Strange Error with ntdll.dll Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1

Question

WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE X64 SP1

I have recently been trying out a (shareware) clipboard management program called Spartan, which comes loaded with heaps of clever and useful features, but it does seem to have a pretty steep learning curve.

When I started up the program for the first time after installation, I got the following error message:

"The procedure entry point RtlGetNtSystemRoot could not be located in the dynamic link library ntdll.dll."

The title bar of the error message dialog showed the program name, "SpartanClips.exe."

It should be noted that this was not a fatal error: the program was still able to start, and, as far as I can see, it still works fine.

Every time the program starts up, I get the same error message.

In the program folder, [C:\Program Files (x86)\Spartan Standard], there are 2 executables: "SpartanClips.exe" and "Lnch.exe," the second of which seems to be a launcher for external programs, such as the system default browser.

Now, the "Help" menu in Spartan's main window contains a number of items, most of which require the browser to be launched, and if I click any such menu item, I get the same error message as given above, but the title bar of the message dialog contains the program name, "Lnch.exe."

Again, this error is not fatal: the system default browser launches and takes me to the appropriate web page.

Even though I have not yet registered the program, the developer has been quite willing to provide as much help as he could, but unfortunately, he is also mystified as to why there should be an error with ntdll.dll, because his program does not make any calls to ntdll.dll, and he suggested that there might be a problem with either kernel32.dll or shell32.dll, because the program, "Lnch.exe," only makes calls to those two dlls when launching the default browser, and he suggested that one or more of those files might be corrupt, and that it might be worth checking and repairing them, as well as downloading and installing a fresh copy of the Spartan program itself.

Now, an uninstallation and reinstallation of Spartan made no difference, and neither did running "SFC /SCANNOW," which found no problems.

The Spartan program folder also contains a number of other DLLs:

Volume in drive C is SYSTEM

Volume Serial Number is 0CAC-7592

Directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\Spartan Standard

2017-04-12 11:28 78,336 ASYCFILT.DLL

2017-03-18 19:18 8,704 COMCAT.DLL

2017-03-18 19:18 27,136 CTL3D32.DLL

2009-07-14 01:15 1,386,496 msvbvm60.dll

2017-04-28 02:19 605,936 OLEAUT32.DLL

2017-04-28 01:33 89,088 OLEPRO32.DLL

2014-12-26 14:40 86,016 SPELL32.DLL

1997-01-16 00:00 29,696 VB5STKIT.DLL

2002-11-15 15:43 225,280 vic32.dll

9 File(s) 2,536,688 bytes

0 Dir(s) 836,495,990,784 bytes free

Whilst I know what some of these DLLs are, I'm a bit mystified about some of the others, particularly those with very old file dates. (There is one file that dates from 2009, another that dates from 2002, and yet another that dates from 1997)!

If anyone could give me some hints on how to use Windows Event Viewer to find a log of the failing calls to ntdll.dll, I might be able to supply some further information.

Also, if anyone could give me an explanation of the purpose of all (or any) of the 9 DLLs listed above, I would be much obliged.

One final request: If anyone feels that some more useful tags might be necessary for this post, I would be very grateful for suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer 1

This is no strange error. The developers called a function of the ntdll.dll that is only available in Windows 10 starting with RS2 (Creators Update):

#if (NTDDI_VERSION >= NTDDI_WIN10_RS2)
_IRQL_requires_max_(PASSIVE_LEVEL)
NTSYSAPI
PCWSTR
NTAPI
RtlGetNtSystemRoot (
    VOID
    );
#endif // NTDDI_VERSION >= NTDDI_WIN10_RS2

Ask support to get a Windows 7 compatible version.