Error loading [...] shell32.dll; access is denied

Hello all,

Windows XP Pro SP2, all updates, 2GB memory, full virus scanning and
firewall.

Yesterday, after the latest Windows update (and it may be
coincidental), a number of functions generate the following message:

[X] Error loading C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll
Access is denied

The system works generally but there are a number of items, especially
via Control Panel, that can no longer be accessed.

I have searched online for solutions to this, but do not see this
problem described. Details:

====================

CANNOT access either via Control Panel (shell32.dll access denied) or
via start-run .cpl files (nothing happens):

Accessibility Options
Add Hardware
Add or Remove Programs
Automatic Updates
ClearType Tuning
Color
Date and Time
Display
Internet Options
Java
Keyboard
Mouse
Network Setup Wizard
Phone and Modem Options
Power Options
Quicktime
Regional and Language Options
Security Center
SoundMax
Sounds and Audio Devices
Speech
System
User Accounts
Wacom Tablet Properties
Windows CardSpace
Windows Firewall
Wireless Network Setup Wizard

Also cannot access:
System via Windows-Pause/Break
Display options via right-click on desktop

====================

CAN access via Control Panel:

Administrative Tools
Folder Options
Fonts
Network Connections
Printers and Faxes
Scanners and Cameras
Scheduled Tasks
Taskbar and Start Menu

Also can access:

CTL-ALT-DEL Task Manager
CTL-ESC Programs and Documents
Device Manager via Computer Management window
Internet Options from IE (which I only use for Windows updates), but
some options (such as delete history and temporary files) generate the
same shell32.dll error.

====================

The shell32.dll is:
6.00.2900.3241 (xpsp_sp2_qfe.071025-1245)
8,486,912 bytes
October 25, 2007.

====================

On the Microsoft support site, I re-ran the WindowsXP-KB943460-x86-
ENU.exe, since this described a shell32.dll security issue. It
installed, but there was no change.

Where do I go from here?

Thank you,
Dennis

Make sure that you have no malware and pests on the computer. To
eliminate permissions issues on the \system32 file try the proceedure
described in Aaron Stebner's WebLog:
http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archi...04/739820.aspx

John,

Thanks for your suggestions. I have Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy,
Avast, and Comodo. The system is very clean -- it's my main machine
with all the critical stuff, so I don't need any malware or viruses or
other nasties, for sure. But I checked again, and it's clean.

So I ran Stebner's fix, which did a lot of repairs, but didn't help.

But then I thought -- wait, I've been using the somewhat balky
ZoneAlarm for several years and switched to Comodo last week after a
(trusted) reviewer pointed out how much more effective, transparent
and easy to use it was. It's hard to find out exactly what
applications are being dealt with, but I had no idea that it blocked
access to many system tasks automatically! Temporarily disabling it
allowed access to everything that was previously denied.

Now I have to find out where Comodo stores its list of applications
and permissions so I can allow access to the Control Panel. It's the
admin account after all, so I'm not sure why Comodo would do that.
Double-check for the double-dopey like me?

Thanks very much again.

Dennis

Glad to see that you found out the problem. There is an ever increasing
number of Antivirus/Anti-spyware and other security suites and products
that block valid Windows processes. I think that some of them overdo it
a bit.

I run Comodo v2.0 ; tried v3.0 but found it too aggresive .

bojimbo26...

This is version 3, and it's new to me. The interface is so different
from Zone Alarm that it will take me a while to learn. It gives both
too little and too much information, I think. And I still haven't
gotten it to allow those control panel applets to run while it is
enabled. I tried adding *.cpl to its Windows system application list,
but it still throws the shell32.dll error; I added that, too, but it
didn't help. Funny it didn't ask in the first place.

i`ve used v2.0 since early 2007 and found v3.0 just after
it came out . V2.0 is no bells and whistles and does exactly what I
want ; in v3.0 you have to use the advanced system , which for me is
too aggresive . Gone back to v2.0 and am quite happy .

After trying everything else and still refusing to reinstall, I disabled the Comodo Defense Security Level. And everything works fine!

Thanks for this solution, I had exact the same problem and now it's
solved.

THANK YOU to all of you.
I was losing my mind trying to fix my problem,(I could not access to control pannel for error loading shell32.dll access denied) looking for virus, malware, scanning my system but nothing was working.
Just this morning I arrived to this thread and smply disabling the Comodo Defense Security Level, the error has disappeared

THANK YOU AGAIN

HEY!

I had same problem and I found an answer to it!
go to COMODO Defence+ and switch to Advanced tab.
Then select Computer Security Policy.
Find the shell32.dll/shell32.exe and remove it from the list.

After that my system worked normally again!

OT: never install XP SP3. it WILL crash your system...

I want to thank you ever so much in helping me solve this most peculiar error message that I have run across. After trying to re-register the file (shell32.dll) and rebooting with no such luck, I've tried reseting the ACLs as desribed in the link that you offered (again, with no such luck). So, after the reply that John posted, I thought that I should check to see if it's being blocked somehow by Comodo Internet Security, and the file was.

I don't know how, but rundll32.exe was being treated as an Isolated Application, not as Custom which allows CIS to allow rundll32.exe access the shell32.dll file.

Well, thanks again for your suggestions and your help. It was most appreciative and informative.

Thanks for the tip. I had the same problem, which started spontaneously one day. The messages stopped when I deactivated the "Defense+" feature in comodo.
I fixed it by uninstalling comodo, and then reinstalling it.
V3 seems to work fine with my system now.