[bryan065]

I've been having this problem for awhile now. its annoying me to death. every time i right click on desktop and select properties i get several error messages about rundll32.exe and i cannot open my display settings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
rundll32.exe - Application Error

The instruction at "0x77c43283" referenced memory at "0x000b0000". The memory could not be "read".

Click on OK to terminate the program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

and i get this error message several times after the one above

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
rundll32.exe - Application Error

The exception unknown software exception (0xc015000f) occurred in the application at location 0x77f6fca7.

click on OK to terminate the program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

i have tried using MS AnitSpyware, Norten antivirus, and avast antivirus as well as replacing my rundll32.exe in my system32 folder with another copy from my Windows XP cd.

i have a sony Vaio K13 laptop and running windows XP SP1 home edition

[DKTaber]

Bryan: I'm not a hardware or software expert, so take my advice accordingly. The message about "memory cannot be read" may mean you have a bad memory SIMM. Utilities are available that will check memory (I use VCOM SystemSuite 5, but there are others). Suggest that as one of the things you might want to do.

Have you tried doing a system restore back to a time when you weren't having problems? I know that may have been a while ago, but you should try it.

Why do you have SP1? SP2 has been out for a long time now, and solves some of the problems of the original XP. Might try downloading and installing it. Before you install, however, save a restore point; some computers don't react well to SP2.

[bryan065]

DKtaber can u list some free memory check utilities for me?

and yes i have tried to restore my system but it says the same thing.
and i installed sp2 but my system was always slow so i decided to switch back to sp1

thankss

[DKTaber]

There are loads of free memory checkers. Go to the Internet and in your search engine (I use Google), type "memory check". The first one that came up was www.memtest86.com/, but there are a lot of others.

BTW, installing SP2 doesn't slow the computer unless something is wrong. SP2 is essentially about security, giving users the firewall and antivirus, neither or which I needed or use because I have my own. The rest of the program is not much different that SP1.

[Elvandil]

This could be due to a faulty entry in the context menu for the desktop. Was any software that may have added an entry to this menu installed just before the problem started?

Can you access your display settings through the Control Panel?

[Bob Cerelli]

If the memory tests out OK, I searched around the Internet for you and found two other solutions at other sites:

"When the error message appeared I pressed Ctrl + Alt + Delete to make the Windows Task Manager dialogue box appear; 2)In the WTM dialogue box I clicked the "Applications" tab...there was the RUNDLL32.EXE error message. I right-clicked the error message and chose "go to process"; this flipped me back to the process list to a process named "CSRSS.EXE"; 3) Then I right-clicked the "Start" tab at the lower left of the screen and chose "search"; I searched "CSRSS.EXE" in "My Computer" and found three matching files; 4) Only one of the files was actually the complete name, the other two were just "CSRSS" without the ".EXE"; 5) I right-clicked the "CSRSS.EXE" file and chose "open containing folder"; this took me to the "Prefetch" folder; 6) I removed the prefetch file, "CSRSS.EXE", put it in the trash and restarted the computer."

The other was to run sfc /scannow

Can't test the first since I don't have the error but quoted it in the hopes it will help solve the problem.

[Elvandil]

DKTaber:

DO NOT, under any circumstances, delete any file that is named CRSS.EXE unless it is found in a HijackThis log by experts and they tell you to delete it.

And there will be no such file in the prefetch folder. It is, however, safe to delete the contents of that folder. But that is certainly not the cause of your problem because the contents of that folder are dynamic and would have changed many times if you have had the problem for a while.

What happens when you go to Start > Run, and type:

desk.cpl <Enter>

?

[bryan065]

to bob Cerelli > i have already tried using sfc /scannow. did not help.
i have not tried using a memory check yet. i need a floppy drive/cd for memtest86. since i dont have a floppy drive i have to wait until tomorrow to get a cd-rom.

to elvandil > i cant access it from the control panel either.
when i typed in desk.cpl, i got this error

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rundll32.exe - Application Error

the instruction at "0x77f581bd" referenced memory at "0x006e0065". the memory could not be "written".

Click on OK to terminate the program
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and i got the same error when trying to open it from my control panel.

[Elvandil]

Have you installed any new drivers for your display adapter or any other display-related software before the problem began? Any theming software installed?

If you are not having any other memory-related problems, it is unlikely that the memory is the problem. But here is a Microsoft memory test. It can create either a bootable floppy or a CD ISO image.

[Bob Cerelli]

Absolutely. The quote from the another web site was not to just go blindly deleting CRSS.EXE files wherever you might find the. It only mentioned to delete one if it was found in the Prefetch Folder. From that web site, this solved a similar program for at least two people. Of course it shouldn't be there and that's why it should be deleted if you do find it there. But only delete if from there.

An easy way to determine if your video drivers or other drivers might be the cause is to simply boot up in safe mode and try the same right-click. If it works, then you might start looking at possible driver problems. If it still doesn't work, it likely isn't something like your video, sound or network card drivers etc. since these don't get loaded in safe mode.