Registry: use of SharedDLLs key?

As I understand it the Shared DLLS Registry key (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\SharedDLLs in this case) is used to keep track of software modules that maybe used by several programs so that uninstallation of those programs does not necessarily delete those shared DLLs. So far so good.

Recently I installed a third-party software product that has added over 11,000 entries to that folder. . And they are not for DLLs; rather for data files, in a ProgramData sub-folder.

This seems like an odd use of this Registry Key. I feel annoyed by these entries (irrational, I know). If I delete them all will any damage be done? OK, the uninstall may fail but then I would clean up manually.

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I think that I understand what the third-party software manufacturer is aiming to do. They have several products which may use some of these files so some sort of resource management is needed to ensure that essential files are not deleted until safe to do so. But there must be a better way of doing this.

Hi DarkStar GT,
Welcome to SevenFourms
What 3rd party program. If we don't know specifics, how are we supposed to help you?

If you delete registry entries and you don't know what you are doing, you could render installed program or programs unusable or worst case scenario Windows 7 unbootable.
Do you backup your system regularly to and external hard drive?
Snick

Thank you for your reply. I would rather not name them for the moment.

I posted as I find it an odd use of that Registry Key, even though I think I can understand that the developers are using it to manage the deletion of those data files when one of the products using them is uninstalled. Their products also run on OSX, and I wonder what they do there.

Yes, I do system image back-ups regularly and certainly would before doing any such Registry Edits.

My thinking at the moment is that if I delete one of the data entries then normal operation would not be affected but an uninstallation may fail and require some tidying-up. If the DWORD value were more than 1, the uninstallation would also remove the referenced data file so the other products using that data file would not work 100%.

Ideally, I would like a definitive description of what that Key is used for, when its contents are accessed (I think only during installation / uninstallation, not during normal operation of the products) and the consequences of deleting one of the data entries(not the whole Key).

Hi

There's also this key


HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\LoadAppInit_DLLs

That doesn't include reg entries at HKLM\SOFTWARE\UNknown program name, entries either


These keys are loaded at boot, ie ready for use when the program is opened


The HIDDEN C/Users/programdata folder is a placeholder for all installed programs variable settings

All 3 sets of entries are inter-dependant allthough removing only the progdata entries will not cause a problem.


wouldnt be surprised to see event id11 showing everytime you boot

As Snick said the only real way to clean-up is to use a previous image


Roy