Missing .dll, please help!!!

For some reason, all of a sudden my computer is missing some .dll which is vital to the OS apparently. Whenever i start windows in either normal or safe mode, i get the following message:

"Services.exe - Unable to locate component

"this application has failed to start because MSVCP60.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem."

I have no idea what caused this, as my computer was working perfectly fine last night when i shut it down. After i click ok on the message, the screen never advances, im at some weird point where the OS is up but nothing ever loads. Please help me!

Are your running an antivirus and firewall? Some malware may be to blame if not.

Get one running, and maybe do a repair install of Windows.

If you can rule that out, it might also be a hardware issue somewhere, like RAM. Instability might cause the OS to not load properly. More likely that is the cause if these error messages pop up close to when the OS is loading initially. Though maybe overheating is an issue if it occurs after having the computer on for a long time.

I suggest you find your install disk and use the Repair Installation option. If its a vital Windows component, it should be replaced/reinstalled by the Repair, which oughta solve your problem.

That file could have been corrupted or removed in some way. If the pc will start in safe mode, add the thing back where it belongs.

It goes in the C:\Windows\system32 folder on winxp

you'll probably just have to do a repair option with your xp disk or special partition.