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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1
Loads and runs 32-bit dynamic-link libraries (DLLs). There are no configurable settings for Rundll32. Help information is provided for a specific DLL you run with the rundll32 command.
The rundll.exe file is not a Windows system file. There is no information about the author of the file. Rundll.exe is able to record keyboard and mouse inputs, monitor applications and manipulate other programs. If rundll.exe is located in a subfolder of C:Windows, the security rating is 56% dangerous. The file size is 2,309,190 bytes.
You must run the rundll32 command from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
Syntax
Commands
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
Displays the printer user interface |
Remarks
Rundll32 can only call functions from a DLL that are explicitly written to be called by Rundll32. For more information about Rundll32 requirements see article 164787 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=165773).
Additional references
Rundll32.exe is critical to the functionality of your Windows operating system. This program file executes all of your dynamic link library (DLL) files and places their libraries into the system memory. Without this file, your computer will become unstable and run very slow. The file runs from your system directory, e.g., C:WindowsSystem32. If it is running from another location, it has most likely been redirected or overtaken by a virus or Trojan Horse and needs to be reinstalled once the virus issue has been addressed.
Locate Copies of Rundll32.exe on Your System
Step 1
Use the Windows Search tool to determine if rundll32.exe exists on your computer. Click on 'Start,' 'Search,' 'All Files and Folders.'
Step 2
Type 'rundll32.exe' in the 'All or Part of the File Name' section.
Step 3
Select 'All Local Hard Drives' from the 'Look in:' drop-down list for the best results and click 'Search.'
Step 4
Make note of any specific paths where the file is located.
Step 5
Delete any occurrences of the file that are not in C:WindowsOptionsInstall, C:ServicePackFiles, or the cabinet files from your initial Windows Installation. These are indicative of a virus or Trojan Horse that need to be addressed separately.
Continue to 'With a Copy of Rundll32.exe on Your System' if you have located a legitimate file copy. Skip to 'Without a Copy of Rundll32.exe on Your System' if you have not.
With a Copy of Rundll32.exe on Your System
Step 1
Click 'Start,' then 'Run', to open the command window.
Step 2
Type 'msconfig' in the field labeled 'Open' and press 'Enter.' This opens the System Configuration Utility. Click the 'Expand File' button on the General tab.
Step 3
Type 'rundll32.exe' in the 'File to restore' field. Type the location of the file copy in the 'Restore from' field, e.g., 'C:WindowsOptionsInstall'. Type the location where the file should be located in the 'Save file in' field, e.g., 'C:WindowsSystem32'.
Click on 'Expand.' If the file is located and copies into the System32 folder, your system file has been restored. If the file cannot be reinstalled from the alternate location, you will need to reinstall Windows to recover the file.
Without a Copy of Rundll32.exe on Your System
Step 1
Step 2
Click 'Start,' 'Run' to open the command window. Type 'msconfig' in the field labeled 'Open' and press 'Enter.' This opens the System Configuration Utility. Click the 'Expand File' button on the General tab.
Step 3
Type 'rundll32.exe' in the 'File to restore' field. Type the drive location of the installation disk in the 'Restore from' field, e.g., 'D:'. Type the location where the file should be located in the 'Save file in' field, e.g., 'C:WindowsSystem32'.
Click on 'Expand.' If the file is located and copies into the System32 folder, your system file has been restored. If the file cannot be located individually on the installation disk, you will need to reinstall Windows to recover the file.
Warning
- The Rundll32.exe process is registered as a backdoor vulnerability that may be used by hackers to distribute malware. These security risks need to be removed from your computer with a reputable anti-virus software.