Many things can cause this problem.
You receive an "Error occurred while Windows was working with the
Control Panel file" error message when you open Control Panel in
Windows XP SP2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892890
Control Panel stops responding in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/843551
=============
<quote>
To determine if this is caused by a browser extension (also loads with
explorer.exe processes), disable the tool bands and Browser Helper Objects:
1. Click Start, Run, type Control Inetcpl.cpl.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Under Browsing, click to clear the Enable third-party browser extensions
(requires restart) check box.
Open Control Panel, or folder window and observe the behavior. If the
problem persist, undo the above setting. Try ShellExView to determine if a
shell extension is causing the problem.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html
Using ShellExView, disable all the third-party extensions (non-Microsoft),
and restart.
_________________
Ramesh Srinivasan, MS-MVP [Windows]
<end quote>
from...
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=80536
=============
Problem: I can no longer open my Control Panel. When I do, Windows Explorer
restarts.
*.cpl files are Control Panel files.
Test to see if there are any corrupt *.cpl files.
Do a Search for files or folders named box, type *.cpl.
In the list of found files, double click a .cpl file under Name.
The corresponding Control Panel item opens. For example, when you
double click Inetcpl.cpl, the Internet Properties dialog box appears. In
addition, when you double click a file such as Inetcpl.cpl a problem may
occur, if one does you can then figure out which .cpl file may be corrupt.
You might get an error similar to this:
An exception occurred when trying to run
C:WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL
C:WINDOWS\system32\some.cpl
If no error occurs, close the Control Panel item. And double click the next
one. Until you have opened all of the .cpl files.
If there are any *.cpl files that cause errors there are several ways around
the problem.
Control Panel Items:
--------------------------
Accessibility Options is access.cpl
Add Hardware is hdwwiz.cpl
Add or Remove Programs is appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools is a Namespace object
Automatic Updates is wuaucpl.cpl
Data Sources (ODBC) is odbccp32.cpl
Date and Time is timedate.cpl
Display is desk.cpl
Folder Options is a Namespace object
Fonts is a Namespace object
Game Controllers is joy.cpl
Internet Options is inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard is also main.cpl, but you have type: control main.cpl,keyboard or
control keyboard in the Run command. main.cpl defauts to Mouse Properties.
Mouse is main.cpl
Network Connections is ncpa.cpl
Phone and Modem Options is telephon.cpl
Portable Media Devices is a Namespace object
Power Options is powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes is a Namespace object
Regional and Language Options
Scanners and Cameras is a Namespace object
Scheduled Tasks is a Namespace object
Sounds and Audio Devices
Speech is sapi.cpl
System is sysdm.cpl
Taskbar and Start Menu is a Namespace object
User accounts is nusrmgr.cpl
Administrative Tools, Folder Options, Fonts, Printers and Faxes, Scanners
and Cameras, Scheduled Tasks or Taskbar and Start Menu do not have *.cpl
files, these are all Namespace objects. Same for Portable Media Devices.
I have a list of ways to open the Namespace items.
Tip from Ramesh if the item is a Namespace extension.
Shell Object Editor
http://www.tropictech.de/modules/PDdownloads/singlefile.php?cid=1&lid=5/ShellObjectEditor300.zip
How to remove an invalid icon in the Control Panel
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/cpicon.htm
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
