.DLL Problems and Fixes

Registering .DLL’s

There are times after Windows updates, fresh installs, or, for seemingly no reason at all, an error occurs. Not all errors are the same, some of them will reference the same type of file that needs to be registered. Often, .DLL’s aren’t registered for various reasons when installing the software. In most instances, quickly registering the .DLL will ensure that the software runs as it should afterward. To register a .DLL, follow the steps below. Important Note: You must have admin privileges on your user profile.

First, you will want to open the Run command. To do this, go to the Windows icon in the bottom left and type Run.

With the Run command open, type in the location of the .DLL to register.

(e.g., regsvr32 “C:\Program Files\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared\sldwinshellextu.dll")

Once you have successfully registered the .DLL, a window will appear similar to the one shown below.

Another way that you can register is to do the same as previous, except instead using the Command Prompt; this as well will need to be run as an Administrator. 

Following the instructions below to unregister can be used to register as well, you would simply use the command: regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared\sldwinshellextu.dll" instead.

Unregistering .DLL’s

Note: If you are not comfortable with the procedure below, please request assistance from your VAR or local IT Professional. Unregistering shared .DLL files can have unintended consequences upon a system.

Again, click on the Windows icon in the bottom left and type cmd. This will bring up the Command Prompt. Right-click and select Run as Administrator.

Locate the .DLL you wish to unregister. In this instance, I am using "C:\Program Files\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared\sldwinshellextu.dll" location for my unregister.

In the command prompt, type in:

regsvr32 -u "C:\Program Files\Common Files\SOLIDWORKS Shared\sldwinshellextu.dll" and press enter. Once the unregister has been completed, you will get a notification below.

Once you press enter, the unregister process will go through and give you the message below.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Check out more tips, tricks, and SOLIDWORKS news below.

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