Windows won't start up

Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no option to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to see if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to our log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't help. The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7 wasn't in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same. We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type: scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7 wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same. We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

Explorer & IE are basically one & the same. Therefore, may as well try
this write-up, originally from a Gateway WEB site, which is a temporary
reversion to an earlier version of IE...

ONE THING: Do nothing more than stated here using Winfile, because, if
you move a file with it, you will lose that file's LFN (Long File Name)
in the destination.

Desktop Icons and Taskbar Are Missing

Affected Products: Software, System CDs
Affected Operating Systems: Windows® 98 , Windows® 98 SE,
Windows® Me

ISSUE: After starting Microsoft® Windows® 98 or Windows
Me, the taskbar is missing and there are no icons. When
starting Windows, the taskbar may flash on for a brief
second and then disappear. The only display visible is the
background wallpaper and the mouse cursor. Pressing
CTRL+ALT+DELETE brings up the Close Program dialog box,
but selecting End Task on the items on the list may not
have an effect. When the computer is started into Safe
mode, the issue still occurs. Running Scanreg /Restore
does not resolve the issue.

There have been several reports that the issue occurred
when restarting the computer after receiving a dialog box
that displays "Virus/spyware found. Do you wish to
remove?" or "Do you want to install Spyware Monitor?" The
dialog box only has Yes or No selections, and selecting
either can cause the issue. There is no X to close the
dialog box, however pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE to bring up
the Close Program dialog box lists a "Remove found
spyware?" entry, which can be end tasked.

(1) Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, & click Shut Down.

(2) After the computer has been shut down, turn on the computer. Hold
CTRL as you boot for the Startup Menu, or begin pressing the F8 key in
one-second intervals. If you complete this step successfully, the
Microsoft Windows Startup Menu is displayed. If no menu is displayed and
Windows starts up normally, repeat this step.

(3) At the Microsoft Windows Startup Menu, use the ARROW keys to select
"Command Prompt Only", and then press the ENTER key.

(4) At the command prompt, type:
EDIT C:\Windows\System.ini
Press ENTER.

(5) In the C:\Windows\SYSTEM.INI file, locate the line of text under the
[boot] section that lists "Shell=Explorer.exe". This is typically the
third line in the file.

(6) Edit the "Shell=Explorer.exe" line by deleting the "Explorer.exe"
text and replacing it with "Winfile.exe". The line should list the
following:
Shell=Winfile.exe

(7) To save the changes...
(a) Press the ALT+F+X keys separately.
A "Save File" requestor appears.
(b) Press ENTER to save the changes and return to the command prompt.
(TAB navigates the buttons of the requestor.)

(8) At the command prompt, restart the computer by pressing the
CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys. Once Windows has restarted, it starts into the
Windows File Manager (Winfile.exe).

(9) In the File Manager window, double-click "progra~1" in the left
hand window to open the Program Files folder.

(10) Double-click "intern~1" in the left hand window to open the
Internet Explorer folder.

(11) Double-click "setup" in the left hand window to open the Setup
folder.

(12) In the File Manager window, double-click "Setup.exe" in the right
hand window to launch Internet Explorer setup.

NOTE: If the setup folder is not available, Internet Explorer has not
been updated and a previous version of Internet Explorer cannot be
restored. You cannot use this method. Close "Winfile", shut down, & post
back, or try the URL at the very bottom of this post, which is an
over-install of IE.

(13) In the Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Tools Setup window, click
OK.

(14) In the Setup Message dialog box, click Yes to restore the previous
version of Internet Explorer.

(15) Internet Explorer setup removes components.

(16) In the Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Tools - Restart Windows
dialog box, click Restart Windows.

When the computer is restarting, hold CTRL for the Startup Menu, or
begin pressing the F8 key in one-second intervals. If you complete this

step successfully, the Microsoft Windows Startup Menu is displayed. If
no menu is displayed and Windows starts up normally, repeat this step.

(17) At the Microsoft Windows Startup Menu, use the ARROW keys to select
Command prompt only, and then press ENTER.

(18) At the command prompt, type:
EDIT C:\Windows\System.ini
Press ENTER.

(19) In the C:\Windows\SYSTEM.INI file, locate the line of text under
the [boot] section that lists "Shell=Winfile.exe". This is typically the
third line in the file.

(20) Edit the "Shell=Winfile.exe" line by deleting the "Winfile.exe"
text and replacing it with "Explorer.exe". The line should list the
following:
Shell=Explorer.exe

(21) To save the changes...
(a) Press the ALT+F+X keys separately.
A "Save File" requestor appears.
(b) Press ENTER to save the changes and return to the command prompt.
(TAB navigates the buttons of the requestor.)

(22) At the command prompt, restart the computer by pressing the
CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys

(23) Windows starts to a blue screen, but will still be
accessing the hard drive for a period of time. When
finished, Windows is on the desktop with icons, but an
older version of Internet Explorer is installed. You
should update your antivirus software, and then perform
Windows Update to install a new version of Internet
Explorer again.


http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=249191
Blank Desktop or Illegal Operations Error Message After You Install
Internet Explorer. This is a temporary reversion to an earlier IE, IF
that option is present.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=293174
Over-Install IE in Progman. This is an over-install of IE. I have a
detailed write-up for it, if you want.


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR

"Keri" wrote in message ...
| Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible colors
| & font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no option to
| change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to see if
| the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests past.
| Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to our log
| on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start to
| load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem with
| explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on this
| website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't help. The
| one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7 wasn't in
| our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same. We
| can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I tried
| to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into DOS
| and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
| invalid. Can anyone help??
| Thanks!
| Keri

Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors & fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error. I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer when I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try to us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type: scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7 wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same. We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

What is the exact error message you are getting--perhaps it can be fixed
without reinstalling the system. Are you able to boot in safe mode?

You are likely using an OEM disk that is designed for installing a system to
a blank hard drive. Information on reinstalling or upgrading with an OEM
CD: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193902
--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors &
fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error. I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer when
I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try to
us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the
registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The
five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use
even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at
the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type:
scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no
option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to
see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests
past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to
our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start
to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on
this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't
help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7
wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same.
We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

Hi Ron;

No, I can't get into windows even in safe mode.

So now, when I turn on the computer it goes to load windows then a error
comes up "error loading explorer.exe. Reinstall windows". I click ok then
another error comes up and says "explorer.exe fiel is linked to missing
export user32.dll:1 (?or I)sHungAppWindow"

I found a link from another message on this web page and made a Windows 98
boot disk. Will this help?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

What is the exact error message you are getting--perhaps it can be fixed
without reinstalling the system. Are you able to boot in safe mode?

You are likely using an OEM disk that is designed for installing a system to
a blank hard drive. Information on reinstalling or upgrading with an OEM
CD: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193902
--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors &
fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error. I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer when
I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try to
us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the
registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The
five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use
even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at
the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type:
scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no
option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to
see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests
past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to
our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start
to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on
this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't
help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7
wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same.
We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

One more question.. I upgraded most of my windows programs to Windows 2000
(ie. Outlook express, word). Will this be a problem?

Also, if I can install Windows 98 into a few folder & get windows running
again will I loose all the old e-mails I have in OE?

"Keri" wrote:

Hi Ron;

No, I can't get into windows even in safe mode.

So now, when I turn on the computer it goes to load windows then a error
comes up "error loading explorer.exe. Reinstall windows". I click ok then
another error comes up and says "explorer.exe fiel is linked to missing
export user32.dll:1 (?or I)sHungAppWindow"

I found a link from another message on this web page and made a Windows 98
boot disk. Will this help?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

What is the exact error message you are getting--perhaps it can be fixed
without reinstalling the system. Are you able to boot in safe mode?

You are likely using an OEM disk that is designed for installing a system to
a blank hard drive. Information on reinstalling or upgrading with an OEM
CD: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193902
--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors &
fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error. I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer when
I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try to
us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the
registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The
five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use
even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and at
the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter. At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type: CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type:
scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no
option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to
see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests
past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to
our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would start
to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on
this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't
help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7
wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the same.
We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode. I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

This article describes a troubleshooting technique that will let you get
into Windows:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=293174

This article talks about the error message you are getting:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188032

Once in, do the fix described above and you could use SFC to replace both
the explorer.exe and user32.dll file.

If all fails, you can proceed with the info I previously submitted on an OEM
installation and installing to a new folder. This assumes you have enough
room on the hard drive to keep the old Windows folder and a new folder (you
could name it: win98). Once the system is up and running, you can use OE's
import wizard to import your mail.

If you have not used SFC to extract files:

Run sfc.exe and select the "extract one file..." option. Type in the
complete name of the missing file you want to restore or use the browse
button for a file replacement. Click start and in the resulting window,
browse to the location of the folder containing the W98 .cab files (either
the hard drive or CDRom drive). If the information in the "save in" box is
wrong, use the browse button to show where the file is to be restored to.
Click OK and if appropriate, on the resulting screen, show the location
where the file being replaced is to be backed up to. Click OK or skip as
appropriate. Restart your computer and the file replacement will occur
during the boot process.

If you are going to use sfc.exe for other than the extract option, I highly
recommend that you first read the article he
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/using_sfc.html


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi Ron;

No, I can't get into windows even in safe mode.

So now, when I turn on the computer it goes to load windows then a error
comes up "error loading explorer.exe. Reinstall windows". I click ok then
another error comes up and says "explorer.exe fiel is linked to missing
export user32.dll:1 (?or I)sHungAppWindow"

I found a link from another message on this web page and made a Windows 98
boot disk. Will this help?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

What is the exact error message you are getting--perhaps it can be fixed
without reinstalling the system. Are you able to boot in safe mode?

You are likely using an OEM disk that is designed for installing a system
to
a blank hard drive. Information on reinstalling or upgrading with an OEM
CD: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193902
--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors &
fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error.
I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to
help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it
finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer
when
I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try
to
us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the
registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The
five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not
booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use
even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry
changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after
the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and
at
the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter.
At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type:
CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type:
scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the
registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If
you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that
has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had
terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no
option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to
see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests
past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to
our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would
start
to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a
problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on
this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't
help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7
wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the
same.
We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode.
I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go
into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive
is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

Thanks Ron. I'll give this a shot tonight. We only have an 8GB HD so I
don't know if we have enough room.. I'll let you know tomorrow. I appreciate
all your help.. I'm so lost without my computer!! :-)

"Ron Badour" wrote:

This article describes a troubleshooting technique that will let you get
into Windows:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=293174

This article talks about the error message you are getting:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=188032

Once in, do the fix described above and you could use SFC to replace both
the explorer.exe and user32.dll file.

If all fails, you can proceed with the info I previously submitted on an OEM
installation and installing to a new folder. This assumes you have enough
room on the hard drive to keep the old Windows folder and a new folder (you
could name it: win98). Once the system is up and running, you can use OE's
import wizard to import your mail.

If you have not used SFC to extract files:

Run sfc.exe and select the "extract one file..." option. Type in the
complete name of the missing file you want to restore or use the browse
button for a file replacement. Click start and in the resulting window,
browse to the location of the folder containing the W98 .cab files (either
the hard drive or CDRom drive). If the information in the "save in" box is
wrong, use the browse button to show where the file is to be restored to.
Click OK and if appropriate, on the resulting screen, show the location
where the file being replaced is to be backed up to. Click OK or skip as
appropriate. Restart your computer and the file replacement will occur
during the boot process.

If you are going to use sfc.exe for other than the extract option, I highly
recommend that you first read the article he
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/using_sfc.html


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi Ron;

No, I can't get into windows even in safe mode.

So now, when I turn on the computer it goes to load windows then a error
comes up "error loading explorer.exe. Reinstall windows". I click ok then
another error comes up and says "explorer.exe fiel is linked to missing
export user32.dll:1 (?or I)sHungAppWindow"

I found a link from another message on this web page and made a Windows 98
boot disk. Will this help?

"Ron Badour" wrote:

What is the exact error message you are getting--perhaps it can be fixed
without reinstalling the system. Are you able to boot in safe mode?

You are likely using an OEM disk that is designed for installing a system
to
a blank hard drive. Information on reinstalling or upgrading with an OEM
CD: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/upgrade.html

For information on installing W98, go to:
http://home.satx.rr.com/badour/html/w98_restore.html

How to Install Windows 98 Into a New Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=193902
--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Hi! I tried restoring the registry like you suggested and the colors &
fonts
returned to normal. However I'm still getting the explorer.exe error.
I
think this file could possibly be corrupt so I copied it from another
computer then reistalled it (via DOS) in my computer. That seemed to
help
this problem but now I'm getting a "user32.dll" error?? And it
finally
tells me to reinstall windows! Windows was originally on my computer
when
I
bought it.. so friend lent me a couple of other windows discs to try
to
us
them to reinstall but when I do that I'm told that there is another OS
already intalled. Do I need to remove the old OS (Windows) to install
another version? And can this be done in DOS?

Thanks!

"Ron Badour" wrote:

If this problem is less than five days old, restore a copy of the
registry
that predates the onset of the problem and see if that helps. The
five-day
limit assumes that the computer is booted every day. If it is not
booted
every day, you may have an old enough registry backup that you can use
even
though more than five days have elapsed. Note that any registry
changes
made after the date of the restored registry will be lost.

Ways of restoring the W98 registry include:

On the Start Menu, select Shut Down and Restart in MSDOS Mode. At the
Windows prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot to the boot menu by holding down either the ctrl or F8 key after
the
ram count occurs on the boot screen. Select Command Prompt Only and
at
the
C: prompt, type: scanreg /restore and hit enter.

Boot with the W98 start up floppy disk--CDRom support doesn't matter.
At
the A: prompt, type: C: and hit enter. At the C: prompt, type:
CD
Windows\Command and hit enter. At the Command prompt, type:
scanreg
/restore and hit enter.

Once the registry restore screen appears, select the date of the
registry
that you wish to restore by highlighting it and then click enter. If
you
see a registry named: Rbbad.cab, that is a copy of the registry that
has
already been replaced.


--
Regards


Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo



"Keri" wrote in message
...
Help!! A couple of days ago our computer would start but had
terrible
colors
& font sizes and when we went into the control panel there was no
option
to
change them like there ususally is. I ran our Detect & Repair CD to
see
if
the diagnostic program could pick up any isues but all of the tests
past.
Then I tried to go back into windows and the system would come up to
our
log
on screen (with our individual login names) and our desktop would
start
to
load (without the icons) then we'd get an error message about a
problem
with
explorer.exe and the code 015F:00401F31. I found article 296211 on
this
website and tried extracting files like it suggested but it didn't
help.
The
one thing I noticed is that article 296211 refers to 0157F, the 7
wasn't
in
our error code but the definition of the problem is exactly the
same.
We
can't get past this hanging desktop screen in normal or safe mode.
I
tried
to run our CD again (the repair one) and it won't go now.. if I go
into
DOS
and try to open that drive (the CD drive) it tells me that the drive
is
invalid. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
Keri

I'm so lost without my computer!! :-)

Been there and done that--NO fun. My wife and I have our own computers and
I have a spare desktop and a laptop. Just like a boy scout--be prepared G

Regards

Ron