# How to Register and Unregister DLL Files in Windows 10 '2023'

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about registering and unregistering Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) files on a Windows 10 system. Whether you're trying to fix an error caused by missing or corrupt library files or simply want more control over the components that are loaded into your operating environment.

## Why Register DLL Files?

Before we dive into the steps, let's quickly cover why registering these files is necessary in the first place:

1. Resolving Missing Library Errors: Sometimes, applications may throw up 'missing 'library_name'.dll' or similar errors when they can't find a required library file. In such cases, manually registering the DLL can resolve this issue.

2. Fixing Corrupt or Damaged Files: If your system's copy of a crucial DLL has become corrupted due to various reasons (such as malware infection), re-registering it from a trusted source may fix things back up again with minimal disruption.

3. Forced Re-Registration After System Updates/Reinstalls

## How to Register and Unregister DLL Files

### Using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit)

1. First, open the Start Menu by pressing Win + R.

2. Type 'regedit' in the search bar and hit Enter when you see it at the top of your results list.

3. In RegEdit, navigate to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM32

- Alternatively, if you're dealing with 64-bit applications or libraries (which is more likely), go here instead: HKEY LOCAL MACHINE/Wow6432Node

4. Right-click on the 'System' folder and select New > DWORD (32bit) Value.

5. Give this new value a name like 'yourDLLName', but without '.dll'. For example, if your DLL file was called 'example.dll', you'd call this entry simply 'Example'.

6. Double-click on it to open its properties window.

- In the data field that opens up below, enter 1 and click OK.

7. Now restart your computer so all changes take effect!

### Using the Regsvr32 Command

If you prefer not using third-party tools or just want more control over how things work behind-the-scenes,

1. Open Start > Search Bar (or press Win + S).

2. Type 'cmd' into it & hit Enter when Command Prompt appears near top result.

3. In cmd, type `regsvr32 /u yourDLLPath` followed by enter key after each line before closing out of command prompt window afterwards look for any success messages indicating successful deregistration process completed successfully without errors encountered during execution phase:

## Unregistering DLL Files

To unregister a previously registered DLL file,

1. Open the Start Menu and search for 'cmd'.

2. Right-click on Command Prompt in your results list.

3. Select Run as administrator.

4. In cmd, type `regsvr32 /u full_path_to_your_dll_file` (replace with actual path) followed by Enter.

5. If you see a message indicating successful unregistration, close the command prompt window and restart your system to ensure all changes take effect.

In conclusion,

1. Registering DLL files is essential when dealing with missing or corrupt library errors.

2. The steps above cover both manual registration via Regedit and using the regsvr32 command for more control over your environment's component loading process.

By following these simple guidelines, you'll be able to register/unregister any .dll file on Windows 10 without much hassle!

Register a dll file in windows 10