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~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
Thanks for bearing with me on this one and responding again.
> How long have you owned your Vista computer, Ian?
I've had it three weeks, bought from new, a Toshiba.
> Are you running Vista SP1 now? <=that's just a question, not a
> recommendation to install SP1!
I'm not sure. In Windows update, it lists updates that are on the computer
which don't include SP1. It lists several security updates for MS Office
2007 (which I don't have - I uninstalled the 30-day trial as I was going
to reinstall Office 2003 from my old computer) and ones for Windows itself
('security' and a few 'update's). The update it lists as available to me
is Office 2007 SP1 - no mention of *Vista* SP1 anywhere. I currently have
Open Office installed as a stop-gap as I have a load of word-processing to
do.
> To the best of your knowledge, is Automatic Update/Windows Update
> working OK and is the machine currently fully patched?
Patched is, I guess, covered by what I've just found out. WU is set to
update every day at 3am, but the computer is rarely on then. I should
clearly adjust that to a time when it will be on?
>> I am also getting a rundll32.exe error when attempting various actions
>
> Post the complete error message and tell us what action(s) you were
> attempting to perform when you received it.
It mostly happens when I try to open a document using a program for which
I browse the computer - i.e. not the one allocated to the document. When I
click 'browse' the box whites out and I get the message "Windows host
process (rundll32.exe) has stopped working. A problem caused the programme
to stop working correctly. Please close the program."
Another issue which is, I'm sure, connected, is that I cannot save
documents in Open Office - when I click on 'save', the program just closes
and will not re-open without a reboot. There are other quaint little
glitches such as when I click the paperclip to attach a document to a
Windows Mail e-mail the winodw and WM just closes and agains requires a
reboot. In fact, most problems seem to involve clicking on a function
making the program close.
Sorry to be so lenthy, but it's really getting me down. I have read pretty
much everything relating to the rundll error online - it mostly seems to
be caused by Nero, which I don't have - and I have uninstalled everything
I put on the machine to see if that was a fix, which it sadly was not. And
I have, of course, run my virus program and spyware catcher, which found
nothing untoward.
Your help is much appreciated.
Ian
PA Bear [MS MVP] - 23 Jun 2008 21:10 GMT
As the machine is still under Warranty, I'd recommend contacting Toshiba
about all of these problems, Ian.
> ...WU is set to
> update every day at 3am, but the computer is rarely on then. I should
> clearly adjust that to a time when it will be on?
That would be a VERY good idea, yes. See this excellent tutorial:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial140.html
> ...[Windows Update] lists several security updates for MS Office
> 2007 (which I don't have - I uninstalled the 30-day trial as I was going
> to reinstall Office 2003 from my old computer)
You should be aware that Office 2003 is not fully supported in Vista, Ian.
The fact that Windows Update continues to offer updates for Office 2007 is
not a good sign. Again, contact Toshiba Support (who will be able to tell
you if the machine came with Vista SP1 pre-installed, too).
>> Post the complete error message and tell us what action(s) you were
>> attempting to perform when you received it.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> process (rundll32.exe) has stopped working. A problem caused the programme
> to stop working correctly. Please close the program."
And what "program for which [you] browse the computer" is this? Do you know
if it's Vista-compatible?
If and when Windows Update offers the machine Vista SP1 and you have any
problems installing it, free support from Microsoft is available:
Unlimited installation and compatibility support for Vista SP1 is available
at no charge through 18 Mar-09
• US:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11274&gprid=500921
• CA:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-ca&prid=11274&gprid=500921
• UK:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-gb&prid=11274&gprid=500921
• AU:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-au&prid=11274&gprid=500921
• Other: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx | select Windows
Vista | select Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Good luck!
PS: I'd strongly advise getting yourself a copy of "Vista for Dummies" (no
offense intended). You're in a whole new ballgame now.

Signature
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
> Thanks for bearing with me on this one and responding again.
>
[quoted text clipped - 50 lines]
>
> Ian
Ian F. - 23 Jun 2008 22:07 GMT
<much helpful information snipped>
> Good luck!
Many thanks. I'll take everything you suggest on board and hope for a
swift solution, as well as contacting Toshiba.
> PS: I'd strongly advise getting yourself a copy of "Vista for Dummies"
> (no offense intended).
None taken! Thanks again.
Ian