Member Avatar for sat56

I have win XP Pro. When I wish to shutdown the computer it gives me a window that says trying to shutdown rundll32 however after it tries that I get another message saying that it cannot shutdown the file because it is not responding. Kindly let me know how I could solve this issue.

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As later reported the shutdown hang cleared, a few follow‑ups help confirm the system is really clean and make it easier to diagnose if it returns. The points below build on observations by and and focus on concrete, verifiable diagnostics and simple prevention.

To identify the exact module that called rundll32: run a process inspector (Process Explorer) while reproducing the problem and view the running rundll32 process' Properties -> Command line to see the DLL path and parameters. On older Windows the built‑in Task Manager won’t show that detail, so a tool that exposes the full command line is the reliable option.

Check the Event Viewer (System and Application logs) for entries at the shutdown time — source, Event ID and the module path are often recorded and point to the offender. Run System File Checker with sfc /scannow to repair any corrupted system files and follow with a full antivirus scan plus a second‑opinion scanner to remove possible remnants left by malware.

For prevention and cleanup: use Autoruns (Sysinternals) to inspect all autostart locations (startup entries, shell extensions, scheduled tasks) and remove only entries that are clearly suspicious. Clear temp files, make a clean restore point, and keep the OS and drivers current. If the hang reappears, capturing the rundll32 command line and the Event Viewer entries is the most useful information for further troubleshooting.

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Member Avatar for DMR

rundll.exe is a Windows system program which is responsible for loading/handling a number of Windows library files (.dlls). Given that, the error could actually be being caused by one of the dlls, but it's impossible to say which one.

- Had you installed/modified/upgraded/deleted any programs, device drivers or other software just prior to this happening?

- Does this happen when you're booted into Safe Mode?

- Do you notice any other strange behaviour or get any other errors? If so, knowing what thye are could help us pinpoint the culprit.

- Exit/close all unnecessary programs (including those running in the tray on your taskbar) and see if the problem persists. If not, reactivate the programs one at a time to see if you can find the one that causes the error.

Member Avatar for abbasmj

Some spywares also do this. Try running Adaware or Spybot. Also disable all the startup programs using MS Config utility and see whether you still get the error message or not.

Member Avatar for sat56

Some spywares also do this. Try running Adaware or Spybot. Also disable all the startup programs using MS Config utility and see whether you still get the error message or not.

Thanks for your suggestion. I did run Adaware and that solved the problem.

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