How to Fix the Error "Windows Process (Rundll32) Has Stopped Working"

Windows has some problems, there is no denying that, but most problems can be fixed if you know just a little bit about some of the main aspects of the operating system. I recently ran into an error that caused me some time consuming troubleshooting, I got an error with the Rundll32 which is a rather obscure windows process. The actual error read like this:

"Windows Process (Rundll32) has stopped working"

This error could mean so many things, so I went about trying to figure out what was causing the problem. For me I was getting it on startup of my PC, when I tried to open certain portions of the Windows operating system, specifically the security center. In this guide I will explain how I solved my problem and also give you some ideas to hopefully fix the problem.

The first thing you should do is try to remember when the error started happening for you. Mine started right after I installed Nero, a CD/DVD burning software program. If you recently installed a program or made a change to Windows, try to revert the change or uninstall the program. Reboot your PC and see if you still get the error, also if you were getting the error when trying to open another program (for me it was Security Center), try to open it and see if the error is gone there as well. If the error has been fixed you might want to consider a different program to accomplish the same goal. This is what fixed the problem for me, Nero was messing up my system and I simply used a free program ImgBurn instead, you can get it free HERE.

Now if uninstalling Nero or another program that was recently installed doesn't fix your problem then I suggest limiting the programs that startup with Windows, and then one by one activate the startup programs to see if they are causing the problem. To do this follow these steps (You must logged on as an administrator of the PC):

1 - Click Start
2 - Click Search bar (Windows Vista and 7)
3 - Type msconfig
4 - Hit Enter
5 - Click Startup Tab
6 - Click Disable All
7 - Then re-enable 1 program (check box)
8 - Click Apply
9 - Click OK
10 - Reboot (if Error occurs, it is this program causing the error, uninstall the program or contact the vendor for a solution)
11 - If the error didn't occur repeat the above steps until you get the error, this will tell you which program is causing the error.

Once you have figured out the program that is causing your error then you can trouble shoot the issue further. I also suggest you contact the support forums or help desk for the specific program. The product vendor should be able to tell you how to stop the program from causing the error, possibly reinstalling the program or updating it.

One fix for this issue could be to turn off the thumbnail viewing, I have read that there have been many problems with thumbnail views in Windows Vista and 7, to turn off thumbnails follow these steps:

1 - Open My Computer
2 - Click Organize Drop Down
3 - Click Folder and Search Options
4 - Click View Tab
5 - Uncheck Always show icons, never thumbnails
6 - Click OK
7 - Reboot

Now you shouldn't get the error any longer, hopefully one of the fixes listed above will help you to get rid of the "Windows Process (Rundll32) has stopped working" error.