Shliwapi.dll errors have a wide ranges of causes and effects.  Today, they are often an inconvenience when using Microsoft Internet Explorer or some other program.  But some people who have experienced problems with this file have had such a hard time accessing their computers, they had to entirely reload Windows onto them!

Fortunately, shliwapi.dll errors don’t have to mean the end of your computer.  Here are the most common procedures to use to fix this kind of problem (this applies to many other .dll errors as well).

Start Windows in Safe Mode if you can’t get Windows to start normally.

In some cases of shliwapi.dll error, Windows may not be able to start properly at all–but you can often start Windows in safe mode instead.  If this is the case, you will likely be given this option when you turn your computer on.

To be honest, this is probably the best way to start Windows even if it’s not giving you trouble at start-up, if you’re dealing with a shliwapi (or any .dll file) error.  This is easy to do.

• Press F8 when you first see the Windows log appear on your screen.
• Select “Safe Mode” from the menu, if given more than one choice.
• Wait for the files to load (you will likely see the names of several files zoom up your screen).
• Proceed to take care of the error.

A few steps you can take to recover your shliwapi.dll file .

• If you feel like you may have accidentally deleted the file when you cleaned out your computer, check your recycle bin.  If you find it there, simply restore it and restart your computer as you normally would.
• Some “freeware” or “shareware” open-source registry cleaners work clumsily on Windows computers and occasionally delete files that they shouldn’t.  If you have recently used one of these, proceed as though you had accidentally deleted it yourself.
• If neither of those steps are useful, use System Restore.  This will undo any recent changes you have made, restoring your computer to a previous configuration.  Select this option from “System Tools” under the “Accessories” folder in the Start or All Programs Menu.
• You may also want to run an anti-virus program at this time.

Maintain your computer with a quality registry cleaner.

There are plenty of free “open source” registry cleaners floating around the internet.  While their authors’ intentions are good, these cleaners aren’t generally able to match up to more professionally funded ones.  Fix shliwapi.dll errors (and other registry errors) with professional software built just for that purpose.

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