Five Tips for Resolving ntdll.dll Errors

As stated previously, there are a number of different ntdll.dll error messages that can be caused by a variety of reasons. Here are five ways to try to resolve ntdll.dll errors when they appear:

1. If this is the first time you have received an ntdll.dll error, the first thing you should do is shut down and restart your computer. The error message could be a one-time glitch and restarting your computer may correct the problem.
2. Should you get the error message during or just after installing a new version of Windows, the first thing to do is check the actual disk you used to make the install. If the disk is damaged in some way, scratches for example, the install may have completed successfully, but errors may have been caused during the process. If the disk is fine, try installing again. If you are still having problems, you may have a faulty version of Windows itself, so you should try installing from a different disk.
3. An ntdll.dll error that appears when you launch or run a particular program is a pretty good indication that there is something wrong with that program. Uninstall and re-install the program. Also, make sure you have the latest version and have installed any updates, etc.
4. If you get the error on running Internet Explorer, it may be caused by an add-on. To test this theory, try using a competing browser like Firefox to determine if you get the same message. If you don’t, then the problem is specifically with Internet Explorer. You can either disable each add-on and test to see if you get the message or uninstall and re-install a clean version.
5. Make sure you have installed all the latest versions of Windows service packs. Outdated service packs can conflict with programs and cause ntdll.dll errors. Microsoft has addressed issues that caused ntdll.dll errors previously, and by keeping your Windows updates up-to-date, you can benefit from these fixes.

What are ntdll.dll Errors?

ntdll.dll is a Microsoft file that can be found in all versions of its operating systems, from Windows NT and XP all the way through Windows 7. The operating system installed on the computer will determine where the ntdll.dll file is found.

There are a number of different causes of ntdll.dll errors and various error messages can be displayed. In most cases, ntdll.dll errors are due to an unknown error on the hard drive. This error can cause errors with Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer, and can even make the computer crash.

ntdll.dll Error Messages

ntdll.dll error messages may be displayed when a program is starting up, running or shutting down. Also, they can appear during Windows start up or shut down. In some cases, the error message may even appear during an installation of Windows. One of several common error messages appear when an ntdll.dll error has occurred, including:

• STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error \SystemRoot\System32\ntdll.dll
• STOP: 0xC0000221 unknown hard error C:\Winnt\System32\Ntdll.dll
• STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error Path\File_name
• Crash caused in ntdll.dll!
• Unhandled exception at [ANY ADDRESS] (NTDLL.DLL)

This is not a list of all of the ntdll.dll error messages that can be received, just an example of some of them.

Causes of ntdll.dll Errors

While there are a wide range of causes of ntdll.dll errors, in most cases, the error is down to the ntdll.dll file itself. Many times errors occur because the actual file has been corrupted in some way. Other common causes of ntdll.dll errors are hardware drivers that have been damaged or corrupted and issues occurring between Windows and other programs. In some rare instances, an ntdll.dll error is a result of malfunctioning hardware.