C compiling help - lots of it if you don't mind

[jam_zhou]

OK, I'm onto my next project...Making ATI Remote Wonder plugins - mostly for GBPVR, but also so that I can make plugins for my many other HTPC apps. I still use myHTPC and WinDVD

The problem is I don't know how to compile dll's in C. Can anyone give me a tutorial on what I need to compile someone's source code so that it becomes a dll?

Things I need to know:
What compiler should I use and is it free?
What are the commands to compile the thing?
If I compile a bad dll can I wreck my system?

Any other tips you C programmers can give me. I don't really know where to start

TIA

[gruskada]

I can help you out with .NET dlls a bit, but I assume these need to be tradtional COM dlls, right?

gruskada