on it, including DLL files.

The easiest way to fix this problem, and get rid of the pop up messages, is to replace the corrupted or missing dll file. There are several websites that offer download service of common dll files. Many of these sites offer their services free of charge, however some of these sites have a limited selection of dll files and the one you need may not be available on all sites. It is also a good idea to scan any dll files that you download with an anti-virus program prior to installing it into your computer.

If you are unable to find an available version of your missing or corrupt DLL file to download there are still other ways to fix your DLL problems. Often times, reinstalling the application that is giving DLL error messages will solve the problem. Most of the time reinstalling the application will also replace any necessary DLL files that have been deleted or corrupted or are otherwise unusable by the application. In some cases repairing your DLL files this way can be a better solution than downloading a replacement file. By simply reinstalling the application or program you eliminate the possibility of accidentally infecting your computer with a virus. Although most sites that offer DLL replacement file downloads are good about verifying the content of their files, it is still possible for viruses to be downloaded along with the DLL files