In message <[log in to unmask]>, Jim Phillips
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>We have a PC that gives the following message box when any item in the
>Control Panel is selected:
>
>RUNDLL
>
>The file shell32 or one of its components could not be opened.
>
>
>Nothing (that I know of) has been changed on this computer.  Shell32 and
>rundll exist.  The knowledge base on microsoft.com has been less than
>helpful (surprise!).  Any ideas?

Visit Windows/System and click directly on one of the .cpl files there.

(These are the items you see in the Control Panel display. They work
independently of it).

Does the problem occur in these circumstances?

If so, you probably have a corrupted Win95. Neither RUNDLL nor SHELL32
exist in my SYSBACKUP folder, so it's back to the CD-ROM...

Anyway, it's that 'one of its components' that's the kicker - who knows
which one?

Choose setup.exe from the CD-ROM (it may auto-run, but there's an option
to look at the files and folders on there). Choose setup.exe, and run
it. It might look as if it's doing a complete reinstall, but if it can
find C:\setuplog.txt, it will repeat the existing install, refreshing
corrupted components as it goes, but *not* overwriting ones updated by
later Service Packs, or 3rd Party upgrades.

After this finishes, see if all is well. If so, fine. If not, you may
need to repeat the install refresh with any later M$ Win software,
(Service Packs and the like), with which you have updated Windows, as
the 'missing component' may have come from one of these.

But I'd expect the WIn95 refresh to nail it.
--
Roy Brown        'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be
Kelmscott Ltd     useful, or believe to be beautiful'  William Morris

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *