How to get rid of orphan file links from your Shell32.dll? I don't think there's a way Is everybody's Shell32.dll different?

[RayLopez99]

I may be on the wrong track or overthinking this, but I think your /System32/Shell32.dll file has all kinds of junk in it from orphan programs that are no longer used.

For example, everybody's Shell32.dll is different, correct? Below is mine--you'll note it's 12.2MB in size and has the checksums as shown. Yours is probably different?

Now if you manually or otherwise remove programs, like in my case the e-reader "KooBits4", you'll get a pointer in your Startup (since KooBits, like many programs, apparently wants to load in the background like a virus), which points to desktop.ini (a hidden file in every folder) which points to "Shell32.dll", which I am guessing has something related to KooBits4 and 1000s of other programs that want to run in the background.

So, after removing the program, how to get rid of the pointer in Shell32.dll? I don't think there's a way, short of recompiling the .dll which nobody in their sane mind would do, as it's a system file.

Or am I on the wrong track?


RL

Shell32.dll
12.2 MB
modified 11/21/2010
File version: 6.1.7.601.17514

MD5 Checksum: 16AB4BD2ACC52109F43739BF0E89E18F
SHA-1 Checksum: 1BA58D221A2C95178AE479AFFC29585B3A37BD01

Generated by MD5 & SHA-1 Checksum Utility @ http://raylin.wordpress.com/downloads/md5-sha-1-checksum-utility

[Ant]

"RayLopez99" wrote:

> I may be on the wrong track or overthinking this, but I think your
> /System32/Shell32.dll file has all kinds of junk in it from orphan
> programs that are no longer used.

It is full of resources used by the shell, e.g. icons and dialogs.
That's why it's so large, although mine (XP SP3) is smaller than yours
at 8 MB and is more recent date-wise but not version-wise.

It also contains the shell API routines. It does not contain "orphan
programs". Where did you get that idea from? It's a system DLL and
does not change according to what programs you have installed.

> For example, everybody's Shell32.dll is different, correct? Below
> is mine--you'll note it's 12.2MB in size and has the checksums as
> shown. Yours is probably different?

It differs according to OS, service pack and whatever patch level
you're at. I suspect yours is for a later OS (Win 7 ?) but you don't
say.

> Now if you manually or otherwise remove programs, like in my case
> the e-reader "KooBits4", you'll get a pointer in your Startup (since
> KooBits, like many programs, apparently wants to load in the
> background like a virus), which points to desktop.ini (a hidden file
> in every folder) which points to "Shell32.dll", which I am guessing
> has something related to KooBits4 and 1000s of other programs that
> want to run in the background.

A desktop.ini file controls how the directory (and items within)
containing it appears or behaves in the shell (explorer). Any pointers
to DLLs are normally to icon resources for use by the shorcuts.

> So, after removing the program, how to get rid of the pointer in
> Shell32.dll? I don't think there's a way, short of recompiling the
> .dll which nobody in their sane mind would do, as it's a system file.

There is nothing in shell32 that is particular to your program. The
program was simply using a resource from the DLL. You could edit the
desktop.ini to delete the lines mentioning your program but it really
makes no difference.

> Or am I on the wrong track?

Somewhat!