iertutil.dll is missing after trying to download internet explorer 8. I cannot get into my computer. Not even the start screen.

Maybe someday, we will never again see the suggestion to:

Once you open task manager try the below commands.

1.    In the task manager click on File, then click on  New task

2.    Now type rstrui.exe and click OK

This would launch system restore on the computer refer the below Microsoft article to know more about system restore.

If you were to actually try it , you would find that it does not work because rstrui.exe is unlikely to ever going to be in the PATH statement.

If you want to launch System Restore from Task Manager, you would have to run a New Task like this:

%SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

If c:\windows\system32\iertutil.dll is missing, you will see a message like this:

Explorer.EXE - Unable To Locate Component

The application has failed to start because iertutil.dll was not found.  Re-installing the application may fix the problem.

Since explorer.exe is not running, you will only see your wallpaper/background image, but Ctrl-Alt-Del will still bring up Task Manager where you can maneuver around and replace the file.

If the only problem with your system is that iertutil.dll is missing, you can replace it from the backup copy in the dllcache folder.  You may continue to get notices that iertutil.dll is missing, but just click OK to the reminder messages as they pop up so you can keep working.

You would think that using Task Manager, you could browse to c:\windows\system32\dllcache and (after choosing to Show All Files) copy the iertutil.dll file from there and then paste the iertutil.dll file into c:\windows\system32 where it belongs.  That actually works, but it looks like it doesn't work as you will get a stuck hourglass on the pasting operation and might wonder if it actually worked or not.

To feel better about replacing the missing file so you can actually see the file being copied and replaced...  from Task Manager, click File, New Task and in the box enter (Assuming Windows is installed on your C drive):

cmd

Click OK to open a Command Prompt window and first make a copy of the original file (if there is one) by entering the following command:

copy c:\windows\system32\iertutil.dll c:\windows\system32\iertutil.old

That would copy the current file if there is one and it will just complain if there is not one to copy.

We know that XP likes to keep backup copies of critical system files in this folder:

c:\windows\system32\dllcache

Knowing that, copy in the backup copy of the missing file and replace the missing/suspicious file using this command:

copy c:\windows\system32\dllcache\iertutil.dll   c:\windows\system32

Respond in the affirmative if asked to overwrite the existing file and then you should see a message that 1 file(s) was copied.

Type 'exit' to close the Command Prompt window.

That will replace the missing/suspicious file and if that is all that is wrong with the system, from Task Manager Shut Down box, you can choose to restart your system and see how things go.

Do, or do not. There is no try.

I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!