Thread View: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
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Started by Martin Davies
Mon, 22 Dec 1997 00:00
HELP - 'undefined dynalink' error message
Author: Martin Davies
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 00:00
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 00:00
37 lines
2444 bytes
2444 bytes
I've just installed a Diamond 3D 2000 Pro 2M video card into my 5x86-based PC (DOS 6.22 and Win3.1) and installed the drivers from floppy disks which were generated from the CD which came with the video card. I'm now finding that some of my applications, in particular Word 6.0, Excel 5, IE3 and Visio 3, fail to run. Specifically, they all get as far as the start-up screen and then die with the message "Application error - call to undefined dynalink". Other applications, including Word 2.0c, Excel 4, Access and Micrographix Designer, all seem to run OK. I did have some problems in getting the Diamond install program to run properly at first; the system refused to recognise the first change of floppy, but all eventually went OK. The installation of the video drivers etc also seemed to cause the loss of a file called COMPOBJ.DLL, but running a reinstall of Microsoft Office overcame that problem. Can anyone suggest the cause of the problem and how to overcome it? I've tried deinstalling and then reinstalling almost everything (including Windows), all to no avail. As an aside, does anyone know which application(s) might use device drivers (included in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI as device=) called VPMTD.386; LPT.386; SERIAL.386, VCOMM.386 and VCACHE.386? They seemed to have disappeared from my system so that when Windows started it complained that they weren't there, but I can't work out which application needs them! They don't seem to be part of a standard Windows or Office installation. Replies by email please, Thanks in advance, -- Martin Davies Don't forget to delete the "*" when replying
Re: HELP - 'undefined dynalink' error message
Author: Gordon S. Hlavenka
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 00:00
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 00:00
49 lines
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3385 bytes
Martin Davies wrote (whittled down to the salient parts):
> I've just installed [doesn't matter what he installed] ... and
> installed the drivers ... I'm now finding that some of my
> applications... fail to run. Specifically, they... die with
> the message "Application error - call to undefined dynalink".
> Other applications... seem to run OK.
Windows software uses "Dynamic Link Libraries" which are all named
"(something).DLL". These libraries are collections of subroutines which
are somehow (by function, by vendor, by ...?) related to each other.
For example, a commonly-used one is called "CTL3D.DLL" and contains
routines for building dialog boxes, buttons, and so on which have a "3D"
appearance. When a programmer wants to draw a pretty 3D button in his
program, he just calls the function from CTL3D.DLL and gets on with his
life (assuming he has one). However, since CTL3D.DLL is not guaranteed
to exist on your system, the installer for that program must copy it
over for you.
So here's where we get into trouble... See, a DLL file can live in
several places: C:\WINDOWS, C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, and whatever directory
the application lives in are the three most likely candidates. And not
all DLL files with the same name are identical. AND the installers are
not always smart enough to find pre-existing copies and determine
whether or not to replace them. Windows will use the first CTL3D.DLL it
finds. Depending on how your PATH is set up, it may or may not find the
correct version. If the program calls a function which does not exist
in the DLL file, Windows will give you that "undefined dynalink" error.
Usually, if you find all copies of all DLL files on your system, copy
the most recent versions of them all into C:\WINDOWS or
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, then delete all the other copies (BTW - this is a
very labor-intensive process), the dynalink problems will clear up. But
not always. And some programs will crash when given a _newer_ DLL, and
so on, and so on. Yech.
Anyway, the "quick fix" is for you to reinstall the programs which are
complaining. This _should_ force them to overwrite the offending DLL
file with the version they prefer. And hopefully, the driver for your
new [whatever] will also be happy with those DLLs. If not, you have a
major mess on your hands. Usually the vendor of your new [whatever]
will have heard from about a million other customers having exactly the
same problem as you, and their tech support people will have a fix ready
and waiting.
--
Gordon S. Hlavenka www.crashelex.com gordon@crashelex.com
Grammar and spelling flames welcome.
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