Error message when you open the properties of a network connection: "An unexpected error occurred"

Symptoms

When you open the properties of a network connection in the Network Connections folder, you may receive the following error message:

Cause

This problem may occur if some registry settings are damaged. The damaged registry settings may prevent you from viewing the properties of the network connection in the Network Connections folder.

Workaround

To work around this problem, reregister the Netshell.dll file. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type regsvr32 %systemroot%\system32\netshell.dll, and then click OK.

3. In the RegSvr32 dialog box, click OK.

Test to see if you can open the properties of the network connection in the Network Connections folder.

If the issue is resolved, you do not have to follow the remaining steps in this article. If the issue persists, and you receive the error message that is mentioned in the “Symptoms” section of this article, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type regsvr32 %systemroot%\system32\ole32.dll, and then click OK.

3. In the RegSvr32 dialog box, click OK.

4. Restart the computer.