Two days ago my computer suddenly refused to open several applications (Windows Media Player, AOL signon, Yahoo Messanger login, Sibelius music writing program and there may be others I haven't yet discovered). I was able to get the Media Player working, but doing a search on MSN indicated the problem was with Java software.
I have tried to un & re install Java, but haven't been successful with that. The IE6 & Firefox browsers have fatal errors and shutdown either during download or when trying to verify the installation. The error message I get when trying to open the doomed programs is: "This application has failed to start because IMM32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem."
Any ideas? (I only get 2 times to install Sibelius and really need to be get into that program to print some music I arranged for a wedding coming up.)
Mike, I sent your post to my husband and this is his reply. Hope it helps:
Tell him to get his windows installation disk and keep it handy
Go to start
Click on run
Type sfc /scannow
Let it run it may ask for the installation disk
This will reset all windows system software and most dlls back to default.
Thanks, Theresa. I'll give it a shot tonight.
Well, I couldn't do the scannow option as I never received the W-XP discs with the computer, only a system restore disc which didn't contain needed file. After spending 45 minutes in a chat window with Gateway tech support, I was told I needed to reload my op system. YIKES!!!!
So I called a friend of mine to complain and he said he would email me IMM32.dll file from his computer. BINGO :headbang: I'm back in business without having to reload the system. Just had to reinstall Java.
XP's "system restore" probably could have helped you as well, just find a restore point before the problem occurred. I would be trying to remember what I did before the dll file disappeared to try to head off this happening again. Hope you made a copy of that file in case the problem recurs.
Rich, I tried the restore feature as my first option. It did nothing. I tried going back 2 months and it just said it was unable to make any changes. And yes, the email with the file is saved on AOL, not my computer (although a copy is saved on my hard drive). I was able to get Sibelius up and running, but it won't print. Still have to work that issue out now.