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explorer.exe error when accessing control panel

Started by gareth26 , Dec 29 2005 04:19 PM

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#1
gareth26
Posted 29 December 2005 - 04:19 PM

gareth26

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Hi all,

I have been surfing the web and searching this (and many other) forums all day and cant seem to get any answers so i thought i would come and see if any of you experts can help me with a Very annoying problem im having with control panel.

Long story, hopefully cut short...

My girlfiends computer started having problems getting on line and the errors in event log related to mininet.dll not working.

I ran chkdsk and it repaired TONS of bad sectors, and now at least the help and support center works (as it didnt load before)

HOWEVER, since running chkdsk when i try and access control panel i get the following error:

Explorer.exe - Application error
The instruction at XXXXXXXXXXreferenced memory at XXXXXXX. The memory could not be read.
Click OK to terminate the program

When i click OK i get a second popup saying:

Exception EAccessViolation in module pb_keyboard.cpl at 00002BAD
Access violation at address 02a92BAD in module pb_keyboard.cpl Read of address 0BADF00D

When i press ok to that, Control Panel loads, but if i try and navigate around i get the same error each time, once i have pressed ok to each error i can go to the place i selected.

Any Ideas as im pulling my hair out.

Thanks in advance

Gareth
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#2
gareth26
Posted 29 December 2005 - 04:28 PM

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Sorry, just read my post mininet.dll is supposed to be wininet.dll...Doh!!
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#3
gerryf
Posted 29 December 2005 - 08:45 PM

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My guess, is you are infected with malware, either a bogus wininet.dll or corrupted, or earlier version.

If you get a clean bill of health from the malware forum,

Start>Run type
sfc /scannow
<enter>

have your windows cd on hand. It will replace the corrupted wininet.dll
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#4
gareth26
Posted 30 December 2005 - 05:53 AM

gareth26

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Thanks for helping.

I have run Adaware, AVG, Spybot and Windows AntiSpyware tools and all have come up clean.

Before i ran chkdsk the control panel worked fine, but since, I get this error. Im not even trying to access the net at this point.

My girlfriend cant find her XP CD, she thinks it was just a single recovery CD when she got the PC rather than seperate XP disks etc, but has misplaced it when we recently moved.

I did run sfc /scannow and it kept asking for the CD so im assuming that it does need file from it.

Is there anything else i can do without the XP/Recovery disk??

Thanks again

G
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#5
gerryf
Posted 30 December 2005 - 03:18 PM

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Sometimes, I get to interested in one item and miss something else

Do a search for
pb_keyboard.cpl

it should be in c:\windows\system32

Move it out of there by creating a new directory called c:\tmp and placing it in there.

Reboot.

THAT IS not a standard keyboard control panel applet. Likely a special keyboard, multimedia?

See if you can get in now. The CPL file may be corrupt, thus causing explorer to crash.


I am concerned about the tons of bad sectors, though. One or two, not such a big concern, but multiple ones.....usually the sign of a dying drive. Running checkdisk likely got you up and running, but I would use this time to do data backups and then get a new drive.

And find that recovery disk--if the PC is under warrantly, they shoudl send you a new drive with an OS loaded
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#6
gareth26
Posted 30 December 2005 - 05:24 PM

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No worries, i really appreciate the help.

I have had to let the base unit go back to the girlfriends house but will get on the phone tomorrow and talk her through it.

Have warned that disk may be on the way out and have backed everything up for her. We have managed to find the recovery CD's though so if worst comes to worst..... :)

The odd thing is that once i have OK'd the errors i can use control panel fine.

I will post back here once we have done as you have said.

Thanks again for taking the time to help, your a lifesaver!! :tazz:
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#7
gareth26
Posted 31 December 2005 - 05:32 AM

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Well, i think you may have just cracked it...!!!!

Removed the file as you said and voila..Error has gone!

The keyboard still works fine so i guess thats all that needs to be done...?????
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