Can't "Save as" in 32bit applications on Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

[Cytheria]

Can't "Save as" in 32bit applications on Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

Hi folks, have got a really weird problem that I'm hoping someone here might be able to help with, my apologies if this is the wrong board, wasn't sure if I should post here or in Crashes and Debugging...

As the subject line says, I've recently found that I'm unable to use the "save as" function on any 32bit applications as attempting to do so causes the system to hang as it loads the explorer browser to allow me to pick a save location.

I initially discovered the problem about a week ago and originally thought the problem was just limited to Internet Explorer and Firefox, but after poking around my system a bit more, it looks like its affecting everything except 64bit Internet Explorer 8 which can save without any problems.

Have tried looking for help on the Microsoft answers forums, but to be honest a couple of generic template replies later and I can already see that we're hitting the old "I cant figure it out so it must be malware" impasse, and I really cant be bothered flashing my mcse's/mcdst/ccna at the techs there just to convince them I'm not some random timewaster who has no clue and can't follow instructions.

So anyhoo's originally working on the assumption that this was an IE issue, I've so far run through the following troubleshooting steps to no effect...

Random fixes attempted after googling the problem:

• Resetting IE 8 to default with the Mats tool

• Run IE Add on remover

• Removing IPv6 from my network stack

• Moving the default save location via Explorer

• Ticking/Unticking the navigation pane options in Organise> Folder and search options.

• Clean Boot

• Disabling all network shares (which actually did work until the next reboot - once)

Fixes then tested out as suggested by MS answers users:

• Uninstalled all Norton Apps and run Norton removal tool just to be sure
• Reinstalled Norton AV
• IE Advanced settings reset.
• Re-registered all IE DLL's for both versions
• Reset windows update components with the MS Fix It tool

We've then moved on to malware/av scans which are coming up blank, as expected.
For reference, Norton AV, Malware Bytes, Spybot, Windows Defender & MSRT are unable to find anything when run in normal or safemode.
HijackThis is can only find processes that I'd expect to see running.

The system is only used for playing games via Steam, checking my bank and until MS Office 2007 stopped letting me save things, writing reports for work, so I hadn't really expected much to get on there.

Since pretty much giving up on the ms answers community, I've also uninstalled Windows Live Sync which has also not helped.

For those that want a little more history with the pc....

System was built about a year ago, fresh install of everything. Updates are applied pretty much as soon as the pc spots them, driver updates tend to get applied a month or so after release, once I've been able to confirm there's no major issues with them.
Jan this year I added a 1 TB Western Digital USB External Hard disk.
Feb -
PSU upgraded to 650W Dual Rail 80+ model. GFX upgraded from MSI 8600 GT OC 512Mb to Gigabyte GTX 460 OC 1TB. 24 hour soak test came up with no issues and system appeared stable.
Noticed some problems when trying to use Media player and winamp to browse for music on my system as the file menu appeared to hang. Didnt really pay it much attention at the time as I never really play much music on there, the system was just handier than my laptop at the time to use as an impromptu stereo.
Feb 25th/26th ish - SP1 patch installed.
Last week - realised I couldn't use "Save target as" when attempting to download a patch for Mass Effect 2 on my pc as the window would hang as described, in both IE 8 and Firefox....

Other than that I think my system specs are listed on my profile here o.0 all software appears to be up to date. As mentioned I appear to be able to save on IE 8 -64bit with no problems, and can do a quick save in anything, the issue only crops up if the system wants me to specify a save location.
Sorry for the wall of text, but I'd rather make sure all the info is readily available than leave out something important...
Fingers x'ed someone will be able to give me a hand, as whilst I can just reformat and start over, I really hate giving up on a system, especially if the problem isn't resolved and could potentially come back :S

 

[Bill2]

Run a sfc scan 3-4 times.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

If that doesnt help, try a repair install.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[Cytheria]

Run a sfc scan 3-4 times.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

If that doesnt help, try a repair install.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

Argh... dont you just hate it when someone points out an obvious trick you would normally laugh at ppl for forgetting *hangs head in shame*

Will run SFC when i get in from work

 

[Cytheria]

Just to update you, SFC seems to have corrected it on its first run.

Going to perform a couple of quick reboots now just to make sure anything that was fixed stays that way, and then I'll run SFC a few more times just to iron out any other kinks that may have developed.

Thanks for the short sharp reminder there Bill2 Much needed and appreciated

 

[Cytheria]

d'oh, scratch that. One reboot later and my 32bit apps are again unable to save.



Will run a few more SFC scans as I'd only given it the one before to check, possibly something a little deeper in is corrupting something on shutdown

 

[FliGi7]

Perhaps you could run a HijackThis log and post it up for us to check out? If it's fixed after an SFC scan and is back to not working after a reboot, it could be possible something is loading at startup to screw it up.

 

[Cytheria]

i've run hijack on it previously, log files both under a normal start up and a clean boot are both clean as a whistle.

SFC seems to be picking up two DLL files which are either corrupt or just not working correctly which it seems to be unable to fix, so I'm currently in the process of slip streaming SP1 on to my original install image so that I can run a startup repair, or if necessary a repair install and hopefully replace the files

Unsure how the files got fubared, possibly the SP1 install, or maybe my HDD is starting to develop some bad sectors *shrugs*

 

[Cytheria]

start up repair failed to find any issues.
Repair install failed as windows decided what i thought was a fully updated slipstreamed sp1 image wasnt as up to date as the existing OS :huh:.

currently re-imaging to a backup i'd dumped to my porty hard disk about a month ago, hoping that if nothing else, it should at least rip SP1 off the system and leave me out of date enough that the SP1 image will allow me to repair install later...

Issues seem to be with drprov.dll and dfdll.dll - systems reporting corruption or version miss-match and they both seem to be listed as v 6.1.7000.16385 (that might be a little off, working from memory at 4am lol) which seems to match my windows version info right before I applied SP1 in the first place.

 

[Bill2]

I'm away from my comp but you could try checking the version number of the dlls on the supposedly sp1 disk or on another sp1 install, the correct versions can be copied to the hard drive.

Edit: I just checked the version no. of drprov.dll on my sp1 machine and it shows the old string 16385. Theres no dfdll.dll on this machine.

 

[Golden]

Hi Cytheria,

I'm not sure this is your issue, or possibly related, but does this described some of the symptoms you get:

Description of the 2007 Office system hotfix package (Msoshext-x-none.msp): April 27, 2010

Regards,
Golden

 

[Cytheria]

Re-image from porty hard disk seems to have worked and after several reboots this morning the system retained the ability to "save as" in various applications without any problems.
From checking the dates it looks like the image was taken mid way between installing my new GFX card and installing SP1, so I think I'm probably safe to assume the SP1 install might have been responsible for borking those two DLL files, as theres nothing else I can recall having updated or installed during that period.

Next trick now will be a case of very carefully applying any updates/etc again in safe mode this time, and waiting to see which of them, if any, breaks the system again...

 

[Bill2]

Backup the working dlls, you can do a quick copy paste if they misbehave again. Though some other dlls may decide to act up next time....

 

[Cytheria]

Backup the working dlls, you can do a quick copy paste if they misbehave again. Though some other dlls may decide to act up next time....

good plan

Plan of attack will probably be to run Chkdisk and SFC again a few times now, just to make sure theres no issues lurking in the background that havent manifested themselves yet on the rolled back system.

Once thats done and Im satisfied the system is clean I'll replicate the system partition to a seperate disk just to keep a physical copy on hand.

Then itll be the joy of trying to retrace my steps over the past few weeks to make sure theres nothing I've run, looked at or hovered my mouse over that may have updated itself or my system, or that could otherwise have affected those DLL's and making a painful number of backups between each change till everythings up to date and ideally, not broken any more lol.


Golden - sorry missed your post before. Not sure if that issue would be related to the problems I was experiencing sorry..
Basically the issue I had was that if I tried to download/save an item in IE or Firefox by right clicking and selecting "Save target as..." or trying to save any file in any 32bit app with the "Save as" option where most users would see the screen display something like the image below:

My system would instead start to load the file explorer window but freeze as it was loading, leaving me with something that looked more like:

And would require me to end the process via task manager to clear the program. Id also get the same error when attempting to open files through applications too, although I could open files through windows explorer and could quick save files with ctrl+s or just hitting the relevant save button and allowing the app to use a generic name and save location without any problems at all.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

No problem - I misread your post : I thought you were having MSOffice save issues

 

[Cytheria]

Hi,

No problem - I misread your post : I thought you were having MSOffice save issues

no worries its affecting office too, and extra sets of eyes looking at a problem are always welcome...