What is this & can i delete it safely without affecting any other programmes etc??? could it be this that is causing screen freezes???

Google is your friend. Try entering the name and you will get MANY hits.

Hello FFTB. Go here and follow the instructions. http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/dll_iphlpapi.phtml GEP

Not sure why you would want to delete it. Removing files is an unusual (and often dangerous) way to cure problems. You do not give the error message (or whatever it was) that leads you to suspect this file so it's tricky to be to certain what to advise. It is a perfectly normal Windows file (IP Helper API) so if you want to replace it you can do so by typing sfc in the Run box and using the "extract one file feature" to get a new one off your W98SE CD. It is safe to use sfc in this instance because it is an original file that doesn't get updated. DerekW

OK - maybe I'll leave it alone if it's harmless. However - my screen keeps freezing - no pattern seems to have developed - ie I can be online or not, in Outlook or Word etc. (I only got the IPHL... message once on reboot). Any ideas from anyone?

Freeze-ups can be a pain to find. They mean that the computer has lost its way and can often be due to some wrong file version somewhere. I would be inclined to replace Iphlpapi.dll using sfc because you shouldn't be getting error reports. If you use IE, that can collect wrong file versions and is well integrated into Windows. Try running IE Repair and if it has problems note what file is reported. Copy the following into the Run box then run it offline: rundll32 setupwbv.dll,IE6Maintenance Change 6 to 5 if you are still using IE5. The above is one "Aspirin", another one that often helps is to Restart in MS-DOS and type scanreg /fix (which rebuilds your registry and is quite safe). Type exit to restart Windows. Hit Return key after all commands. DerekW