How do I get rid of this loading error on startup?

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Summary: Errors about failing to load some file on startup or login are not uncommon. Typically they're the result of malware or a failed or improper uninstall.

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I get variations on this question a lot. The specifics of the error message changes - usually referencing a different file, but the error is always the same: something about an inability to load or launch a program after logging in.

The most common cause is malware of some sort, or incompletely cleaned malware. Incompletely or incorrectly uninstalled software in general can also this error.

There are several steps you should probably take.

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As I said, the single most common cause for this type of error is malware. In fact, the garbled name of the file ("goMdDuuV" in your example) is typically a sign of malware. Malware authors often use randomly generated names in an attempt to avoid detection by anti-malware programs.

Given that malware is likely to be involved, the very first step should be to run an up to date anti-virus and anti-spyware can. By up to date, I mean that both the programs are up to date, and that the databases of malware definitions they use are up to date.

In many cases, actually cleaning up a malware infection can leave these kinds of errors behind. The actual file (again, "goMdDuuV.dll" in your case) might be deleted by the cleaning process and you're no longer infected by it, but a start-up reference to the file remains. Normally, anti-malware software will delete those references as well, but sometimes for various reasons they do not, or cannot.

The same thing can happen if an uninstall fails, or if you simply delete a program rather than uninstalling it. Most uninstall programs make sure to clean up registry entries that involve automatically starting up the program or some helper application. If you delete the software without running the uninstall program, those registry entries still exist, and will cause the errors you're experiencing when you try to login.

Regardless of how you've arrived at the error, the next step is the same: download autoruns, a free utility from Microsoft that will let us explore everything that your computer might try to automatically run for you.

When you run autoruns, you should get something like this:

Now, I don't have "goMdDuuV.dll" on my machine, or any error relating to it, so I'm going to use "jusched.exe" in the examples below; it's the Java runtime updater. It's benign, so I won't be disabling it, but I will show you how.

Type CTRL+F in autoruns to get the find dialog:

Type in the name you want to look for. In your case that would be goMdDuuV.dll - in mine, I'll type in jusched.exe, and then press Find Next:

At this point you have several options:

• Uncheck the checkbox in front of the entry. This will disable it.

• Double click on the entry, and autoruns will open regedit on the associated registry entry for this item.

• Right click on the entry and select Properties and you'll get the properties of the actual target file "jusched.exe"

• Right click on the entry and select "Search Online..." and Autoruns will open up a browser window with a Google search on "jusched.exe"

• Right click on the entry and select "Delete" to completely remove the entry.

For something as obviously malware related as "goMdDuuV.dll" I'd be really tempted to simply use that last option to remove the entry.

If you're not sure, even after researching the entry with some of the other options above, then simply uncheck the checkbox. That way you can gauge the impact, and and decide later whether to re-enable it or delete it completely.

Now, one last problem that comes up:

"What if it comes back?"

Sometimes, after going through all the hassle we just did to locate and remove a problematic entry like this, the error returns anyway, and the entry you deleted in autoruns also reappears.

If that happens, it's most likely that either:

• The malware you thought was removed by your anti-spyware or anti-virus software isn't. A magically reappearing auto-start entry is classic malware behavior.

• If the entry is due to other software you think you uninstalled ... it didn't uninstall completely. There is some aspect of that software that remains, and is attempting to repair itself by re-creating the auto-start registry entries that it thinks are important.

In either case, you'll need to take additional steps to more completely eradicate whatever the root cause of the problem is. That might mean more or better virus scans, or contacting the software vendor, or something else. It will all depend on the specifics.

Related:

• How do I determine what I absolutely need to load at startup? Windows startup is a complex process further complicated by the number of software packages that add themselves to the list. Paring it down takes work.

• What's all this stuff running after I boot Windows? When you start Windows many programs start automatically as well. It can be difficult to identify everything and whether or not they're all necessary.

• How can I delay programs that start automatically? Lots of software starts when you login to Windows, but you have very little control over timing and order. There are free solutions available.

Article C3482 - August 27, 2008