Hi,
I started getting "explorer has caused an error in browseui.dll" when I start up. My only option is to close the window. After that all I can access is CTRL-DEL and shutdown. I turned off system-restore previously, so that's not an option. I have also tried scanreg /fix. That made no difference. Then I tried reinstalling over the current installation. Same message. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Thanks,
john

www.cedargallery.nl

Tried scanreg /restore ?

Tried IE6 repair option ?

Tried extracting a new browseui.dll from your .cabs ?

Tried uninstalling IE6 ?

I'd try the first three first.

Hi Viking,
I tried scanreg /restore, but there's no backup, so nothing really to restore.
I can access IE. Can't get into windows.
I don't know how to extract files from cabs, but I tried copying browseui.dll form a working installation. Didn't make any difference.
I don't know how to uninstall IE 6 from a command prompt.
Thanks,
.... john

www.cedargallery.nl

If you get your Windows ME start up disk and follow the instructions in MS Article ID 129605: HOW TO; Extract Original Compressed Windows Files - you want "Extract Files By Using Startup Disk".

When you've used the ext command you follow the on-screen prompts and extract browseui.dll from either:

C:\Windows\Options\Install

or

C:\Windows\Options\Cabs

and you extract the file to C:\Windows\System

Thanks again Viking.
Well, improvement ...... I think.
After replacing browseui.dll I get a blank screen, no error warnings. Also no start button, or anything else for that matter. When I do the CTRL/Alt/Del thing I get a blank window. Oh, and the mouse works.
......... john

www.cedargallery.nl

A browseui.dll error wouldn't have created that lot all by itself, so you more than likely have corruption somewhere else too ...now you have to figure out where, without having seen another error message.

Personally, I would say the install is borked and you would be better off starting afresh as you will probably be chasing down corruption for a long time with this install and it becomes pointless exercise.

However, I could suggest a couple of things for you to "try" but I'm not promising anything. It's up to you how you want proceed.

Hi Viking,
I'd kinda like to get it working, because it has few applications I'd like to use. At this point its just a challenge. I don't need it for anything specific, so I'll just peck away at it 'til I get tired of it, or run out of ideas.
I'd just tried something wild and wooley that may tell us something. Since both drives, the one I'm writing on now, and the 'bad' one were happily running on the same machine, I thought I'd just try substituting the 'bad' one's registry with the one in the 'good' drive. (classes, user, and system dats) When I did this I got 'exactly the same result as before, i.e. blank page, working mouse, no bars. Interesting. Does this suggest to you that the registry is NOT the problem?

www.cedargallery.nl

Ok, if you want to carry on, next for me would be to chance swapping out explorer.exe using the same method as before (ext). Not being able to get to the desktop is usually a sign it's broke. And a registry error would create a message usually.

Hi Viking,
I haven't written you because I wanted to feel confident that I had found the solution, before doing so.
Replacing explorer did not change anything. But in the process of surfing I discovered that I can access the file system if I replace shell=explorer.exe with shell=progman.exe in system.ini. This was a big help. Then I read where someone said that reinstalling internet explorer often solved a lot of problems in windows. So, I did that, and low and behold it booted to windows with tray, icons ........ everything. And that pretty much did it.
I want to thank you very much for your help.
..... john

www.cedargallery.nl

yeh, progman.exe was the next one, and after that it was checking out the system restore from DOS. Usually one of them work, it's just a case of working through them, but the downside is that the actual installation will likely be problematic from now on, so don't expect a smooth ride with it. Glad you got it up and running though, you might get lucky.

Thanks again Viking. No unusual problems so far. (Keep your fingers crossed.)
....... john
By the way. Do you like XP?

www.cedargallery.nl

Yep, as far as Windows goes, I like XP Pro a lot and service pack 3 should round the OS up quite nicely, but it's looking a little long in the tooth now.

I actually like Vista in a lot of ways and it was a necessary step in Windows development but didn't appreciate the jump in hardware needed to run it, but everything is commensurate I suppose.

Thanks Viking,
I like XP, but I actually like ME quite well. Is Vista expensive?
........john

www.cedargallery.nl

The OEM versions aren't too bad now, Vista Premium being the one you'd go for unless you had reason not to. I would wait till the integrated service pack 1 discs start rolling out first though.

The other consideration is hardware. Do you have the necessary hardware to run Vista comfortably, is the question you should be asking. A modern CPU and 2GB of DDR2 RAM are both dirt cheap atm, and perfectly capable of running Vista smoothly. P35 motherboards are also cheap enough now.

I've recently seen Dell coming up with some great spec'd systems for relative peanuts with all of the above....and I'm no particular fan of pre-built systems, but the Dell stuff I checked out online was good value.

Well, my P3/800 mhz 600mb SDram surely does not have the SMACK. But, I'm okay with Me/XP for the time being.

www.cedargallery.nl