RUNDLL32 Error Message

HELP!!
I'm running Windows 98 and have a rundll32 error message at startup.My computer has been doing very strange things for some time now and I think it's due to this errror. I've used the support at Microsoft solution re: adding "drivers=mmsysstem.dll" in the SYSTEM.ini file but no help. I've run Scan Disk, Spybot, Norton and nothing seems wrong. The system runs very slow, hangs up, won't shut down and I keep getting "cannot find server" messages and then my dialup redials at will. I've reinstalled Windows 98 with no apparent problems but also no help. I'm out of ideas........can anyone help??

 

When the error occurs and you click the Details button it reveals a message similar to one of these:

RUNDLL32 caused a General Protection Fault in module MMSYSTEM.DLL

RUNDLL caused a General Protection Fault in module MMSYSTEM.DLL at 000a:00000032

Post the details of the experienced error message.

 

This is the copy and paste from details....

RUNDLL32 caused an invalid page fault in
module KERNEL32.DLL at 017f:bff7b992.
Registers:
EAX=00000485 CS=017f EIP=bff7b992 EFLGS=00010286
EBX=00000007 SS=0187 ESP=0063f1f4 EBP=0063f210
ECX=d94a89f0 DS=0187 ESI=00000000 FS=362f
EDX=81a31e48 ES=0187 EDI=00000000 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
80 3e 04 74 0f 33 c0 50 50 50 68 05 00 00 c0 e8
Stack dump:
0116f03c 1000cbb1 00000000 00000000 0116f03c d94a89f0 d94a89f0 0063f2d8 1000bf75 10016d8c 00000485 00000001 00000000 1000bf0e 0116f03c 00000008

 

Kernel32.dll is the 32-bit dynamic link library of the operating system kernel. Kernel32.dll handles memory management, input/output operations, and interrupts. When Windows boots up, Kernel32.dll is loaded into a protected memory space.

An Invalid Page Fault can occur when an unexpected event has occurred in Windows, for example a program improperly attempted to use random access memory (RAM) or the virtual memory area is corrupted by a program, or a program is attempting to access data that is being modified by another program that is running.

This error message can occur for any of the following reasons:

1. An unexpected event has occurred in Windows. An "invalid page fault" error message often indicates that a program improperly attempted to use random access memory (RAM). For example, this error message can occur if a program or a Windows component reads or writes to a memory location that is not allocated to it. When this behavior occurs, the program can potentially overwrite and corrupt other program code in that area of memory.

2. A program has requested data that is not currently in virtual memory, and Windows attempts to retrieve the data from a storage device and load it into RAM. An "invalid page fault" error message can occur when Windows cannot locate the data. This behavior often occurs when the virtual memory area becomes corrupted.

3. The virtual memory system has become unstable because of a shortage of physical memory (RAM).

4. The virtual memory system has become unstable because of a shortage of free disk space.

5. The virtual memory area is corrupted by a program.

6. A program is attempting to access data that is being modified by another program that is running.

To resolve this issue, identify when the error message first occurred. Also, determine if you recently made changes to the computer, for example, you installed software or changed the hardware configuration.

You will need to test also if your RAM memory modules are working properly.

My suggestion at this point is to limit the number of programs running in the background and swap the memory modules around.

To limit the number of programs running in the background run Msconfig. Select the Startup tab and deselect all programs from the list except for Systray and Scan Registry. Click Ok and restart the computer when prompted. Test the computer.

If the issue persist, unplug the CPU and reseat or swap the memory modules around. Put everything back together, restart the computer and test.

If swapping the modules around resolves the issue, chances are that a memory module is malfunctioning. Usually the front module that was swapped to the back.

Lets try this and post back any results.

Let me know how it goes!

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. I think you want me to close various programs running until I find the problem?? So, I control, alt, delete all programs but systray and scanreg and restart. Do I continue to do this in different combinations until I find a way to start without the error message? Does it make any difference which programs I stop? I've always thought I could close all but explorer and systray. I don't see scanreg running. This is what I've got....explorer, navapw32, wupdater??? (this program always fails to respond), poproxy, bsclip, rundll, qttask, mrtmngr, qagent, systray, rnaapp, type32.

 

You have interesting entries in your backgrounds programs:

mrtMngr.exe Maintenance Release Task Manager for Intuit’s QuickBooks or Quicken

qttasks.exe CoolWebSearch parasite related

Rundll X <filename> Added as a result of the PWSLEGMIR.E VIRUS!

qagent.exe Quicken program is controlled by a separate utility program called the Quicken Download Manager (also known as Qagent). When Quicken Download Manager option is enabled, background downloading takes advantage of unused bandwidth to download current financial information anytime your computer is connected to the Internet

type32.exe For MS programmable keyboards. If you disable Intellitype in Startup, any "Hot Keys" that are changed by the user to perform functions other than default settings, defer back to their default settings unless you have changed them

You can use the following link to check the functions of each startup program:

http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php?filter=type32

Now going back to the issue. What I have asked you is to limit the programs running in the background since these occupy space in memory. Since Invalid page faults are memory related, the less programs in the background, less chances to receive this error.

Go to Start > Run > type Msconfig, click Ok. Select the Startup Programs tab. Deselect all programs in the list, except for Systray and Scan Registry. Click Ok and restart the computer when prompted. Test to see in the error message returns.

You will need to update your anti-virus software and perform a full scan. This is the time to do it. I see mysterious background programs that could be related to a Virus.

 

Before you troubleshoot with msconfig, can you post a HijackThis Scanlog using the latest version below. Most of these "rundll32" errors on startup are due to "malware" installs. And this is definitely one: wupdater

http://www.net-integration.net/tools/hijackthis.html


I'd also recommend installing, Updating, and running a full drive Ad-aware SE scan including the VX2 plugin:

Ad-Aware Home Page


http://download.lavasoft.de.edgesuite.net/public/plvx2cleaner.exe

The VX2 plugin will be available in the "add-ons" window once installed and is run from there.

 

Thanks, both of you. You're a little over my head but I'll give both solutions a try and get back to you when I'm done. I really appreciate the help you're trying to give me. I thought I was an intermediate user but I am a senior so that may have something to do with it I belong to a senior's computer club and we volunteer to teach others 55 and older, so all of this is very helpful to me to be able to teach others!
Susan