WinXP Home gives runDLL.exe error

When creating new shortcuts in a window, Win XP Home often, but not always, hangs up after I click on the applicable file/folder location in the opened navigator. The cursor goes into infinite spin mode and I get the message "Failure to respond rundll.exe when I close the shortcut creating window manually by clicking on the "X" in the upper right corner of the window. If I restart the computer, the symptom often goes away for a time and I am able to to create shortcuts and go to folders using the navigator but inevitably the problem returns after a few shortcut creations.
Any suggestions??

Thank you.

Added info:
This problem occurs with the Browse For Folder Window open. I cannot get go to the root of the C:\ drive, or any other drive, the app just hangs there. The actual message that I get when I click on the window X in the upper right corner of the browse window to close it is:

"End Program - Rundll32.exe
The program is not responding "

I then push the "End Now" button, the error window disappears and I am back in the window that I was attempting to install the shortcut into. This problem happens only when I use the right-click New:Shortcut method in a window. not if I use the New:Shortcut selection from the the File menu in the toolbar. FYI

 

Rundll.exe is a Windows System file belonging to the Windows 95, 98 and ME range of Microsoft Windows products. If running these on one of these OS', this is an important system process and should not be terminated.BUT NOTE: rundll.exe (depending on the Operating System and path) it is most often a virus on Windows XP and 2000 operating systems. It is usually a sign or at least should be considered as a flag that a backdoor Trojan or other critter has gotten in. If found on your system make sure that you have downloaded the latest update for your antivirus application and run a full system scan. In addition, download and run recommended programs for the most recent versions of spy/malware detection and removal ( "LavaSofts Adaware ", "Spybot ", "Hijacthis "). Once again, links and info are found in the Security Forum. If you have the most recent versions, make sure you check for any updates to dat files.

You need a current updated virus program that is adept at Trojan detection and cleaning. Many aren't able to handle such very well, if at all. I suggest that you pay a trip to the Security Forum and follow some of those sticky's to the free on-line scanners. Run a few scans on your system with a variety of them. One may catch what another has missed.

Xp uses rundll32.exe. After eliminating the above ^ as possibilities; If still plagued with this problem, you may need to find out what older application, you may be running or are trying to run, is using this file. Either update it or get rid of it.

 

Thanks for your assistance with this issue, Goddez1. I thought that it might be something like that. I dowloaded the latest .DEF fle for my Virus checker (AVG) yesterday and ran it but it reported no viruses. I used to have NAV but ran into some upgrade issues and had to uninstall it. I'll head over to security and see what I can find there. I am now running Stinger and will let you know how I make out wiyth its report...
Thank again!

 

I downloaded several different Trojan hunter programs from URLs given in the security forum area and ran them all. None found any trojan horses on my system. Any further suggestions would be welcome!

 

Balthior, I think you may have confused Ann when you titled your post with the term rundll.exe and yet later referred to the error message as containing rundll32.exe. The first may be a Trojan if found on an XP system. XP does not use rundll.exe as a norm so that is the tip off.

Now, if your error actually referred to rundll32.exe, you're probably not getting the error due to a Trojan or other infector. It's may be caused by some conflicting non-MS context menu item that you have installed. When you right click to perform the shortcut creation, what all do you see listed on the context menu? Any items there that aren't MS could be causing the problem. Normally things can reside peacfully together on there but when problems develope, you have to be suspicious of any added items. Some never cause problems while others get treated as corruption by XP at times.

This is all speculation on my part but I think it's a good place to start. If you can uninstall any non-MS tools that have placed items on the context menu, that would be the way to prove or disprove the issue.

As another trial effort, run SFC /SCANNOW just in case something is amiss in the system files.

 

We must have passed each other while posting. I believe since my first visit to this post, you have edited and added the additional information which clarified that this was not a rundll.exe error but in fact was rundll32.exe. When I finally did return to my thread for some editing, most likely spelling or grammer corrections, I failed to look up at yours for a reread. In any case my original thread was intended for a rundll.exe error. It looks like the problem has a different spin on it now. Oh well, virus scanning doesn't hurt and at least you can be relatively sure you are not currently infected. NOTE: This still may be adware/malware related since no mention of these programs were made. Did you give these ago? That said...

In addition to what has been suggested, have you had a look into your "administrators tools "> "event viewer "? It may help to know what application is closing or causing this hang by not responding. Perhaps any software problems logged in here will offer further clues.
To open the event viewer console only, at the startbutton run line type eventvwr.msc

While this error or hang is present, is it possible to bring up taskmanager with a key combo of cntrl/alt/del and check out your "applications tab "? See any "Not responding" clues?

All of the above are only an attempt or effort to pin this problem down further. Just in case this is a third party application, that has added a context menu extension entry or hook of some type, that is being fussy.

 

I ran the event viewer per your suggestion and found the following error in the system section after I unsuccessfully attempted to create a new shortcut (Explorer window hung):

The Remote Access Connection Manager service depends on the Telephony service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

I then went into Control Panel to start the telephony service under Phone and Modem options but received an error msg that said those options "cannot be opened ".

I also found the following error message further down in the listings in the application section from a day or so ago:

Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2800.1221, faulting module kernel32.dll, version 5.1.2600.1106, fault address 0x00013887

Checking the applications that are running when this problem occurs using the 3 finger salute does NOT show anything amiss; the Browse Window is not shown as an application or window.

FYI

BTW, sorry about the rundll.exe vs run32dll.exe miscue. Mea Culpa!

 

Goto Run > type or copy/paste:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcse and press enter.

Retest for symptoms, etc. Recheck Eventviewer for error coincidence if it occurs and report info given.

 

I ran the svchost.exe utility as written. The symptoms remain and I still get the following error returned in the system section of the viewer:


The Remote Access Connection Manager service depends on the Telephony service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

This error is repeated continually; it is the ONLY error listed.

 

I set the telephony service on automatic using the adminstrative tools. The above error message in the eventvwr/system re: telephony went away and was replaced by a notice that the app had started up. However, my original symptoms still remain.

 

It seems the error we fixed is not relevant to the fault we were after. Oh well, we'll take any progress as a blessing.

Now please download this:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

Unzip it to its own folder and run the Application executable. Then take a look at how many non-Microsoft items you have running on the various menus. Disable all of them by clicking the proper icon on the taskbar. No harm will result. Then test for effect. Report back any ?? or results.

 

I have looked at these files as you describe. How do I tell which ones are MS files? Some are obvious but others, and there are many (100+) that I haven't a clue about.

Thanks!

 

Scroll the screen horizontally and you'll come to a column titles "Company." Disable those that aren't Microsoft for the purpose of the test. There shouldn't be but a handful.

 

I disabled every line that was not MS. MY problem seems to have been solved by doing so but I will do a few more tests to see if that holds up (I have previously sometimes been able to make a few shortcuts before the problem occurs). If the symptoms disappear for good, should I then go through the disabled list one at a time, enable a line, and check to see if that was the culprit?

Thank you.

 

Yes, I can't argue with such logic as that. Good luck in your quest.

 

Thanks for your help with this!! I'll let you know exactly what caused this problem as soon as I get it all figured out.

Regards,

 

I understand. I hope you don't have to give up something on the menu that you're really fond of.

 

Excellent

Thank you, thank you for posting the problem and solution- I have had a similar problem and this worked extremely well! I had done every trick from a system restores all the way to 5 months ago -to uninstalling every piece of software on my pc and re-installing without success. I had compacted my registry, used system mechanic, the list goes on and on...I could not browse my folders with windows explorer without locking up my pc with a not responding folder that remained open even after I tried to end the task. Very stubborn problem!! I know there has to be others out there with the same issue- I hope they find their way to this thread!! The fix was just to simple- you guys rock!! What I could not do is reinstall XP- SP2 will not uninstall and that has to be done to reinstall. Meanwhile, looking at reinstalling my XP pro and all the patches that have gone on since then I estimate would take a day or two to get done.....and I had so much of a headache getting SP1 to work. I would sooner throw my pc in the trash than go down that road...

anyways- thanks alot!!

gudsport

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The credit should all go to SuperDude2; I just followed his lead and used his expertise to get me to the right solution. I'm glad you were helped by our efforts! If we can't help each other solve issues such as this one, then who is going to do it for us?

One final note: I re-enabled each of the lines that I changed, one at a time, and checked for any visible system changes before going on to the next line. Imagine my surprise to find that after I had finally reenabled each of the changed lines to put them all back to their original status, my original problem did not return! Go figure. Maybe Bill Gates has an explanation.

My sincere thanks to those who helped me with this vexing issue. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Regards,