ARCHIVED: In Windows XP, what should I do if I get the error message "Explorer.EXE - Entry Point Not Found"?

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In Windows XP, you may receive the following error message:

Explorer.EXE - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point SHCreateThreadRef could not be located in the dynamic link library SHLWAPI.dll.

This error is probably caused by a corrupt installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). To correct it, you must remove the Windows XP hotfix, and then remove and reinstall SP2. As an alternative you can download Service Pack 3 to attempt to update to the latest version at http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=24

Note: This document is intended for systems in which SP2 was installed as an update to SP1 or from Windows XP with no Service Pack installed. Most Windows XP installation CDs already contain SP2, so SP2 is not installed as an additional service pack. In this case, you cannot remove SP2, and thus the fix simply reverts to a previous version of Windows XP with SP2.

To remove a Windows XP hotfix:

Start your computer and attempt to log into Windows XP. You should then see the error message listed above.
Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to access Windows Task Manager. When using Classic login, click Task Manager. You may get additional error messages, but Windows Task Manager will eventually start.
In Windows Task Manager, from the File menu, select New Task (Run...).
In the Create New Task window, in the "Run:" field, type control appwiz.cpl and click OK. Ignore and close any additional error messages.
Note: If the Add or Remove Programs control panel does not load, you can manually uninstall the Windows XP Hotfix KB834707 by typing the following command in the Create New Task window:
```
  %windir%\$NtUninstallKB834707$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
```
After the Add or Remove Programs control panel opens, close Windows Task Manager.
In the Add or Remove Programs control panel, near the bottom of the list of programs, find the entry titled "Windows XP Hotfix - KB834707".
Click that item, and then click Remove. The removal process will take some time to complete.
Click Finish, and then restart your computer. You can safely ignore any messages about additional software or hotfixes being installed.

Important: At this point, your computer will still have a corrupt installation of SP2. You must complete the SP2 uninstall, and then reinstall SP2. To obtain SP2, see ARCHIVED: What are patches, hotfixes, and service packs?