dll files on my new MacBook air that from past laptops

I am unfamiliar with the internals of Microsoft Office on macOS, but I’d wonder whether that was a Microsoft Office download for Windows, and not a download for macOS.

Office 2014 is not running on any recent macOS, as 2016 is the oldest with 64-bit support.

Have backups and a recovery path before deleting anything, as mentioned.

If the Mac has been around for a long time, maybe migrate documents and settings, and skip the app migration.

DLL files are usually Microsoft Windows dynamic-link library files, and not macOS files.

Where are you looking, when finding these files?

Probably, but a more comprehensive answer would require knowing how and where you found them.

You can do whatever you want provided you have a contingency plan. To learn how to use Time Machine please read Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support.

zedmaracder16 wrote:

I had previously deleted the 2014 version of word, by just trashing the folder. I am assuming these files related to the earlier installation of Microsoft Office 2014.

That is probably a valid assumption. Apple's developer documentation instructs us to use .dylib files for dynamically loaded libraries but Microsoft has had a long history of ignoring Apple's developer documentation.

You're welcome. 👍

I wouldn't. Those are files that are in many applications so they can work on Windows machines as well as Macs. There's no knowing what might to the apps happen if you removed them.

They don't take up any space at all being either 6.7K or 87K. My advice: don't mess with them.