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MWSBAR.dll – What is it, and why is it generating an error?

Question:

I have a Rundll error message that states: Error loading
C:\Progra~1\MYWEBS~1\Bar\1.Bin\MWSBAR.dll. How can I fix that?

There’s a lot left unsaid in your question – like what system
you’re running on, what browser you use, and even when the error is
happening.

But, I’m going to make a few assumptions, and follow those up with a wild
guess.

Maybe it’ll help.

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First, “mwsbar.dll” is associated with the “My Web Search” toolbar which is
downloaded and installed with several different free products. The first step
is simple: go to Control Panel, Add or Remove
Programs…
and look for and uninstall “My Web Search Bar”. It can
actually be present under several different names, so look for any of the other
items listed here.

Even though My Web Search is not spyware, it’s apparently flagged by some
anti-spyware utilities. So my next recommendation is, of course, to make sure
you’re running a good, up-to-date spyware scan.

Now, all of that probably assumes that things are working – and obviously,
since you’re getting an error message, something isn’t quite right. Those steps
may, or may not, clear up the problem. Our next step is to address the
symptom.

“IE has an often over-looked interface for dealing with
‘Browser Helper Objects’.”

mwsbar.dll is what’s called a “browser helper object” or BHO. It’s something
that’s installed into Internet Explorer. I have to assume that that’s what you
are using, and that the error appears when you start IE.

Fortunately, IE has an often over-looked interface for dealing with “Browser
Helper Objects”.

In Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu, and then
click on the Manage Add-Ons… menu item. You should get a
dialog box similar to this:

IE's Manage Add-On's Dialog

The list of items therein will probably be quite different for you.

Now, you may already see something listed with the “My Web Search” name. But
if not, grab the scroll bar at the bottom of the list and drag it to the right.
The list will scroll to the left, and display an additional column – the name
of the File that provides the BHO:

IE's Manage Add-On's Dialog Showing File Names

Here you’ll most likely see “mwsbar.dll” listed one or more times. (You may
need to scroll down through the entire list.)

Once you find it, click on it, then click on the Disable
Setting below the list. Close the Add-on manager, close IE, and see if that
didn’t solve your problem.

If it didn’t (and you’re sure that all instances of mwsbar.dll are
removed from the Add-on manager), then the next step is to remove it manually.
Rather than repeat someone else’s work, I’ll simply point you here: Fun Web Products “My Web Search” Removal
Instructions and Help
, which includes instructions to use the diagnostic
tool HijackThis to remove the registry entries that relate to My Web
Search.

Do this

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22 comments on “MWSBAR.dll – What is it, and why is it generating an error?”

  1. Using Win XP
    1. No trace of “My Web Search” etc in Add/Remove programs,or in I.E./Tools/Manage Add-ons
    2. Downloaded “HIJACKTHIS”…Found the offending line on the first pass…Deleted it in 2 seconds flat….First Class!

    Reply
  2. I have read all of the article. I have a problem with this myself. ERROR FOUND C:\PROGRA~\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\MWSBAR.DLL not found. Is what I get when I get to my welcome screen. I have Windows xp
    I tried everything in the article, but it did not work. Can you help me, please. Thanks. Connie

    Reply
  3. I have Windows Xp, I read your article and did everything it said, I could not find the file in the Add/Remove program. Nor did I see it in my programs file. I tried the Internet Explorer Tools menu, I opened the Manage Add ons, I looked in every slot (“Show”) and I did not see the “mwsbar.dll”.
    I don’t think it exsist in my pc but it’s always giving me this: “ERROR FOUND C:\PROGRA~\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\MWSBAR.DLL not found”. I don’t understand why it’s still trying to exe. this file when it doesn’t exist… Please Help!

    Reply
  4. I have read all the articles on the subject of removing the spyware. I installed and ran Spybot. I deleted the BHO in “Manage Add On’s” and I am still getting the same message on my start up screen: C:\Progrm~\mywebs~1\bar\4.bin\mwsbar.dll, Specified Module could not be found” The only difference I can see is that my message has a \4.bin\ in the line. What else can I do?
    Thanks in advance,
    Bill

    Reply
  5. I aslo meet this error “ERROR FOUND C:\PROGRA~\MYWEBS~1\bar\1.bin\MWSBAR.DLL not found”. I follow your instruction, but I couldn’t find “Manage Add-ons” on Tools menu. How can I fix this problem? Please help. Thanks.

    Reply
  6. If you install the diagnostic tool Hijack this and run the search it will pull back a list just find the error you in this list, tick the box and remove. And hopeully your problems will be solved.

    Reply
  7. Sorry what I meant to say was that you will need to find the error that you have in the list. Then click to the tick box on the left and then remove it. It worked for me.

    Reply
  8. How do I get rid of C:\Program~1\mywebs~1\bar\4.bin\mwsbar.dll error during start-up of Xp windows. I went too IE Tools and mwsbar was not in the list of Add-ons.

    Reply
  9. I have a Rundll error message that states: Error loading C:\Progra~1\MYWEBS~1\Bar\1.Bin\MWSBAR.dll.

    I followed the instructions, went to Add and Remove but none of the My Web Search pages are there.???????

    Reply
  10. Hello Leo,
    When my computer finishes booting, I have a RUNDLL error come up on screen.

    “Error Loading cmicnfg.cpl
    The specified module could not be found.”

    My system is running XP with SP2.
    I have no idea where this comes from, hope you are able to help.
    I tried taking a screen shot of the fault, unfortunately couldn’t paste it to this query.
    Regards,
    Rod

    Reply
  11. Most of you seem to be getting an error message because, in point of fact, you -don’t- have that toolbar or its related products installed any longer. However, the computer likely has entries in an area known as the Registry, which tells the computer to load certain programs when you start up the computer. These entries which are still hidden away in your machine are what is causing the message to appear. It’s looking for that program you no longer have, and, when it doesn’t find it any longer, spits out that error message at you.

    As one or two others have mentioned, HijackThis will help you remove those entries from the Registry. Another way to find these entries is by using the MSCONFIG system utility. At the Run… command type: msconfig and hit then click on the tab that says ‘Startup’ and find any related entries in there and disable it.

    Cheers.

    Reply
  12. Hi,
    My computer had been acting strange soooo I did an antivirus scan on McAffe and they are he ones who had found this virus on my computer. I had copied the name and found the file and moved it to my desktop. Probably not the most smartest thing Ive done, but I had tried everything to alter it and failed. My computer will not let me delete it. So I had done some research on this and some of the websites say it is in your System Restore. I looked in the system restore and it will not go back to beyond the date of where this virus was picked up which was back in July.

    Many had said that that it is in your System restore and you should turn it off and work in safe mode to delete it, and your advice is to delete the added on searh engine…
    do you have any comments on this?
    Thank you in advanced

    Reply
  13. I tried to find MWSBAR.dll and it is not installed in Internet Explorer, anywhere that I can find on my computer. I am not able to remove it from add or remove programs because my computer can’t find it. Help PLEASE!!!

    Reply
  14. My OS is Windows 2000 Professional. I can’t locate Manage Add ons in the Internet Explorer Tools menu.

    It’s not a function of the operating system, it’s the version of IE you’re using. I believe the addon manager was added in IE 7.

    Leo
    28-Dec-2009

    Reply
  15. I have been at this for numerous days. I have tried adding ghost files with notepad, I have tried to use the registry editor, I have used CCleaner, I have tried manually removing the entries, I have used malware bits, I have installed spyware blaster, and a number of assorted other things including going into internet explorer and into the registry myself to remove registry entries, without success. I can remove everything associated with this mwsbar, but it keeps repopulating itself within nano seconds of being removed. There is some code somewhere which is calling for this thing which gives me the error message. I am at wits end and buggy from staring at this machine for so long.

    Reply
  16. hi leo,Every time i start my laptop,i get a Rundll error message that states: Error loading C:\Progra~1\MYWEBS~1\Bar\1.Bin\MWSBAR.dll. How can I fix that?
    Model:Compaq 620
    os : Windows XP
    processor:intel CORE2 Duo
    browser:Mozilla firefox
    no problem while running the internet
    problem is only while laptop is turned on
    antivirus:ESETNODE
    RAM:4 gb
    i have read the above article but it says nothing
    about wht to do whn the error occurs during laptop
    turn on.also i am specifying the details about my laptop.please,please reply.

    Reply

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