windows error file help

[chiquita24 0]

A buddy of mine has gone through hell and back with used computer that he got as a gift for Christmas. It's a bit older, but is running XP.

He is getting a black screen message that gives an error code c:/windows/systems32/apphelp.dll
Will show desktop and all icons, but will not load the internet. Any computer geeks out there have any idea what this is or how to fix it??

[GaryRay 0]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=fSq&ei=0IMsSp3vOoq0Nf-V8ccJ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=c%3A/windows/system32/apphelp.dll&spell=1

that should have your answers, im sure if you use the first one the .dll fixer it should help out.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[chiquita24 0]

That's the same thing I got when I googled it. Problem is he can't connect to the internet.

[bluesilver30 0]

if he is missing a .dll that is critical, then he will have to get it some how. either burn a cd with the file on another computer or put it on a floppy disk. either way, if a missing .dll is the error, you have to get it before anything will work.

usually, when things get really messed up on computer's i fix, i will save any important documents (not programs). save files, pictures, movies, etc. save those on a cd or external hard drive or something. then, just reinstall the whole operating system. always works much better than any fix. makes the computer feel like it's new. a bit of a pain... but, worth it. your call.

otherwise, get the .dll that is missing installed again.

[popsjumper 2]

I got a kick out of the error message:
"Windows error. Go buy Mac OS X or later."

Works for me.




Here's where our photography greenie pipes in with his typical "ignorant" comments.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[chiquita24 0]

So where do I find the .dll that is missing? In this case the apphelp.dll.

I don't know why, but something tells me it's something other than this...

[theonlyski 8]

If he has the Windows XP disk that came with his computer, put it in the drive, and:
Start>Run
sfc /scannow

It will look for all the system files that are missing/invalid and reload them.

If he has Windows XP Service Pack 3, the backup is located in "C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386" (may be there for non service pack 3 installs as well)

You can copy/paste that to "C:\WINDOWS\system32"

It appears to be an Internet Explorer file, so, going into the control panel, add/remove programs and find "Internet Explorer" click either change/remove or remove. There is almost always an option to repair/reinstall IE. One of those two should fix it.

As a side note, you can always do a search (Windows Key+F) and type in apphelp and copy one of those to the system32 folder. If its not a .dll, it will probably say .dl_, just rename it to .dll

If nothing works, you can always download IE8 and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[mnealtx 0]

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If nothing works, you can always download and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Firefox for him instead.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[chiquita24 0]

Thank you for that reply!

[chiquita24 0]

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If nothing works, you can always download and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Firefox for him instead.

I told him to do this once before, but he didn't do it, so now I'll do it for him!!

[theonlyski 8]

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If nothing works, you can always download and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Firefox for him instead.

Where's your sense of adventure??

I actually like IE8 more than the previous versions. Its pretty stable, and even if it does crash out, many times it is just one tab, and it recovers it anyways.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[theonlyski 8]

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If nothing works, you can always download and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Firefox for him instead.

I told him to do this once before, but he didn't do it, so now I'll do it for him!!

That very well may fix it, but if its one of the files that windows needs to talk, it probably wont do much good.

That being said, it does look more like an IE file, so you might be fine without it if you get a different browser.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[lolimfalling 0]

one thing he could try if this just started happening some what recently is doing start/help and support/ and in there. there is a option called system restore or restore my computer to an earlier time or some thing of the such (im not on an xp running pc right now) and u can open that and just select a date from a couple of days or even weeks ago to whenever it was working and see if that does it. when doing a system restore it wont delete any files or any new documents hes made so he doenst have to wry about backing anything up. it only takes about 15-20 mins too so its worth a shot.

[mnealtx 0]

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerrormessage/a/apphelp-dll-not-found-missing-error.htm

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[rlucus 0]

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I actually like IE8 more than the previous versions. Its pretty stable, and even if it does crash out, many times it is just one tab, and it recovers it anyways.

And I like getting punched in the arm more than I like getting punched in the face... doesn't make either one enjoyable

[DavidB 0]

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If nothing works, you can always download and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Firefox for him instead.

I told him to do this once before, but he didn't do it, so now I'll do it for him!!

If you look through the extensions, there's one there that makes Firefox look just like IE, so you could probably install it & he may not ever know the difference. I do think some form of IE is required if you want to get regular operating system upgrades. I also seem to run into a page every couple years that will only work on IE.

I got AdBlockPlus up top speed on my GF's computer a couple weeks ago & I think she's been using Firefox almost exclusively since.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[chiquita24 0]

System restore is not working. It gives me another error message C:\WINDOWS\system32\ATL.DLL is not a valid windows image. PLease check this against your installation diskette

Any idea why this is not working?

Also tried doing a repair from XP disk, but it is asking for an administrative password which is non-existent.

[chiquita24 0]

It appears to be an Internet Explorer file, so, going into the control panel, add/remove programs and find "Internet Explorer" click either change/remove or remove. There is almost always an option to repair/reinstall IE. One of those two should fix it.

As a side note, you can always do a search (Windows Key+F) and type in apphelp and copy one of those to the system32 folder. If its not a .dll, it will probably say .dl_, just rename it to .dll

If nothing works, you can always download IE8 and burn it to a disk for them, they run and install it, and should take care of the problem. I just dont know if its installed with IE or with Windows.

[SuFantasma 0]

PM me ... will get it straighten out

Y yo, pa' vivir con miedo, prefiero morir sonriendo, con el recuerdo vivo".
- Ruben Blades, "Adan Garcia"

[theonlyski 8]

  Quote

System restore is not working. It gives me another error message C:\WINDOWS\system32\ATL.DLL is not a valid windows image. PLease check this against your installation diskette

Any idea why this is not working?

Also tried doing a repair from XP disk, but it is asking for an administrative password which is non-existent.

Just re-install Windows. You should be able to do an inplace install and not lose anything.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[chiquita24 0]

That's exactly what I told him to do! He said he wanted to try and call one more friend first. His computer is old-skool and in my opinion he should just buy a new one!

[OlympiaStoica 0]

Have him run a Windows XP install with the "repair" option - it is likely that's not the only .DLL he is missing.

O

[chiquita24 0]

It's not the only DLL file he's missing. I got another error message today. I can't get the repair option to work. When I insert the cd and try to run a repair, it asks for an administrative password and he either doesn't have one or doesn't know what it is.,

[OlympiaStoica 0]

That's a problem ... you must be a local administrator on the system in order to be able to run the install. He must login with an account that has local admin privileges.

O

[mnealtx 0]

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It's not the only DLL file he's missing. I got another error message today. I can't get the repair option to work. When I insert the cd and try to run a repair, it asks for an administrative password and he either doesn't have one or doesn't know what it is.,

Try it with the password he normally logs in with.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706