Windows XP will not boot up after renaming PSAPI.dll

[Tom M]

Hello,

I was having the same error message about PSAPI.dll after installing IE
7, so I searched online forums for a solution. One person suggested
renaming all instances of PSAPI.dll to PSAPI.old, so this is what I
did. After restarting my computer, it tries to boot, gets as far as
the splash screen with a small windows xp logo over a black background,
hangs, and starts all over again. I can't get it to boot far enough to
change the filenames back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance,

Tom
tmcevoy213 "at" gmail.com

 

[Galen]

In Tom M had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Hello,

I was having the same error message about PSAPI.dll after installing
IE 7, so I searched online forums for a solution. One person
suggested renaming all instances of PSAPI.dll to PSAPI.old, so this
is what I did. After restarting my computer, it tries to boot, gets
as far as the splash screen with a small windows xp logo over a black
background, hangs, and starts all over again. I can't get it to boot
far enough to change the filenames back. Any ideas? Thanks in
advance,

Tom
tmcevoy213 "at" gmail.com

Well, not all advice is created equal...

If you can't get into the OS (I've got NO idea where to pull the file from
within the disk) and you can't get in via Safe Mode (and/or Last Known Good
Configuration) then...

Repair Installation of XP:
http://kgiii.info/windows/XP/general/xprepair.html

To try safe mode first:

Safe Mode:
http://kgiii.info/windows/all/general/safemode.html

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/ http://kgiii.info/

"Chance has put in our way a most singular and whimsical problem, and
its solution is its own reward." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Tom,

Important: Do *not* rename the psapi.dll file located in the System32
folder. Here is an excerpt from the IE7 Release notes.

<quote>

These two programs are shipped with an older version of psapi.dll that
causes the program to stop responding in Internet Explorer 7.
To work around this issue, follow these steps:
Go to the installation location for Dolphin Hal Screen Reader or Supernova
Reader Magnifier.
Find PSAPI.DLL in the installation location for Dolphin Hal Screen Reader or
Supernova Reader Magnifier and rename it to something else, such as
PSAPIOLD.DLL. Do not rename the PSAPI.DLL file in your \\Windows\System32
directory.
Restart the computer.
The program will find the new PSAPI.DLL in the \Windows\System32 directory
and function normally. Users might wish to contact the software vendor
website to check for the latest updates.
</quote>

Release Notes for Internet Explorer 7:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/aa740486.aspx

And if you've already renamed PSAPI.DLL (in the System32 folder), boot into
the Recovery Console, and rename it back from PSAPI.OLD to PSAPI.DLL.

See here for more information:

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

Note: If you have a copy of BartPE/WinPE/UBCD, then you can perform the file
rename tasks using that.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,

I was having the same error message about PSAPI.dll after installing IE
7, so I searched online forums for a solution. One person suggested
renaming all instances of PSAPI.dll to PSAPI.old, so this is what I
did. After restarting my computer, it tries to boot, gets as far as
the splash screen with a small windows xp logo over a black background,
hangs, and starts all over again. I can't get it to boot far enough to
change the filenames back. Any ideas? Thanks in advance,

Tom
tmcevoy213 "at" gmail.com