Automation error running .NET 2.0 application

Question

We have a client who recieve this error when trying to run our .NET 2.0 application:

System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Automation error
The specified module could not be found. 
   at xyz.getClass.Setup()

The xyz module is a dll written in vb6.0 and should have been installed propertly. The application is running fine on houndrets of other clietns. When running Dependency Walke on the file it tells us that the following files are missing:

EFSADU.DLL
IESHIMS.DLL
WER.DLL

The computer info tells us this:

Dependency Walker: 2.2.6000 (32-bit)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home (32-bit)
OS Version: 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
Processor: x86 Family 15 Model 76 Stepping 2, AuthenticAMD, ~1795MHz
Number of Processors: 1
Computer Name: NOTEBOOKDELL
User Name: Public
Local Date: 18. august 2010
Local Time: 14:17:38 Central Europe Daylight Time (GMT+02:00)
OS Language: 0x041B: Slovak
Memory Load: 70%
Physical Memory Total: 467.705.856 (447 MB)
Physical Memory Used: 329.547.776
Physical Memory Free: 138.158.080
Page File Memory Total: 1.104.322.560
Page File Memory Used: 335.462.400
Page File Memory Free: 768.860.160
Virtual Memory Total: 2.147.352.576
Virtual Memory Used: 63.356.928
Virtual Memory Free: 2.083.995.648
Page Size: 0x00001000 (4.096)
Allocation Granularity: 0x00010000 (65.536)
Min. App. Address: 0x00010000 (65.536)
Max. App. Address: 0x7FFEFFFF (2.147.418.111)

What does the three missing files means, and are they the reason for the error - anyone?

Regards and happy coding!

Answer 1

Does the dll just need to be registered on the client? Sometimes that's all it takes. I can't tell you how often this was an issue back in my helpdesk days.

See "registering a DLL"

Here's a better link with no ads. Sorry.

Answer 2

Here's an answer copied from tyranid

ieshims.dll is an artefact of Vista/7 where a shim DLL is used to proxy certain calls (such as CreateProcess to hand protected mode IE which doesn't exist on XP so it is unnecessary. wer.dll is related to Windows Error Reporting and again is probably unused on Windows XP which has a slightly different error reporting system than Vista and above.

I would say you shouldn't need either of them to be present on XP and would normally be delay loaded anyway.

There are also rumours that EFSADU.DLL is part of the encrypted file system and similarly would not be present on XP.

So the dependency walker reports may be a red herring: your real problem may be something else entirely.