RegDllView: Quick Guide to Viewing Registered DLLs in Windows

Top Tips for Safely Removing Problematic DLLs Using RegDllViewDynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) are small programs that many Windows applications share. When a DLL becomes corrupted, outdated, or malicious, it can cause application crashes, slowdowns, or system instability. RegDllView is a lightweight NirSoft utility that lists registered DLLs (and OCX/EXE COM servers) on your system and lets you unregister or remove entries. This article gives practical, safety-focused tips to identify and remove problematic DLLs with minimal risk.

What RegDllView shows and why it’s useful

RegDllView reads DLL/OCX/EXE registration data from the Windows Registry and displays:

• File path and filename
• Class ID (CLSID)
• Programmatic ID (ProgID)
• Company and product information (when available)
• Registration timestamp and whether the entry is currently registered

Because it shows registry registration records (not the file contents), RegDllView is useful for finding registry entries pointing to missing, moved, or suspicious DLLs that may cause errors or slow startups.

Preliminary safety checklist (do this before removing anything)

1. Create a System Restore point. If removing a DLL causes system problems, you can roll back.
2. Make a full backup of important data. Registry or file changes can have unexpected effects.
3. Note the full file path and registry keys. Copy the path shown by RegDllView and any CLSID/ProgID values.
4. Verify digital signatures and publisher info. Unsigned or unknown publishers deserve extra scrutiny.
5. Check whether the DLL belongs to currently installed software. Uninstall that software first if possible.
6. Research the DLL name online. Look for reports of malware or known compatibility issues.
7. Use an antivirus/antimalware scan. Scan the file itself with up-to-date security tools.

Identifying problematic DLLs with RegDllView

• Sort by “File Exists” or similar column to find entries pointing to missing files. Missing-file registrations often cause errors.
• Sort by Company or Product columns to spot entries from unknown or suspicious vendors.
• Check timestamps: very old or recently modified DLLs that coincide with system issues may be culprits.
• Use the search box to find entries matching error messages or filenames reported by Windows or apps.
• Export a CSV of entries before making changes so you can restore records manually if needed.

How to safely unregister or remove entries

1. Run RegDllView as Administrator to ensure it can change registry entries.
2. Right-click the suspicious entry, choose “Unregister Selected Files” to run regsvr32 /u on the file. This attempts a clean COM unregistration.
3. If the file is missing, choose “Delete Selected Items” to remove the registry entry only; this does not delete files. Removing orphaned registrations is safe in most cases.
4. After unregistering, reboot and test affected applications to confirm the issue is resolved.
5. If problems appear, use your System Restore point to revert changes.

When to delete the actual DLL file

• Only after unregistering the DLL and confirming it’s not needed by other programs.
• Confirm via file path and by checking which software depends on that DLL (Process Explorer and Dependency Walker can help).
• Keep a copy in a quarantined folder before full deletion so you can restore it if needed.
• For files flagged by antivirus, follow the AV tool’s recommended removal process.

Handling system-protected or in-use DLLs

• Windows File Protection/System File Checker: avoid removing system DLLs. Use sfc /scannow to repair protected files instead.
• If a DLL is in use, schedule file removal at next reboot (many uninstallers offer this), or boot into Safe Mode to remove it more safely.
• If the DLL is loaded by a running service, stop the service first (services.msc), then unregister/remove.

Troubleshooting common pitfalls

• Mistakenly removed a dependency: applications may report COM errors or fail to start. Restore from your exported CSV or use System Restore.
• Unregister fails with “module not found”: if the DLL is missing, delete the registry entry instead of unregistering.
• Multiple registrations for the same file: ensure you remove all matching entries (CLSID/ProgID) that reference the bad path.
• Malware DLLs that reinstall themselves: run a full offline scan or use dedicated removal tools; check startup and scheduled tasks for reinfection vectors.

Example workflow (concise)

1. Backup: create System Restore + export RegDllView list.
2. Investigate: verify publisher, search web, scan file.
3. Attempt clean unregister (Run as Admin → Unregister).
4. If file missing or unregister fails, delete registry entry in RegDllView.
5. Reboot and test. If needed, remove the file (after stopping services/processes and quarantining).
6. If problems occur, restore from System Restore or import CSV registry data.

Final safety reminders

• Avoid removing DLLs that belong to Windows system components or drivers.
• When in doubt, uninstall the parent application via Settings → Apps (or Control Panel) instead of manually removing DLL entries.
• Keep good backups and use the least-destructive option first (unregister, then delete registry entry, then delete file).

If you’d like, I can:

• Provide a step-by-step checklist tailored for your Windows version, or
• Walk through a specific RegDllView entry if you paste the entry details (filename, path, CLSID/ProgID).