08-08-2010, 11:50 PM
Lets say that that I get a problem thread that is either of a run time boot error or a blue screen and if I find that the problem is related to a dll file. When I do a google search I see a whole bunch of links for file sharing sites (such as rapid share) advising you to download the dll to fix your problem. I've seen it time and time again. Sometimes on the technical forums I volunteer on someone recommends that the user download the dll to fix his/her problem. This is a bad idea.
Most programs installed on windows (as well as Windows) use these files to hide their code so that their program can run yet most people won't be able to see their confidential, proprietary code. Usually these files are harmless however they can be dangerous. When someone shares a dll on a file sharing site or a p2p program they could be harmless or, for example, be designed by the author to spy on you. So you might have gotten a quick fix for your problem but you now could very well have a program on your computer that is "phoning home" to provide the author with information about you and your activities. This could even include screen shots and a record of the keys that you hit. You might think that you don't have anything to lose but you do. Suddenly you could be a victim of identity theft. That is just one example of any number of problems you may encounter by downloading a malicious dll. Unfortunately it is usually impossible to determine whether or not what you downloaded is legit.
In addition downloading the dll and substituting it for the one supposedly giving you trouble might not even fix your problem (even if it is a legit copy) because the problem might not be with that dll but with a program or dll that is looking for that dll. So you could be exposing yourself in order to fix a problem only to not have it fix your problem.
So instead of downloading a dll as a quick fix to your problem you need to fix the problem or have a professional fix it for you. If your problem is with software that you installed it would be better for you to reinstall the software. If it it is windows you should repair or (in a worse case scenario) reinstall windows. Of course you could aways ask us for assistance.
The staff here at Technofyed will never advise you to obtain a dll from anywhere other than the manufacturer. Unfortunately most companies don't stockpile their dlls on their website for people to download to fix their problem.
Most programs installed on windows (as well as Windows) use these files to hide their code so that their program can run yet most people won't be able to see their confidential, proprietary code. Usually these files are harmless however they can be dangerous. When someone shares a dll on a file sharing site or a p2p program they could be harmless or, for example, be designed by the author to spy on you. So you might have gotten a quick fix for your problem but you now could very well have a program on your computer that is "phoning home" to provide the author with information about you and your activities. This could even include screen shots and a record of the keys that you hit. You might think that you don't have anything to lose but you do. Suddenly you could be a victim of identity theft. That is just one example of any number of problems you may encounter by downloading a malicious dll. Unfortunately it is usually impossible to determine whether or not what you downloaded is legit.
In addition downloading the dll and substituting it for the one supposedly giving you trouble might not even fix your problem (even if it is a legit copy) because the problem might not be with that dll but with a program or dll that is looking for that dll. So you could be exposing yourself in order to fix a problem only to not have it fix your problem.
So instead of downloading a dll as a quick fix to your problem you need to fix the problem or have a professional fix it for you. If your problem is with software that you installed it would be better for you to reinstall the software. If it it is windows you should repair or (in a worse case scenario) reinstall windows. Of course you could aways ask us for assistance.
The staff here at Technofyed will never advise you to obtain a dll from anywhere other than the manufacturer. Unfortunately most companies don't stockpile their dlls on their website for people to download to fix their problem.
