Urlmon.dll is an important file that is required by applications when they perform OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) operations.

Is it safe to remove urlmon.dll?

No, do not remove the urlmon.dll file. If you remove this file, applications, such as Internet Explorer that require OLE will not function properly.

Urlmon.dll causes Internet Explorer to shutdown on Windows XP computer

Issue

When using Internet Explorer on a Windows XP computer, the Internet Explorer closes and you get an error message that refers to the urlmon.dll file.

Recommended Solution

You may fix this problem by removing the security update KB942615. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs to open its corresponding window.
2. Select Security Update for Windows XP KB942615 and click Remove.
3. Restart your computer.

Note: If you find it difficult to ensure complete uninstallation using Add or Remove Programs, you may use a more efficient third-party tool, such as Perfect Uninstaller to perform the removal.

Urlmon.dll causes Internet Explorer 8 to shutdown on Windows Vista computer

Issue

While opening certain websites in Internet Explorer 8 on a Windows Vista computer, the Internet Explorer shuts down and an error message appears that points to urlmon.dll.

Recommended Solution

The above issue may resolve if you clear the restricted Websites list. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer, navigate to the Tools menu and click Internet Options.
2. On the Security tab, click the Restricted Sites icon to highlight it, and then click the Sites button.
3. Select all Websites present in the list one by one and click the Remove button each time to remove the websites from the list.
4. After you have removed all the websites, click the Close button.
5. Next, click Apply and then click OK.

Urlmon.dll error in Windows XP when Windows starts

When you start your Windows XP computer, you receive the error listed below:

"STOP: c0000221 {Bad Image Checksum}
The image urlmon.dll is possibly corrupt. The header checksum does not match the computed checksum"

Recommended Solution

This error may occur if the copy of the urlmon.dll on your system is either corrupt or missing. To repair this urlmon.dll error, perform the following steps:

1. Insert the Windows XP installation CD in the CD-ROM and reboot your XP computer from the CD-ROM.
2. Press the R key to start Recovery Console, when Welcome to Setup screen appears.
3. Log in with administrative rights.
4. Next, type the following commands at the Command Prompt and press Enter after each command to run it -

   cd C:\windows\system32

   ren urlmon.dll urlmon.bak

   expand F:\i386\urlmon.dll C:\Windows\system32

5. Next, type exit and press Enter to exit command prompt.
6. Finally reboot your computer.

Note: C represents the root drive letter on which Windows is installed and F points to CD/DVD-ROM drive

You may also experience DLL errors, such as urlmon.dll if the copy of DLL file on your PC is infected. To fix urlmon.dll errors, occurring due to malware infection, run a malware scan on your entire computer using advanced security tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla.

Also, as the entries related to DLL files, such as urlmon.dll are stored in the registry, you may encounter DLL-related errors if the registry entries of these files become damaged, corrupt or go missing. To prevent this, regularly clean your registry using a reliable and top-rated registry cleaner, such as RegGenie.

The shell32.dll file is associated with the Microsoft Windows Shell program. This file contains Windows Shell API programs that are used by Internet Explorer to open web pages and by Windows Explorer to open files on your computer.

By default, the shell32.dll file is located in %system% folder and is loaded automatically when your Windows computer boots up.

Note: %system% is a variable that refers to the system folder on a Windows computer. By default, for Windows XP and Vista, the path is C:\Windows\System32.

Is it safe to remove the shell32.dll file?

No, do not remove shell32.dll file from your computer. The shell32.dll is an integral component of the Windows operating system and is required for the stable functioning of your Windows computer. If the shell32.dll file is unavailable, your Windows computer may not be able to boot.

Shell32.dll Errors

Error 1

When you start Internet Explorer, you may receive the error message displayed below:

“This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.”

If you click Details, the following error message may appear:

“IEXPLORE caused an invalid page fault in SHELL32.DLL.”

If you click Close, the following error message may appear:

“There was an internal error and one of the windows you were using will be closed.”

Cause of the Error

The above error occurs when the value of the Search Bar value in the following registry entry is incomplete:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Solution

Note: The steps illustrated below require you to edit the registry. Please perform these steps only if you are comfortable in working with the registry. A single mistake while editing the registry may inflict irreparable damage to your system. Also, always make a registry backup before editing it. You may make a registry backup manually, or use a reliable registry maintenance tool, such as RegGenie for this purpose.

To repair the above error, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. Next, type regedit in the Open box and press Enter.
3. In the left pane of the Registry Editor, locate the following registry entry    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Select the Main subkey.
5. Next, in the right-pane of the Registry Editor window, right-click the Search Bar value and click Delete.

Error 2

When you try to launch any Control Panel applet, you may receive the following error

“Error Loading: C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll Access is Denied.”

The above error may be caused by a malware infection. To remove malware, scan your entire computer using advanced security tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla.

If no malware was reported in the scan results, check to see if you have Comodo Firewall installed. If yes, then the Comodo Firewall settings may be causing the above error. To fix the error in this case, right-click the Comodo Firewall icon in your system tray (next to clock), click Defense + Security Level, and then click Disabled.

Error 1

On a Windows 98 computer, when you double-click or right-click the My Documents shortcut on the desktop, you may receive the error message mentioned below:

“Explorer
This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.”

When you click Details, either of the following messages is displayed:

“Explorer caused a stack fault in module SHDOCVW.DLL at <memory address>”

-Or-

“Explorer caused a stack fault in module KERNEL32.DLL at <memory address>”

Cause of the Error

The above error occurs when the value of the Personal value in the following registry key is empty or does not contain the path to the My Documents folder.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Resolution Steps

Note: The steps mentioned below require you to edit the registry. It is recommended that you perform these steps with care and only if you are comfortable in working with the Windows Registry. A mistake in modifying the registry may cause irreparable damage to your system. As a precaution, always make a registry backup before editing the registry. You can back up the registry manually or use a reliable registry tool, such as RegGenie for this purpose.

To repair the above error, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. In the open box, type regedit and press Enter to access Registry Editor.
3. Next navigate and select the following registry entry
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
4. Next, in the right-pane of the Registry Editor window, locate and double-click Personal value.
5. In the Value Data box, type the path to the My Documents folder (the default path is C:\My Documents), and click OK.
6. Restart your computer.

Error 2

On a Windows XP computer, when you try to connect to a website, using either Internet Explorer 6 or Internet Explorer 6 with Service Pack 1 – a blank page appears, instead of the website you wanted to open.

Cause of the Error

The above issue occurs when during system update, some DLLs didn’t get registered.

Resolution Steps

To fix the above error, first register the urlmon.dll and actxprxy.dll files and restart Internet Explorer. If the issue persists, then register the following DLLs:

• shdocvw.dll‏
• browseui.dll
• mshtml.dll‏ 
• msjava.dll‏ 
• scrrun.dll‏ 
• msxml.dll‏ 

To register a DLL, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and select Run.
2. Next, in the Open box type the following command and press Enter to register a DLL
   regsvr32 DLLFilename

When I run the “Rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll, DoOrganizeFavDlg” command an empty dialog box appears, instead of a list of favorite websites

When you run the Rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll, DoOrganizeFavDlg command on a Windows XP computer with Internet Explorer 8 installed on it, a list of your favorite websites should be displayed.

If you receive an empty dialog box, to rectify the issue download the most cumulative security update for Windows Internet Explorer from the Microsoft Update website.

Alternatively, you can run the Rundll32.exe ieframe.dll, DoOrganizeFavDlg command to view the favorites information.

The shadocvw.dll file is missing – what should I do?

To resolve the issue, download a copy of shadocvw.dll file from a reliable online DLL Directory and save the file in C:\Windows\System32 folder.

Error 1

When you start your Windows XP computer, you may encounter the following error:
Services.exe: Entry Point Not Found

The procedure entry point _resetstkoflw could not be located in the dynamic link library Msvcrt.dll.

Cause of the Error

The above error occurs when a third-party application replaces the msvcrt.dll with its own version that does not contain the _resetstkoflw function.

Resolution Steps

To repair the above issue, replace the msvcrt.dll file with the original version. You can do this from Windows XP Recovery Console. Here are the steps:

1. Boot your computer with Windows XP installation CD.
2. Next, at the Welcome to Setup screen, press the R key to launch Recovery Console.
3. Select the Windows XP installation you want to repair and enter the administrator password if required. The Recovery Console window will be displayed.
4. Type cd system32 at command prompt and press Enter to change to the system32 directory.
5. Type ren msvcrt.dll msvcrt.old.dll and press Enter to rename the msvcrt.dll file.
6. Type CD-ROM_or_DVD-ROM_Drive_Letter: and press Enter to change to the CD-Rom drive. Here, CD-ROM_or_DVD-ROM_Drive_Letter letter points to the drive letter of your CD_ROM or DVD_ROM drive.
7. Type cd \i386 and press Enter to change to the i386 directory on the CD.
8. Type expand msvcrt.dl_ BootDriveLetter:\windows\system32 and press Enter to change to extract the original msvcrt.dll file from the Windows XP CD and copy it to the system32 directory on your Windows XP computer. Here, BootDriveLetter points to the drive letter of the drive on which you have installed Windows.

Type exit and press Enter to exit Recovery Console and restart your PC normally. Remember to remove the Windows XP CD from its drive before the system restarts.

Error 2

When you open the Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition, you may receive an error message similar to the ones displayed below:

“Outlook has caused an IPF in msvcrt.dll”

-Or-

“Outlook has caused an error in msvcrt.dll”

Resolution Step

To rectify the issue, install the latest Microsoft Office XP Service Pack on your computer.

Error 3

When you run a Microsoft Visual Basic program on a Windows 98 Standard Edition or a Windows 95 computer, you may receive the following error:

“Program caused an invalid page fault in module MSVCRT.DLL at xxxx:xxxxxxxx”

Cause of the Error

The above error occurs if you have version 6.00.8168.0 of the msvcrt.dll installed on your computer.

Resolution Step

To fix the above msvcrt.dll error, download and install the Microsoft Libraries Update on your computer. In case you installed the Microsoft Libraries Update before you installed the Visual Basic Program, then you need to download and install the Microsoft Libraries Update again to rectify the issue.

In addition to the msvcrt.dll errors discussed above, you may also receive msvcrt.dll errors if the DLL file is infected. Malware programs, if present, corrupt your DLL files and cause errors. If the msvcrt.dll file is infected, you may encounter an msvcrt.dll error every time an application or program tries to access this DLL.

To repair DLL errors, such as msvcrt.dll occurring due to malware infection, run a malware scan on your entire computer, using advanced security software, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla.

Besides malware infection, another common cause of msvcrt.dll errors is a corrupt or damaged registry. To prevent DLL and other errors from occurring due to registry issues, regularly clean your registry.

You may seek the help of a reliable registry cleaning software, such as RegGenie to efficiently clean your registry. It is a powerful, yet simple to use tool that allows you to perform custom registry scans to identify and fix DLL errors.

Error 1

When you try to install Internet Explorer 5.0, you may receive an error message, similar to the ones displayed below:

"IE5WZD caused an exception C0010000H in module MSJAVA.DLL"

-Or-

"Ie5wzd caused an invalid page fault in module Msjava.dll at <memory address>"

Cause of the Error

The above problem occurs when the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine is damaged.

Resolution Steps

To resolve the error, perform the following steps:

1. Restart your Windows computer in MS-DOS mode.
2. At command prompt, type the following commands and press Enter after each command.

   cd windows\system

   ren msjava.dll msjava.old

   exit

3. Run the Internet Explorer 5.0 set up again.

If the error persists, you may contact Microsoft for further support to troubleshoot the issue.

Error 2

On a Windows XP computer, when you try to connect to a web site, using Internet Explorer 6 or Internet Explorer with Service Pack 1 – the Internet Explorer opens with a blank page.

Cause of the Error

The above issue occurs if some DLLs failed to register during system update.

Resolution Steps

To resolve the issue, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. Type the following commands in the Open box and press Enter after each command to register the DLLs.
• regsvr32 urlmon.dll
• regsvr32 actxprxy.dll
• regsvr32 msjava.dll
• regsvr32 browseui.dll
• regsvr32 shadocvw.dll
• regsvr32 mshtml.dll
• regsvr32 msxml.dll
• regsvr32 scrrun.dll
3. Next, restart the Internet Explorer.

Error 3

When you run Microsoft Office Setup, you may receive an error message, similar to the error messages displayed below:

“Ie5wzd caused an exception in module Kernel32.dll”

-Or-

“Ie5wzd caused an exception in module Msjava.dll”

The above error is associated with the following Microsoft Office 2000 products:

Microsoft Office 2000 Standard Edition

• Microsoft Word 2000 Standard Edition products including, Publisher, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Excel, Access, and Outlook
• Microsoft Office 2000 Premium Edition
• Microsoft Office 2000 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition
• Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business Edition
• Microsoft Home Publishing 2000 Express Edition
• Microsoft Greetings 2000 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Home Publishing 2000 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Vizact 2000 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Works 2000 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Works Suite 2000

Cause of the Error

The above error occurs when either Netzip is installed on your system or the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (VM) is damaged.

Resolution Steps

To fix the Msjava.dll error in this case, obtain the full package Microsoft Office 2000 Service Release 1/1a (SR-1/SR -1a) product.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products listed above and was rectified in Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1/SR-1a.

Other common causes of msjava.dll errors include – malware infection and a corrupt registry. Make your life simpler and avoid DLL errors and other errors that occur due to malware infection and registry issues. Install robust protective tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla to safeguard your computer against malware infection.

Choosing the right protective software enables you to efficiently protect your PC from malware programs and avoid various errors that may occur due to malware infection. Further, ensure that your registry is clean and healthy by conducting regular registry scans using reliable registry cleaning software, such as RegGenie. A healthy registry is essential for smooth and error-free functioning of your Windows computer.

I’m missing msjava.dll – what should I do?

Msjava.dll is associated with Microsoft Java Virtual Machine program. As Microsoft no longer supplies or distributes updates for its JVM program, you may download Sun’s latest JVM for Windows.

It is recommended that you do not remove browseui.dll. If the browseui.dll file is unavailable, the Internet Explorer and other applications that display HTML will get adversely affected and may stop working.

Browseui.dll error

When you restart your Windows XP computer, you may receive an error message similar to the one displayed below:

“Explorer.exe unable to locate component. This application has failed to start because Browseui.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.”

Further, the Desktop icons, Start menu, and Taskbar will not appear on your screen.

Resolution Steps

To repair the above error, you will have to rename the browseui.dll file and then extract the browseui.dll file from the Windows XP installation disc to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

To achieve this, perform the steps mentioned below:

Note: In all the steps mentioned in this article, the C: drive is considered to be the drive on which Windows XP is installed and F: drive is the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. If you have installed Windows on another drive, then replace the drive letter C: with the drive letter of the drive on which you have installed Windows. Similarly, if your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive is different than F: drive then replace the letter F: with the drive letter of your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

1. Restart your computer. Press F8 as Windows boots.
2. Select the Safe Mode with Command prompt option from the Windows Advanced Options menu and press Enter.
3. Next, insert the Windows XP installation CD in your CD/DVD-ROM.
4. At the command prompt, type the following commands and press Enter after each command to execute them.
   cd c:\windows\system32
   ren browseui.dll browseui.bak
   F:
   cd i386
   expand Browseui.dl_ c:\cystem32\browseui.dll
5. Next, press Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Shut Down, using the TAB key, and press Enter.
6. Select Restart, using the arrow keys in the What do you want the computer to do? list, and then press Enter to reboot your Windows computer.           

 
After you computer reboots, open Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer to check if you receive one of the following errors:

“Iexplorer.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close”

-Or-

“Explorer.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close”

If either of the error messages is reported when you open Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer then click more information in the error message to identify the module name. If the module name is Browseui.dll, unregister and then register the browseui.dll file to repair the error. To unregister and register the browseui.dll file, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Start menu and then click Run.
2. Type cmd and press OK.
3. At the command prompt, type cd c:\windows\system32 and press Enter.
4. Next, to unregister browseui.dll, type regsvr32 browseui.dll /u and press Enter.
5. Now, to register browseui.dll, type regsvr32 browseui.dll and press Enter.
6. Next, type exit and press Enter to exit command prompt.
7. Reboot your computer.

You may also experience browseui.dll errors, if the browseui.dll file is infected or if its registry entries are damaged. You can easily prevent such DLL errors by installing the right protective software and registry cleaning tools.

To prevent DLL errors that may occur because of malware infection, install robust protective software, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla, and schedule regular malware scans on your computer. Also, perform regular registry scans using reliable registry cleaning tools, such as RegGenie to avoid DLL errors that may occur due to issues in the registry.

Error Message

When installing an HP printer on a Windows computer, the installation process stops and you may receive an error message, similar to the one described below:

"Issues stopping installation:

These registry keys do not exist and are required for installation to continue. Please ensure that the registry keys exist and click Retry to continue installation." 

Solution

Before proceeding with repair steps, ensure that there is only one copy of slbcsp.dll and sccbase.dll files in your C:\Windows\System32 folder.

Now, to resolve the above error, you need to create the following two subkeys:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\Defaults\Provider\Schlumberger
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography|Defaults\Provider\Infineon

Perform the following steps to achieve this:

Warning: The above steps require you to edit the registry. It is important that you perform the following steps as they are given. Incorrectly modifying registry may inflict serious damage to your computer. Always back up the registry before editing it. You may use the help of a reliable registry cleaning tool, such as RegGenie to make registry backups or you may back up the registry manually.

1. Go to the Start menu and click Run.
2. Type regedit in the Open box and press Enter.
3. Locate the following registry key
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography|Defaults\Provider
4. Select the Provider key.
5. Next, click the Edit menu in the Registry Editor window, select New and then click Key.
6. Name the new Key as Schlumberger Cryptographic Service Provider.
7. Repeat the steps 4 and 5. This time name the new key as Infineon SICRYPT Base Smart Card CSP.
8. Next, select the first key you created, that is Schlumberger Cryptographic Service Provider.
9. Now, right-click on an empty area on the right-pane of Registry Editor window, select New, and then click String Value.
10. Right-click on the new string value you created, click Rename and then rename the value to Image Path.
11. Now, right-click the string value, Image Path, click Modify, and in the box under Value data write C:\WINDOWS\system32\slbcsp.dll.
12. Click OK.
13. Next, select the Infineon SICRYPT Base Smart Card CSP key.
14. Repeat the step 9 and 10.
15. Next, right-click the string value, Image Path, click Modify and in the box under Value data write C:\WINDOWS\system32\sccbase.dll.
16. Click OK.
17. Again, select the Schlumberger Cryptographic Service Provider Key.
18. Right-click on an empty area in the right-pane of the Registry Editor window, select New, and then click DWORD value and rename it to SigInFile.
19. Again, right-click on an empty area in the right-pane, select New, and then click DWORD value and rename the value as Type.
20. Next, right-click on the value Type, select Modify, and in the box under Value data, type 1. You may select Base as either Hexadecimal or Decimal.
21. Click OK.
22. Next, select the Infineon SICRYPT Base Smart Card CSP key in the left-pane of Registry Editor window.
23. Repeat the steps 18, 19, and 20.
24. Click OK.

How to prevent slbcsp.dll errors

The most common cause of slbcsp.dll errors is malware infection. Malware programs deliberately corrupt or delete the slbcsp.dll file and cause recurring DLL errors. To prevent slbcsp.dll errors occurring due to malware infection, install robust security tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla on your computer.

The nvcpl.dll file is associated with NVIDIA display adapters. This DLL loads the NVIDIA Control Panel through which you can tweak the settings of your NVIDIA display card.

Nvcpl.dll – File Information

By default, the nvcpl.dll file is present in C:\Windows\System32 folder. This DLL loads automatically when you start your computer. You can find entries related to nvcpl.dll file in the registry in the following locations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

Is Nvcpl.dll an essential startup program?

No, nvcpl.dll is not an essential startup program and you can safely remove it from your startup item list. To disable nvcpl.dll at Windows Startup, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. Type msconfig and press Enter.
3. Click Startup in the System Configuration Utility dialog box.
4. Clear the checkbox against nvcpl.dll.
5. Restart your computer.

Nvcpl.dll Error at Windows Startup

When you start your Windows computer, you may receive an error message similar to the ones displayed below:

“Error loading C:\Windows\system32\NvCpl.dll. The Specified module could not be found”

-Or-

“Could not start C:\windows\system32\nvcpl.dll."

These errors may occur if your video driver files are outdated. To fix the error, uninstall your NVIDIA drivers and then download and install the latest NVIDIA drivers for your Windows operating system.

The Nvcpl.dll file is missing from my computer – What should I do?

If for some reasons, the nvcpl.dll file is absent from your system, causing DLL errors, such as “The nvcpl.dll file is missing” or ‘”Nvcpl.dll not found”, then to rectify the issue download the nvcpl.dll file from a reliable online free DLL directory. Next, save the nvcpl.dll file in C:\Windows\System32 folder and register the DLL. To register nvcpl.dll, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and then select Run.
2. Next, type cmd in the Open box and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
3. Type the following command at command prompt and press Enter
   regsvr32 nvcpl.dll.

Common causes of nvcpl.dll errors and how to avoid nvcpl.dll errors

The most common causes of nvcpl.dll errors are – malware infection, a corrupt registry, and outdated NVIDIA video drivers.

The following pointers help you to prevent nvcpl.dll errors from occurring:

• Install reliable antimalware tools

  One of the biggest causes of recurring DLL errors, such as nvcpl.dll errors is malware infection. Malware programs corrupt your DLL files by altering their codes. As a result, an nvcpl.dll error may occur whenever an application tries to access the infected nvcpl.dll file. To prevent nvcpl.dll errors from occurring due to malware infection, install robust antimalware tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla on your computer.

• Regularly clean your registry

  The registry stores entries related to your DLL files. In case the registry entry of the nvcpl.dll file becomes corrupt or is missing, you may receive recurring nvcpl.dll errors. To avoid DLL errors, occurring due to registry issues, regularly clean your registry using reliable registry cleaning software, such as RegGenie.

• Install the latest NVIDIA video drivers

  You may also receive nvcpl.dll errors if the driver files are outdated. To prevent this, install the latest NVIDIA video drivers. An easy way of keeping your driver up-to-date is to use reliable driver scanner and update tools, such as Driver Detective.

Shlwapi.dll Error in Windows XP

When you start your Windows XP computer after installing security update MS04-038, you receive the following error:

“Explorer.EXE – Entry Point Not Found – The procedure entry point SHCreateThreadRef could not be located in the dynamic link library SHLWAPI.dll”

Cause of the Error

The above error is generated when a computer contains pre-Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) files and the registry contains Windows XP SP2 information.

This situation, where pre-Windows XP SP2 files are present on a computer, while registry contains Windows XP SP2 information, arises when there is a failed Windows XP SP2 installation.

Typically, if Windows XP SP2 installation fails, the computer is automatically rolled back to its pre-Windows XP SP2 installation state. If for some reason, such as power failure during XP SP2 installation, an automatic roll back does not happen, the service pack recovery process partially removes Windows XP SP2 after you reboot your computer. Also, on restart a message appears on your screen, prompting you to immediately uninstall the remnants of XP SP2 installation, using Add or Remove programs utility.

If you do not adhere to this recommendation, your PC will contain pre-Windows XP SP2 files, and Windows XP SP2 information will be present in the registry. When you install security update MS04-038 the Windows Update offers the Windows XP SP2 version of the update, causing the above shwlapi.dll error to occur.

Resolution Steps

To fix the above issue, perform the following steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Windows Task Manager window.

2. Click the File menu and then click New Task.

3. Next, type control appwiz.cpl and click OK.

4. Now, select Windows XP Hotfix – KB834707 in the Add or Remove Program window, click the Remove button, and follow the onscreen instructions to remove the hotfix.

5. When the Finish button appears, click it and let your computer restart. At this point, if you receive any error messages, ignore them.

6. After your computer restarts, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.

7. In the Add or Remove Programs window, select Windows XP Service Pack 2, click Remove, and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the removal process.

   Note: In case you cannot access Add or Remove Programs from the Control Panel, repeat the steps 1 and 2, and type the %windir%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe command in the Open box and press Enter to complete the XP SP2 unisntallation process.

8. After your computer restarts, install the Windows XP SP2 by visiting Windows Update.

Simple steps to avoid DLL errors

The majority of DLL errors, such as shlwapi.dll errors are known to occur due to malware infection and registry problems.

Make your life simpler and avoid various errors, including DLL errors by installing robust antimalware tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla on your computer. In order to keep your computer always safe from malware, regularly update your protective tools with the latest malware definitions and security updates. Also, schedule regular malware scans on your computer.

You must maintain a healthy and compact registry to prevent DLL errors from occurring due to registry issues. To clean your registry, schedule regular registry scans using advanced registry cleaning software, such as RegGenie.

The msi.dll file is required to install Microsoft Installer (MSI) packages. If this file is removed, Windows Installer will not work.

In this article, we are going to discuss an instance of the msi.dll error on a Windows 98 computer and its solution.

Msi.dll error in Windows 98

When you try to install any Windows Installer-based program on a Windows 98 computer, you may receive an error message similar to the one displayed here:

“The MSIEXEC.EXE file is linked to a missing export MSI.DLL:222.”

After you click OK, another error message, similar to the one mentioned below appears:

“Cannot launch C:\Windows\System\MSIEXEC.EXE, a device attached to the system is not functioning.”

Cause of the Error

This issue occurs if the Windows Installer files on your computer are mismatched because of an attempted update of Windows Installer files.

Resolution Tasks

When the above problem occurs, the first thing you need to do is restart your computer and again try to install the Windows Office program.

If the Windows Installer has recently upgraded its files, the files are not directly copied to their correct location. Instead, they are first copied to a temporary location. It is only when you restart your computer the files are copied to the appropriate folder.

To fix the above error, perform the following tasks.

Task 1 – Download the Windows Installer Update from Microsoft Download Center

1. Click on the link and press the Download button next to InstMsiA.exe.
2. Save the file on your Desktop.

Task 2 – Rename the Windows Installer Files

1. Go to the Start menu and select Shut Down.
2. Next, click Restart in MS-DOS mode, and then click the OK button.
3. Type the following commands at the command prompt and press Enter after each command to execute it.
   
   cd system
   ren msi.dll msi.old
   ren msihnd.dll msihnd.old
   ren msiexec.exe msiexec.old
   exit
4. Restart Windows.

Task 3 – Start Windows in Safe Mode

1. Click Start and select Shut down.
2. Next, click Restart and click OK.
3. Press and hold down the SHIFT key when window reboots.

Task 4 – Install the Windows Installer Update on Windows 98 computer

1. Double-click on the InstMsiA.exe file that you saved on the desktop.
2. Next, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process.
3. Finally, restart your Windows 98 computer.

Do registry issues cause DLL errors, such as msi.dll errors?

Yes, they do. In fact a corrupt or damaged registry is often found to be the root cause of common DLL errors. Entries related to DLL are stored in the registry. You may receive recurring DLL errors, if the entries related to DLL files are damaged, corrupt, or missing.

To repair DLL errors, such as msi.dll errors that are the result of registry issues, scan your registry using an efficient registry cleaner program, such as RegGenie. It is a powerful tool that allows you to perform custom registry scans to fix DLL errors.

MSI.DLL – Is it a safe file?

Yes, the true msi.dll is a safe file from Microsoft. However, a few instances of malware programs, using a file named msi.dll are also reported.

To determine the msi.dll on your computer is not a system threat, scan your entire Windows computer, using reliable and efficient security tools, such as Antivirus Plus and StopZilla.