Windows 7 – when running old games, rundll32 is started for the first time

We had this occur on several print servers that we had configured. When we looked at it in Process Explorer, we would get a command line such as

rundll32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\hpmsn6bu.DLL,MonitorPrintJobStatus /pjob=135 /pname"PRINTER01"

After much research, we figured out that this only happened on machine that were using the HP Universal Printing Driver (both PCL 5 and PCL 6 flavors). This is a feature of of the HP UPD named Status Notification Pop-ups (SNPs). According to the HP website

SNPs provide immediate job information and printer status information by a small pop-up window on the client PC. SNPs also provide current information about printer consumables, such as toner levels and links to HP SureSupply ordering system and HP Instant Support page. The SNP feature, which displays during the submittal of a print job, is fully configurable through a variety of tools available to print administrators.

More information can be found here

• HP Universal Print Driver (PCL5/PCL6/PS) and HP UPD Tools, System Administrator's Guide
• HP Universal Print Driver Version 3.0

After you mentioned fixing this in XP before, you made me remember a reg file one of the other admins at my job keeps on his FTP. I have used it once on a users PC who was having the exact same issue as you (only he had xp) after I removed some malware. I figure I will post it here since it may help you out, even if it just points you in the right direction:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile]
@="Application"
"EditFlags"=hex:38,07,00,00
"TileInfo"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion"
"InfoTip"="prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\DefaultIcon]
@="%1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\runas\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\DropHandler]
@="{86C86720-42A0-1069-A2E8-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PEAnalyser]
@="{09A63660-16F9-11d0-B1DF-004F56001CA7}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\PifProps]
@="{86F19A00-42A0-1069-A2E9-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\ShimLayer Property Page]
@="{513D916F-2A8E-4F51-AEAB-0CBC76FB1AF8}"

If you want to try testing this back up HKEY_Classes_Root first, then paste the above text into notepad and save it as .reg then double click the file to import it. You made need to do it in safe mode. If it works for 7 please let me know!

UPDATE

I tried to import this key in an (ill advised) attempt at testing to make sure this wouldn't hose your PC. Windows 7 didn't take the file not really sure why... I don't have the time to look at it right now but I hope it at least points you towards the keys you should be looking at.