Definition: A DLL file, short for Dynamic Link Library, is a type of file that contains instructions that other programs can call upon to do certain things. This way, multiple programs can share the abilities programmed into a single file.
For example, several different programs might all call upon the veryuseful.dll file (I made that up, of course) to find the free space on a hard drive, locate a file in a particular directory, and print a test page to the default printer.
Dynamic Link Libraries end in the file extension DLL. For example, a DLL file that often causes problems is the hal.dll file.
Also Known As: Dynamic Link Library
Examples:
"I received an error message when my computer started up that said I was missing a particular DLL file. After an exhaustive search on the Internet, I found out that I would have to reinstall Windows to fix it!"
