Tutorials

▷ Common Windows Shell DLL has stopped working

A DLL file contains data and sets of functions that other Windows programs use on a daily basis. For example, the dialog boxes you interact with in Windows use various functions of the Comdlg32 DLL. All Windows processes depend on one or more DLLs in one way or another. The Windows Shell Common DLL is not responding error We are here to resolve indicates that the Windows Shell Common DLL has crashed due to some error. A small dialog box appears showing this message. You can check your solution online from that dialog or you can close it. Many users may not see this error again, but for some it becomes a routine problem that appears every time you try to make certain changes in Windows.

This crash is usually preceded by the user's attempt to make changes to the configuration of their audio devices., namely, on playback or recording devices. Configuration dialog can be opened, but if you click on it, the error Windows Shell Common DLL is not responding will be displayed and the configuration window will close.

This configuration window directly accesses the driver of the audio device, so if that driver is corrupted or does not support Windows operation, the DLL may crash and cause that error. For some users, the error disappears after some cases, but for the rest, Below are the solutions that are known to work against this error.

Repair corrupt system files

Download and run Reimage Plus to scan and restore corrupted and lost files from here Once this is done, proceed with solutions below. It is important to ensure that all system files are intact and undamaged before proceeding to the next solutions.

Solution 1: install proper drivers

Incompatible audio device drivers are known to work with the method that Windows follows 7 and later operating systems. Therefore, you will need to make sure you are using a stable version of the drivers instead of any beta version. You can download an older version of the drivers for your operating system from the computer model manufacturer's website and install it through Device Manager.

If your audio devices are old, you can also try Microsoft Vista driver for them if drivers for latest OS are not available. You can also download them from the website of the manufacturer of your computer model..

To install them, press and hold the Windows key and press R. Type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog and press Enter.

In the Manage device window that opens, double click on Sound Drivers, video and games.

Then, right-click on High Definition Audio and click Update Driver Software from the pop-up menu.

Click Browse my computer for driver software and navigate to where you downloaded the drivers. Select the drivers and follow the instructions on the screen.

If you don't have the drivers, you need to check the system manufacturer's site for the drivers. As usual, I would put the model number to get the system configuration on the manufacturer's site, from where you can download the drivers.

If you get this error when trying to connect USB headphones, try inserting them into USB controllers 3.0, if they are available, as this is known to solve the problem.

Solution 2: disable audio effects

Due to incompatible drivers, if you have applied any kind of effect to the audio, for example, has changed the mode in the equalizer, this may also be contributing to the common Windows Shell error.

Make sure all these audio effects are turned off. Also disable any features similar to Enhanced Audio or similar.

Solution 3: run the SFC scanner

This scan checks the integrity of crucial Windows files, including all DLL files. Follow the steps here to run an SFC scan.

Solution 4: configure Windows to accept certificates

For many Windows users, your computers are configured by default to block each and every certificate. Windows relies heavily on certificates to verify the identity of not just users, but also the installed devices and drivers. Therefore, if Windows is configured to block all certificates, the operating system cannot verify the identity of certain devices (such as playback and recording devices) Y / or its controllers, which causes the user to receive the error message. running every time you try to adjust the settings of the affected devices.

If that's the case, use Windows PowerShell to configure Windows to accept some, yes not all, certificates should be able to solve this problem for you. To use this solution, needs to:

Open the start menu.
Busque »powershell«.
Right-click the search result titled Windows PowerShell and click Run as administrator in the context menu.
Type the following in Windows PowerShell and press Enter:

 Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser

Once the command has been run, close Windows PowerShell and restart your computer.

Check if the problem has been solved or not once your computer is turned on.

Solution 5: make a clean boot

It is possible that a third-party application or service may be interfering with certain elements of the operating system, Thus, in this step, we will execute a clean boot to isolate the application / service that caused this error. For it:

Login to the computer with an administrator account.
Pulse »Windows» + »R» to open the message »RUN». Opening execution request
Type »msconfig» and press »Enter«. Running MSCONFIG
Click on the option »Services» and uncheck the button »Hide all Microsoft services«. By clicking on the tab “Services” and unchecking the option “hide all Microsoft services”
Click on the option »Deactivate all» and then on »OK«. Click on the option “Disable all”.
Click on the »Start» tab and click on the »Open Task Manager« option.. Click on the "Open Task Manager" option
Click the »Start» button in the task manager.
Click on any application in the list that has »Enabled» written next to it and select the »Disabled« option.. By clicking on the «Home» tab and selecting an application that appears there
Repeat this process for all the applications on the list and restart your computer.
Your computer has now started in the »Clean Boot« state..
Check if the problem goes away.
If the error is no longer found, start enabling the services one by one and identify the service by enabling the error to return.
Reinstall the service or keep it disabled.

Solution 6: reinstall the Synaptics touchpad driver

Synaptic Touchpad driver is known to sometimes cause the error “Windows Shell Common DLL has stopped working”. Therefore, in this step we will reinstall the driver. For that:

Press the buttons »Windows» + »R» simultaneously to open the Run prompt. Opening execution request
Enter »devmgmt. msc »and press» Enter «. Writing “devmgmt.msc” at the run prompt.
Double click on the drop down menu “Mouse and other pointing devices” and right click on the controller “Synaptic Touchpad”. Right click on the Synaptics Touchpad driver
Select »Uninstall» and click »Yes» on the message. Select the "Uninstall device" option from the list
Follow the on-screen instructions to completely uninstall the driver.
Go back to the device management window and click on the tab »Actions» at the top.
Select »Check for hardware changes» from the list to reinstall the driver. Please select “Check for hardware changes” of the list
Check if the problem persists.