Windows setup can't see .dll files

[arrow_runner]

I have a Dell desktop I'm working on, trying to do a Windows Repair. When the setup gets to one of the last stages where it copies files to the system32, it complains it can't find the .dll files on the disk.(Brand new Dell restore disk).

The really weird thing is that with this "can't find files" dialog up, I can click browse and copy the ENTIRE i386 folder from the CD to the hard drive, but everytime I tell setup to grab the .dll file, whether it be from the hard drive or disk, it says it can't copy the file...

Memtest passed fine.
New CD
Can copy all of the files without error.
Running a chkdsk on hard drive now....

Thoughts?

[usacvlr]

bad optical drive most likely

[Romaniac]

If it is a bad drive, why is the problem occurring just for the .dll files?

[abe]

hi, try ignoring the dll's
I have had dell install's that can't find the dll's
I just press ignore or whatever the choice is to continue without the dll and it usually installs perfect. (it can sometimes be 4 or 5 of them)

abe

[doortodoorgeek]

I have seen issues with drives that do act like that, do you see any defects on the disk itself?

[arrow_runner]

If the drive were bad, then I shouldn't be able to manually copy the .dll files to the hard drive.

I have tried a new disk and a burnt copy of a disk I already had.

I'm trying the suggestion of ignoring them. I'm actually doing a repair not a full blown install, so all of those dll files still exist on the drive anyhow.

It actually made me go through and ignore EVERYTHING...

The reason I'm doing the restore is that the PC slowly slows to a halt after boot up. Safe mode is fine though...

[l337]

it doesnt matter if you can manually copy them to the drive or not xp will delete them normally as part of the repair as soon as u start the repair again. and the error might be by something thats used to copy the dll across not the actually reading of the dll itself. just get a new drive or another known working drive and rule it out for starters lol. optical drives (excluding blueray etc) are cheap nowdays

and if u still have troubles with this and havnt done this already id do a system restore using the windows wizard or manually using restore point files

[usacvlr]

I've had this happen at least 3 times that I can think of and it was always a dll as I recall. Copying the file manually doesn't solve the problem of corruption. There isn't any checking to verify the file is ok. Everytime I had this happen a new drive solved it.

[bitznpcz]

I've had this happen at least 3 times that I can think of and it was always a dll as I recall. Copying the file manually doesn't solve the problem of corruption. There isn't any checking to verify the file is ok. Everytime I had this happen a new drive solved it.

Agreed, I had the same problem last week with DLL's on a repair - a new DVD drive solved the problem

[crashburn]

i had this problem before so many times. there are many reason why this could happen. here is a few:
1. cd/dvd might be scratch. try using another cd/dvd
2. cd/dvd drive is not reading the file correctly. try external one if you have
3. ram problem


most of the time is memory problem in my case. so if the computer has two sticks of ram, i will take one out and try. if i still get the error, then i will put back the one i took out and took out the one that was in there.

it could also be related to hard drive problem but i havent experience that

[arrow_runner]

After trying 2 different drives and 2 different disks, I just nuked and paved and it worked fine from then on...

[Pc Fixed Right]

the computer probably had sp2 or sp3 on it whereas your repair install disc did not which is why you have dll errors.

[arrow_runner]

I really can't imagine that being the problem. Repairs remove all updates, so it shouldn't matter. Additionally, anytime there's a conflict because of service packs, there's a blatant error message about it, such as "This disk is newer than the version of windows installed", not "Cannot copy .dll file".

[usacvlr]

I went through 3 drives once and two disks before this problem fixed itself. Seems like user32.dll was always one of t he ones it would hang on.

[Pc Fixed Right]

I really can't imagine that being the problem. Repairs remove all updates, so it shouldn't matter. Additionally, anytime there's a conflict because of service packs, there's a blatant error message about it, such as "This disk is newer than the version of windows installed", not "Cannot copy .dll file".

Yes a repair install does remove the updates but the only repair install issues on xp that I have had regarding whatever dll file is when I have used a sp1 disc.
"This disk is newer than the version of windows installed", not "Cannot copy .dll file".
I have never had a repair install say that. Plus if the disk is newer than the version installed than wouldn't the old dll files get replaced with the newer version of the same file assuming you are installing the same OS.

Even if I am incorrect I have not had a repair install issue since I have used a installation disc with the same service pack as the clients computer but prior to this way I had issues with files not installing.