Rundll32 abnormal program termination

[t2green]

When I click on display properties in control panel I receive the following message:
Runtime error
Program C:\windows\rundll32.exe
Abnormal program termination

If I right click on the desktop, get same message and PC locks up, has to be shut down.

Any help would be appreciated. Have HP 9880, 1.5, 384 MB RDRAM, 80 gig HD, OS is ME.

Thanks,
Marilyn

[mjc]

Have you installed or uninstalled any software lately?

Any other problems/symptoms....like slow drive performance?

Have you run a complete virus scan lately?

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[t2green]

mjc:
Yes, I have installed an HP Photosmart 1315 printer. The printer works fine. However, I now have the Rundll32 message. If I uninstall the printer I don't get the message. Have contacted HP multiple times but they don't have any answers. Have also contacted Microsoft but they refer me to HP since ME was pre-installed.

Have run Norton and no viruses detected. Have any idea as to what in the printer software would be causing this?

Thanks,
MJ http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[mjc]

Sounds like a driver problem...have you tried the latest drivers, not the ones on the disk but downloaded from HP?

Also does the error occur in Safe Mode, with the printer installed?

Also, in safe mode check for "ghost drivers" in Device Manager.

------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[t2green]

mjc,

The printer software is installed with the latest drivers downloaded from the HP site. The error message does not occur in safe mode.

Regarding the "ghost" devices, how can you tell if they a ghost drivers. In looking through the device manager it does seem as though there are way too many disk drives, USB devices. Could that cause the problem with the rundll32 termination?

Thanks for your help
MJ

[YODA74]

1. Have you recently tried to install a device or program that did not install properly?
2. Have you recently made changes to your system settings?
3. Have you recently had a system crash or power failure that caused premature shutdown?
4. Are you performing a normal shutdown each time, that is, closing all open programs and clicking on the start button, then selecting shut down?
5. Is this the only error or problem with your system that you are encountering?


use your system restore to go back before you installed the printer.
when you reinstall the printer make sure you have Nothing running in the back ground no anti virus nothing that could interfear with the installation.See if that works/if not post back
you wouldn't happen to be running McAfee and or there Crash Moniter would you.

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Treading,Troden,Trails
HERE (http://www.davematthewsband.com)

[t2green]

Yoda,
Thanks for your reply. The only thing I have tried to install is this photosmart printer. It has been most recently installed with absolutely nothing running except explorer and systray. The error message does not occur in safe mode. There are no other error messages received. I occasionally have been hung-up while on the internet but other than that no system crashes. I have not changed any system settings. I am running, when it's on, Norton anti-virus.

Thanks for your help.
Marilyn http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

[no-mbr]

T2,

go study the msconfig application and learn about runas "services" and hidden start items. There is obviusly a poorly written TSR that interferes with the display or kernel files. I suspect Power managment drivers also, especially since the there is warm-up or power save feature to the scanner.
You mught disable power management as a diagnostic test....
Sorry, I couldn't help. HP support kinds of "s***ks".

[kayofcircles]

t2green: My understanding on Safe mode is that Windows doesn't load any drivers that are not necessary in Safe mode..so obviously whatever driver is causing the error message is one of those drivers. You might wait for backup opinion, but I went into Safe mode (on Sony instructions on troubleshooting a CD writer) and found a bunch of ghosts. Had two printers (old one and new one), two CD writers (old and new), etc and safely deleted all the "old" ones. I am not sure about "causing" your current problem, but Sony said a bunch of ghosts could cause conflicts. Just be absolutely sure you know what device you're removing.

When you installed the printer, did you install anything else off the CD, like Instant Delivery (think that was name of program)? And, this is odd question, but which browser are you using? The reason I ask is that we've seen IE problems connected to Desktop stuff.

[t2green]

no-mbr,
I will check out the msconfig application and try disabling power management. I printed the system info files with and without printer installation but have not completed comparing the two. And, I have been combing the registry for anything that might indicate a reference to the display properties with and without the printer installed. Will keep looking as this is driving me crazy, I'm losing sleep over it!

Kayofcircles,
I have been in device manager many times while in Safe Mode. If what I am seeing are ghosts, there are a LOT of them, and not just associated with the printer; disk drives, monitor, keyboard etc. But, it looks like this whether the printer is installed or not. HP has had me install and uninstall that thing a dozen times! There is some photo software that came with the printer but it does not make any difference whether that is installed or not, as long as the printer is installed the message occurs. Currently I am running IE 5.5 SP2 however, the error also occurs with IE 6. I have also tried updating the video drivers to no avail.

I would guess my next step would be to take the plung and try removing the "ghosts". Don't know how much good that will do, tried removing a "microsoft natural keyboard" but as soon as I rebooted, the OS reinstalled it even though there was already the multimedia keyboard installed. I think the whole system is possessed and am ready to either reformat (for the 3rd time) or go back to 98.
http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

[mjc]

Concentrate on one device at a time...remove all of the "ghosts"; reboot and then it will fond the device and install it just once...and yes "ghosts" not related to a specific device can cause problems elswhere....

------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.