Error Message: Procedure Entry Point Not Found in Msvcrt.dll File

When you start Windows XP, you may receive an error message that is similar to one of the following: -or- After you press OK, a blank desktop appears on the computer screen. The pointer may be present and working. However, there is nothing to click, and the keyboard does not work.

This issue may occur if you replaced the Msvcrt.dll file with a third-party version that does not contain the _resetstkoflw (recovery from stack overflow) function.

To resolve this issue, use the Windows XP Recovery Console to replace the Msvcrt.dll file with the original version. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Insert your Windows XP CD-ROM into the computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer from the CD-ROM.
   
   NOTE: Some computers may require that you modify the basic input/output system (BIOS) settings before you can start the computer from a CD-ROM. For information about how to modify BIOS, see your computer documentation.
2. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3. Press the number key that corresponds to the installation that you want to repair, and then press ENTER.
4. Type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.
5. With the Windows XP CD-ROM still in the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:
   • cd system32
   • ren msvcrt.dll msvcrt.old
   • CD-ROM_or_DVD-ROM_Drive_Letter:
   • cd \i386
   • expand msvcrt.dl_ BootDriveLetter:\windows\system32
   • exit
   NOTE: BootDriveLetter refers to the drive letter of the boot drive. In other words, it refers to the drive where the Windows folder is located, which is probably drive C. CD-ROM_or_DVD-ROM_Drive_Letter refers to the drive letter of the CD-ROM or the drive letter of the DVD-ROM drive. The CD-ROM drive or the DVD-ROM drive are frequently located in drive D.

NOTE: The retail version of the Msvcrt.dll file is dated 23-Aug-2001. It was included with Windows XP and has the following properties:

Modified 8.23.01
Size - 315 KB (322,560 bytes)
Version - 7.0.2600.0

This version contains the _resetstkoflw function.

To view the functions in a .dll file, use the Dependency Walker utility (Depends.exe), which is available with Windows XP Support Tools. To install Windows XP Support Tools, insert your Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, click Start, click Run, type CD-ROM_or_DVD-ROM_Drive_Letter:\Support\Tools\Setup.exe in the Open box, and then press ENTER.