Dynamic Link Libraries Many native Windows applications and third-party programs use the functionality found in libraries residing in the Windows System32 folder. These Dynamic Link Libraries simplify a software developer's job and help save you disk space. Because an application can simply execute a function that already resides in your System32 folder, the application's developers don't have to write code to perform that function or include it in the installation file that you download. People who understand Windows internals can also run DLLs from the Windows Command prompt by typing 'Rundll32.exe' and the name of the DLL they wish to run. Encounters with rundll32.exe If you ever use Windows Task Manager to view the processes that are running on your computer, you may see the rundll32 process. Some computer users may even wonder if their computers have a virus when they see that DLL in the process list. The official Windows Rundll32.exe is safe and cannot harm your computer; there is no need to remove it or stop the process from running.

In this video, learn how to restore rundll32.exe on your Windows XP machine. You can also use this method to fix or patch a missing or deleted Rundll32.exe file. WonderHowTo Operating Systems WonderHowTo Gadget Hacks Next Reality Null Byte. Computer Hardware Computer Networking PHP HTML / XHTML / CSS Java / Swing / JSP VB / VBA / Visual.

Rundll32.exe is a critical Windows process that launches other 32-bit DLLs that reside on your computer. Precautions Virus makers can assign names to viruses they distribute. This unfortunate ability makes it possible for them to name one 'rundll32.exe.' If your computer has a fake rundll32.exe process running, it will not appear in the standard Windows System32 folder where the other DLLs reside. Viruses and other forms of malware can compromise your privacy, steal critical business information and destroy files on your hard drive. Run an antivirus scanner if you discover a process that you think is masquerading as the rundll32.exe DLL.

Identifying Fake Rundll32.exe Processes The Task Manager helps you spot counterfeit rundll32.exe processes. View your computer's running processes by right-clicking an empty area near your computer clock and clicking 'Start Task Manager to open the Task Manager. After you click 'View' and select 'Select Columns,' you will see a list of columns you can add to the Task Manger tabular display. Putting a check mark in the 'Image Path Name' check box and clicking 'OK' adds the Image Path Name column to the table; it displays each process's folder path.

You then can look for processes named rundll32.exe that do not reside in the Windows System32 folder.

This follows on from another thread about problems of freezing when in Windows XP Mode running under windows 7 64 bit: The original problem was to do with Windows XP Mode freezing unless the mouse was constantly moved around (see above link). In that thread, I found a common link with another problem I've encountered in Win7 64 bit. Sometimes, the Rise of Legends game will not start. Investigating that problem turned up rundll32.exe sitting there chewing up a full core of the processor as a sub-branch of a process tree under legends.exe (the game itself). Killing legends.exe and leaving rundll32.exe isolated (but still chewing the full core of the processor!) cures the problem and RoL starts ok. This is an intermittent problem but is consistent across a session. That is, for a given session it will either always work ok or will not work at all and needs the aforementioned 'fix'.

The link with Windows XP Mode is that it also uses rundll32.exe to launch. Again, Windows XP Mode seems to either always work ok during a session or it will exhibit the freezing symptons. The fact that one or the other (RoL or Windows XP Mode) works or not within a session is not consistent. One can be working ok whilst the other is not, and vice versa. The reason for this post is that it's now occuring on my other machine (also Win7 64 bit) on a different piece of software - the game Black and White 2. This now shows the same symptoms as for RoL - rundll32.exe chewing up one of the processor's cores and nothing happening.