873009 Update will not install [correction=> 837009]

If you've found invalid links, then email me details at the feedback addy on
the site (makes it easier to organise them) -
The IE6Remov.zip is a little utility for fooling the OS into thinking that
IE6 is no longer present, so that a reinstall of ME works properly, it's not
a tool I've ever personally used (I really must find time to do it, since
the author has since died)
IERadicator is a well-known tool for ripping out the whole of all versions
of IE on Win9x systems - make sure that you follow the instructions to the
letter, or you're likely to end up ripping out too much! This resolves all
known 'version soup' problems in ME, and enables you to then install
whatever version of IE you prefer - I would recommend that you install
IE6SP1.

The advice to read the goodpost link is attached in the sig of all my
newsgroup posted - don't take it personally!g
See my comments, interleaved with yours.....(marked with **)


Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)


"ForestSpirit" wrote in message
...
Noel Paton, what a pleasure to hear from you!

** I've been keeping any on prograss since Robear rfirst crossposted you
into the ME groups.


It will take me a few days to review all the details on your site and to
save the instructions in modified text (.txt) files with all the hyperlink
web addresses. Then I'll always have access to the info should my WinMe
browser on this PC be lost during the fixing process.

Without Internet Explorer, I won't be able to open the (.htm) or (.mht)
files saved on my hard disk. Without Outlook Express, I won't be able to
access email or newsgroups or open the (.eml) files saved on my hard disk.
At least I'll still have access to the newsgroups and the web from my
laptop.

My next logical step is to attempt the fixes on your web site for
"Uninstalling & Reinstalling IE in Me". In case of problems, I also want
to
be familiar with your "Reinstalling Me", "Help & Support Troubleshooting,"
and "PC Health and System Restore." I also want to have all the tools
downloaded in advance and know how to use them. I'll let you know of any
invalid links I find on your pages. I have found some already. What forum
would you like them posted in, or would you like me to email them to you
directly?

Since your fixes pertain to many more situations than the issues in this
thread, I'm wondering if more users will benefit if I create a separate
thread (or threads) for those questions. That's a few days away, though.
Right now one specific question that comes to mind is what's the
difference
between IEradicator and IE6remov, and in what situation(s) do I use each
tool?

My next post in this thread will have questions about my Belarc Advisor
results, which are pertinent to the current issues and hotfix statuses. In
the mean time, please read below inline.

"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
Looks good to me, FS!

Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Noel, what looks good, exactly? I'm not sure what you are referring to.

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

Thank you for the link on how to post messages to newsgroups. There is one
spelling error on that page in question 3. Atl+D is probably supposed to
be
Alt+D.

** Thanks - I'll let the webmaster know!

If I have done something wrong in posting, please tell me specifically
what
so that I will not do it again and can be a better member of this online
community. In the meantime, here is what I have learned so far.

** no, you're doing fine - as I said above, it's simply a standard sig,
which gets attached to all my NG posts

MAKING GOOD NEWSGROUP POSTS
1. Do some research first. (I always do. Sometimes I either find nothing
or
too many results or results that really don't pertain to my situation. A
new
post is usally best under those circumstances.)

** no problem, then!

2. Decide where to post. (Deciding which group is best for my post is
often
a problem, but I'm learning. For general non-technical questions, I can
use
newsgroups specific to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media
Player, etc. For technical or troubleshooting questions, a Windows Me
specific group seems to be best. I still have not found a good DirectX
newsgroup for end users on the Microsoft Community site.)

** microsoft.public.directx.misc would be a good place to start

3. How to compose your post. (Understood. I think I've done everything
right
that's mentioned here. I always try to choose a good subject line,
summarize
the problem, include error messages, provide sufficient details, describe
my
system, explain what has been done so far, and do the other things
mentioned. I always proofread also, but I will not have a spell checker
until Office 2000 is reinstalled. I don't want to install it until I have
properly slipstreamed it and until my current IE problems are fixed. One
drawback to newsgroups is that you can't go back later to edit your posts
as
you can on certain online forums.)

** editing posts can become a nightmare if not done correctly - as later
posters may still be using the earlier text to refer to.

4. After you post. (Understood. I don't think I've done anything wrong
here.)
5. Once your problems are solved. (Understood.)
6. Survival camp, posting errors to avoid. (Understood. I don't think I've
done anything wrong here either, except forgetting to include some of the
previous post in my replies. I've learned that the nonessential parts of
the
previous post should be deleted. It's hard to tell which parts I can cut
out
and which to include. I generally do not crosspost and usually do not use
ALL CAPITALS except intermittently for emphasis and headings, to separate
parts of the message for easier reading.)


** It's no accepted elsewhere, but here in the MS newsgroups, it's common
practice to leave the entire thread in place until the issues either become
refined, or the post becomes bulky - trimming can generally be left to the
responder.

HTH -


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
(there's that sig line again!g)

Noel, since I often need to reinstall Windows due to one problem or another,
I need to be familiar with how to use the tools to get things up and running
again. (At least viruses and spyware are not the problem. My system is
clean!)

IE6remov
----------
This is the tool you recommend to use BEFORE reinstalling Me (assuming I can
boot into Windows) to remove IE6SP1. Does it run only in Windows Mode or
will it work in Safe Mode?

What do I do if I cannot uninstall IE6 first, as in the case when I got the
error "Could not load Explorer.exe. You must reinstall Windows." I could not
get into either Windows Mode or Safe Mode, and reinstalling from DOS was the
only option.

Would IEremov ever be used AFTER reinstalling Me to remove IE6SP1, or do you
recommend IEradicator for that job? Let me know when you have a chance to
review that tool.

IEradicator
-----------
This would be the tool you recommend to use AFTER reinstalling Me. Does it
run only in Windows Mode or will it work in Safe Mode? Would this tool need
to be run at all if IE6remov had been run BEFORE the reinstall, or only if
there were "version soup" problems after the reinstall?

Would IEradicator ever work BEFORE reinstalling WinMe, or would you not
recommend that?

The IEradicator README states that:
"The only way to restore the web-view desktop features is to install 98lite
Professional or 98lite Free Preview (http://litePC.com) and use the
"ShellSwap" feature."

Does this mean that I'll lose the html preview features in Windows Explorer
after I run IEradicator? That I won't be able to see my custom html folder
messages or preview pictures and files? That all the icons on the right side
of the screen will be flush against the margin rather than off to the right
as is normally? When Explorer gets corrupted like that, generally the only
way to fix it is to do a system restore or reinstall Windows. I won't be
able to do a system restore, because system restore will be messed up by
IEradicator and all the restore points will be no good.

The README also states that IEradicator deletes the following folders and
their contents (English):
%root%\program files\internet explorer
%root%\program files\uninstall information
%windir%\application data\microsoft\internet explorer
%windir%\application data\microsoft\welcome
%windir%\catroot
%windir%\cookies
%windir%\desktop\online services
%windir%\downloaded program files
%windir%\favorites
%windir%\history
%windir%\java
%windir%\subscriptions
%windir%\temporary internet files
%windir%\web
%windir%\system\oobe
%windir%\system\catroot
%windir%\occache
%root%\program files\common files\triedit

This means I'll have to add everything back to my Quick Launch in the
taskbar. Since Java is listed, does that mean it completely removes the Java
Virtual Machine (or the Java2 runtime if you've upgraded to that instead)?
The VM3810 is only an update, isn't it? Doesn't it require a previous
version of VM (like the one that came in WinMe) to be on there first?

I think I'll also have to reinstall Macromedia Shockwave and Flash since
Downloaded Program Files will be wiped out, as well as the ActiveX controls
for Housecall, Panda Active Scan, BitDefender Online Scan, and my other
online security sites. I'd definitely better back up my Favorites, because
IEradicator will wipe all of them out, and I've got at least 5000 sites in
there!

Since C:\Program Files\Common Files is shown, does that mean I'd also better
back up my Outlook Express stationery? Many of those are custom. Since I'm
not a programmer and not very knowledgeable about code, it took me a lot of
trial and error to find the right HTML syntax to customize a lot of those
stationeries.

Will IEradicator search my hard drive and wipe out all the (.htm) and (.mht)
files I have saved there? I hope not. I've saved several web pages from
Microsoft and other hardware and software sites. I don't mean where you
view web pages offline in C:\Windows\Offline Web Pages. (Those will probably
be wiped out.) I mean where you are on a web page and select File - Save As
and then choose a location to save the page and then choose Files Of Type
(web page complete .htm/.html, web page archive .mht, or html only
..htm/.html).

Before I attempt to run IEradicator, certain programs that depend on IE (and
others that don't) may need to be uninstalled first. Your web site mentions
a few. I have not had time to write the post regarding my Belarc Advisor
results, but I need to do that soon because I think it's important to the
issues at hand. I have questions about the status of some of the hotfixes
shown and wonder if some of them need to be uninstalled before I do anything
with IEradicator. I'll try to get back to you later today about that.
Outlook Express and Net Framework 1.0 and 1.1 are among the ones I'm
concerned about.

-----------------
Outlook Express
-----------------
Your web page "Uninstalling & Reinstalling IE in Me" states that:
"[Y]ou need to Uninstall OE6 from the Add/Remove Programs Wizard BEFORE
removing IE6 (the uninstall won't work properly if there's no OE5 data
available) - so it's probably best to do that now, especially if you're not
planning on reinstalling IE6 immediately. Remember to reboot after the
uninstall!"

I have no OE5 data (or corrupt OE5 data), so OE6 may or may not uninstall
from Control Panel. If it does, there may be no files in my Outlook Express
folder or no Outlook Express folder. If it does not, how do I get OE out of
there? IEradicator documentation leads me to believe that it only removes
IE, not OE.

When I reinstall IE, I'm afraid IE may not put those OE files back in or it
may not install them completely, as was the case this time. How else do I
get OE back in there?

My Outlook Express mail store folders are no longer saved in
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities. I have them saved in a folder in My
Documents. I have two separate identities, one for mail (Main Identity) and
one for newsgroups. Will they be wiped out at that location, or should I
back them up to a second place, just to be safe, before trying to remove IE
or OE? How would you suggest backing up my Windows Address Book? Without OE,
it will be corrupted and all the contacts will be gone.

--------------------------
Windows Media Player 9
--------------------------
Are there any tools you know of that will remove Windows Media Player 9
before a WinMe uninstall (or after a reinstall if it's corrupted), or do I
just delete the wmploc.dll file and that's it?

Your web site "Reinstalling Me" states that:
"You first need to remove "Windows Media Player 9" (WMP9), if installed. Use
"System Restore" to remove it; or if that's not possible, then delete the
file "C:\Windows\System\wmploc.dll". This prevents the "VERX" error, which
will cause the re-install to fail."

That may be the reason I got the SUWIN error at 60-65% during the last
Windows reinstall. I could not find wmploc.dll to delete it.
I had to click IGNORE 50 times for Windows Setup to continue. The result was
that I had no working WMP 7.1. After WMP 9 was reinstalled, all the Windows
Updates for WMP installed fine. Belarc Advisor states that everything WMP
related has a green check mark, which means they are properly installed and
verified. I'm surprised, considering all the trouble I had with WMP.

At least I don't have any red X's with Belarc in any of the categories, but
I do have some blanks under Net Framework, IE, and OE, which means there's
not enough information to verify those hotfixes. I had difficulty getting
either version of Net Framework to install to begin with, and had to consult
the Microsoft Knowledge Base to get them installed. But let's save that for
my next post.

----------------------------
Later Versions of Windows
----------------------------
Will there be "version soup" problems also with Win2000 or XP? Everyone
needs to reinstall the operating system at some point, and that always puts
an older version overtop a newer one. How do those operating systems handle
reinstalls? (Just curious)

That's all for now. It's 4am. I'm going to get some sleep and get back to
you later about the Belarc questions and Net Framework so you can tell me
which things need to be uninstalled and reinstalled before/after running
IEradicator. I'll also email you later about the broken links on your web
site. I have more questions to come, but one post at a time. This is my
chance to ask and learn. Thanks to you and thanks to everyone for being so
patient and helpful.
--
ForestSpirit

"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
The IE6Remov.zip is a little utility for fooling the OS into thinking that
IE6 is no longer present, so that a reinstall of ME works properly, it's
not
a tool I've ever personally used (I really must find time to do it, since
the author has since died)

IERadicator is a well-known tool for ripping out the whole of all versions
of IE on Win9x systems - make sure that you follow the instructions to the
letter, or you're likely to end up ripping out too much! This resolves all
known 'version soup' problems in ME, and enables you to then install
whatever version of IE you prefer - I would recommend that you install
IE6SP1.

FS
It should never be necessary to reinstall ME over itself - please remember
that first and foremost!!!
If you're patient, then you learn a lot more about how to protect your PC
and data by repairing problems than you do by reinstalling - and frequently,
as you're finding out, it's a lot quicker and less hassle.
a Reinstall over-the-top is a last resort - only to be tried after all else
(except a clean install) has been tried and failed,

The 'cannot find explorer.exe' error is a common one, and is often fixed
quickly and easily without reinstalling window

IE6Remov is specifically for use prior to a reinstall of ME - and not for
use at any other time!
IERadicator is for whenever you have a need to remove root-and-branch a
version of IE, for whatever reason. There are side-effects to this that mean
that I would consider it a poor long-term solution to anything, but for the
purpose for which we're using it here, it's the best tool around.

Please read what's on the website - most people who've used it have found
that it works fine, and their system is back up and running in under an hour
after starting the process. Those who've had problems didn't follow the
instruction properly, as we discovered in troubleshooting the problems
later.

Yes you need to back up ALL your data - there's always a possibility that
something could go drastically wrong (but you should be doing that as a
matter of routine anyway?), most especially your Favourites and any critical
cookies you have.

WRT Outlook Express - In my experience, using this process doesn't affect
OE, since it's not uninstalled by IERadicator, but again - back up first.

HTM and MHT files should not be affected, unless they are in the deleted
folders.

WRT other OS's - each has their own foibles, and ME appears to be unique in
having the problem that reinstalling the OS fails to properly restore the IE
function - perhaps there was something missed in the Beta-testing of IE6,
and MS decided that it wasn't viable to fix it.

If you couldn't find the WMPLOC.DLL file earlier, perhaps it was because you
were unable to see hidden or system files - it should be in the
C:\Windows\System folder

HTH

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"ForestSpirit" wrote in message
...
Noel, since I often need to reinstall Windows due to one problem or
another,
I need to be familiar with how to use the tools to get things up and
running
again. (At least viruses and spyware are not the problem. My system is
clean!)

IE6remov
----------
This is the tool you recommend to use BEFORE reinstalling Me (assuming I
can
boot into Windows) to remove IE6SP1. Does it run only in Windows Mode or
will it work in Safe Mode?

What do I do if I cannot uninstall IE6 first, as in the case when I got
the
error "Could not load Explorer.exe. You must reinstall Windows." I could
not
get into either Windows Mode or Safe Mode, and reinstalling from DOS was
the
only option.

Would IEremov ever be used AFTER reinstalling Me to remove IE6SP1, or do
you
recommend IEradicator for that job? Let me know when you have a chance to
review that tool.

IEradicator
-----------
This would be the tool you recommend to use AFTER reinstalling Me. Does it
run only in Windows Mode or will it work in Safe Mode? Would this tool
need
to be run at all if IE6remov had been run BEFORE the reinstall, or only if
there were "version soup" problems after the reinstall?

Would IEradicator ever work BEFORE reinstalling WinMe, or would you not
recommend that?

The IEradicator README states that:
"The only way to restore the web-view desktop features is to install
98lite
Professional or 98lite Free Preview (http://litePC.com) and use the
"ShellSwap" feature."

Does this mean that I'll lose the html preview features in Windows
Explorer
after I run IEradicator? That I won't be able to see my custom html folder
messages or preview pictures and files? That all the icons on the right
side
of the screen will be flush against the margin rather than off to the
right
as is normally? When Explorer gets corrupted like that, generally the only
way to fix it is to do a system restore or reinstall Windows. I won't be
able to do a system restore, because system restore will be messed up by
IEradicator and all the restore points will be no good.

The README also states that IEradicator deletes the following folders and
their contents (English):
%root%\program files\internet explorer
%root%\program files\uninstall information
%windir%\application data\microsoft\internet explorer
%windir%\application data\microsoft\welcome
%windir%\catroot
%windir%\cookies
%windir%\desktop\online services
%windir%\downloaded program files
%windir%\favorites
%windir%\history
%windir%\java
%windir%\subscriptions
%windir%\temporary internet files
%windir%\web
%windir%\system\oobe
%windir%\system\catroot
%windir%\occache
%root%\program files\common files\triedit

This means I'll have to add everything back to my Quick Launch in the
taskbar. Since Java is listed, does that mean it completely removes the
Java
Virtual Machine (or the Java2 runtime if you've upgraded to that instead)?
The VM3810 is only an update, isn't it? Doesn't it require a previous
version of VM (like the one that came in WinMe) to be on there first?

I think I'll also have to reinstall Macromedia Shockwave and Flash since
Downloaded Program Files will be wiped out, as well as the ActiveX
controls
for Housecall, Panda Active Scan, BitDefender Online Scan, and my other
online security sites. I'd definitely better back up my Favorites, because
IEradicator will wipe all of them out, and I've got at least 5000 sites in
there!

Since C:\Program Files\Common Files is shown, does that mean I'd also
better
back up my Outlook Express stationery? Many of those are custom. Since I'm
not a programmer and not very knowledgeable about code, it took me a lot
of
trial and error to find the right HTML syntax to customize a lot of those
stationeries.

Will IEradicator search my hard drive and wipe out all the (.htm) and
(.mht)
files I have saved there? I hope not. I've saved several web pages from
Microsoft and other hardware and software sites. I don't mean where you
view web pages offline in C:\Windows\Offline Web Pages. (Those will
probably
be wiped out.) I mean where you are on a web page and select File - Save
As
and then choose a location to save the page and then choose Files Of Type
(web page complete .htm/.html, web page archive .mht, or html only
.htm/.html).

Before I attempt to run IEradicator, certain programs that depend on IE
(and
others that don't) may need to be uninstalled first. Your web site
mentions
a few. I have not had time to write the post regarding my Belarc Advisor
results, but I need to do that soon because I think it's important to the
issues at hand. I have questions about the status of some of the hotfixes
shown and wonder if some of them need to be uninstalled before I do
anything
with IEradicator. I'll try to get back to you later today about that.
Outlook Express and Net Framework 1.0 and 1.1 are among the ones I'm
concerned about.

-----------------
Outlook Express
-----------------
Your web page "Uninstalling & Reinstalling IE in Me" states that:
"[Y]ou need to Uninstall OE6 from the Add/Remove Programs Wizard BEFORE
removing IE6 (the uninstall won't work properly if there's no OE5 data
available) - so it's probably best to do that now, especially if you're
not
planning on reinstalling IE6 immediately. Remember to reboot after the
uninstall!"

I have no OE5 data (or corrupt OE5 data), so OE6 may or may not uninstall
from Control Panel. If it does, there may be no files in my Outlook
Express
folder or no Outlook Express folder. If it does not, how do I get OE out
of
there? IEradicator documentation leads me to believe that it only removes
IE, not OE.

When I reinstall IE, I'm afraid IE may not put those OE files back in or
it
may not install them completely, as was the case this time. How else do I
get OE back in there?

My Outlook Express mail store folders are no longer saved in
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities. I have them saved in a folder in
My
Documents. I have two separate identities, one for mail (Main Identity)
and
one for newsgroups. Will they be wiped out at that location, or should I
back them up to a second place, just to be safe, before trying to remove
IE
or OE? How would you suggest backing up my Windows Address Book? Without
OE,
it will be corrupted and all the contacts will be gone.

--------------------------
Windows Media Player 9
--------------------------
Are there any tools you know of that will remove Windows Media Player 9
before a WinMe uninstall (or after a reinstall if it's corrupted), or do I
just delete the wmploc.dll file and that's it?

Your web site "Reinstalling Me" states that:
"You first need to remove "Windows Media Player 9" (WMP9), if installed.
Use
"System Restore" to remove it; or if that's not possible, then delete the
file "C:\Windows\System\wmploc.dll". This prevents the "VERX" error, which
will cause the re-install to fail."

That may be the reason I got the SUWIN error at 60-65% during the last
Windows reinstall. I could not find wmploc.dll to delete it.
I had to click IGNORE 50 times for Windows Setup to continue. The result
was
that I had no working WMP 7.1. After WMP 9 was reinstalled, all the
Windows
Updates for WMP installed fine. Belarc Advisor states that everything WMP
related has a green check mark, which means they are properly installed
and
verified. I'm surprised, considering all the trouble I had with WMP.

At least I don't have any red X's with Belarc in any of the categories,
but
I do have some blanks under Net Framework, IE, and OE, which means there's
not enough information to verify those hotfixes. I had difficulty getting
either version of Net Framework to install to begin with, and had to
consult
the Microsoft Knowledge Base to get them installed. But let's save that
for
my next post.

----------------------------
Later Versions of Windows
----------------------------
Will there be "version soup" problems also with Win2000 or XP? Everyone
needs to reinstall the operating system at some point, and that always
puts
an older version overtop a newer one. How do those operating systems
handle
reinstalls? (Just curious)

That's all for now. It's 4am. I'm going to get some sleep and get back to
you later about the Belarc questions and Net Framework so you can tell me
which things need to be uninstalled and reinstalled before/after running
IEradicator. I'll also email you later about the broken links on your web
site. I have more questions to come, but one post at a time. This is my
chance to ask and learn. Thanks to you and thanks to everyone for being so
patient and helpful.
--
ForestSpirit

"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
The IE6Remov.zip is a little utility for fooling the OS into thinking
that
IE6 is no longer present, so that a reinstall of ME works properly, it's
not
a tool I've ever personally used (I really must find time to do it, since
the author has since died)

IERadicator is a well-known tool for ripping out the whole of all
versions
of IE on Win9x systems - make sure that you follow the instructions to
the
letter, or you're likely to end up ripping out too much! This resolves
all
known 'version soup' problems in ME, and enables you to then install
whatever version of IE you prefer - I would recommend that you install
IE6SP1.

I've learned how to back up account settings, email messages, news messages,
email/news store folders, and the Windows Address Book in Outlook Express
(for each identity), but how do I back up Message Rules?

Not certain, since I use very few - have a look here and see of something
helps
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"ForestSpirit" wrote in message
...
I've learned how to back up account settings, email messages, news
messages,
email/news store folders, and the Windows Address Book in Outlook Express
(for each identity), but how do I back up Message Rules?

Take a look at the KB article :-
OLEXP: How to Backup and Restore Outlook Express Blocked Senders List and
Other Mail Rules
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276511/EN-US/

Haven't tried it myself - let us know if it helps.

Mart


"ForestSpirit" wrote in message
...
I've learned how to back up account settings, email messages, news
messages,
email/news store folders, and the Windows Address Book in Outlook Express
(for each identity), but how do I back up Message Rules?

Finding, Backing Up & Moving OE Files & Settings
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/general/gen_015.htm

Inside OE: Backup and Restore
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

OLEXP: How to Backup and Restore Outlook Express Blocked Senders List and
Other Mail Rules
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276511/EN-US/

"ForestSpirit" wrote in message
...
How do I back up Outlook Express Message Rules?

-------------------------------------
Reinstalling Windows Me Over Itself
-------------------------------------
"Noel Paton" wrote in message
...
It should never be necessary to reinstall ME over itself - please remember
that first and foremost!!!

Wonderful. These newsgroups are teaching me so much, and so are you, Noel.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
ERROR: "Cannot load explorer.exe. You must reinstall Windows."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The 'cannot find explorer.exe' error is a common one, and is often fixed
quickly and easily without reinstalling windows.

Great. Please tell me the fix so I can save it to a text file. Also tell me
whether the fix is applicable to any other operating systems (95,98se,XP).

-----------------------------
Uninstalling Outlook Express
-----------------------------
WRT Outlook Express - In my experience, using this process doesn't affect
OE, since it's not uninstalled by IERadicator, but again - back up first.

Previous posts taught me how to back up the various OE settings. What is the
best way to uninstall Outlook Express? Since IEradicator will remove
Internet Explorer *completely*, should I also *completely* remove Outlook
Express? Since it is "version soup," I assume the *complete* uninstall would
be required. The following web page describes three methods for uninstalling
Outlook Express.

http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/general/gen_036.htm

Under the circumstances, I think choice 3 is best. Do you agree?

---------------------------
Internet Explorer Sites List
---------------------------
Is there any way to back up the long list of sites in the Trusted and
Restricted Zones in Internet Explorer? The sites are listed in Internet
Options in Control Panel and in the Windows Registry. While the list of
Trusted sites is relatively short, there are *thousands* of sites in my
Restricted Zone. At least three programs add entries to the Restricted Zone
for Internet Explorer. All three programs are easy to uninstall and
reinstall should they become corrupted. I have disabled their integration
and protection options and removed their startup entries from MSCONFIG.
1. IE-SPYAD
2. SpywareBlaster 3.2
3. SpybotSD 1.4 b2

The sites and domains, regardless of whether they are Trusted or Restricted,
are stored in two registry keys. If I just export these two keys, will that
do it?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Internet
Settings/ZoneMap/Domains

HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Internet
Settings/ZoneMap/Domains

VALUE DATA (Hexadecimal) for each site/domain.
2=Trusted Site
4=Restricted Site

The Windows hosts file has been backed up safely in more than one location.

----------------------
Preparing for Surgery
----------------------
Please read what's on the website - most people who've used it have found
that it works fine, and their system is back up and running in under an
hour
after starting the process. Those who've had problems didn't follow the
instructions properly, as we discovered in troubleshooting the problems
later.

Noel, I am very happy to know that many others who followed your
instructions were able to get IE/OE back up and running within an hour, but
every situation is unique. IEradicator is a VERY powerful program that can
do a LOT of damage, and it is best to get all concerns addressed before
using it. This is the first time I've done this, and I want to get it right
the first time. It'll be worth it once everything is fixed, no matter how
long that takes. Education and precautions now may reduce the
troubleshooting later. Thanks for understanding.

Noel Paton's "Uninstalling & Reinstalling IE in ME"
http://winnoel.users.btopenworld.com/ReInIE.htm

After re-reading the instructions on your site thoroughly, there are still
questions. There are many programs and Windows components that will be
affected by the removal of IE which are not mentioned on your web site. I
must determine which affected programs and updates can remain installed, and
merely have certain settings changed or disabled, versus which programs and
updates must be completely uninstalled before running IEradicator. If
possible, I want to reduce the number of programs that must be completely
uninstalled and reinstalled (more about that in separate posts).

Tearing down and rebuilding IE/OE, and all programs and Windows components
affected by this, is major Windows surgery. Preparation is key. This --
where we are now -- is the "preparation stage," backing things up and
"preparing" the computer to run IEradicator while minimizing data loss,
conflicts, and potential complications. There is a lot of work involved
before and after. I do not mind the work so long as everything will be
fixed.

Many settings cannot easily be backed up with a particular file or registry
key, so I must manually go into several areas and write them all down in a
text file. I've done a lot of customizing. Once the settings are written
down, then it's easier to recustomize them after IE, OE and the other
programs are reinstalled. Determining which Windows Updates will need to be
reinstalled must also be done. Belarc will need to be run again at some
point after IE/OE are reinstalled.

While waiting for responses to some questions, I will ask other questions in
separate posts. Responses can be nested to the appropriate message, kind of
like threads within threads, rather than just added to the very last post in
the thread and going even farther to the right. I'll be able to find
things easier that way.

In the mean time, I'm also downloading all the updates that will
probably need to be reinstalled (while I still have a browser!).

Plus, I have a life other than the computer. I'm going to watch some movies
while I'm waiting!

----------------------------
Belarc Advisor 6.1f
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Installed Microsoft Hotfixes
----------------------------
Legend:
(C) Marks a HotFix that verifies correctly
(X) Marks a HotFix that fails verification (Failing hotfixes need to be
reinstalled)
( ) Unmarked HotFixes lack the data to allow verification

Notes:
Since I can't type a check mark, I am using (C) instead.
Since I can't type a blank space, I am using ( ) instead.
This is only the most relevant portion of the Belarc report.
Nothing below has an (X), but there are some ( ).

Comments:
I don't know if there is supposed to be a mark next to
1.0 and 1.1 of .NET Framework or just for their hotfixes.
I don't know if there is supposed to be a mark for SP1
under Internet Explorer or just for its hotfixes.
I do not understand the -25 after Q329414.

..NET Framework
( ) 1.0
( ) S867461 on 12/29/2004
( ) 1.1
( ) S867460 on 1/9/2005
DataAccess
( ) Q329414-25 on 1/9/2005
Internet Explorer
( ) SP1
( ) Q887797
( ) Q889293
MSXML4
( ) Q317244 on 1/9/2005
Windows Media Player
(C) WM828026
(C) KB837272
WinME
(C) UPD273017
(C) UPD273991
(C) UPD290700
(C) UPD329115
(C) UPDQ823559
(C) UPD890175

-------------------------------
..NET FRAMEWORK 1.0/1.1 (and their service packs)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframewo...s/default.aspx
-------------------------------
From the above Belarc info, NF 1.0/1.1 may "lack the data to allow
verification" since there is nothing beside them or beside their hotfixes.
Maybe there isn't supposed to be a mark beside them, just beside their
hotfixes. What do you think? Should I completely uninstall NF1.0 and 1.1 and
reinstall them after IE is fixed, or should I leave them alone? There are
entries for .NET Framework in Internet Options, so I don't know how .NET
Framework will be affected by the removal of IE. The reason both .NET
Framework versions are installed is because some of my programs require 1.0
and others require 1.1.

If I must uninstall and reinstall both .NET Frameworks, I may need help
reinstalling them. There was an error message last time, and I had to
consult the Microsoft Knowledge Base to get it to install. (Whatever error
it was, it was an easy fix.)

------------
MDAC 2.8
------------
This will have to be reinstalled after IE is reinstalled.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...DisplayLang=en

-------------------------------------------
JAVA VIRUAL MACHINE (VM) 3810
-------------------------------------------
This will have to be reinstalled after IE is reinstalled.
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...en/default.asp

----------------------
Jet40SP7 v Jet40SP8
----------------------

Will SP8 work on Windows Me? It isn't specifically listed as a supported OS,
and there is not a separate download for Windows Me. If there is, where is
it? If not, then SP7 is still the latest for Windows Me.

Jet 4.0 Service Pack 8 (SP8) for Windows 95/98/NT 4.0 (KB829558)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

File Name: Jet40SP8_9xNT.exe
Download Size: 3782 KB
Date Published: 12/9/2003
Version: 4.0.7328
Supported OS: Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT
This update applies to: Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0

--

Jet 4.0 Service Pack 7 (SP7) for Windows Millennium Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

File Name: Jet40SP7_WMe.exe
Download Size: 3559 KB
Date Published: 6/25/2003
Version: 4.0.7328
Supported OS: Windows ME

--------------------------------------------
NORTON SYSTEMWORKS 2004 PRO
-Norton AntiVirus
-Norton CleanSweep
-Norton Ghost
-Norton Password Manager
-Norton Utilities
WINFAX PRO 10.03
--------------------------------------------
If you're using Norton Software of ANY kind, I recommend UNINSTALLING it
before proceeding!!!

Please explain why you think ALL Norton programs must be uninstalled, rather
than just disabling their options and their startup entries in MSCONFIG,
before running IEradicator. I assume you have some troubleshooting
experience with Norton, so tell me what specific problems you anticipate.
There may be workarounds.

Uninstalling and reinstalling WinFax is simple, but I'd rather not uninstall
SystemWorks due to possible problems activating it again after reinstall and
the complexities of uninstalling, reinstalling, and reconfiguring it. If the
problems Norton has with IEradicator are just related to virus definition
corruption and email protection, that's an easy fix. The removal of the BHO
in Internet Explorer may also be repairable. Most of Norton's protections
can be disabled by options within the suite, and its MSCONFIG entries can be
unchecked temporarily.
1. Symantec Core LC (Norton AntiVirus, not sure what it does)
2. NPROTECT (Norton Protected Recycle Bin)
*There may be 2 MSCONFIG entries. Disable both.*
3. QD FastAndSafe (Norton CleanSweep/One Button Checkup/WinDoctor)
*There may be 2 MSCONFIG entries. Disable both.*
4. ccApp (Common Client/Norton AntiVirus AutoProtect & Email
Check)
5. AcctMgr (Norton Password Manager)
6. GhostStartTrayApp (Norton Ghost System Tray Access)
7. ScriptBlocking (Norton AntiVirus ScriptBlocking)
8. ccEvtMgr (Common Client/Event Manager for scheduling scans)
9. ccSetMgr (Common Client/Norton AntiVirus, not sure what it
does)
10. GhostStartService (Norton Ghost)
11. CSINJECT.EXE (Norton CleanSweep/SmartSweep, monitors installs)
12. SymTray - Norton SystemWorks (groups Norton tray icons)

Is there any way Norton could remain installed while we remove and reinstall
IE/OE -- if I don't try to open or run any of its programs until IE/OE are
reinstalled? I've never had any problems with SystemWorks I haven't been
able to fix and there has been no reason to uninstall it. The problems I've
had have been with IE, OE, Windows, or other programs. If uninstalling
Norton first is the ONLY way (if it will get screwed up royally regardless
of any precautions taken), then I will (deep sigh) have to uninstall it, as
I have uninstalled Microsoft Office.

After IE is fixed and Norton is reinstalled, activation will be the next
hurdle. If it fails, that will mean being on hold for a Symantec customer
service agent for 30 minutes or more to get them to reset my product key
count so the program can be reactivated. If they won't reset it then I can't
activate it. It will have to be removed. I'll have to go back to Norton
SystemWorks 2003, which does not require activation but does not have Norton
Password Manager. Going back to it will mean a lot of extra surgery to the
operating system and Windows registry to delete all NSW 2004 references
manually, an unfortunate but often necessary step. That's another reason why
I don't want to uninstall SystemWorks! Please tell me your thoughts on this.