The urlmon.dll is a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file developed by Microsoft Corporation and is closely associated with Internet Explorer. The DLL stands for "URL Moniker Services Library," and it contains a set of functions and resources that allow for operations like URL parsing, data downloading, and various other actions relevant to internet protocols. Essentially, urlmon.dll provides OLE32 (Object Linking and Embedding) Extensions for Win32, which enables applications to embed and link to documents and other objects.
This library is responsible for enabling the software, not just Internet Explorer but other Windows applications as well, to access and interact with the web. It plays a role in the handling of HTTP and FTP protocols, the downloading and uploading of files, and even the rendering of web pages. Through its OLE extensions, urlmon.dll also allows for data and object sharing across different applications on the Windows platform.
The urlmon.dll file is generally located in the System32 directory (C:\Windows\System32) on most Windows installations, although this can differ depending on the version and configuration of the operating system. Given its essential role in web interaction, issues with this DLL can result in problems in connecting to the internet, downloading files, or even browsing web pages. Standard troubleshooting steps may include running Windows' built-in System File Checker tool (sfc /scannow) or reinstalling Internet Explorer or other affected applications to resolve any issues.
