Windows 7 Error message "Windows Shell Common DLL Has Stopped Working"

[weeder]

I open a file (name.txt) and select open with option and select program Notepad
to open all files with the extension of .txt. After pressing enter, I receive the above message.

I have run sfc.exe with the scannow option and it found no errors.
I am at a loss on how to resolve this issue.

 

[patcooke]

Have you recently installed any new software?

 

[weeder]

I have not installed new software recently. I have run a tool called RegTool
but it has not fixed this problem.

 

[Saltgrass]

Is the file just a generic text file or something you needed, and what might it have been related to?

Notepad already seems to be the default open with option, so why do you think you had to select it to open the file? What would have opened it if you just double clicked it?

 

[weeder]

The file is a generic text file I created. If I just double click the file, the file is
opened by a program called Embird (an embroidery design program). This is
why I want to change the default open for text files.

 

[Saltgrass]

This site seem to be relevant..

Link Removed due to 404 Error

Those quilting formats can be such a problem..

 

[weeder]

I have tried what was suggested in the site referenced above and it made no difference.
Embird support also suggested the same thing - to unselect the Quilting File option in
Embird - which I did and it did not change anything.

If I go to control panel and select open file option and ask a txt file to always open with notepad,
Internet Explorer crashes, a blue screen comes up and Explorer restarts and my desktop
comes back. I am using release 9 of IE.

Help!!!!

 

[Saltgrass]

If you followed the process and deselected the option and restarted the program, that should have released the default action. Since it did not, perhaps something is in the registry that has not yet released.

It appears searching the registry for .exe entries would take quite a while, but there are some for just .exe if you feel like doing that.

Until then, can you open a command prompt window. Hold shift, and right click the desktop, then select Open command Windows here.

Type assoc and hit enter. This lists file extension associations.

Go down to the .txt entry and see if it shows txtfile

This should be the same as is listed in the following registry key, and some others.

Removed Info

 

[weeder]

Thank you Saltgrass for responding to my post.

I used assoc and the txt entry is .txt=Embird.File.txt.
after removing the Quilt option and reloading the Embird program.

This newbie could not understand the rest of you note.
I do not know where the .exe entry is located.
I also do not know how to see the register items you listed.
I guess I need an explanation for a newbie.

Is it possible to clear the registry item?

I have forwarded the assoc info to Embird support and maybe they
will help.

 

[Saltgrass]

OK, if the association does not show exefile, we need to get it back.

So this time, type some additional notation. Edit: And you will need to use an Administrative Command Prompt. (Winkey and type cmd then CTRL+Shift+Enter)

assoc .txt=txtfile

Check it again to make sure it shows up in the overall listing, but hopefully, this will restore your association. It may take a reboot to complete, not sure about that.

 

[Saltgrass]

In case you did not catch it, I was thinking about the wrong extension. Try my last post to see if the .txt change repairs your situation.

Edit: I just tried changing my association to match yours and it did work. Changing it back replaced the entries in the registry. You will, however, need to use an Administrative Command Prompt. Hit Winkey and type CMD, then CTRL+Shift+Enter to open that window. Typing the command as suggested should return your system to normal.

 

[weeder]

Saltgrass

Some progress has been made with the Windows Shell problem.

Embird support suggested 2 additional program options which I
tried and now Embird is no longer the name.txt default file opener.
Somehow Wordpad became the default for all my text files.

I did run assoc .txt=txtfile and this added to my assoc list .txt=txtfile.
I then rebooted the PC.

I still have a problem if I try to make notepad the text file opener default.
If I use the open with option to select and chose default of notepad, I get
the Window Shell error message. If I go the control panel change folder
extension route, IE9 crashes and restarts but the default has not changed.

Would going back to IE8 be something I should try?
Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Saltgrass]

I am trying to duplicate your situation again. Just used the assoc command to change my txt association to Embrid.File.txt

Tried opening a Notepad file and got the "Windows can't open this file, what program do you want to use..."

I then used the Select Program dialog to select Notepad and check the "always use" check box. Notepad did open the file. Now double clicking does open the .txt file in notepad. The assoc command still shows Embrid as the .txt association.

Could there be something wrong with Notepad? Can you open it directly? The utility is in the C:\Windows directory and dated 7/13/09 and 189K. Have you installed any other text file readers?

 

[weeder]

Saltgrass,

Properties of notepad.exe are: 189K created 7-13-09, looks like same as yours.

I can access notepad directly and can open txt files with it OK. I get the error
messages when I try to change the default option.

Is there a Windows7 log file that I can access that might list what is happening?

I do not have any other text editors installed.

 

[Saltgrass]

Well, I can only suggest you try to use the dialog again and possibly use the browse button to search for notepad.exe to open the file. If that doesn't work, check Start Menu, All Programs, Default Programs, and see if .txt is listed and can it be changed.

Beyond that, I would think we have to go into the Registry and see if some setting is stuck and keeping you from using notepad. If you want to go that way, let us know.

 

[weeder]

Saltgrass,

After reading your last thread, it occurred to me that I may have not explained
the current problem status of my Windows7 PC.

If I double left click on any text file it opens with wordpad. Wordpad is currently the
default program for any text file. This works fine.

If I single left click on any text file and then right click and then choose notepad,
the file opens with notepad. Notepad works fine.

If I single left click on any text file and then right click and then choose - choose
default program and then click on notepad, I get the error message "Windows
Shell Common DLL Has Stopped Working".

If I click on Start Menu, then All Programs, then Default Programs and then click
on Associate a file type or protocol with a program, .txt is listed and the default
is wordpad. If I high light .txt and click on change program and select notepad,
I get an error message that IE has stopped and I get a blue screen. The default
for text files has not changed.

If you think the next step is to go into the registry, I am OK with that. I will just
need a lot of guidance.

 

[Saltgrass]

I checked the registry for all entries of notepad, and it is fairly extensive, so I feel that option is not viable.

The easiest thing would be for me to download and install the software to see exactly what it does. I am looking at the Embird site and a download for the complete installation files for 8.8 D. Is that what I need, and is the quilting option a separate download? If I bump into a requirement to pay, I will have to stop there. Of course, if I need some type of machine connected to the computer, I am up a creek..

If you think it might work, give me all the details about an install you can.

 

[weeder]

Saltgrass,

The Embird program is 8.8 D (64 bit option) and it is all you need. The quilting option is included
in the code. Once installed, from the Manager screen, you select Econizer and deselect the
Quilting file .txt option in both small windows. Two items in each window need to be unchecked.
You will have to register and I am not sure but you may have to purchase the code which I understand
will stop the install effort. This is code my wife uses and I am not sure about the purchase question.
There is no hardware link between the sewing embroidery machine and the PC. All communication
is done by files on a flash drive (design files).

As an option, I thought it might be easier if I uninstalled Embird on my Windows7 PC. I did this and
what follows are my actions:

After the uninstall, I ran RegTool (a registry cleanup tool I had previously purchased) to get rid of all Embird
references. I then ran sfc /scannow from the command line and it completed with no errors. I checked
with assoc to see if .txt=txtfile was present and it was. I then rebooted the PC.

The problem of previous error messages in trying to get notepad as the default remained the same.
Wordpad is still the default. Darn.

This leads me to believe that Embird has nothing to do with this problem. I am not sure what is next.

 

[Saltgrass]

At the first part of the install, I get a message about setting the UAC to "Never Notify" and reboot. Did you get that message? I need to know to install just like you did.

Edit: OK, got the error. Whenever I try to use the Change Default dialog, I get the Shell error. It will take me so time to see if I can track it down...

 

[weeder]

answer to Never Notify is yes.
Sorry, I am in and out this afternoon.
Aware you need some time.

I am amazed at your persistence.