Harold,

It may help others if you post the full problem, including the error messages at start up. 

I only included the one error message as an afterthought as I was not sure if it was relevant. All it stated was "start up application bad. rundll.exe.

My main concern is that there is no avenue for me to get to windows update. If I go to "tool" either in the taskbar on IE7 or on the drop down menu, instead of going to "windows update" it takes me back to the MSM home page. Even when I go to the microsoft home page and click on "windows update" , instead of going to the update page, I end up back on the MSN home page. I am totally being redirected away from the update page and back to the MSN home page.

first, let me state that I don't believe there is any connection between the "bad" file on startup, and your inability to access windows updates.    was any other file mentioned along with RUNDLL??? usually there's another file associated with it...

the fact that your attempts to access windows updates are redirected instead to MSN's home page sounds like some type of "hijacking".   the first place to check would be your HOSTS files --- are you familiar with this?  if not, what operating system do you have, and i'll see how best for you to proceed.

The computer that the problem is on, is a Dell Dimension 2100, with XP Pro and Norton 360 as the anitvirus. He is running IE 7. Not sure what other info is needed. I had them run a full scan with Norton, but that didn't fix anything. As for "HOSTS" files, I am not sure what they are.  Also will check to see if any other files mentioned with the rundll.

Thanks

Thanks for your response. Unfortuately, I will not have access to that computer again until Friday or Saturday, at which time I will try what you have told me and notify via this forum if it works or not. Again thanks.

• Save it to your Desktop
• Right Click HostsXpert.zip->>
• Extract all->>Next->>
• Extract it to your Desktop (or your C:\ drive) ->>Next
• check the box marked SHOW EXTRACTED FILES ->> Finish
• Double click to Open the HostsXpert folder->>
• Double Click to run HostsXpert.exe  (if asked for permission, allow it to run)

the hosts file will open and be displayed.  

the first several lines typically begin with a # sign (which indicates a COMMENT line), and these introductory

lines explain that they represent a SAMPLE hosts file as supplied by microsoft.

after these comment lines, there's a blank line, followed by the line

127.0.0.1  localhost

the default HOSTS file ends here.   and if yours does, then we have to look elsewhere for the cause of the problem.

but if there are additional entries [of the form]

      first#.second#.third#.fourth#   WebSiteName 

we will need to consider what they are, and how they got into the hosts file.

keeping the explanation to a minimum, the numbers (4 numbers separated by periods) are an IP address, and the name following it is a website [URL] name.

the hosts file basically tells your computer/internet, whenever you type in the particular WebSiteName, it is to go the IP address you've being specified to its left.

so, for example, if you were to see the URL

update.microsoft.com

preceded by a sequence of 4 numbers, it would be telling your computer to use that address (instead of any address that's supplied by your DNS [Domain Name Server]).   so if the four number IP address corresponds to MSN (which we'll be able to check out), then these attempts to access windows updates will instead be redirected to MSN.

if you want to read/learn more about HOSTS files, you can get some good information here:

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm