XP wont boot, Comdlg.dll error

any assistance would be appreciated, I tried using one of those fix any computer disks and the srive wouldn't recognize the disk, after a reboot with an xp (legal) disk in the drive up came an error <image>comdlg.dll corrupt, I need to try and get this fixed so that I can try and fix another problem with the same system which just gives me a whole lot of binary code.
HELP, Please and thanks

 

Some info here:
http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/dlllibrary/comdlg32/
More here:
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?comdlg32

HTH
mickzer.

 

Thanks for the input, I have akready downloaded the new .DLL and will try installing it later today, because the computer wont boot I will have to install it from a Dos prompt, I wonder if I will have to rename or remove to corrupt .DLL first or will adding the new one just overwrite the corrupt even though the corrupt one reads condlg.dll and it should read commdlg.dll.

Thanks again

 

The system wont boot at all, it completes the POST then goes to a blue screen with the .DLL error.

Thanks

 

Hello again
Boot order is
CDROM
FLOPPY
USB DEVICE
HD 0

I have played with it and changed it around to no avail, tried an assortment of boot disks again no good, disabled L1 L2 cache and video shadowing, still nothing, using f5 & f8, nope, Im just trying to figure out how to change the DLL, I didnt get a chance today, my next idea is to slave the drive boot to a clean drive and try to get into the system32 fokder in order to get rid of the corrupt DLL and put in the new one, if that works then the hard part starts. again the system wont boot and gives me an error Ive never seen before, has anyone ever seen something like this....oxooooooed ox81768bb8 oxcoooooooo9c oxoooooooo oxoooooooo theres no error message just that code and a blue screen, its a maxtor 30GB drive in a Dr.s office running medical software, and the worst part is that its their billing machine and the Doc would rather I spend a week trying to fix it rather than replae the drive, needless to say the data is critical, when i searched the code error @ Microsoft they said Im on glue, theres no such code Im confident I can repaor the DLL issue and thanks for all your support but this error is something I haven't seen ever before (since 1998)

 

Hi all

2fm I hope you remember all the things you have changed in the BIOS an etc.

They need to be put back. Files missing from Windows "will not" "can not " change BIOS.

The fact that it is reporting a missing anything.dll means that it is in fact finding the HD the file system and the Windows folder itself.

Dll files only exist in Windows so it could not report a missing dll untill it tried to access it in the Windows\system32 folder.

So your computer is getting thru the boot process far enough to look in the Windows folder and find a file missing.

Confirm this also! Is it comdlg.dll or commdlg.dll both of these are windows files and neither should cause a boot issue. They would cause and issue if you were to be in windows and run certain apps or in the printing system.

Your problem is much, much deeper than this.

I suggest you correct all you have changed in the BIOS and insert and boot from the Windows CD and perform a repair install.

To do this when Windows setup starts from the CD it will will offer you a "Repair using Repair console" do not chose this continue on.

It will come to a place and inform you that it has found and existing Windows installation. At this point it will offer an option to "Repair this installation ". This is what you want.

From there it will look like a normal install. After it reboots Windows and all your data should be there.

Warning if the Windows installation is severly crupted then Setup may not detect an existing installation.

IF IT DOES NOT DETECT AN EXISTING INSTALLATION THEN ABORT SETUP OR YOU WILL LOSE ALL DATA!

If it does not detect an existing Widows instalation there is still hope via a very complex process using A PE Bootdisk. SO! Hope the above works!

Mike

 

Mike & Pete

Thank you both for the information, the system could very well of overheated as to where they have it positioned in the office on a carpet in a corner surrounded by wood with simply no room for air flow and no extra cooling fans, and the fact that the system crashed while in the middle of a rather large print job, end of the month report of more than 2000 seperate pages.
whenever I change the bios I always right down down what Ive changed in this type of situation so that's not a problem, as for the DLL file it came up as <imageCOMDLG32.DLL and this only happened after trying numerous times to boot with the original XP CD using the recover console, trying to get into safe mode or just a C: prompt, so then I went to one of those homemade CD'S you can buy that are supposed to be a techs best friend with all these utilities and repair tools, it was after that that it returned the DLL error, thats when I noticed that they used a Win 98SE boot image on the CD, and after checking and hunting for hours it seems that in this case the file was supposed to be a COMMDLG32 and not a COMDLG32, I didn't realize at the time but these are 2 differant DLL files, I just don't know how trying to run the Tech CD would have loaded the file unless it somehow needs that specific file to run because its a 98 Boot image instead of a DOS image, that's where both of your inputs have been very helpful, if nothing more I have just received an overnite education that I wont forget. after checking everything I could, I have found out this computer is 5 years old an AMD Duron 1300 with 256 megs of RAM, and the work load is just too much for this system too handle, So later today or tomorrow I get to go put these ideas to work and I want to say Thank you Very much for all your help, I've learned more about this in 24 hours from this board than I did than I did after talking to a Microsoft rep for 3 days, after closing down my computer store over 3 years ago and going on to other things I can't believe the chages it's like having to learn everything all over again and my only client being a DR. with 2 offices and if it wasn't for people like you I would have sent him somewhere else by the end of the week, Once again Thank you very much and hopefully I can finally put this machine to rest.
2FM
Chris

 

OH Chris

I wonder what the 98 cd did?

With this info it is even more important to try a XP repair install. And if it does not find an existing Windows installation it is likely the 98 CD that did it. Hope not makes it tougher from here.

For sure get it in a cooler place, open case and blow out the insides. But I don't think this is heat related at this time.

As COMDLG is used by the printing system and

The print spooler likely filled up the HD and no free space was left for windows. When the HD fills all kind of things go wrong.

You will find this out if you try to Repair install Windows as you will need free space on HD to do that.

If this is the case get back for directions for clearing all the temps and print spooler to free space to do the repair install.

Mike

 

Hi 2fm

It would be nice to hear that you resolved this and how.

Your info may help someone else.

And also we can close this thread.

Mike

 

Hi There, due to sickness this repair is on hold, Im on bed rest for another 5 days, then I will be able to see if I can get it up and running, until then they are using a loaner system, thanks for all your help and I will answer once the job is done.
Chris