HELP!!!! Computer Guru needed

[Mike]

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.)

[Teresa]

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.

[Mike]

Thanks, Theresa.  I'll give it a shot tonight.

[Mike]

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   I'm back in business without having to reload the system.  Just had to reinstall Java.

[Rich]

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.

[Mike]

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.