[NuclearUmbra]

My computer hasn't been running optimally so I'd like to clean it up and make sure it's free of spam/adware/spyware/viruses. May someone help me out?

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NuclearUmbra-

Hi and welcome to the forums!

Your first stop is going to be Geeks to Go's Cleaning Guide. This guide will assist you in cleaning off some old temp files, as well as making a backup of your registry and disinfecting it of malware. If you believe you are still experiencing problems I suggest posting a thread in the Virus, Spyware and Trojan Removal thread. A trained technician will help diagnose your system and attempt to remove any present malware.

If you're just looking for a simple system clean, I can suggest several tools.

CCleaner is a wonderful tool that will help you remove old temp files and application data. It can also help you clean old, problematic registry keys (though that task is a bit more advanced; inexperienced users should consult someone more experienced).

You will also want to defragment your drive. Defraggler is a wonderful tool that will defrag your drive (much more effectively than Window's defrag tool, IMO).

Let me know if you need anything more specific. I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions you may have; the staff and volunteers are very helpful and will be glad to aid you.

[FNP]

NuclearUmbra-

Hi and welcome to the forums!

Your first stop is going to be Geeks to Go's Cleaning Guide. This guide will assist you in cleaning off some old temp files, as well as making a backup of your registry and disinfecting it of malware. If you believe you are still experiencing problems I suggest posting a thread in the Virus, Spyware and Trojan Removal thread. A trained technician will help diagnose your system and attempt to remove any present malware.

If you're just looking for a simple system clean, I can suggest several tools.

CCleaner is a wonderful tool that will help you remove old temp files and application data. It can also help you clean old, problematic registry keys (though that task is a bit more advanced; inexperienced users should consult someone more experienced).

You will also want to defragment your drive. Defraggler is a wonderful tool that will defrag your drive (much more effectively than Window's defrag tool, IMO).

Let me know if you need anything more specific. I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions you may have; the staff and volunteers are very helpful and will be glad to aid you.

[NuclearUmbra]

Thanks a lot. I'll start on this now and ask questions if i have troubles.

[NuclearUmbra]

I am getting this error when i try to run certain applications-

Component 'comdlg32.ocx' or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid

I don't know what it means. I googled it before and tried solving it myself, and thats when I started having other problems. I went through the guide linked above. But I'm not really sure what the problem is, so I don't know what to do to fix it.

[FNP]

NuclearUmbra-

Okay, let's get some more detailed information so we can work to diagnose your problem.

Relating to your computer system:

What brand computer are you using? What operating system are you using? What specs can you tell me about your processor, hard drive and RAM?

Relating to the problem you mentioned:

Specifically, what applications are you referring to? Did this problem occur before or after you followed the guides and programs I suggested for you? You mentioned that after trying to resolve the comdlg32.ocx error, you started having other problems- what were those other problems?

I know that seems like a lot to throw at you, but the more detailed you can be, the more I can help. Let me know if you have any questions or are confused about anything.

[NuclearUmbra]

Dell, Windows Vista. My hard drive has around 250 GBs capacity, and 2 GB of ram. I don't know what the processor is, but its at least a dual core. This problem was before I posted on the forum, so before I followed the guides. The applications were just some homebrew programs used to mod Pokemon games. I've never had this error for any other programs, and there isn't a problem with any other programs or any other area of my computer.

[FNP]

NuclearUmbra-

Great, thanks! That info is really helpful!

It sounds like your homebrew programs could have possibly altered one of the Windows files, and that is how your Comdlg32.ocx file was damaged. Did you by any chance use any Visual Basic scripting while creating those programs?

Try checking out this link. I came across it while researching your problem, and I think it might solve the problem you mentioned. From what you've told me, I don't think that your system has an infection, especially if you keep your anti-virus program up-to-date, but I can't be an authority on that.

Let me know if that solved your problem, or if you have any more questions.

p.s. Don't forget about the time change tonight. Daylight Savings Time goes into effect... sometimes tonight, depending on where you are.

[NuclearUmbra]

Thanks. Now I'm getting an error when I run. I copied the file, and triple checked that i followed the instructions, and it cant seem to find the file when I run
regsvr32 \windows\system32\COMDLG32.OCX

[FNP]

NuclearUmbra-

What is the error message you receive when you try and run regsvr32 \windows\system32\COMDLG32.OCX?

I assume that you safely copied the downloaded file into the correct Windows folder.

Also, try running the command from a command prompt run with administrative privileges (in Vista, open Start, search for command prompt, right-click and select 'Run as Administrator').

Let me know if you have any questions

[NuclearUmbra]

Yes I did replace the file where specified. Here is the error message



The module "\windows\system32\comdlg32.ocx" failed to load.

Make sure the binary is stored at the specified path or debug it to check for problems with the binary or dependent .DLL files.

The specified module would not be found.

[NuclearUmbra]

When I try the command prompt, it says

This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create and association in the Set Associations control panel.

[FNP]

NuclearUmbra-

Hmm. Odd, I've never seen anything like that. At this point, I'm going to pass this particular problem on to another, more advanced hardware member. I'm not quite sure what the trouble is, and I don't want to risk any damage to your system by giving faulty advice.

If there are any other questions related to computer performance, maintenance or security, please feel free to ask. Sorry I couldn't find the source of your problem.

As always, if you think your system has been infected by malware (though from what you've told me I don't think it has), be sure to post a thread in the Malware Removal forums.

I hope our paths will cross again somewhere down the road.

[NuclearUmbra]

Oh thats quite alright. I really don't think its malware at this point. You've been very helpful. Thank you very much.