Runtime error 203 is a problem you are probably unfortunate enough to have experienced, if you’re reading this article.  Don’t worry–it probably doesn’t spell immanent disaster for your computer.  At least not yet it doesn’t.

Runtime error 203 may simply stem from a problem with the particular program you’re running.  Nevertheless, it might also say something about your system’s integrity as a whole.  Read below to find out information about its symptoms, causes, and cures.

Runtime Error 203 Symptoms

• You receive a message stating, “Your computer is low on memory, save your documents and close all programs.” If you don’t close everything up, it’s very likely that you’ll get an error message and your computer will slow down considerably.  (Your computer was probably already running slower than usual.)
• Your computer slows down right before you receive the error message. This is typical of many runtime errors.  This is not unusual, so it doesn’t mean that your problem necessarily originates from malicious software like viruses (although they could be a factor).
• You get the runtime error 203 message, then whatever software you were running at the time shuts down. This can be highly frustrating.  When the problem is this or the above, however, you may get off easy because it’s probably just a problem with the software.  However, you may also have a problem with your registry.
• Your computer displays the “Runtime Error 203″ message, then crashes. This is a great big red flag out of nowhere.  If this happens, then it’s seriously time to think about uninstalling the program, then running anti-virus software and a registry scan.

Where do these memory problems comes from?

Runtime error 203 is typically a memory-related problem and can come from a variety of sources.

• You have a copy of the test or beta version of certain software.  You may have gotten the program by mistake, or downloaded it from a torrent site.  Unless you bought the program directly from a merchant, there’s a good chance you have a beta version.  There’s also a good chance that:
  • You have spyware on your computer.  This error usually comes from too little memory being available to complete the current tasks on your computer.  You’ll do yourself a favor if you run a check for viruses and spyware on your computer.

• You have registry errors.  Most computers do.  At the very least, a large amount of files is left over from software updates and bad uninstalls.

If you’ve got (or have ever had) spyware or viruses on your computer, then they have probably left behind files in the registry that may be slowing your computer down.  Run a free scan for runtime error 203 and keep your registry in shape.

Re-Tweet This Post

1.  My computer slowed down right before I got a runtime library error message.  Does this mean I have a virus?

Don’t worry–most systems slow down just before a runtime error message appears.  It is more likely that your program was caused by a bad install or corrupt copy of your software than from any virus.

Still, viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware can cause these and other errors.  It’s always a good idea to run an anti-virus scan when you have a problem like this, just to make sure.  Don’t forget to scan once a week just for maintenance!

2.  Someone told me that a runtime library error means that my copy of Windows is wearing out.  Is this true?

It might be–in a way.

While Windows can’t “wear out” the way a piece of hardware can, something similar can happen.  This can happen both when Windows looses parts and when it gains too many of them.

An essential part of the Windows architecture is something called the registry.  The registry stores the process files of various programs and activates them whenever the programs run.  Without this registry, your computer would take much longer to run fewer programs, slower.

Over time, updates and bad uninstalls can leave lots of useless files hanging around in the registry.  As you might guess, this will slow down a computer’s functioning.

Even worse, spyware, adware, Trojans, and other viruses can insert their own malicious files into the registry.  They can even infect other files, damaging software you already have, or making files that pose as that software’s operational files!

Anti-virus programs can remove these software threats but do not generally heal the damage they do to a registry.

3.  Is there any way I can fix a runtime library error on my own?

There are a few things you can try in order to fix this kind of problem.

The first thing you should try is a re-install of the program that is giving you trouble.  Usually you can use the disk or the setup program that it came with.  Keep in mind that programs downloaded from bit torrent sites pose a special problem, as sometimes parts of a program will be missing.  You can also get a virus or spyware infection this way!

Another way to fix this and other problems is to heal any registry damage your computer might have.  Get a free scan to check for runtime library error and other errors your computer may have.

Re-Tweet This Post

A setup exe error message will sometimes appear when you are installing a new program onto your computer.  The problem can have a variety of sources.  Fortunately, most of these are minor and easy-to-fix.  Here are three of the most common ways to solve a setup exe error.

1.  Turn off all antivirus, antispyware, and firewall programs.  These kinds of programs are there to stop intruders and malware programs from gaining an access foothold on your computer.

Since setup.exe’s job is to install software on your computer, this can raise a red flag with antivirus, antispyware, and firewall programs if these programs are not from a 100% trusted source.

It could be that these programs are causing a setup exe error in a case of mistaken identity.  This is actually a best case scenario as it is very easy to fix.  Just turn off these programs and see if the associated program will install.  If it won’t, then you’ll have to move to the next step.

2.  Make sure the software you’re trying to install is compatible with your hardware and your operating system.

Your setup exe error might be as simple as having too little RAM, hard drive space, or too slow a processor to run or even install the software.  It’s even possible you overlooked the fact that this will only run for Windows Vista when you have XP–it may even be made for Apple!

Don’t feel bad if this happens.  Everybody does it at least once (some of us have done it more than that!).  All you really have to do is breathe a sigh of relief, take the software back to the place you bought it, and either trade it in for a version you can use or simply get your money back.

3.  Make sure you get setup exe from a valid or official source.

There are plenty of free .dll and .exe file download sites on the Web.  Some of them will even provide you with files that actually work.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell which files are up to date and which are not.  Last year’s good file might cause you just as many problems as this year’s infected one.  Speaking of infections–do you have any idea how many viruses and spyware programs are uploaded into these sites?

The best way to get a new setup exe file is to go directly to the source.  Usually this just means downloading the entire program all over again.  It may mean you need to contact the program’s developer or the company that owns the software.  Or it could mean you need a good old-fashion registry scan to make sure you get rid of your setup exe error and get your computer in good working order.

Re-Tweet This Post

So many different types of run time errors exist that it’s hard to say what the actual problem may be without identifying the specific run time server error.  A run time error could be the result of memory problems, program updates, or corrupt registry keys.

Most of the time, the problem occurs when the user is running a program such as Internet Explorer.  The error pops up when the client (the end user’s computer) tries to execute an action with the server (usually a website) and the action fails or access is denied.

How to Fix Run Time Errors and Script Debugging on a Website

In all reality, if the run time error is coming from a website, you can’t do anything about it.  The website owner needs to correct the problem.  Therefore, when you can’t fix it, the next best thing is to ignore it.

Here’s how you can get that run time error to quit popping up when you disable notifications:

• Go to Internet Explorer’s Option
• Click on “Disable Script Debugging (Internet Explorer) and “Disable  Script Debugging (Other)”
• Turn off “Display a notification about every script error”

Software Issues and Run Time Errors

When you install software, you may experience run time errors that wouldn’t let you into the program.  This usually happens when you need an update or patch.  Sometimes an add-on will also cause runtime errors.

• Update and apply all patches from the program’s website.
• If that doesn’t work, remove any add-ons.
• If you still can’t get in there, try uninstalling and installing.  Make sure you have the CD or download somewhere before you uninstall.

Computer Viruses that Lead to Run Time Errors

By now, everyone who goes out into cyberspace should know that you have to have some sort of anti-malware protection and run it on a regular basis.  Otherwise, your computer is about as useful as a paperweight.

Sometimes, you may have the malware off the computer, but the registry is left in shambles and runtime errors are the result.  Keep your anti-malware up to date, and run time errors should not occur.

Fix Run Time Errors Forever

Maybe you are still getting that run time error after taking these preventative measures.  Or maybe you just don’t want to have to do this again.  The solution is simple, you can run an advanced registry cleaner to prevent run time errors in the future.

Re-Tweet This Post

If you have shell.dll missing from your computer, you may be experiencing a number of problems.  The least of these will be an “illegal operation” dialog box that opens up when you try to view a web page or open your favorite program.

What causes shell.dll to go missing?

There can be many reasons for this file to disappear.

The least malicious of them may be that you accidentally deleted the file when you were cleaning out your registry.  This is only one reason you should never try to clean your registry “by hand” (due to the massive potential for error, even many PC technicians won’t touch this job!).

The program may have disappeared during a bad install or uninstall of a program on your computer.  This kind of error is simply caused by bad programming.

A bad install may overwrite the file with another (different) file that, unfortunately, has the same name.  On the other hand, a program could have thought the file was one of its own and deleted it as part of the uninstall process.

The file may also have disappeared if a malicious program such as spyware or a Trojan horse damaged the registry.  Unfortunately, the kinds of programs that remove malicious software, often do not fix the damage that bad software can make to the registry.

One thing you shouldn’t do to replace a missing shell.dll file.

There is one tempting thing you should definitely not do to replace shell.dll (or any other .dll file): You should not download a free replacement from a free download site!  Why?

For one thing, you can never be sure that you are getting the most recently updated version.  Another thing, many of these “free download” sites don’t do a very good job of checking the files that are uploaded to them.  These kinds of sites can be rife with just the kinds of spyware, adware, and viruses that will cause .dll errors in the first place!

You should always go to the source when you need to replace a missing file.  Shell.dll controls many of the API functions in Windows, so it’s best to re-download the file straight from Microsoft.

3 ways to protect yourself from missing .dll files in the future.

Always get the latest updates, patches, and service packs from Microsoft as they become available.  Check for them once a week at the very least.  You can even set your computer to automatically search for these updates in the “Windows Update” section of Control Panel.

Regularly scan your computer with anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.  There are some good free programs available like AVG, Malwarebytes, and Spybot: Search and Destroy.  Download these programs and use them!

Scan your computer for registry errors.  Unfortunately, there are not any free registry cleaners worth recommending at this time (”freeware” versions will sometimes delete the wrong files!).  Legitimate registry cleaners will however offer a free scan up-front so that you can see if you really need to purchase them in order to fix shell.dll errors.

Re-Tweet This Post

Seeing multiple error messages on a computer is never a good thing, so you’ll want to fix PC errors promptly.  In case you haven’t the foggiest idea how to fix PC errors, we’ve come up with a maintenance guide that will take care of most of the basic ones and many of the more pesky varieties.

And if some of your errors were caused by a super slow machine that just begged you to click on multiple things, leading to a computer freeze, you’re in luck.  Most of these fixes will add speed to your PC, too.

The Basics of Error Repair and Prevention

First off, back up your files!  If you are experiencing multiple error messages, this should be your first instinct.  Computers are delicate machines and sometimes parts fail for no reason.  So, do everything you can to keep your data safe.  Then move on to the actual maintenance.

Virus and spyware protection come next.  If for some reason only known to you and God, you do not have virus protection installed, then we almost guarantee that rectifying this situation will take care of the majority of your errors.  Malware slows down PCs too, so you’ll increase speed by taking care of this basic step.

If you do have these programs installed, make sure that your updates are current to check for the latest hacker creations.

Using the Registry Tools of the Trade

Microsoft includes a few tools that will help to make the most of your computer.  They fix errors, they increase processing speeds, they leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Well, let’s stick with the first two–important enough.

The two most important of these tools are the Check Disk Tool and the Disk Defragmenter.  The former rearranges saved data and program files to use space most efficiently on the disk and save it from having to spin to multiple locations.  The latter searches for and repairs various errors on the hard drive.

Your computer’s Help section should contain instructions for running these tools, or you can find them online.  Just make sure to leave the computer alone while running either tool.  Trying to use the computer may cause the process to restart or produce further errors (not what you’re going for).

Get Your Computer Squeaky Clean

For a little advanced cleaning and for persistent errors that continue after the above suggestions have been performed, add a registry cleaner to the maintenance regimen.  It will remove obsolete entries from the registry and repair those that have been corrupted, which will fix the majority of PC errors.

Once you use a registry cleaner to fix PC errors, your computer won’t have to wade through massive amounts of old data to get to what it needs.  And that means faster processing.

Re-Tweet This Post

Do you want to speed up programs on your computer because your computer slows way down when you run more than two or three programs at a time?  There are several ways to speed up your PC or laptop without breaking the bank.

Use the free tools that Windows provides for system upkeep.

You can make sure all of your software runs faster by using the tools that Microsoft puts on your system.  All versions of Windows come with a disk defragmenter, available in “System Tools” under the Accessories menu.  It’s a good idea to use this tool at least once or twice every month.

It’s also a good idea to check for Windows updates on a regular basis.  This doesn’t just help your computer run faster–it also keeps it safer (though not immune) from viruses and spyware programs.

Check for viruses and spyware on a regular basis

It could be that certain unwelcome software on your computer is causing your programs to run slowly.  In this case, you may be able to speed up programs dramatically by performing a couple of scans with free software.

There are several free anti-virus and anti-spyware programs available online that will do a good job of keeping your computer safe if you use them regularly.  While the upgraded versions often have features that are worth the price you pay, the free versions will work fine just as long as you remember to use them on a regular basis!

It’s best to have at least one anti-virus and one anti-spyware program on your computer.  These days, many programs combine both functions.  Any computer will be safe with three of these programs installed on the hard drive.

Having more than three of these programs in operation on your computer will likely slow down system functioning, without offering a significant increase in protection.  The most important thing isn’t quantity or even quality; the most important thing about these programs is whether or not you remember to use them every week!

Keep your registry clean so that your Windows system doesn’t get bogged down.

One of the prime culprits of slow computer function is a cluttered or damaged registry.  Unfortunately, this is also the least known!

The Windows registry can accumulate damaged, out of date, or erroneous files over time.  This happens for a variety of reasons that usually have nothing to do with the individual computer owner.  Speed up programs on your PC or laptop by running a free registry scan.

Re-Tweet This Post

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.

Re-Tweet This Post

Found sistray.exe on your computer and don’t know if it should be there or not?  Don’t fret–you’re not the only one.  Fortunately, this program is usually harmless.

Sistray.exe helps with your graphics and is completely harmless–99% of the time.

SiS stands for Silicon Integrated Systems.  The SiS Mirage 3 integrated graphics chip allows computers to smoothly run 3D gaming graphics.  It enables the graphics card to switch clock settings automatically from 3D to 2D, which saves on CPU resources.

Sistray.exe makes it show up in the system tray on your computer.  This is the bar at the bottom-right of your windows screen that shows various icons (such as the Battery icon on laptops, and the Speakers/Volume icon on almost every windows computer in the world).

A malicious file also poses as this file.

It’s not a very common occurrence–but it does happen.  There is a Trojan virus called Prova that has a file called sistray.exe.  The file information will of course not list it as a virus.

How can you know if this file is “the real deal” or not?  Right-click on the icon or the file’s listing in your file manager.  Click on “properties” or “about” to see who or what program owns the file.  If a program other than Silicon Integrated Systems claims it, you may have a malicious file on your hands.

Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs do not take care of the whole problem.

If the sistray.exe file on your computer is from a rogue piece of software, then you definitely should run an anti-virus program to remove the Prova Trojan!

Unfortunately, anti-virus programs often do not clean up the mess that malicious software leaves behind.  You may still have problems with your Windows registry.

The Windows registry is a database that coordinates all of your system’s process files with one another, and with your computer hardware.  Without it, your computer would take way too long to perform even the simplest operation.

Unfortunately, programs like Trojan horses and viruses often leave this database damaged and “confused.”  Even non-malicious programs can leave behind “junk” in the registry when they don’t properly uninstall (many don’t).  The registry also becomes clutter through normal use, by no fault of the computer owner.

Regular application of a registry cleaning program will fix sistray.exe errors, as well as any other errors or damaged files.

Re-Tweet This Post

We want you to get the most from your computer, to optimize computer performance to the level that you won’t want to go back to living with the slow-running, average machine that you’re working with now.  So here are some tips to optimize computer performance and get you the speed you need.

First Steps toward Computer Optimization

The very first thing we recommend is to make sure that your anti-malware programs are up-to-date.  This can include virus protection, spyware protection, and other security threat prevention programs.  Depending on what you use your computer for, you may need to consider a firewall program.

Whatever your protection, make sure the updates do not expire, because new viruses and spyware are being created all the time, and old software simply will not find the new bugs.

Next, get into a routine of backing up your files regularly.  It doesn’t matter what system you pick (manual, an internet storage company, a software program).  What matters is that you do it.  Not only will this protect you from a loss of data, but it should get you deleting obsolete files and programs as you notice them, which will free up space on your computer, boosting speed and performance.

Clean House to Boost Performance

Your PC comes with various tools built in that will increase efficiency and optimize performance.  One such tool is the Disk Defragmenter.  Fragmentation is the name given to the process of breaking down files into chunks that fit the blocks of available space on your hard drive.  It takes a computer longer to access files that have been fragmented because the disk has to spin to several places to retrieve one file.

Running the Disk Defragmenter will put the files back together and leave the empty space all together to prevent further file fragmentation. (Run a search of your computer to find this tool, since its location varies depending on what version of Windows you’re running.)  Of course, as more programs are deleted, space frees up in inconvenient places again, so this is something to do monthly.

The Check Disk program is another tool provided with your PC.  This one repairs errors on your hard disk that may be caused by improper shut downs or program crashes.  These errors can lead to further errors.  So, in order to keep your computer performing optimally, you’ll need to fix the errors as they come.  Microsoft recommends doing this once a week.

Realize Your Need for Speed

Finally, to really boost speed, run a registry cleaner to optimize computer performance and target the errors on your Windows registry.  These errors can be responsible for a host of error messages and symptoms.   With a clean registry, your computer will run faster than you can remember!

Re-Tweet This Post