MS UPDATE FAIL causes api-ms-win-downlevel-user32-l1-1-0.dll MISSING

Wow, I've been reading thru this thread as I've become a new victim of this horrible mess from Microsoft when I tried to install updates. Here's my thread, which Microsoft now seems to be ignoring after giving me 4 things to try which did not work! http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_7-performance/problems-after-trying-to-upgrade-from-ie9-to-ie11/78356226-f2fd-47b4-823e-8e634fdee987

I'm also not a techie and the thought of doing a complete re-install scares me. My Win7 came preinstalled too so I do not have a disk. My computer does have a Recovery (D) drive. Would that be any help? Any suggestions for how to go about getting a disk, and some good clear instructions about doing a reinstall? Or should I just take my laptop to a repair shop and pay the horrible amount I'm sure they'll charge and hope they know what they're doing?

Has anyone found any other solutions that work when Microsofts suggestions (other than a complete reinstall) don't?

I'm strongly thinking my next computer purchase will not be a PC that runs Windows.

But for now I really want to get this one working right.

Re-installed IE now version 11 and no different i.e. can load IE

Hi

I am a newbie here and not a techie but....but seem to have got here by a somewhat different route.  Maybe this will help others and maybe some suggestions may help me too.

I use Outlook 2007 and - perhaps - 2 weeks ago I realised that I couldn't download the images associated with emails (always had in the past if I wanted). [ I have a red x or blank box in the email message].  When I answer YES to the do you want load images nothing appears to happen.  If exit the email it asks me if I want to save the changes - so it thinks it has made changes but they are not visible.

I tried to use a dll fixer to install api-ms-win-downlevel-user32-l1-1-0.dll but that said it could not access the internet (perhaps trying with IE).

I then found another 'solution'  http://www.msoutlook.info/question/588 which suggested the problem was with IE.  It is years since I used IE (Firefox / Opera and sometime Chrome) so tried to open IE and it tells me it can't open IE because api-ms-win-downlevel-advapi32-l1-1-0.dll is missing try a reinstall

I'll pursue and update - need to close all

+1 for having this issue and for mind it's related to the installation of IE10 and or IE11.

I didn't fully recitfy the issue but here's a workaround.

1. Perform a system restore (if available) taking you to a point before the IE10/IE11 insttallation attempt was performed.
2. Go the Control Panel > Windows Update > Change Settings
3. Set Important Updates to 'Never Check for Updates' to prevent IE10 from installing automatically
4. Download and install either Chrome/FireFox/Opera etc
5. Go the Control Panel > Programs and Features
6. Click 'Turn Windows Features on or off'
7. Clear the tick from Internet Explorer 9 then reboot

With this in place IE is removed/disabled and you use either Chrome/FireFox/Opera etc to browse the web. You can reset the Windows Update settings and run a scan. WU should not detect IE10 and install it automatically.

Now I have a hunch the following IE active-x/add-ons were installed

• Google Toolbar (not a suspect)
• McAfee (Maybe)
• Windows Live Mesh (prime suspect)

Unsure for certain if these were the root cause.

I had this same problem about a year ago. The only thing that worked was a clean re install of Win 7. Since it had come pre-installed on my computer it was a REAL hassle trying to get a disc from MS, but they finally relented. Once re-installed I occasionally got a "Windows not genuine" message, but after entering the code about a dozen times that stopped too.

ChrisPantaz is correct, I am afraid. The only way to fix this is to do a COMPLETE Win 7 re-install. Fixes don't work.