I recently started getting APPCRASH crash errors. My situation is similar to this question (in that a .dll file causes Windows Desktop Gadgets to crash), but the solution of scanning with MalwareBytes did not work for me. All of them seem to be caused by mshtml.dll. The error reports:
Windows Desktop Gadgets
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: sidebar.exe
Application Version: 6.1.7601.17514
Application Timestamp: 4ce7a1c7
Fault Module Name: mshtml.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.0.9200.16576
Fault Module Timestamp: 515e3be5
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000000000023dfb
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 935c
Additional Information 2: 935cdd6cb1f65a918e65359ef3d3c0e3
Additional Information 3: 5913
Additional Information 4: 591332b3b68f04691b8a7657d837a9b2
.NET Reflector 8.1.035
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Reflector.exe
Application Version: 8.1.0.35
Application Timestamp: 51815f6a
Fault Module Name: mshtml.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.0.9200.16576
Fault Module Timestamp: 515e3be5
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000000000023dfb
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: ab18
Additional Information 2: ab18c9216818a6ada82d31e78f14eb55
Additional Information 3: 78c8
Additional Information 4: 78c8fdc3edce8561db582be3f30bddc2
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: LMU.exe
Application Version: 4.0.35.0
Application Timestamp: 4d06d384
Fault Module Name: mshtml.dll
Fault Module Version: 10.0.9200.16576
Fault Module Timestamp: 515e3be5
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000000000023dfb
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: a789
Additional Information 2: a789803427aca2d2e0215a378699ade9
Additional Information 3: 80e2
Additional Information 4: 80e2f41d0a05c9bbb2e66b625fc416cb
As you can see, all of the information regarding mshtml.dll is the same. This has led me to believe that there is something wrong with my copy of the dll file, but webpages load perfectly file with all browsers. The only commonality between these crashes is that a program is trying to connect to the internet (Desktop Gadgets to get news, 3ds Max and Reflector to check registration). However, most other applications work perfectly fine when connecting to the internet.
Do I have a virus? Malware? Neither MalwareBytes nor Microsoft Security Essentials Prerelease detect anything in a full scan, and most Googling I've done details not being able to load pages in Internet Explorer. I'm at a loss on how to fix this.