Rundll32 error when going into display settings

[Weezie62]

When one of our users goes into the display settings of a Windows 95 PC, he gets a message that Rundll32 has performed an illegal operation. (He gets this error both when right clicking on the desktop, and when going into display settings through the Control Panel.) Clicking on Details shows that it's in an unknown module. I took the Rundll32 file from another PC and copied it over to this PC--still get the Illegal Operation. At the illegal operation message, when I click on OK, the Display Settings do come up. However, the user reports that his screen savers have been acting funny, so I'm wondering if fixing this Rundll32 error will resolve the screensaver issue. I did try removing the screensavers through the Control panel, Add/Remove programs, Windows SEtup tab, accessories. After removing the screensaver and rebooting, I still get the Rundll32 error message.

Any ideas on how to resolve this Rundll32 Illegal Operation? THanks for your help!

 

[ski]

See if this helps:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=138835

If no luck, a memory module may be bad.

 

[Weezie62]

Ski,
I was finally able to try what Microsoft had posted, and it didn't work. However, the problem you gave me the link to is different than the problem my user was encountering: the problem on Microsoft's website is for a General Protection Fault in module MMSYSTEM.DLL; the problem my user is encountering is in an unknown module. Any other ideas? Thanks!
Weezie62

 

[ski]

Try these:
-Check for a virus.
-Go to Start/Run, type msconfig, click OK/Startup, write down all of the items that contain rundll32.exe and then uncheck their boxes(but do not uncheck the boxes for LoadPowerProfile), and restart the computer.

 

[cjhacon]

Have you had a look in msconfig at the start up?
There are usually several instances of Rundll32 loading.

I found de-selecting all but the last instance resolved my rundll32 issues

 

[Weezie62]

This particular system does not have msconfig on it. I checked several other Windows 95 PCs we have, and none of them have msconfig. Just for yucks, I took msconfig off a Windows 98 PC and copied it onto this Win95 PC. I ran it and went into the Startup tab. Absolutely nothing in Startup contained Rundll32 (or Rundll, for that matter). Any other ideas?

 

[cjhacon]

Is it an IBM system?

I had a Win95 install that had serious problems with the display. I recall trouble with resolution and display settings and weird stuff happening with the screen saver.

This particular install was on an IBM G350. The problem ended up being IBM related not Windows at all.
I went into the IBM bios and released some IRQs IBM was reserving for some mysterious use.

I don't know if you've got an IBM, but I thought it was worthy of mention.

 

[beerhunter2]

Have you tried replacing the video card?
Is it Happy Hour yet?