iertutil.dll error.

imaddicted2u · 31 May 2021

Not sure if this belongs in this section...build is 20H2 (19042.985), Windows 10 Pro.
Getting an error "ierutil.dll is either not designed for windows or it contains an error"...the error code is 0xc0000020.

Computer just shut itself off and when it was rebooted, that error popped up. I can't open the start menu from the taskbar but I can open file explorer, edge and firefox.
I discovered that my wife had been putting everything on her desktop and filled up the C: drive, a 120GB SSD, instead of using the 2TB HDD. The C: drive showed 8GB so I wonder if it may have caused ierutil.dll to get some corruption.
I found that if in task manager I end Onedrive, the error message leaves the screen but the PC doesn't become any more operational. I got the idea because when I hover over the icon for the error it say Onedrive Bad Image.

iertutil.dll error.-pc-error-one-drive-bad-image.jpg

I ran chkdsk /f, it would only run it after a restart. I figured out a keystroke that brought up a dialog where I could select restart, that dam error message was right in the middle of it so it was hard to get restart selected, when I got it to restart it ran through the chkdsk with no problem.
I tried running dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth but it fails after a few percent.

Next I ran sfc /scannow and it too fails.

It won't let me do an in place repair and reinstall from the C: drive (SSD).
I booted from a USB windows 10 installation media, tried to repair startup problems, it couldn't find any.
I tried every restore point, was only 3, and none worked, they all complained about missing files. It won't let me install over the existing windows version from the USB stick either.
I'd kind of like to avoid doing a fresh install so any thoughts, help or directions to help repair the issue would be appreciated.

Ghot · 31 May 2021

@imaddicted2u

Did I understand correctly, that there is only 8GB free space on the SSD that contains the C:\ drive?

bobkn · 31 May 2021

The obvious question: if the 120 GB SSD has only 8GB free, can you move stuff off it to have enough space to do something with it?

You might have to resort to a bootable USB drive. I have no experience with that sort of cleanup.

I'm a little surprised that you're receiving that error. Is iertutil.dll safe? How to remove a iertutil error?

You may wish to image the drive before messing about with it. I presume that a Macrium Reflect Free rescue medium could do that. (Not sure. I use Acronis True Image, which definitely could.)

imaddicted2u · 01 Jun 2021

No, there is 80GB free now, she had moved a bunch of stuff onto some network drives, I deleted what she dumped on her desktop. I'm not saying the error is caused by a lack of space, just that I found a lack of space.
Note that all the steps noted in my first post were done after C: SSD drive space was freed.

- - - Updated - - -

I forgot to mention that I did a disk cleanup too.
Since nothing will install. I tried a few online virus scanners, none would run except Trend Micro Housecall. It came back clean.
I thought I'd try a windows update from the command line in case that might sort it out.
On my laptop is I run "explorer ms-settings:windowsupdate-action" Windows update opens.

Same command on the faulty PC open a dialog box that reads...The app didn't start.

iertutil.dll error.-pc-error-app-didnt-start.jpg

I tried to run the media creation tool so I could put a copy of the installation media on the machine to try an in place upgrade/repair but it's exe error dialog gets tagged with "Bad Image" when I try to run it.

iertutil.dll error.-pc-error-bad-image-tag.jpg

I tried to manually replace iertutil.dll in system32 but get access is denied error.
It's been a long time since I set that PC up, looks like I pointed all user folders to the HDD, except the Desktop. Only a few programs are installed to the SSD. The main ones she uses are on the HDD.
I found out how to run a Windows Defender full scan from command line, it just says "Scan Starting" but based on the CPU use in Task Manager, it's doing something so I'll let it run.

iertutil.dll error.-pc-error-defender-scan-cpu-use..jpg

Any further tips or pointers that might help me recover from this error without re-installing Windows would be helpful and appreciated.

Ghot · 01 Jun 2021

@imaddicted2u

Well it seems you can do anything from within Windows. So I guess the next thing to try is a Startup Repair.

Run Startup Repair in Windows 10

If needed you can make up-to-date install media (USB or CD), on your computer, then use it on hers.

imaddicted2u · 01 Jun 2021

I'm on insider builds, she's not, not sure that makes a difference when creating media for another machine.
I did use the media creation tool to make a bootable USB of the May 2021 update from Microsoft site. I ran startup repair and it didn't find anything to fix.
It boots fine, I can do lots of things on it. Just can't access the start button or install anything. For instance, I'm logged in to it right now using Remote Desktop Connection.
I'm hoping that if I can figure out a way to replace iertutil.dll it would fix it. I'm trying to find if there a way to force the file to be refreshed from the installation media? I think sfc or dism should have fixed it, unless they use that file or get stuck on it and error out.
I'll leave a reinstall as my last resort. I'm retired so I have nothing but time...lol

Ghot · 01 Jun 2021

imaddicted2u said:

I'm on insider builds, she's not, not sure that makes a difference when creating media for another machine.
I did use the media creation tool to make a bootable USB of the May 2021 update from Microsoft site. I ran startup repair and it didn't find anything to fix.
It boots fine, I can do lots of things on it. Just can't access the start button or install anything. For instance, I'm logged in to it right now using Remote Desktop Connection.
I'm hoping that if I can figure out a way to replace iertutil.dll it would fix it. I'm trying to find if there a way to force the file to be refreshed from the installation media? I think sfc or dism should have fixed it, unless they use that file or get stuck on it and error out.
I'll leave a reinstall as my last resort. I'm retired so I have nothing but time...lol

Well you can also run an In-Place Upgrade from the install media. See step #5 here...

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

/edit

If that doesn't work, then you're pretty much left with doing a clean install of Windows 10 on the 120GB drive.
Use the install media to delete everything on the 120GB drive... then clean install Windows 10.

imaddicted2u · 01 Jun 2021

Wouldn't let me do an in place upgrade from the USB, didn't think of mounting the USB, I was trying to put the ISO on the SSD drive. Mounting makes better sense. Thanks for pointing me to that. I'll try it when the Defender scan is done, it's still looking busy, high cpu, memory use and lots of drive activity.
I'll report back with results.

Ghot · 01 Jun 2021

imaddicted2u said:

Wouldn't let me do an in place upgrade from the USB, didn't think of mounting the USB, I was trying to put the ISO on the SSD drive. Mounting makes better sense. Thanks for pointing me to that. I'll try it when the Defender scan is done, it's still looking busy, high cpu, memory use and lots of drive activity.
I'll report back with results.

Yeah, you can try that... make the ISO on your comp, and just transfer it to hers.
I don't think it's gonna work (because of the things you've tried already), but give it a shot.

Btw, the ISO is made from data on MS's servers, not from data on your comp.

spunk · 01 Jun 2021

On another computer with internet access download iertutil.dll file. Unzip the folder and
save it to a USB Flash Drive. On the troubled computer, Start the computer in Safe Mode. Put the flash drive in. At the blank desktop, press CTRL+ALT+DEL and start the Task Manager/File/New Task (Run) Browse to the Flash drive and copy the iertutil.dll. then browse to C:\Windows\system32 and Paste the iertutil.dll file into it. Confirm if it asks you to overwrite a file. Now Restart the computer.