Windows update verclsid.exe problem

Well Microsoft has done it again, the latest Windows updates are causing problems for many users.

Not all PC’s have problems after update (I’ve seen reports ranging from 0 in 80, up to 2 for 2). I just installed the updates and they caused a 16 second pause for right click context menus. This delay would likely be up to a minute on sub-Gigahertz PC’s and would make a lot of people think that Windows is hung. Un-installing the 908531 update cured the problem for me.

Partial list of symptoms and fixes from MS

In addition to these symptoms others have reported:

  • Can’t “Save As” any file from MS Office.
  • Can’t run Outlook Express, IE, Windows picture+fax viewer, PaintShopProX, Quick View Plus.
  • Can’t activate the start button via keyboard (but by mouse click OK).
  • Can’t activate the start button by any means.
  • Hang for no apparent reason right-clicking on the desktop.
  • Typing a URL in the IE6 address bar, it does not auto complete.
  • Using explorer to look at any folder, on closing it launches another instance of explorer, but it is blank.

In addition to the fixes in the MS KB article others have had success with:

  • Renaming verclsid.EXE to verclsid.OLD it is located in %SystemRoot%System32.
  • Un-install security update 908531.

Note that Windows warns of possible update conflicts when you start the un-install however I, and others on the net, have so far seen no problems from ignoring the warning.

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