Multiple Apps Crashing Faulting module OLEAUT32.dll

Hi All,

I am having some annoying issues with my computer. Lots of apps are crashing including FireFox, iTunes, and even word. iTunes fails to start period. Firefox, word, and other apps will crash if I go to save a file and try to create a new directory to save it to. In the even viewer, I find the following:

iTunes:

Faulting application name: iTunes.exe, version: 9.0.2.25, time stamp: 0x4afca401
Faulting module name: OLEAUT32.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdaca
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0007acc2
Faulting process id: 0x176c
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca939f1bb7c37d
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\iTunes.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\syswow64\OLEAUT32.dll
Report Id: 5a8e1552-ff92-11de-a34d-00241dc2d592

FireFox:

Faulting application name: firefox.exe, version: 1.9.1.3642, time stamp: 0x4b302c34
Faulting module name: OLEAUT32.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdaca
Exception code: 0x80000004
Fault offset: 0x00081780
Faulting process id: 0x1424
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca939ec3e01cfe
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\syswow64\OLEAUT32.dll
Report Id: 23b7c3a5-ff92-11de-a34d-00241dc2d592

Word:

Faulting application name: WINWORD.EXE, version: 12.0.6514.5000, time stamp: 0x4a89d533
Faulting module name: OLEAUT32.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdaca
Exception code: 0x80000004
Fault offset: 0x00081780
Faulting process id: 0x1620
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca93a0016a90c0
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\syswow64\OLEAUT32.dll
Report Id: 43600898-ff93-11de-a34d-00241dc2d592

Also, AIM will not start although I cannot find an error in the logs.

This all seemed to happen when Update for Microsoft XML Core Services 4.0 Service Pack 2 for x64-based Systems (KB973688) failed to install during Windows Update with code 643. It never got installed and is shown in my Update history as failed 4 times. However, it is no longer available as an option as an update to install.

Does anyone know what I can do to rectify these problems?

I also tried installing the Fileplanet download manager and got the following:

Faulting application name: DLMInstaller_2.3.10.115.exe, version: 2.3.10.115, time stamp: 0x456b220c
Faulting module name: msvcrt.dll, version: 7.0.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bda6f
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000ab27
Faulting process id: 0x12c
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca93a4ffb89bb7
Faulting application path: C:\Users\jason-win7\Desktop\DLMInstaller_2.3.10.115.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\syswow64\msvcrt.dll
Report Id: 4019b204-ff98-11de-a34d-00241dc2d592

So seems to be issues with dlls in the \syswow64\ directory.....

Just an FYI. I used Microsoft Fix it Solution Center. After a reboot, Windows failed to start and I then ran startup recovery. This combination fixed my problem.