Failing registry entry

[Job]

Everytime I try to start live messenger I get an error saying the application could not start as 'sensapi.dll could not be found' - I downloaded a new copy of the file, but vista will not let me alter or remove the original registry entry. Does anyone know what I can do? Or what the hell sensapi.dll actually is????

 

[Markbnj]

I don't know what sensapi.dll actually does, but you might get it to do the setup for you: try running the following from a command prompt:

regsvr32 /u sensapi.dll

You'll need to run this from sensapi.dll's location or type a full or relative path.

If this fails to run and says sensapi.dll doesn't support DLLUnregisterServer (or similar function name, I think that's it) then this method won't work because the DLL is a simple library and not a COM server.

If this fails to run and says it couldn't load the library then the problem likely isn't with the version, but rather that a .dll that sensapi depends on is missing, or something else about the environment won't let it load.

If it runs and tells you that DLLUnregisterServer succeeded, then do the following from the same command prompt:

regsvr32 sensapi.dll

This should result in a message that DLLRegisterServer succeeded in sensapi.dll. If so, this will have fixed up the appropriate regstry keys. If not, then the error message might be helpful.

 

[bsobel]

Youll have to do that from an elevated comand prompt.

 

[Markbnj]

Originally posted by: bsobel
Youll have to do that from an elevated comand prompt.

Crap, missed 'Vista.' Quite right.

 

[Job]

Thanks - I'll give this a go after work

 

[RichUK]

What is the main purpose of the ?Regsvr32? command?

Is it to forcefully load a .dll file into main memory for runtime, and to also forcefully unload a .dll?

 

[Markbnj]

DLLs that implement COM servers have to be registered with the operating system. This process inserts information about the DLL into the registry, so that other programs can find and connect to its interfaces. The DLL may (usually does) contain an implementation of a self-resgistration/unregistration process that performs this setup. The regsvr32 utility just loads the library and calls the registration function (when it is run with no arguments), or the unregistration function (when it is run with /u).