Guest Winklebuns Posted August 3, 2007 Posted August 3, 2007 I am running Windows XP Home SP2. When I try to access the Control Panel I get the error message "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close". The error report window that comes up refers to shell32.dll. I tried a system restore to several days ago with no luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TIA
Guest Tim Starid Posted August 3, 2007 Posted August 3, 2007 RE: Can't access the Control Panel Try this: Put your windows CD in the CD Rom Drive Go to the Start Menu Run sfc.exe /scannow This will repair/restore any damaged or missing files Reboot if this doesent work and the restore didnt work, I recommend backing up any data that you ahve on the system, deleting the partition, and fully reinstalling. "Winklebuns" wrote: > I am running Windows XP Home SP2. > > When I try to access the Control Panel I get the error message "Windows > Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close". > > The error report window that comes up refers to shell32.dll. > > I tried a system restore to several days ago with no luck. > > Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > > TIA > > >
Guest Winklebuns Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: Can't access the Control Panel Thanks for that info. I will give it a try as soon as I can find the Windows CD. "Tim Starid" <TimStarid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:7BDA219C-C57D-4E44-B994-FF6F2002048E@microsoft.com... > Try this: > > Put your windows CD in the CD Rom Drive > Go to the Start Menu > Run > sfc.exe /scannow > This will repair/restore any damaged or missing files > Reboot > > if this doesent work and the restore didnt work, I recommend backing up > any > data that you ahve on the system, deleting the partition, and fully > reinstalling. > > "Winklebuns" wrote: > >> I am running Windows XP Home SP2. >> >> When I try to access the Control Panel I get the error message "Windows >> Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close". >> >> The error report window that comes up refers to shell32.dll. >> >> I tried a system restore to several days ago with no luck. >> >> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. >> >> TIA >> >> >>
Guest Anna Posted August 4, 2007 Posted August 4, 2007 Re: Can't access the Control Panel >> "Winklebuns" wrote: >> >>> I am running Windows XP Home SP2. >>> >>> When I try to access the Control Panel I get the error message "Windows >>> Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close". >>> >>> The error report window that comes up refers to shell32.dll. >>> >>> I tried a system restore to several days ago with no luck. >>> >>> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. >>> >>> TIA > "Tim Starid" <TimStarid@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:7BDA219C-C57D-4E44-B994-FF6F2002048E@microsoft.com... >> Try this: >> >> Put your windows CD in the CD Rom Drive >> Go to the Start Menu >> Run >> sfc.exe /scannow >> This will repair/restore any damaged or missing files >> Reboot >> >> if this doesent work and the restore didnt work, I recommend backing up >> any >> data that you ahve on the system, deleting the partition, and fully >> reinstalling. "Winklebuns" <someone@nowhere.com> wrote in message news:eOujrxp1HHA.6128@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Thanks for that info. I will give it a try as soon as I can find the > Windows CD. Winklebuns: Tim's suggestion is a good one insofar as invoking the scannow process, and of course backing up whatever files are important to you. There's a good chance that will work. But if that doesn't correct your problem I would hold off on making a fresh install of the XP OS - at least for the moment. It would probably be worthwhile to undertake a Repair install of the OS. At least if that's successful your installed programs/data would be retained although you still would need to download/install all the MS critical updates since SP2. (I'm assuming you would be undertaking the Repair install with an XP installation CD containing SP2). Anna
Guest Winklebuns Posted August 5, 2007 Posted August 5, 2007 Re: Can't access the Control Panel Anna, Thanks for that suggestion. This is on a Dell Dimension 2400 that's atleast 3 years old that I bought for my daughter. [she's Winklebuns, not me :-) ] If SP2 was around back then then the CD should have it when she finds it. I forgot to mention that an error box also pops up about DrWatson Debugger or something like that. I'm not near the PC so I don't recall the exact message. But a google search on "Can't Access Control Panel" did turn up a few references that included the DrWatson error also although no definitive answer was given for the problem. Besides, I have a lot more faith in any answer I might get here versus some other unfamiliar forum. You guys and gals are the best. Joe "Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message news:u56P9Nq1HHA.5772@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > > > Winklebuns: > Tim's suggestion is a good one insofar as invoking the scannow process, > and of course backing up whatever files are important to you. There's a > good chance that will work. But if that doesn't correct your problem I > would hold off on making a fresh install of the XP OS - at least for the > moment. > > It would probably be worthwhile to undertake a Repair install of the OS. > At least if that's successful your installed programs/data would be > retained although you still would need to download/install all the MS > critical updates since SP2. (I'm assuming you would be undertaking the > Repair install with an XP installation CD containing SP2). > Anna >
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