Run DLL error?

[Hugh R]

Every time I restart my puter I get a "run DLL error" and I have to click OK. It's some kind of legacy error from a program I might have installed once. How do I eliminate it. It's a Vista PC. Thanks anyone for advise.

[legion]

I hate it when I get that popup!



Seriously, do you know which DLL is causing the problem? You will either have to edit your registry or disable the service that is causing the problem.

An easier alternative might be to get a registry scanner or one of those "PC tuneup" programs. I have Norton Utilities that works okay.

[slodave]

What is the dll that is missing?

[John Rogers]

You can run msconfig and check to see what is loading and turn off everything and restart the PC. If the error doesn't show then start turning things back on to allow them to start. When the error shows you have found it.

This error is usually due to a DLL that is not compatible with Vista or whichever OS version you are running and will probably require software updates.

[RWebb]

yeh - I use cc cleaner tho - better than msconfig & freeware

it's under tools - startup

[campbellcj]

+1 try ccleaner. Check the startup items and the registry scan and nuke anything suspicious. Make a backup first.

[jcunning]

If you can get the name of the .dll, you than can try a search and find a location. If you do not find it, them most likely a program was removed at some point, but the uninstall did not clean up very well.

Besides the tools already mentioned, you can do it the manual way.

Go to this spot in the registry.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run

This is where all of the programs are started up when the OS first comes up. You basically have to go through each one and figure out what each line is. You would be amazed at how much crap (automatic update programs) gets put in there over the years.

In addition, you have the Start->All Programs->Startup folder which is the second place programs load automatically.

Go through both of these and delete the ones you are no longer using or don't need. If you do not know what they are, just do a file search on the file name and see what directory comes up. From there you should be able to figure out what is loading.

The only other place that could be loading the .dll is in the Control Panel->Services window. This is much harder to figure out as you need to go through each service and see which ones are set to start automatically, but are not actually running. This is probably the service that failed to start.

[Netspeed]

+1 on CCcleaner

[Hugh R]

Thanks guys, I'll try the registry thing tonight when I get home and I'll look into CCcleaner as well.

[Netspeed]

Also, check a program called Process Explorer. I think it's distributed by Microsoft and I'm not sure it works with Vista. It's kind of like an expanded Task Manager as it'll show all the sub-programs and various things going on. I use it when I have programs hanging up.

[m21sniper]

I use CC cleaner too. It's the shiznit.

[Zeke]

Funny, I downloaded cccleaner and i don't know where it went. That happens a lot to me.

[Netspeed]

Originally Posted by milt

Funny, I downloaded cccleaner and i don't know where it went. That happens a lot to me.

Forgot to metion that it's self-cleaning (joking)

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Netspeed

Forgot to metion that it's self-cleaning (joking)

So, seriously, what is the stupid file name? I can't find it.

I've done this before and ended up downloading multiple copies of something. Says it's an .exe file, so shouldn't it be somewhere where I can click it?

I specified "program files," but don't see anything. Didn't go to desktop either.

[Netspeed]

Not sure what directory you put it in but I just tried to mimic the download procedure. The file that gets downloaded is called ccsetup220.exe. Do a file search for that file....

[Zeke]

Thanks. I see my error (no pun). I installed it and ran it. No big deal, cleaned up 200 MB. Where is this business about cleaning the registry?

[Netspeed]

I'm not in front of my home computer but if memory serves correct, there is a couple of tabs near the upper left and one is titled "registry" or something like that. The default tab just cleans up the temp files and so forth so you have to click on it to do the registry fixes. Let me know if that helps....

[Zeke]

Yep, you nailed it. I was looking at the tabs on the top and not the ones in the left margin. Ran that and as I suspected, there were a lot of small problems. I'll know next time I boot, I guess.

Thanks.

[Netspeed]

Glad I could help....