Intel Graphics and the Dynamically Generated DLL

in Applications

I’ve recently noticed a DLL file from Intel that keep reappearing on my system drive and I’ve tracked this down to the display software on my laptop - I’ve recently moved to a Dell laptop that has an Intel 945GM display adapter. Here’s the DLL in question:

C:\Intel\ExtremeGraphics\CUIResourceigfxres.dll

The properties of the DLL show this as the ‘Intel Common User Interface’. The file is loaded by EXPLORER.EXE and is dynamically created in the context of the current user when you right click on the desktop. The file does not exist anywhere else on the computer.

Because I’m a neat freak when it comes to file systems I don’t like having stuff like this lying around (pedantic I know), so I thought that I would see what would happen if I stopped the system from creating the file. I removed Authenticated Users (I run as a standard user) from the system drive so that the DLL could not be created. I then got this:

Before:

After:

Surely the file does not need to be created at runtime and surely it doesn’t need to exist in this location? I tested again after copying the DLL to the SYSTEM32 folder and guess what? It worked just as well. Someone over at Intel needs a slap on the wrist.