[Solved] Rundll error

So, I'd read about putting new themes on Windows XP, and because I tend to have a lot of "dumb blonde" moments (I can say that, I'm a natural blonde), I decided that it had to be safe because "everyone was doing it". If everyone jumps off a bridge…. Needless to say, something got messed up. Now my theme is stuck on Windows Classic, and I can't even change it back to XP, let alone install a custom theme. I've tried re-patching the uxtheme.dll a few different times, from a few different places. Then I tried to replace the .dll file with an original file. so far nothing has worked. I know I'm an idiot, but will someone please help me out anyways? Thanks in advance…

P.S. Don't know if it will help, but this is the message I get when I try to switch to the XP theme. [external image: Posted Image]

Try a "system restore" back to before you tried to change the theme.

I don't have a system restore point. System restore is disabled on my computer…

See if anything here helps:

Question: Why does Windows XP Style change to Windows Classic Style?

This has to do with a Policy setting made either via gpedit.msc or manually via the registry. The side effects are that Windows and Buttons are greyed out under Desktop Properties/Appearance and the check box under System Properties/Advanced/
Performance/Settings that reads: Use visual styles on windows and buttons, does not remain checked. This edit corrects that behavior. Download and apply either one on line 214, they are the same edit.

Windows/Buttons Greyed Out under Appearance and/or Windows XP Style Changes to Windows Classic (Line 214) http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Other checkpoints:

1. Right click the My Computer icon/Properties/Advanced/Performance/Settings. Verify that: Use visual styles on windows
and buttons is checked.
2. Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View. User Common Tasks in Folders.
3. Right click the Desktop/Properties/Appearance. Windows and Buttons choose: Windows XP style.
4. Start/Administrative Tools/Services. Scroll down to Themes and verify that the service is started.

Troubleshooting Themes in Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm#themes

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs2.htm

Nope, nothing there. None of my menus are grayed out, and everything it mentioned is checked correctly. I also checked out the rest of the FAQ page, and didn't find anything that applied. Sorry…

Don't know if it will help, but I also sometimes get this message when I try to load the buttons or color scheme.
[external image: Posted Image]

Try > start > run > regsvr32 shell32.dll

If that doesn't help try Kelly's fix here on line 187:

Restore Luna Theme

187. Restore Themes Functionality >>>>> Restore Luna Theme - Restore Classic Theme


http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm


This link is not working for me in FireFox but does work in IE and or Chrome.

I don't have a system restore point. System restore is disabled on my computer..

I have to ask, why? It's one of the quickest ways to recover from self inflicted wounds, at which I'm an expert (wounding and recovery) Read here (the System Restore part) for some help managing System Restore: http://forums.whatthetech.com/How_free_up_…rm_t104473.html

Anyway, if you have SP3 installed then there should be a good copy of uxtheme.dll in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. Not sure how you tried to replace it before, but I would recommend doing it from the Recovery Console which you can get to by booting your Windows XP CD. If you don't have one, read on …

Since you don't have an XP CD, download and create a bootable CD from the .iso file

XP Recovery Console

You don't burn the iso file itself to CD., you create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software. There is a good freeware burner called DeepBurner which will do this. Another called ISO Recorder is also very easy to use.

Boot the CD and at the first opportunity, enter R to start the Recovery Console.
Next, choose which XP installation you want to login to. Normally this will be 1.
Lastly you will be asked for the Administrator password. Just press the Enter key as the Administrator does not have a password (unless you gave it one, then you would enter it).

From the command prompt, you should then be able to copy uxtheme.dll from C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386 to C:\Windows\System32, replacing the one you modified.

Ok, first thing first. I think this is all because something got messed up with the install. My last topic, here, is about having multiple boot options after the install. Then, when I was trying to fix this problem, I found out that I have a folder called Windows, and a folder called Windows.0. I tried to run the recovery, but it asked me to insert a floppy disc. I don't even have a floppy drive, so this was not possible. Now, my computer is telling me that my copy of Office isn't installed for the "current user". Well, there's only one user on this computer, so I don't know how this is possible. This is also very much not good, since I still have an assignment I need to do for class that's due on Tuesday. I was planning on finishing it tomorrow, but if I can't figure this out I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm at my wits end here… Any other thoughts??

What problem do you want to work on first? The theme problem or the Office problem?

Also, you didn't say why System Restore is disabled. Did you do that or did it just happen? If the latter, then it's quite possible you've picked up some malware and should have our malware folks check out your system.

See if doing the following will allow you to use Word to complete the assignment you need.

Open My Computer, navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Officenn then double click on winword.exe. See if that launches Word for you.

Note: Officenn can be Office10 or Office12 I believe. On my computer with Office XP Pro, it's Office10.

Sorry for not answering your question, I was a bit frazzled last night. I have System Restore turn off for 3 reasons. 1. I have never, in all the time I've owned computers, used a system restore. It seems when something goes wrong with my computer, up till now at least, it's either so bad the a system restore won't work, or so simple that it's not necessary. 2. It was taking up too much space on my Hard Drive. I've been having some issues with "too much stuff", and since I never thought I'd use it, System Restore was just taking up some much needed space. 3. When I was having the issues with the multiple boot options, I thought it might have been from the system restore. The reason I originally disabled it was to see if disabling would take away the other boot options or not. Reasons 1 & 2 were more reasons to not re-enable then anything else. Of course, now I'm reconsidering the whole thing, but what's done is done… Right now, I'm a bit more concerned with the Office problem. I tried opening office from C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12, but I got the same error. Side note: Could this have anything to do with bad sectors, or overheating? Or are those two completely different problems?

I wouldn't think that bad sectors or over heating is the cause of this. Have you changed or upgraded your anti-virus or firewall software recently?

Well, I'm not sure how to answer that. See, my computer crashed on the 1st of the month, and I did a system wipe and re-installed XP. So everything is new as of the 1st. I think that might be where my problems are coming from… Maybe something went wrong during the install?

Did you install from an XP CD or from your computer manufacturers recovery CD or hidden hard drive partition?

If from an XP CD, then you could try a Repair Install. It will replace just the operating system and leave the rest of your stuff pretty much intact. You would have to reinstall your anti-virus and firewall but your data would remain.

I don't know if this will fix the Office problem or not, but it's worth a try. If not, then you could do another Clean Install, wiping the drive completely and starting from scratch. Before doing this, make sure all your important data is backed up as it will be wiped out during the clean install.

Directions at either of these locations:

Clean Install - Michael Stevens Tech
Clean Install - WinSuperSite

Thanks for all the help everyone. After talking it over with my husband, I decided to do a clean install of Linux. I'll be getting a new computer for my school work on Friday. I don't know what this computer has against Windows, but it's never acted right with a Windows OS installed. Since it works great with Linux, we decided that making it a Linux only computer would be a good idea. The only issue I have now it that me new computer will be running Vista. I've never worked with Vista, and I'm a bit nervous, but I'm sure everything will be fine. Thanks again!