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Friday, April 6, 2012
How to Delete Active Dll
Use the System Configuration Editor
1. Log on using an administrative account user name and password. Start the System Configuration Editor by holding down the Start button and 'R' keys simultaneously to produce the 'Run' dialog box. Type 'msconfig' in the 'Open' field and click 'OK.'
2. Click the 'Selective startup' option in the 'General' tab. Click the 'Services' tab and check the 'Hide all Microsoft services' option. Click 'Disable All' and 'Apply' to disable third-party applications that normally start with Windows automatically. To disable applications called through the Windows registry, click the 'Startup' tab followed by 'Disable All.' Then click 'Apply,' 'OK' and 'Restart.'
3. Log on using an administrative account user name and password. Open a command prompt by clicking the Start button. Select 'All Programs' followed by 'Accessories.' Click 'Command Prompt' if you use Windows XP; Windows Vista and 7 users must right-click 'Command Prompt' and select 'Run as administrator.' You should see a window with 'cmd.exe' in the title bar and a blinking cursor with something like 'c:\users\johndoe>' or 'c:\documents and settings\janedoe> to its left. This prompt identifies the drive and folder that your commands will affect.
4. Compare the location in the prompt with the location of the DLL you're replacing. Look at the drive letter (the 'c:' in our example). If it's incorrect, type the correct drive letter and a colon where you see the blinking cursor, then press the Enter key. So if your prompt says 'd:' but your DLL is somewhere in drive 'c:,' type 'c:' and press Enter. Your new prompt should begin with 'c:.'
5. Change the target folder with the 'cd' command. If your target DLL is in the \windows\system32 folder, use the command 'cd \windows\system32' followed by Enter.
6.
Doing a backup now can save a lot of time later.
Back up the target DLL. To back up the 'browser.dll' file in the \windows\system32 folder, type 'copy browser.dll browser.doe' and press Enter. The extension of the file name can be a combination of letters and numbers that Windows doesn't associate with an application or data file. 'bak' or 'old' are frequently used. Avoid extensions like 'exe,' 'com,' 'doc,' 'xls,' 'ppt,' and 'pdf.' These are either associated with applications or with common data file types.
7. Use the 'regsvr32' command to 'de-register' the target DLL. This clears the way for its replacement. To de-register browser.dll from the c:\windows\system32> command prompt, type 'regsvr32 /u browser.dll' and press Enter. A message box reports the results; click 'OK' to clear it.
8. Replace the DLL using the 'copy' command. If your replacement browser.dll file is in the \users\johndoe\downloads folder on your C: drive and your command prompt still reads 'c:\windows\system32>' type 'copy \users\johndoe\downloads\browser.dll' and press Enter. Type 'Y' to confirm the file overwrite if asked.
9. If the copy worked, use the 'regsvr32' command to re-activate the DLL. In this example, type 'regsvr32 browser.dll' and press Enter. Regardless of copy results, restore the normal boot sequence by re-opening the System Configuration Editor. Select 'Normal startup' in the 'General' tab and click 'OK' followed by 'Restart.' If you boot normally, the excluded services and startup options are restored. If the copy failed, follow the boot instructions in 'Use Safe Mode.'
Use Safe Mode
10. Boot your system into Safe Mode. To do so, press the 'F8' key immediately after the memory test completes, or when you see options such as 'Press F2 to enter Setup.' If Windows starts, you were not quick enough; restart the computer and try again. You should get a menu with 'Safe Mode' at or near the top. Select 'Safe Mode' and press Enter. At the 'OS Choices' menu, select the operating system that uses the target DLL and press 'Enter.' When the logon screen appears, use an administrative account user name and password. After the Desktop appears, click 'Yes' to confirm Safe Mode operations. Note that the screen resolution will probably be different; customized video drivers do not load.
11. Open a command prompt by clicking the 'Start' button. Select 'All Programs' followed by 'Accessories.' Click 'Command Prompt' if you use Windows XP; Windows Vista and 7 users must right-click 'Command Prompt' and select 'Run as administrator.' You should see a window with 'cmd.exe' in the title bar and a blinking cursor with something like 'c:\users\johndoe>' or 'c:\documents and settings\janedoe> to its left. The prompt identifies the drive and folder that your commands will affect.
12. Compare the location in the prompt with the location of the DLL you're replacing. Look at the drive letter (the 'c:' in our example). If it's incorrect, type the correct drive letter and a colon where you see the blinking cursor, then press the Enter key. So if your prompt says 'd:' but your DLL is somewhere in drive 'c:,' type 'c:' and press Enter. Your new prompt should begin with 'c:.'
13. Change the target folder with the 'cd' command. If your target DLL is in the \windows\system32 folder, use the command 'cd \windows\system32' followed by Enter.
14.
Back up your old DLL now if you haven't done so already.
Back up the target DLL, if you did not do so when using the System Configuration Editor. To back up the 'browser.dll' file in the \windows\system32 folder, type 'copy browser.dll browser.doe' and press Enter. The extension (last three letters) of the file name can be a combination of letters and numbers that Windows doesn't associate with an application or data file. 'bak' or 'old' are frequently used. Avoid extensions like 'exe,' 'com,' 'doc,' 'xls,' 'ppt,' and 'pdf.' These are either associated with applications or with common data file types.
15. Use the 'regsvr32' command to 'de-register' the target DLL. This clears the way for its replacement. To de-register browser.dll from the c:\windows\system32> command prompt, type 'regsvr32 /u browser.dll' and press Enter. A message box reports the results; click 'OK' to clear it.
16. Replace the DLL using the 'copy' command. If your replacement browser.dll file is in the \users\johndoe\downloads folder on your C: drive and your command prompt still reads 'c:\windows\system32>' type 'copy \users\johndoe\downloads\browser.dll' and press Enter. Type 'Y' to confirm the file overwrite if asked.
17. If the copy worked, use the 'regsvr32' command to re-activate the new DLL. In this example, type 'regsvr32 browser.dll' and press Enter. Regardless of copy results, restarting the computer normally will end Safe Mode. If the copy failed, follow the instructions in 'Use A Bootable CD.'
Use a Bootable CD
18. Obtain a product such as the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows that incorporates a completely configured operating system and utilities in one bootable CD or DVD. If you want a product that burns directly to disc without preparation, download a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu that you can download then write directly to disc with a program such as ImgBurn.
19. Use the CD to start your computer. If asked for account information, supply an administrative account user name and password. Because the operating system in use is on the CD and not your computer, the Windows files on your hard drive are inactive.
20. Open a file management program from the CD. It may or may not be Windows Explorer, but should be similar in appearance and function. The OS in use is typically shown as residing on drive 'X:.' Your operating system drive should retain its usual letter. You can use this application to back up the target DLL, then replace it as if it were a standard data file. When done, shut down, remove the CD and reboot. Your change is complete.