PRB: Screen Saver Fails to Run Due to a User32.dll Error (182562)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), when used with:
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000
    • the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP
This article was previously published under Q182562

SYMPTOMS

The Screen saver fails to run, and the following error message appears:
Initialization of the dynamic library <system>\system32\user32.dll failed. The process is terminating abnormally.

CAUSE

A process applied a NULL Discretionary Access Control List (DACL) to the WinSta0 Window Station.

RESOLUTION

A process should not apply a NULL DACL to the WinSta0 Window Station. Either an access control entry (ACE) should be added to the existing ACEs in the DACL, or, if the DACL is replaced, it should contain at least one ACE.

For more information on adding an ACE to the interactive Window Station and Desktop, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

165194 INFO: CreateProcessAsUser, Windowstations and Desktops

STATUS

This behavior is by design.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:5/1/2004
Keywords:kbACL kbAPI kbDLL kbKernBase kbprb kbSecurity KB182562
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.