How do I open and edit a DLL file?

Q: Can Notepad ++ edit DLL?

Re Can Notepad ++ read DLL files?”: No. It can open them, but it cannot edit them or even display their contents in a meaningful way.

Q: How do I manually run a DLL file?

Click Start > All Programs > Accessories and right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator OR in the Search box, type CMD and when cmd.exe appears in your results, right-click on cmd.exe and select Run as administrator At the command prompt, enter: REGSVR32 PATH TO THE DLL FILE

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About This Article
Is this article up to date?
Is there a way to edit DLL files?
Can Notepad ++ edit DLL?
How do I view the contents of a DLL file?
How do I manually run a DLL file?

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This wikiHow teaches you how to open and edit your Windows computer's DLL files using a free program or a free web service. Keep in mind that modifying DLL files can permanently damage your computer.

1
Understand where to find DLL files. DLL files—which are binary files used by Windows in order to perform basic tasks—are usually found deep within your computer's system folders. Because of this, it's usually a good idea not to mess with them; if you're positive you want to edit a DLL file, though, you may have to unhide your computer's hidden folders and files.
- You'll typically find DLL files in the C:\Windows\System32 path, which can be found by opening This PC, double-clicking your hard drive, double-clicking the "Windows" folder, and double-clicking the "System32" folder.
- If you want to edit the DLL files for a specific program (typically a program you installed yourself), you'll usually find the pertinent files in the installation folder.
2
Open File Explorer
. Click the File Explorer app icon, which resembles a yellow and blue folder, in your computer's taskbar. A pop-up window will appear.
- You can also press ⊞ Win+E to open the File Explorer.
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3
Click View. It's a tab at the top of the File Explorer window. You should see a toolbar appear at the top of the window.
4

Check the "Hidden items" box. This box is in the "Show/hide" section of the toolbar. Placing a checkmark in this box ensures that your computer will show hidden files and folders.
- You can exit File Explorer at this point.
5
Consider making a copy of the DLL. Since DLL files are often crucial to the performance of your computer or a specific program,
- Find the DLL you want to edit and click it once.
- Press Ctrl+C to copy the DLL.
- Go to your desktop or a similarly easy-to-access folder.
- Press Ctrl+V to paste the copied DLL here.

1
2
Install the Hex Editor. Double-click the "free-hex-editor-neo" setup file that you downloaded, then click through the on-screen prompts to install the program. Once you're done, the Hex Editor program should open.
- If Hex Editor doesn't open after installing, double-click the blue "Hex Editor Neo" shortcut on your desktop to open it before proceeding.
3
Click File. It's in the top-left corner of the Hex Editor window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
4

Select Open. This is in the File drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
5
Click Open File…. It's in the Open pop-out menu. Doing so opens a File Explorer window.
6
Find the DLL you want to edit. In the File Explorer window, go to the folder location of the DLL file that you want to edit.
7
Select the DLL. Click once the DLL to do so.
8
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will open the DLL file in the Hex Editor.
9
Edit the DLL's contents. To edit a binary value, right-click it, click Edit, and change the value as needed.
- You can also delete a value by clicking it and then pressing Del.
10
Save all of your changes. Click File, then click Save All in the resulting drop-down menu. This will save any changes you made to the DLL.
- You can also press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+S to save all changes.

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Due to their sensitive nature, DLL files cannot be opened or edited with a Windows process (e.g., Notepad).
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!
Opening a DLL in Notepad++ will technically work, but most of the DLL's contents will be unreadable.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

DLL files are incredibly sensitive system components. Don't edit DLL files unless you have the necessary experience to do so.
As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Install and open Hex Editor.
2. Click Open File.
3. Select the DLL.
4. Click Open.
5. Edit and save.

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 684,253 times.

Is this article up to date?

Is there a way to edit DLL files?

There are different ways to edit DLL files. You can download a DLL editor freeware, or get a DLL resource editor, here I strongly recommend you edit DLL files with a program named "Resource Hacker", which is a free and trustworthy DLL editing tool. You can easily download this program from the Internet.

Can Notepad ++ edit DLL?

Re “Can Notepad ++ read DLL files?”: No. It can open them, but it cannot edit them or even display their contents in a meaningful way.

How do I view the contents of a DLL file?

Navigate to the location of the new DLL file. If you are using Windows 7 or newer, open the folder containing the new DLL file, hold the Shift key and right-click in the folder, and select "Open command window here". The Command Prompt will open directly to that folder. Type regsvr32 dllname .

How do I manually run a DLL file?

Click Start > All Programs > Accessories and right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator" OR in the Search box, type CMD and when cmd.exe appears in your results, right-click on cmd.exe and select "Run as administrator" At the command prompt, enter: REGSVR32 "PATH TO THE DLL FILE"