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Keep getting error: \system32\Windowscodecs.dll is either not designed to run on windows or it contains an error. How can I fix this?

Anonymous
2012-11-12T21:22:10+00:00

I can not open Windows live mail, McAffe security, or several other programs.  I tried to copy and paste this file from another computer running all the same programs but I can not change it from a read only file.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2012-11-13T16:14:41+00:00

Hi Ron,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community Forum. From the description you get an error due to which you are not able to open few applications, please be assured that we will do our best to assist you with this issue.

Answer the following questions which would help us to provide better solution:

  1.  Which anti-virus software do you use?
  2. Were there any changes made to the computer prior the issue?

Try these methods and check:

Method1:

I would suggest you to perform a System File Checker scan and check if that help:

This article describes how to use the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows 7.

How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833

Method 2:

I would recommend you to place the computer in clean boot and then check if the issue persist.

A clean boot helps to verify if any third party application services or startup item is causing this issue.

You may refer the following KB article to set the computer in clean boot:

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7 ****http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Note: Put the computer to normal as mentioned in Step 3 from the KB article.

If the issue doesn’t occur when the Computer is in clean boot, then the issue is confirmed to be caused by a non-Microsoft application.

Method 3:

Run a virus scanner and check:

Virus is known to cause these issues. Scan your computer from Microsoft Safety Scanner, which helps to get rid of virus, spyware, and malicious software.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

Note: The Microsoft Safety Scanner expires after 10 days from the date of installation.

Note: Any data files that are infected may only be cleaned by deleting the file entirely, which means there is a potential for data loss.

Hope this information helps. If you have further questions feel free to reply and we would be glad to assist.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-05-01T00:56:26+00:00

    The first suggestion never works for this specific issue.  Here's the typical output from CBS.log

    SR] Verify complete

    2013-04-30 18:48:50, Info                  CSI    000001ec [SR] Verifying 100 (0x0000000000000064) components

    2013-04-30 18:48:50, Info                  CSI    000001ed [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction

    2013-04-30 18:48:53, Info                  CSI    000001ee Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodecext_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e2cfe30f5a6e4384\WindowsCodecsExt.dll do not match actual file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:GOkJrO3YTRUZnko9DksxOCa6Oz1tX/iLDJ2ZlWon85g=} Expected: {l:32 b:pK5rBWv2WhLOW+38Ot4VbwiK6scZbrV0HJVzxkVSp8A=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:53, Info                  CSI    000001ef [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-WindowsCodecExt, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

    2013-04-30 18:48:53, Info                  CSI    000001f0 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodec_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e5bfce1d42e6e71d\WindowsCodecs.dll do not match actual file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:JvW+2QycmUiw3Q1GTI/l5Rp97YYSft8ra/TyO+IvR0U=} Expected: {l:32 b:0xtGZ4VWNp3Ahmx9GE6D3j8dRUQjI8cEYKS+TWF+VnQ=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:53, Info                  CSI    000001f1 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-WindowsCodec, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f2 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodec_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e5bfce1d42e6e71d\WindowsCodecs.dll do not match actual file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:JvW+2QycmUiw3Q1GTI/l5Rp97YYSft8ra/TyO+IvR0U=} Expected: {l:32 b:0xtGZ4VWNp3Ahmx9GE6D3j8dRUQjI8cEYKS+TWF+VnQ=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f3 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-WindowsCodec, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f4 [SR] This component was referenced by [l:244{122}]"Win8IP-Microsoft-Windows-Graphics-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~7.1.7601.16492.Win8IP-Microsoft-Windows-Graphics-Package"

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f5 Hashes for file member ??\C:\Windows\System32\WindowsCodecs.dll do not match actual file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:JvW+2QycmUiw3Q1GTI/l5Rp97YYSft8ra/TyO+IvR0U=} Expected: {l:32 b:0xtGZ4VWNp3Ahmx9GE6D3j8dRUQjI8cEYKS+TWF+VnQ=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f6 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodec_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e5bfce1d42e6e71d\WindowsCodecs.dll do not match actual file [l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:JvW+2QycmUiw3Q1GTI/l5Rp97YYSft8ra/TyO+IvR0U=} Expected: {l:32 b:0xtGZ4VWNp3Ahmx9GE6D3j8dRUQjI8cEYKS+TWF+VnQ=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f7 [SR] Could not reproject corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:46{23}]"??\C:\Windows\System32"[l:34{17}]"WindowsCodecs.dll"; source file in store is also corrupted

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f8 Ignoring duplicate ownership for directory [l:46{23}]"??\C:\Windows\twain_32" in component Microsoft-Windows-WindowsImageAcquisition-WIATwainCompat, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001f9 Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodecext_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e2cfe30f5a6e4384\WindowsCodecsExt.dll do not match actual file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:GOkJrO3YTRUZnko9DksxOCa6Oz1tX/iLDJ2ZlWon85g=} Expected: {l:32 b:pK5rBWv2WhLOW+38Ot4VbwiK6scZbrV0HJVzxkVSp8A=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001fa [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" of Microsoft-Windows-WindowsCodecExt, Version = 7.1.7601.16492, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, hash mismatch

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001fb [SR] This component was referenced by [l:244{122}]"Win8IP-Microsoft-Windows-Graphics-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~7.1.7601.16492.Win8IP-Microsoft-Windows-Graphics-Package"

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001fc Hashes for file member ??\C:\Windows\System32\WindowsCodecsExt.dll do not match actual file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:GOkJrO3YTRUZnko9DksxOCa6Oz1tX/iLDJ2ZlWon85g=} Expected: {l:32 b:pK5rBWv2WhLOW+38Ot4VbwiK6scZbrV0HJVzxkVSp8A=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001fd Hashes for file member \SystemRoot\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-windowscodecext_31bf3856ad364e35_7.1.7601.16492_none_e2cfe30f5a6e4384\WindowsCodecsExt.dll do not match actual file [l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll" :

      Found: {l:32 b:GOkJrO3YTRUZnko9DksxOCa6Oz1tX/iLDJ2ZlWon85g=} Expected: {l:32 b:pK5rBWv2WhLOW+38Ot4VbwiK6scZbrV0HJVzxkVSp8A=}

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001fe [SR] Could not reproject corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:46{23}]"??\C:\Windows\System32"[l:40{20}]"WindowsCodecsExt.dll"; source file in store is also corrupted

    2013-04-30 18:48:54, Info                  CSI    000001ff Repair results created:

    The corruption is usually due to a failed Microsoft update

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