# DLL file problems

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 9, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074 "2003-03-09T12:58:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mousseduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@Mousseduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mousseduck)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074/1 "2003-03-09T12:58:56Z")

</div>

My friend is running Windows ME and has suddenly been having a lot of problems with DLL files. When running Internet Explorer (it was version 5.5, but I upgraded it to 6.0) and Outlook Express, various error messages come up complaining about DLL files.  
I was wondering how we’d replace the DLL files. I know how to extract one file at a time using the extract command, but that would take forever considering how many different ones she’s had come up as errors.  
Also, is there any way to tell if DLL files are corrupt? I tried running Windows help to work out how to extract multiple files, and that wouldn’t run due to a DLL file error.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074/2 "2003-03-09T15:48:06Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> A command-line utility called System File Checker (SFC.EXE) allows an Administrator to scan all protected files to verify their versions. System File Checker can also set the registry value SFCScan discussed in Additional Registry Settings later in this article.
> 
> System File Checker will also check and repopulate the %Systemroot%\system32\dllcache directory. If the dllcache directory becomes corrupted or unusable, SFC /SCANNOW, SFC /SCANONCE, SFC /SCANBOOT, or SFC /PURGECACHE can be used to repair the contents of the dllcache directory.
> 
> SFC.exe scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Microsoft versions. The following shows the syntax:
> 
> SFC [/SCANNOW] [/SCANONCE] [/SCANBOOT] [/CANCEL] [/QUIET] [/PURGECACHE] [/CACHESIZE=x]

From the [Microsoft web site](http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/driver/sfp/wfp.asp).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mousseduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@Mousseduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mousseduck)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074/3 "2003-03-10T11:41:36Z")

</div>

Thanks, I’ll get her to try that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074/4 "2003-03-11T07:54:53Z")

</div>

Doesn’t WinME have System Restore checkpoints? Hopefully, there’s one right before the IE6/OE upgrade. If so, roll back to that point and stay happy with IE5.5

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dll-file-problems/160074/5 "2003-03-11T08:01:09Z")

</div>

[System File Checker Is Not Included in Windows Millennium Edition](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;274090)