Windows NT "Ordinal 654" Error Messages

So, I read through the 64 newsgroup postings on this specific error. There really wasn't a sure-fire fix for this.
The consensus was that some installed program replaced SHELL32.DLL with its own version, and other apps that need this Windows system file are now not able to use it. It is the wrong version.
So, the first thing to try is to uninstall whatever you installed before the file broke! Was it an IE upgrade? Uninstall it.
Also, how bad is your problem? Can you install/uninstall anything? If you can install programs, then run the Service Pack 6a install.
If you can't install due to this problem (several postings mentioned this), then things get drastic. You will need to replace SHELL32.DLL with a copy from another system (or extracted from a SP6a), but you need to know what version of the file you need. So, if you have another system that is also running NT with the same SP level and similar programs (like the same version of IE), you could copy the file from that system, put it on a floppy, go to the broken system, and try to replace the current invalid copy with this one.
But, you will probably get the error how you can't change a file that is in use.
If that's the case, read Technet article Q228930 on the INUSE.EXE app, that is used to replace files that are locked:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q228930
(please remove any spaces)

hope this helps

NOTE: this problem is prohibiting me from running almost all programs on the system. I can run FIND from the START menu. I can run the Windows Explorer to browse the disk and check properties, but I can't copy files or view files. I can open a DOS window and perform DOS functions, like CHKDSK. (The disc check out OK.) I can't run the NT 4.0 SP6a CD update program. I can't run either Internet browser (IE 5.5 or NN 4.75). I can't run any of the Norton Utilities or Cleansweep. I can't run any of the NT Admin diagnostics that come with NT, like the EventViewer.

PS: I replaced the SHELL32.DLL from the SP6a CD manually, via DOS COPY. It didn't resolve the issue. The problem seems to be other than SHELL32.DLL, even though SHELL32.DLLis named in all of the error messages that can't find ordinal 654.

Regards,
J. Kafka

FINAL UPDATE: The problem has been SOLVED !!

This problem can be resolved by replacing the file COMDLG32.DLL in the WINNT\SYSTEM32 folder. In my case I was able to restore this file manually (using winfile.exe) by copying it from the Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a CD. Once I rebooted the system, the "ordinal 654" error messages went away.

Apparently, my last software install replaced the COMDLG32.DLL file with one that was incompatible with my current version of Windows NT (which was NT4.0 SP6a).

Best regards,
J. Kafka