Register a DLL
A DLL file is a module containing certain functions that can be used by multiple programs as long as it is registered. While Windows Vista and Windows XP usually handle DLL registration in the background, sometimes hard drive corruption, software installation failure or a virus infection may require you to register a DLL manually. Follow these instructions to register a DLL on Windows Vista or Windows XP.
Contents
Steps
Register a DLL in the Run Window
- Open a run window.
- In Windows XP, click the Start button on the left side of the Windows XP taskbar. Then, select Run from the lower right-hand side of the Start menu. It appears directly to the right of All Programs.
- In Windows Vista, click the Windows symbol in the left side of the Windows Vista taskbar. Then, type “run” into the search box that appears at the bottom of the menu. The Run command will appear, listed under Programs. Click Run.
- Type the regsvr32 command into the Run dialogue box. The syntax of the regsvr32 command is as follows: regsvr32 “path and FileName.dll”.
- To register a file called myfile.dll that was located in the c:\windows\system32 directory, you would type in regsvr32 “c:\windows\system32\myfile.dll”.
- Either click OK or hit Enter to submit the command to Windows.
- Look for a pop-up box with the title “RegSvr32” immediately after submitting your command. The message should read “DLLRegisterServer in scrrun.dll succeeded.” Click OK to close this window.
Register a DLL Using Command Prompt
- Type “cmd” in the Vista search box.
- Right-click on cmd. Choose Run As Administrator from the context menu.
- Type regsvr32 "path and FileName.dll" after the prompt.
- Watch for error messages.
- If you receive a message stating that the attempt to register the DLL failed, double-check that you have spelled the DLL name correctly.
- In Windows Vista, you may need to tweak permission settings to allow the registration to go through.
Tips
- Sometimes the UAC, or User Account Control, in Windows Vista can prevent the DLL from registering properly. Disable the UAC by opening the Control Panel, clicking on the User Accounts and Family Safety icon, clicking on the User Accounts heading, and selecting Turn User Account Control On or Off.
Warnings
- Certain viruses install DLL files, and one of the first steps in hamstringing the virus is to 'unregister' the DLL it is using. You can unregister a DLL using the following syntax: regsvr32 /u “path FileName.dll”.
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Windows Vista or Windows XP
Related Articles
- Restore DLL Files on Your Computer
- Bypass Windows Vista Activation
- Modify the Windows Vista Registry
- Remove a Virus
- Delete Adware Threats That Norton Antivirus Can't Delete
