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When I log off, my screename for widows xp, i get 3 annoying boxes that pop up, -one of them saying, (RunDLL.exe......End Now) i forget what the other two are. Is there any way i can stop this. its very annoying. thank you

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Dani AI

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Brief expert summary and practical next steps

Multiple reports in this thread (for example ’s RunDLL32.exe message and ’s hpcmpmgr.exe observation) match a common Windows‑XP shutdown symptom: an app launched by rundll32.exe fails to respond to the shutdown messages Windows sends (WM_QUERYENDSESSION/WM_ENDSESSION), so XP shows the “This program is not responding… End Now” dialog. rundll32.exe itself is just a host for DLL calls — the hang almost always comes from a third‑party DLL or startup item that won’t quit. Microsoft: application shutdown behavior (Windows XP section). (learn.microsoft.com)

Suggested troubleshooting order (safe, reversible)

  • Reproduce the problem, then boot to Safe Mode and to a clean‑boot state (msconfig) to see whether the dialog still appears; a clean boot isolates third‑party startups and services. How to perform a clean boot (msconfig).
  • For the Outlook reports: don’t uninstall Outlook immediately. Start Outlook in Safe Mode and disable COM/Add‑ins (Tools → Options → Other → Advanced Options → COM Add‑Ins / Add‑In Manager on Outlook 2002/2003) and retest — add‑ins are a frequent culprit. (support.microsoft.com)

Targeted diagnostics (for the persistent cases)

  • Use Sysinternals Autoruns to find any rundll32.exe calls (Run/RunOnce, Scheduled Tasks, print/monitor DLLs, shell extensions). Autoruns shows the full command line and lets safe‑disable or delete the startup entry; it also integrates VirusTotal checks. If an entry points to a missing path or a DLL outside C:\Windows\System32, that’s suspicious. Autoruns (Sysinternals). (learn.microsoft.com)

Other actions and cautions

  • Make a System Restore point and export any registry keys before editing HKLM\...\Run or HKCU\...\Run. Check Task Scheduler and view the Event Viewer for application errors (save the event text for diagnosis). If HP’s hpcmpmgr.exe is present (mentioned by ), update or remove the HP component via HP support if it’s the offending entry. Scan with a quality anti‑malware tool (Malwarebytes) and, before deleting any DLL, verify it on VirusTotal. Finally, run sfc /scannow if system files look corrupted. Do not delete the legitimate C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe. (file.info)

If the above isolates a single startup item or add‑in, remove or update that component and the “End Now” boxes should stop appearing.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Dani

I get this quite often with Microsoft Outlook XP :( Do you get this everytime? I get it about 50% of the time, but then again, my machine stays on and logged in for days at a time usually.

Member Avatar for lschmidt66

I have this problem with mine. It happens with WOrd and hpcmpmgr.exe (which is some software from my HP PSC 2510). I subsribed to this group trying to find a way to stop it.

Member Avatar for caperjack

for your Hpcmpmgr problem .

Member Avatar for TallCool1

When I log off, my screename for widows xp, i get 3 annoying boxes that pop up, -one of them saying, (RunDLL.exe......End Now) i forget what the other two are. Is there any way i can stop this. its very annoying. thank you

Does it say RunDLL.exe or RunDLL32.exe? The difference is important; it may be an indicator of a possible hijacking. RunDLL32 is supposed to launch-and-release under XP. If it fails to release (keeps running), it usually indicates poorly written malware. See my article Dealing with Malware (in my signature, below) on downloading and using HijackThis. Post the log here, but don't fix anything until instructed on what to remove.

Member Avatar for talldrummerboy

quick fix try closing out of every thing befor u tern off ur computer

Member Avatar for LukeSkywalker

yea it says RunDLL32.exe,

Member Avatar for LukeSkywalker

should i uninstall microsoft outlook?

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