Explorer.exe Application failed to initialize.

Discussion in 'Software' started by cheesemeat, Jul 19, 2008.

  1. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey there,
    i am having a similar problem here.
    i've had this problem a number of times and each time have scanned for viruses and nothing came up. i've had to do a reformat and a fresh install of windows. i only just installed my current windows xp yesterday and its happened again.
    what i've noticed is it started happening right after i installed a nvidia graphics card driver which leads me to believe its either a driver or hardware prob.
    what happens in my case is it boots up as normal then when i enter my admin password it displays a "userinit.exe" error. i can only access the desktop via ctrlaltdel and try to open a new task which opens explorer and my desktop, once in explorer it gives me a load of "rundll.exe 0xc0000005" errors. i cant access most items in the control panel or even the calendar/time.
    ive tried a registry cleaner and it found loads registry issues and apparantly repaired them yet not this!!.
    i am desperate to get my system working again as i am a student and my computer is imperative to completing my assignments (which is due in a matter of days, its just my luck this happens now).
     
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    What Windows version are you using?

    Also have you installed the current Nvidia driver or older one off a driver CD?

    If you boot into safe mode ( F8 at boot ) do you have these errors?

    Can also try restore Winlogon\Userinit
    Line #263 right side
    http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
     
  3. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey, thanks for your quick reply!

    i'm using windows xp professional sp3.
    the exact same problem occurs when in safe mode.
    as with the nividia drivers, it is a older driver that came with the original purchase of the computer. i have tried installing newer drivers yet they same to be incompatible with this motherboard? the cd drivers seem to work though. the problem with that is that now i am unable to access add/remove programs to uninstall it!
    also, i forgot to mention its actually a rundll32.exe error and not rundll.exe. this is the exact error message:

    rundll32.exe - Application Error

    The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000005). Click on OK to terminate the application.

    a similar error is displayed on initial boot except with "userinit.exe"
    .

    i'll try to do the userinit restore you suggested and get back to you with results.
    cheers
     
  4. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey -
    that registry thing you linked me too wouldnt work, the "load hive" was being used or something.
    in the end i was advised to reformat again and see what happens. this time i didn't install any nvidia or graphics card drivers except those provided by windows at setup, and everything seems to be fine. i still dont know the real issue but i'm guessing it was some kind of driver conflict . although in any other case it could just as easily be malware etc.
    if this happens again, i'll try to remember what i was doing before it occured and see if the info helps anyone else with the same problems.
    cheers.
     
  5. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    Cheers for the update, pitty you had to re-install, but at times its a logical step to take, yes indeed, keep a note of what you have installed and when as it may help trace this if it happens again.

    One cause for issues like this is if you use some sort of GUI skinning application like Window Blinds.
     
  6. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey -
    some mild success.
    the problem occured again even on this new install.
    i searched around some forums and found some solutions which were to no avail.
    however - and this may well not be the case for all - i downloaded spybot and avg antivirus, ran a scan and they both found a load of trojans and malware affecting "winlogon", i restarted and the problem vanished.
    when it re-occured i was adjusting internet settings so in this case it wasnt a driver issue, although i'd advise people to be careful.
    it seems though that only avg can pick it up, as i've run norton and avira antiviruses and they've not seen it.

    cheers for your input.
     
  7. death269

    death269 Private E-2

    I'm having a rundll32.exe problem as well. In my case I had uninstalled and deleted the programs I was currently using in windows xp normal mode. I then went into safe mode to run the avg8 virus software. I ran it twice because I was suspicious that it didnt pick up everything, which it didn't. thing was though, after I had run avg a second time, everything doesn't open; although it starts off with the "open with" application. I paused for a moment to see if rundll32.exe might have been deleted or corrupted, so I tried to right click "my computer" on the desktop to view properties only to find:

    C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe

    application not found

    Later, I restarted my computer into normal mode running diskcheck so hopefully if it was corrupt, that disk check would clean and repair the issue. unfortunately it remained the same.
    I wasn't sure if McAfee was working since it hasnt detected any of the viruses I currently have on my pc and im trying my best not to format the computer. believing I have ridden myself of the malware/trojans I had on my computer. I ran avg8 one more time in normal mode and it supposedly detected 55 infected items and supposedly cleaned them afterwards. I am currently using avg at the moment with McAfee disabled,(I dont want to remove it yet, but it is not functioning as my current virus software tool)

    Thing is McAfee was giving me problems earlier and avg8 I believe is not cutting it either since I had to run it three times and now my rundll32.exe is not functioning anymore. After the current virus scan I'm running with it, if I find anymore detections, I'm opted to remove it. but before I do, I need help.
    i managed to get my internet explorer and firefox working again. but my pc is still running slower than usual not to mention there is more than one svchost.exe running(im assuming they are malware). i haven't removed them yet, but im afraid they are also slowing my pc down.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2008
  8. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey -
    this is how I fixed the rundll32.exe error:

    firstly, this isn't an error - it's a virus which affects "winlogon" applications.

    i thought the easiest solution was to reformat my computer - it isnt. it happened shortly after i reformatted AGAIN. in fact, you make it easier for the virus to crawl into your system after a clean install because it's extremely vulnerable without proper updates. it seems to mostly affect windows system applications, such as those in the control panel - so you CAN still run firefox and what not.
    seeing as how the error would not run explorer.exe i bought up task manager and clicked new task then typed in c:/. it DOESNT open c:/ but if you wait it will bring you into your desktop.
    i searched a few (hundred) forums and discovered that many people treated it like a virus. so i downloaded AVG and spybot with no intention of either of them working. i ran spybot FIRST and it spotted ALL the winlogon malware occurances which were all directly related to this rundll32.exe error. i clicked "destroy". after that, i ran avg which also found a plethora of viruses relating to this, cookies and what not (mostly from torrent sites, which are dangerous without the right protection). after a restart, everything was fine. it logged on at the normal speed. in order to further prevent any malware such as this i keep avg and spybot running ALL the time and do the occasional scan in case anything slipped through. :)
    i sincerely hope this information helps you and anyone else experiencing the same thing. i know how frustrating it is to get an error like this especially since i kept getting it after numerous reformats.
    good luck! i'll be here to report any new errors or solutions.
    cheers
     
  9. death269

    death269 Private E-2

    ok, I downloaded spybot, and it found a few errors and i had deleted as many as I could:-D, but i think i deleted some of the wrong files by accident:( due since i cant see the desktop anymore, i had to run explorer from task manager to get here. when windows first loads up, it runs "open with" and it has cmd.exe. i browsed through...

    C:\windows\system32

    and located cmd so i can set execute to see if i can move further along, unfortunately, it tries to set an application so i can run it, then tries to download it and it reverts back to the open with application. i think i messed up a tad too much. i still believe i can fix this. i just need a little guidance, please:eek::)

    strange enough :confused, the desktop shows in safe mode, but i still have to go through the "open with" application when i try to run anything.

    thanks again for the help earlier and looking forward to your assistance again. :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2008
  10. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey-

    it's extremely easy to delete the wrong files and end up in a worse scenario.
    i'd suggest not "deleting" anything and just letting spybot run its course using the search and destroy function, it can ascertain what is needed to be deleted on its own.
    in your case, i WOULD suggest reformatting and running a stable version of XP if thats what youre using. if you're adament not to reinstall, you could download the updates from microsoft or from a cd. the updates might restore some essential system files, especially if youre updating from sp2 or sp3 or from home to professional.
    after updating, i'd suggest running spybot again and then avg directly afterwards. if that doenst work, try a reinstall making sure you run updates without looking at any other sites, then installing avg and spybot to prevent it from happening again.
    if for some reason it isn't malware and a genuine windows error, you could try replacing userinit and rundll32.exe using the method that was shown to me earlier on this forum...http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_adv_reg_editing.htm

    try some these options and keep me updated...
     
  11. death269

    death269 Private E-2

    Ok, I realized that I can't run regedit. Along with a few other programs, but I think I might have found a solution. It's basically the same thing as formating, but I dont think I have a choice. My comp has a system restore feature I just found out about. So as of this moment I am backing up my files, and preparing to reset my computer's operating system and software to the original state.

    Before I do set it up though. Should I download the installations for avg and spybot onto my external hard drive before restoring or does it matter. Secondly after the restoration, is there a chance that my pc will still be affected after the restore? Since it is just basically just removing every update, every program, literally everything except from what it had before I got my hands on it; Is there a chance the malware is still on it?
     
  12. cheesemeat

    cheesemeat Private E-2

    hey -

    your system could still be carrying malware if you're not doing a complete wipe...i'm not sure how it has affected your computer or if it's malware at all. if it's just an error, the problem should be fixed when you have completed the restore. i'm not a tech wizard and can't really tell from here what's wrong with your system or how badly it's broken .
    yes, i'd say run avg and spybot from your external drive, and as soon as you restore, DON'T start an internet connection without running the programs first and have them running in the background when you do connect.
    if the problem remains, you're only option is reformat. either that or take your computer to a repair place (which is costly).
    oh, another thing: when you need to reinstall all your programs, i'd suggest scanning the .exe files and all the other files associated with them just incase you've downloaded anything containing a threat. again, it could just be some kind of conflict within windows itself in which case the restore should fix.

    good luck!

    p.s - i shouldn't need to tell you to download AVG and spybot from their OFFICIAL sites only. lots of viruses are disguised as virus scanning programs....faith in irony. =)
     

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