                     - CLRDLL - Utility for Windows -
                          - by Marcus Oblak -

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1. What is it ? 
2. How do I launch it ?
3. Useful.. but how do I get a working copy of CLRDLL ?
4. Disclaimer.
5. Copyright notes.
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1. -   CLRDLL is a DOS utility program to diagnose which of the thousands :)
       of your DLL files are actually used by your Windows system.

       CLRDLL may be launched once you erased some files or directories
       containing Windows programs in order to determine if some
       of the DLL files contained in your WINDOWS or WINDOWS\SYSTEM 
       directories are 'orphans' , and just take up space in your hard disk.
       
       CLRDLL scans User-specified files in User-specified directories,
       and is able to determine which DLL files are used by each file.

       It requires to be launched from wour WINDOWS directory and it is 
       configurable with 2 files: DLL_EXT.TXT and DLL_PATH.TXT .



2.  -  To launch CLRDLL , move in your WINDOWS directory, and type from DOS:

       'clrdll ok'

       and follow the instructions reading everything with attention.






     >>> The 2 configuration files: DLL_EXT.TXT and DLL_PATH.TXT <<<
         -------------------------------------------------------



    a)  DLL_EXT.TXT is an ASCII file containing the extension of the file
         you want CLRDLL to perform a scan on. Of course you must include 
         EXE files, DRV files, and (i noticed) even AVI files.
         So what you must do is simply edit DLL_EXT.TXT writing one extension
         on each line.

-------------------
EXAMPLE1: (DLL_EXT.TXT file)

exe
drv
avi
pif
-------------------         

         Extensions may be upper or lower-case but must be 3 letters long and
         must start at the beginning of the line.

-------------------
WRONG EXAMPLE1:    
                  
exe              
  drv             
      avi
 pif         
-------------------

         Anyway this package should contain DLL_EXT.TXT set like in EXAMPLE1.







   b)   DLL_PATH.TXT is an optional (not necessary but useful) ASCII file
         you can type on each line a path you want the scan to be done.  
         This allows you to skip directories you are shure not to contain
         WINDOWS programs (saving time..).
         ALL subdirectories are recoursively scanned starting from the 
         specified ones .

-------------------
EXAMPLE2: (DLL_PATH.TXT file)

c:\windows
d:\wingames
c:\tools\wintools
-------------------

         Of course if you write only 'C:' , all  the C: drive will be scanned.

--------------------
LAMERS EXAMPLE2: (DLL_PATH.TXT file)

c:
c:\windows
--------------------

         Editing DLL_PATH.TXT as in LAMERS EXAMPLE2 simply wastes your time:
         the directory C:\WINDOWS will be uselessly scanned twice!





     > The EVALUATION copy of CLRDLL only  displays how many bytes
       all the unused DLL files are taking up in your hard disk, and
       generates a report file named DLL_USED.TXT reporting which DLL file
       is used by each program.

     > The WORKING copy of CLRDLL creates useful report files
       explaining exactly:

            -which DLL files are used by each Windows program. (DLL_USED.TXT)
            -which DLL files are completely unused.            (DLL_UNUS.TXT)

       In the working copy, CLRDLL optionally moves unused DLL files to
       a desired directory.
       This option allows you to verify the correct working of all your
       Windows programs without those DLL files marked unused by CLRDLL.
       After you checked this you may Zip or backup & erase them, or simply
       erase them. 

       Why did I create CLRDLL ? Because every time I install some
       shareware software and decide to remove it from my HD, even if
       I erase the directories containing the installed software, I
       discover that typing "DIR C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\*.DLL", I get more
       Megabytes used than I could expect..! This is because some
       software installs DLL files in your System directory without
       telling you! (I HATE THAT!!)
       CLRDLL gently cleans out the unused DLL files freeing Megabytes
       in your HD.



I M P O R T A N T:
-----------------
It may happen that some DLL files are called by some particolar files which 
are not EXE or DRV or any of the ones specified in the file DLL_EXT.TXT.
The trick is filling DLL_EXT.TXT with the right extensions!
So if you find out that a program doesn't work anymore (generates an error)
after using CLRDLL, and it perfectly worked before...  we really ought to
think the reason is a missing DLL file.
So if the error message tells you which DLL file is missing, simply get it 
from the directory CLRDLL moved it and replace it in your WINDOWS or 
WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory (depending on where CLRDLL moved it).
If you have no idea of which DLL file is missing but required by the program,
you could move all the DLL files back from where CLRDLL moved them ( be 
careful to put them in WINDOWS or WINDOWS\SYSTEM depending on where CLRDLL
moved them: those in the SYSTEM directory must go in WINDOWS\SYSTEM... of
course!), and add to DLL_EXT.TXT the extensions of the files your crashing
program uses ( they should be in it's same directory ).
Then run CLRDLL again. If you are having the same problem again... just 
repeat all the steps over, and add more extensions in the DLL_EXT.TXT file.
(Are you sure the crashing program's directory is specified in DLL_PATH.TXT?)
You should be able to have it working this way.





3.     To get the working copy of CLRDLL you may send $15 (USA dollars)
       or Lire 20000 (Italian lira) to:

                Marcus Oblak
                Via Marconi 15
                36040 Grumolo delle Abb.sse (VI)
                Italy
       
       Including your name and address.

       My phone number is:      
       0444-581520  (within Italy)

       My Internet address is:
       snap@maya.dei.unipd.it


4.     DISCLAIMER:
       
       This demonstration copy of CLRDLL is distributed 'as is'.
       The author is not responsible for any damages caused by this software.

5.     COPYRIGHTS:

       "MS-DOS"   is registered by  Microsoft Corp.
       "Windows"  is registered by  Microsoft Corp.

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