A very common problem in Windows 10 is the The common Windows shell DLL has stopped working error. There can be various reasons why this problem may arise on your PC, but it is generally associated with audio drivers and the touchpad. In some cases, this error may appear temporarily and a simple restart may fix the problem for you, but in case it has bothered you a lot, here are some solutions for you to look into.
Let's first take a look at some solutions you should try first to help you fix the problem in simple steps.
# one - Restart your PC: See if restarting your PC helps you to get rid of the error.
# 2 - Update Windows: If your Windows is not updated to the latest version, you may get this error message. Follow the steps here to update Windows 10 manually
# 3 - Update your device drivers: You want to make sure that all device drivers on your PC are up to date. Sometimes an outdated driver can cause big problems. Follow this link to learn how to update Windows 10 drivers. Alternatively, you can also use any of these driver update software for Windows.
# 4 - Reinstalling problematic software: You're getting the The common Windows shell DLL has stopped working Error while running a specific program or application? Uninstall the software from your PC and reinstall it on your PC by downloading a new software installation file.
# 5 - Clean boot PC: Try cleaning your PC once. Here's how to restart your PC in clean boot mode in Windows 10.
Now, let's take a look at various methods to get rid of the common Windows shell DLL problem.
Solution 1: Reinstall the audio driver in compatibility mode
This error may appear due to problems with the audio driver installed on your PC. Sometimes newer drivers can cause problems, so we use this method to install a compatible version of the driver.
Step 1: Press Win + X simultaneously the keys on the keyboard, then, in the menu that opens, select the Device administrator option.
Step 2: In the Device Manager window, click the Audio Inputs and Outputs option to expand. You will see a list of audio drivers on your PC. Right click on the named controller Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio) and select the file Uninstall device option.
3 pass: Hit the Home , then type Compatibility in the search bar. Please select Run programs created for previous versions of Windows from the search results.
Phase 4: A new window will open. Here, click The next. Then follow the on-screen instructions and when prompted proceed with installing the previous version of the audio driver on your PC.
If the problem persists, try the following method.
Solution 2: disable sound effects
You may get a common Windows shell DLL error error in Windows 10 if you have manually applied some kind of sound effect on your PC. The audio driver may not support various audio equalizer modes or effects. You may want to check if you have enabled advanced audio settings; you will also need to disable it.
Solution 3: Configure Windows to accept certificates
If your PC is configured not to accept certificates, you may receive this error message. You can configure your PC to accept certificates by using the Windows PowerShell tool.
Step 1: Press Win + X together and in the menu that opens select the file Windows PowerShell (administrator) option.
Step 2: Type the following command in the PowerShell window, then press the key Log in key:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser
Once the command has been executed successfully, restart your PC. Check if the problem persists.
Solution 4: run an SFC scan
If some of your system files are damaged or faulty, you may get an error that the common Windows shell DLL has stopped working in Windows 10. One of the ways to fix this is to run an SFC scan on your PC.
Step 1: Opens the command prompt in administrator mode. For this, press the button Home , then in the search bar type cmd. From the results, right-click on Symbol of the system and select the file Run as administrator option.
Step 2: Type the following command and press the Log in button:
sfc / scannow
When the scan is complete, close the Command Prompt window and restart your PC. The problem is solved?
Solution 5: Reinstall the Synaptic touchpad driver
The common Windows shell DLL problem could also be a problem due to the Synaptic Touchpad driver installed on your PC. You can try reinstalling the driver on your PC in compatibility mode.
To do this, follow the steps indicated in Correction 1, but instead of reinstalling the audio driver, you'll have to search Driver Synaptics under the Mouse and other pointing devices menu in the Device Administrator.
Solution 6: Check if the Windows Time service is running
Step 1: Press Win + R keys, then type services.msc in the Run box and click ok.
Step 2: In the Services window, find Windows time Service. Right-click on it and select the file Home if it's not running on your PC.
Once done, restart your PC and check that the Windows Shell Common DLL Error has stopped working.
Solution 7: Set the security permission on the UserChoice key
If you get the common Windows shell DLL has stopped working error during opening a .txt file, this method is for you. Here we are dealing with the Registry Editor, so be very careful with the steps and only continue if you know what you are doing.
Step 1: Press Win + R, generate regedit in the Run box and press the button Log in key.
Step 2: In the Registry Editor that opens, go to the following path in the left pane:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER> Software> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Explorer> FileExts> .txt> UserChoice
3 pass: Right-click on User Choice and select the file Permissions option.
Phase 4: A Permissions, check if there are any options under the file Group or user names section. If so, skip this method and try the next one; otherwise, click the file Inserisci button.
5 pass: A new window will open. Here, go to Enter the names of the objects to select Section type CEO and click Check the names option. If it is processed successfully, click ok.
6 pass: Now the new user will be added to the list on the previous screen. Select it, then in the Permission for Administrators section, select the file Total control option. Click on To apply and so ok.
Now, exit the Regedit window, restart your PC and check if you still get the error when opening the .txt files.
Solution 8: Connect the stereo receiver to USB 3.0
If you have a stereo receiver connected to your PC via the USB port, you may get the common Windows shell DLL error that has stopped working. This may be due to the fact that you have connected the receiver to the USB 2.0 port. Check the USB 3.0 port and connect the STereo receiver to that port. A USB 3.0 port is usually marked with the letters SS or 3.0 and the color of the port is blue.
Solution 9: Replace joy.cpl in the System32 directory
This error may cause problems when configuring gamepad settings on your PC. If this is the case for you, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open What PC, then go to C:> Windows> System 32. Research joy.cpl archive. Copy the file and paste it on your desktop. Now, right click on joy.cpl file and click To remove option.
Step 2: Now go to C:> Windows> SysWOW64 folder. Locate the file joy.cpl file there, copy and paste it into the file C:> Windows> System 32 directory.
Restart your PC after following the steps. Check if the problem persists.
Solution 9: Disable Hardware Graphics Accelerator in MS Office / Outlook
Are you getting the common Windows Shell DLL error that has stopped working while running any Microsoft Office or Outlook application? It may be useful to disable the hardware graphics accelerator.
Open any Microsoft Office or Microsoft Outlook application, go to File> Options> Advanced. There you will find the hardware graphics accelerator; just disable it.
Solution 10: remove antivirus software
Do you have antivirus software installed on your PC? It could be the reason why you are getting the above error message on your PC. Try disabling the Antivirus on your PC. If that doesn't work, go ahead and uninstall the antivirus. Simply uninstalling the antivirus may not work, as antiviruses leave behind files and registry entries. In that case, you will need antivirus removal software.
Solution 11: remove unused audio devices
There may be device drivers installed on your PC that are not needed and may be causing problems. To be safe, go to Device Manager and remove all unnecessary and unused audio drivers.
Step 1: Go to Device Manager by following the steps provided in Fix 1> Step 1.
Step 2: There, click Points of view, after the options select Show hidden devices. Under Audio devices, you will find many devices that are not used. To recognize unused drivers, look for the gray icons as highlighted in the image below. Right-click on them and select the file Remove the device option.
Restart your computer after this and see the error.
Solution 12: Perform system maintenance
To fix this, you can also run the file System under maintenance tool.
Step 1: Press Win + R, then in the Run box, copy and paste the following command and press the button Log in key:
msdt.exe -id MaintenanceDiagnostic
Step 2: This will open the System Maintenance Tool. Select the The next option to run diagnostics.
Wait for the process to complete, restart your computer and see if the Windows shell common DLL error has stopped working.
Solution 13: Re-register shell32.dll
One of the ways that helped users get rid of the common Windows shell DLL error was to re-register the shell32.dll file at the command prompt.
Step 1: Opens the command prompt in administrator mode as specified in Fix 4> Step 1.
Step 2: Type the following command and press the key Log in key:
regsvr32 / i shell32.dll
Close the command prompt, restart your PC and then check if the problem is resolved.
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