How to Edit DLL Files?

What's the DLL File?

The "Dynamic Link Library" stands for DLL. While Microsoft offers different explanations, this one could be the better one:

A Dynamic Connection Library (DLL) is a code file that includes functions that can be called from other executable code (either an application or another DLL). DLLs are used by programmers to include code that can be reused and different jobs can be separated. A DLL cannot be run directly, unlike an executable (EXE) program. It is important to call DLLs from another code that is already running.

When need to edit DLL files?

It isn't as easy to edit the DLL files as you would think. Many languages, such as C, C++, C#, Delphi, Visual Basic, Visual Basic.Net, and so on, are written. But when editing it, you need a bit of computer technical experience.

You try to hack it to do something other from what it was supposed to do.

You want the Icons to be removed from the DLLs.

You want an application to be reverse engineered.

You're a nerd and want to see what the inside looks like.

You should try editing the DLL file if you have the justification as above or you are not allowed to do so. And if you are a computer newbie, you'd better ask technicians for assistance or use a skilled and simple DLL file editor.

How to edit DLL files?

There are different reasons why a person with a .DLL extension would like to edit a file. If it has become infected, you might try to change what the file was originally meant to do, or try to fix it. You will want to "reverse engineer" the program used by it and need to see its contents. Or, you might just be curious about what a .DLL looks like and want to see it. Whatever the cause, though it takes a little programming expertise, it's not almost as hard as one would imagine to edit the .DLL file.

Step 1: Take into account the reason you are trying to edit the .DLL file. There are programs you can download that will do all the work for you if it is a .DLL that is loaded with icons. For example, the program "Reflector," has a setting for extracting icons under the "Tools" menu. Load the file and pick this option in the program. If this is your intended intent, get one of these Internet shareware programs and your job is done.

Step 2: Obtain a decompiler for edit the .DLL files. If, for some reason other than taking the icons out of it, you are editing the .DLL, you will need a piece of decompiler software. This is a software that will split the .DLL and create many smaller components out of it. W32DASM and Reflector are freeware programs that will work.

Step 3: Execute the decompiler. It will then do its job and split the file into a few workable sections once you start the program and tell it which file you are working with. You can do this by choosing "Add File" from the "File" menu and defining the file you are working with. Then press the "Decompile" button on the main window of the application. From inside the software itself, you can then see the code and make any required adjustments. 

Get the .DLL recompiled. You will tell the Decompiler program to take all the different sections of the file that it made and bring them back together as one once you have completed your editing. To complete this process, select "Recompile" from the "File" menu once the program is loaded into the Decompiler.