SOLVED Vista rundll32.exe Windows cannot access specified device path or file

c627627 · Mar 1, 2011

Windows Vista, at boot and before I see the Start Menu displays the following error message:

rundll32.exe

Windows cannot access specified device path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access this item.

This also happens in Vista Safe Mode, where after clicking on OK, only the black Safe Mode screen is there, no Start Menu or Task Bar. I can CTRL+ALT+DEL to get the Processes displayed etc., but cannot do anything else. This happens when I use any of my many drive images going back to 2009.

Unusual circumstances: My Vista installation itself is on a V: Drive, not C: Drive. I managed to install it that way originally by doing a full install from another OS to a separate partition and not doing the install from a Vista DVD. The original Hard Drive is gone and this is my first attempt to boot into a new hard drive after imaging it with the old Vista drive image.

h055 · Mar 1, 2011

I can think of only two possible things there:

1.) The drive is bad
2.) Your image contains existing permissions.

Did you run sysprep.exe prior to making your image? What software did you use to make your image?

c627627 · Mar 1, 2011

Norton Ghost 14 and 15.

Drive was tested using Samsung's Long Test overnight last night and passed, I booted off of Samsung's latest diagnostic utility CD. I have two partitions on it and access and use the drive itself when I boot into Win7 and WinXP. I have a triple boot.

I actually get to Vista Desktop in Safe Mode which is empty with no Task Bar or Start Menu. The partition on which Vista was imaged to - it may not have the V: drive letter - I don't know - there is no way to change anything w/o a task bar or a Start Menu. I do get Vista CTRL+ALT+DEL Task Manager though.

h055 · Mar 1, 2011

Can you start a new task and run explorer.exe?

MMC.exe or diskmgmt.msc should get you to where you want to be.

c627627 · Mar 1, 2011

OK, what now,

1. CTRL + ALT + DEL

2. ??

h055 · Mar 1, 2011

Task Manager, then I believe under Processes there is a button called "New Task"

After that you want to try those three options I listed above.

EDIT: "New Task" Might be under the Application tab.

I am on my linux notebook at the moment so I have to reference from the top of my head

c627627 · Mar 2, 2011

Thank you for your help.

CTRL + ALT +DEL > Start Task Manager > Application TAB > New Task... > explorer.exe > OK

I now get the Start Menu + Task Bar. The drive's letter is G instead of V and this is the problem.

The solution would be to change the drive letter, but how?
Right Clicking on Computer > Manage does not populate the screen.

I have access to the registry and also to the Device Manager now. How can the OS drive letter be changed to V? It is the 22nd letter of the alphabet so other than having 21 partitions before it, what can I do?

h055 · Mar 2, 2011

Start --> Run --> diskmgmt.msc

You should be able to right click on the partition and change drive letter.

h055 · Mar 2, 2011

If that doesnt work I just read about the same exact problem here and this was the solution.

Code:

1.) Log on as an Administrator.
2.) Start Regedt32.exe.
3.) Go to the following registry key:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
     Click MountedDevices.
     On the Security menu, click Permissions.
     Verify that Administrators have full control. Change this back when you are finished                                  
     with these steps.
4.) Quit Regedt32.exe, and then start Regedit.exe.
5.)  Find the drive letter you want changed. Look for "\DosDevices\G:".
      Right-click \DosDevices\G:, and then click Rename.
      Rename it to the appropriate (new) drive letter "\DosDevices\V:".
6.) Quit Regedit, and then start Regedt32.
7.) Change the permissions back to the previous setting for Administrators (this should  
       probably be Read Only).
8.)  Restart the computer.

EDIT: I changed the code above to reflect your drive situation and removed some unnecessary steps.

h055 · Mar 2, 2011

I hope this helps ya, I need to hit the rack. Ill check back in the morning. Good luck man.

c627627 · Mar 2, 2011

YES!!

Thank you sir. Thank you very much. Start Menu > DISKMGMT.MSC > OK
Got me to where I should be but it will not modify the drive letter because it is the boot volume / contains the page file. However:

Log on as Administrator > Start Menu > regedit.exe > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices >

If you want to change drive letter G: to V:

1. First rename \DosDevices\V: to \DosDevices\Z: (to free it up)
2. Now you can rename \DosDevices\G: to \DosDevices\V:

Drive letter G will become drive letter V upon reboot.

ocforums has helped me more than any other forum on the internet. h055, much obliged again :beer:

h055 · Mar 3, 2011

I am so happy it worked for you

SOLVED Vista rundll32.exe Windows cannot access specified device path or file

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