The most common extension for device drivers is  .DLL. Many .DLLs are used for other purposes. Dynamic Link Library

(DLL) is a type of file format that allows common code snippets to be shared between the Operating System and multiple

programs.The orginal ideaof a .DLL was to reduce the resources necessary for the code, just by sharing.

But now as the Hard Drives became larger, memory more plentiful, and windows bigger .DLLs also bwcame a bigger

problem. My Windows XP system has over 5600 .DLL files.

The big problem with .DLLs is keeping all the .DLLs updated. If I update on program, it wants to update the .DLLs that it

uses. If other programs use some of those .DLLs, the updated .DLLs may "Break" the other programs, which are not expecting

a change. The result of this is a greater chance for system instability-- different programs, overtime, become more prone to

crashing and malfunctioning simply because of updating .DLLs. This condition even has a name--- .DLL Hell.

Microsoft has worked hard to solve the problem of .DLL Hell. Windows XP is much more stable than the previous

versions. But increased stability does not solve the fact of having 5600+ .DLL on a system.

The solution lies in recognizing that not all of those .DLL files are necessary. The files accumulate over time ---- new

programs ( and thier .DLLs ) are installed; the .DLLs remain when the programs are removed. Orphan .DLL files are not

individually a problem, but collectively they contribute to an astounding amount of clutter. This makes the Operating System

work harder and eats up more disk space than should be eaten.

The task devovles to the user to figure out what .DLLs can be removed from a system. But this is tedious task ----

sifting throught 5600+ .DLLs to figure out which ones should be deleted is not something you want to do it manually. Thats why

program exists to do it for you called as .DLL-winnowing programs.

The .DLL winnowing programs are :

1. Registry Cleaners : These types of programs search through the windows registry, looking for ways to tidy it up. In doing so

They often make a list of deleatble .DLL files.

2. Uninstallers : Programs that specialize in uninstalling software have begun to spring up. These programs many times do a

better job of removing program remnants ---- including .DLLs --- than the built-in uninstallers provided with the software.

3. Disk Cleaners: These utilities were developed specifically to look for unused files ( including .DLL files) that can be

removed from the system.

You can often find good sharewares on the internet and choose the appropriate one.

--Kuldeep Kumavat