Extract text from compressed Windows libraries (DL_)
To convert DL_ compressed libraries to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other Compressed software.
To convert other file formats to the "Setup File Archive" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
A .dl_ file is a compressed Dynamic Link Library (DLL) used primarily by Microsoft Windows. It functions as an installation file designed to save disk space on physical setup media, like CDs and floppy disks, or within software distribution packages.
The main disadvantage of the .dl_ format is that it is not directly executable or usable by the operating system. It remains locked in a proprietary Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) compression envelope. Users cannot simply open or edit it; the format forces users to run specific command-line extraction tools or complex setup scripts to unpack the actual library.
To use the file, you must extract it back to a standard DLL file. Standard archiving tools often fail to process it because they do not recognize the underscore (_) naming convention, causing unexpected extraction errors.
Because this is a compressed system file with a non-standard extension, it is notoriously difficult to open or convert with generic tools. Our analysis detects the underlying Cabinet compression format and attempts to recover the original library without requiring command-line tools.
Convert.Guru analyzes your DL_ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DLL, MP4, MDMP and INI files.
If you want to convert DL_ file to ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB, ACE, ARJ or LHA, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "Compressed System Installer Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to DL_, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "Compressed System Installer Archive" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our DL_ converter.