Error message on start up "there was a problem stating :\progra-1\common~1\system\sysmenu.dll"

Hi Gerard,

The file “sysmenu.dll” could be due to missing files that might be a system file or a file related to one of the program/settings.

Did you install/uninstall any program or application prior to this issue on the computer?

Basically, to know the cause, let’s troubleshoot the issue in a clean boot state. Refer to the link to place the computer in a clean boot state:

“How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8”

Refer to the section “Windows 8”

You can refer to the section “How to determine what is causing the problem by performing a clean boot” to check for the application or program that is causing this issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135     

Note: Please refer to the section: How to reset the computer to start as usual after troubleshooting with clean boot of the Kb article to boot the computer in normal startup after fixing the issue.

If you still receive the same error message, I would suggest you to download and run Autoruns for Windows to find out the settings/application that is related to sysmenu.dl file. The Autoruns utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them.

Refer to the link to download and run the Autoruns tool:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

Note: After downloading the tool, you need to double click on “autoruns.exe” file from the folder.

When you run the file, you would find a window that shows up different startup programs and their registry location. It would have some files with yellow patches. I would suggest you to send us a screenshot of the window to find out the exact location/entry in registry.

Note: Please don’t make any changes to the files and folders within the Autoruns window.

Follow the steps to add a screenshot:

a)            First of all, take a screen shot of the issue and save it to location on the computer.

b)            Now, click on Add image on the answer website.

c)            Browse to the location and click on Upload Image.

Please get back to us with the status of this issue.

Hi Gerard,

I would suggest you to refer to the link and follow the steps from v-6jot-chat on November 10, 2013: 

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_update/systemsysmenudll-the-specified-module-could-not-be/809f79e3-db5e-455b-aebb-4c0f66a8babc?page=2

Note: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, you can refer to the following steps to back the registry files on the computer:

a)      Press Windows and R key to open the run box.

b)      Type ‘regedit’ and press Enter from the keyboard.

c)      Open the file option on the menu bar.

d)      Click on Export and save the file with a name on the desktop.

If you want to restore the file, you can do so by double clicking the file that you have saved on the desktop.

Please get back to us with the results.

Hi Paul,

Did you try the suggestions that were provided on the post earlier?

If not, try the steps and check if it fixes the issue.

Please let us know about the results.

Error message on start up "there was a problem stating :\progra-1\common~1\system\sysmenu.dll"

Clean boot did not work on cleaning this up....

Thank you,