BleepingComputer.com: Can Anyone Recommend A Good Dll Cleaner?

Hi All:

I just ran a search and found that I have 2046 dll files in my system.

Since I've installed and uninstalled hundreds of programs in my endless search for real gems, I imagine that a fair proportion of these 2046 dll's are orphans and no longer used by anything.

Does anyone know of a reliable and efficient program that would help me to clean them out?

Cheers,

scratcher.

Download and update Ccleaner here
Reboot in "SAFE MODE"

Go to options/advanced and tick the "prompt for registry backup"
After that first click on "problems " and select everything with the register and analyze. You should be prompted to make a backup and thjis will be stored as a default in "My Documents " After that you should run the general cleanup. Reboot and advaise whether it is ok

fozzie, on Nov 30 2006, 04:13 AM, said:

Thank you, but are you sure you know what you're talking about?

I'm talking about DLLs.

I use CCleaner regularly and it never touches DLLs.

That isn't what it's for.

If you do the registry thing as I described it will remove all references to these DLL's in the registry and consequently it should remove these. Furthermore I have a trial of track scrubber win cleaner here. If you install it wilfind all redun dant files and give you an advice on it. If you are going to install it please note it will ask whether you want to install other spyware programs which you shouldn't.

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Removing reg references to files does not remove the file itself.
Also, removing registry entries to a .dll file will cause a .dll cleaner utility to report a certain .dll as not needed because that's were it looks for references. In the case of cleaning out .dll's, you do it the other way around. (dll's first, then invalid reg entries 2nd)

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That's a very small amount, especially were XP is concerned. I have over 7,000 on this system in a mere 6GB of used HD space. How many dll's you have depends on how much software you have installed (and\or how many a given application installs). In the case of XP, which utilizes a dll cache (duplicates), the number essentially doubles. Do not remove these. You must be very careful removing dll's. Many are shared and can effect other programs. Most third party .dll cleaners are notoriously unreliable. End user input is critical with all them. Unless you know exactly what a "reported" unused or orphaned .dll belongs to, leave it alone.

Thank you.

I know that removing a registry key does not remove the file itself.

I also know that when programs are uninstalled they often leave orphan dll's behind, dll's that are not being used by other programs.

I know too that removing dll's requires great caution.

That's why I asked if anyone knew of an efficient and reliable program that would help me do this.

BTW - as my sig indicates, I'm not using XP, I'm using Win2K.

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Sorry scratcher. I rarely click the user name to look. Most never fill any of that out.
I don't really have a good recommendation for a .dll cleaner as they all do pretty much the same thing, with the exception of MS's own. I surely would have left a link if I did.

HitSquad, on Nov 30 2006, 09:15 AM, said:

Hi HitSquad:

You don't have to click the name to look. My sig is at the bottom of every post.

It's there so that, among other things, people will know that I'm using Win2K and not XP and I won't have to waste time telling them.

Anyway, it begins to look as if I'm stuck with my orphan dll's for the time being and will just have to grin and bear it.

Cheers,

scratcher.

Scratcher I haven't used Karen's registry Pruner for a while , but when I did It never failed me, not saying it's can't fail though. Address below and scroll down to read newsletter of what it does in detail. You might have to download visual basic runtime v6.0 Two thirds down page.

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptpruner.asp#Download

dribdrab, on Nov 30 2006, 09:49 PM, said:

Hi dribdrab:

Many thanks for the link but I do know Karen's Registry Pruner. I used it just once but my preferred registry cleaner these days is the Macecraft RegSupreme and, as was pointed out earlier in this thread, no registry cleaner can get rid of orphan dll's - that isn't their job.

Cheers,

scratcher.

You might wat to take a look at this

fozzie, on Dec 1 2006, 05:53 AM, said:

Hi fozzie:

Thanks a bunch! It's exactly what I was looking for.

Cheers,

scratcher.