BleepingComputer.com: Can't open regedit.exe

Hi!

My system is Windows Vista Home Premium SP1.

As of today I can't enter my regedit registry due to following error:

"C:\Windows\system32\clb.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for the support."

I tried to reboot into safe mode and do system restore, and it said I should let it reboot again to check for errors (using autochk.exe i presume) to use system restore. After i did however, i have lost all my system restore points.

I also tried to use GMER for a possible rootkit infection but it crashes in midst of scan (right when it scans something like Drivers/HardDiskShadow10)

Thanks in advance.

Please download SystemLook from one of the links below and save it to your Desktop.
Download Mirror #1
Download Mirror #2

• Double-click SystemLook.exe to run it.
  
• Vista users:: Right click on SystemLook.exe, click Run As Administrator
  
• Copy the content of the following box into the main textfield:
  

  :filefind
  clb.dll
  regedit.exe

  
  
  
• Click the Look button to start the scan.
  
• When finished, a notepad window will open with the results of the scan. Please post this log in your next reply.

Note: The log can also be found on your Desktop entitled SystemLook.txt

Ok, here it is:

SystemLook v1.0 by jpshortstuff (11.01.10)
Log created at 14:55 on 10/07/2010 by Toshiba (Administrator - Elevation successful)

========== filefind ==========

Searching for "clb.dll"
C:\Windows\System32\clb.dll --a--- 13824 bytes [08:32 02/11/2006] [09:46 02/11/2006] 9EB1B100CDFCC195FC92C7DB6687AD53
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_f1f7f368deed95c3\clb.dll --a--- 13824 bytes [08:32 02/11/2006] [09:46 02/11/2006] 9EB1B100CDFCC195FC92C7DB6687AD53
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_f42eb564dbd8a697\clb.dll --a--- 13824 bytes [08:32 02/11/2006] [09:46 02/11/2006] 9EB1B100CDFCC195FC92C7DB6687AD53

Searching for "regedit.exe"
C:\Windows\regedit.exe --a--- 134656 bytes [14:53 15/07/2008] [20:33 18/01/2008] 467A3B03E924B7B7EDD16D34740574B0
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_f1f7f368deed95c3\regedit.exe --a--- 134656 bytes [08:32 02/11/2006] [09:45 02/11/2006] F13123E76FDA33E55F11E0EB832E832A
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6001.18000_none_f42eb564dbd8a697\regedit.exe --a--- 134656 bytes [14:53 15/07/2008] [20:33 18/01/2008] 467A3B03E924B7B7EDD16D34740574B0

-=End Of File=-

OK, both files are exactly, where they're suppose to be.
Possiblt, clb.dll file is corrupted.

Open Windows Explorer.
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32 folder and rename clb.dll file to clb.old.
Now, navigate to C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_f1f7f368deed95c3 folder. Copy clb.dll file from there and paste it into C:\Windows\System32 folder.
If for some reason renaming/copying/pasting doesn't work in normal mode, try it in safe mode.

Restart computer and see, if regedit works.

Broni, on Jul 10 2010, 08:15 PM, said:

Nope, I did all above and still get the error

Try to replace it with a file from my Vista (attached, zipped).

Thank you!! It worked! Didn't think it would be this easy

I coincidentally found out, however, when i clicked charmap.exe it gave the same error, this time with HelpPaneProxy.dll. Looks like some other dll's have gone corrupt for some reason. But it's no biggie since they don't interfere with anything.

I'm glad to see, it helped

It looks like you may have some other file(s) corrupted...

Go Start>Run ("Start Search" in Vista/7), type in:
sfc /scannow
Click OK (hold CTRL, and SHIFT, hit Enter in Vista/7).
Have Windows CD/DVD handy (with Vista/7, most likely, you won't need it).
If System File Checker (sfc) will find any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD (rarely in Vista/7 case).