DB_File.dll is considered a type of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file. Dynamic Link Library files, like DB_File.dll, are essentially a "guide book" that stores information and instructions for executable (EXE) files - like replace.exe - to follow. These files were created so that multiple programs (eg. XAMPP) could share the same DB_File.dll file, saving valuable memory allocation, therefore making your computer run more efficiently.
Unfortunately, what makes DLL files so convenient and efficient, also makes them extremely vulnerable to problems. If something happens to a shared DLL file, either it goes missing or gets corrupted in some way, it can generate a "runtime" error message. Runtime is pretty self-explanatory; it means that these errors are triggered when DB_File.dll is attempted to be loaded either when XAMPP is starting up, or in some cases already running. Some of the most common DB_File.dll errors include:
- Access Violation at address - DB_File.dll.
- DB_File.dll could not be found.
- Cannot find C:\xampp\perl\lib\auto\DB_File\DB_File.dll.
- Cannot register DB_File.dll.
- Cannot start XAMPP. A required component is missing: DB_File.dll. Please install XAMPP again.
- Failed to load DB_File.dll.
- The application has failed to start because DB_File.dll was not found.
- The file DB_File.dll is missing or corrupt.
- This application failed to start because DB_File.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
Your DB_File.dll file could be missing due to accidental deletion, uninstalled as a shared file of another program (shared with XAMPP), or deleted by a malware infection. Furthermore, DB_File.dll file corruption could be caused from a power outage when loading XAMPP, system crash while loading DB_File.dll, bad sectors on your storage media (usually your primary hard drive), or quite commonly, a malware infection. Thus, it's critical to make sure your anti-virus is kept up-to-date and scanning regularly.