[peterc]

I'm trying to understand about dll search order and avoid the DLL Hell. I have found these MS articles:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q164501

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnsetup/html/dlldanger1.asp

If I understand correctly, any 32-bit dll listed in the KnownDLLs will be searched in the winnt\system32 directory first. Are the dlls listed in the KnownDLLs always the same in one OS? Among different OS?

I don't quite understand how to implement the version-specific approach.

I have found the following article and make this dll search order more confusing:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncode/html/secure06122003.asp

Thank you for any help.

 

[Grinler]

If the DLL is listed in KnownDLLS's it first searchs in winnt\system32, if it is not in the KnownDll entry then it looks in the program directory.

This method applies to Windows NT/2000/XP.

The entries in the KnownDLL's may change per operating system. The key is designed so that people cant create dll's of the same name that supercede dll's needed by the OS. By putting an entry into the KnownDLL field, the operating systemknow it is using the DLL that it wants, unless it has been overwritten.