MORE INFORMATION
When an invalid page fault occurs, an unexpected event occurs in the
Microsoft Windows operating system. An invalid page fault indicates that a
program improperly tried to use random access memory (for example, when
a program or a Windows component reads or writes to a memory location that
is not allocated to it). When this occurs, the program can potentially
overwrite and corrupt other program code in that area of memory.
An invalid page fault may occur when parameters are passed between programs
and the Windows 98 operating system. An invalid parameter may cause a
program to run invalid instructions, which results in an invalid page
fault. This behavior usually occurs because a program incorrectly passes
data that Windows or a Windows-based program cannot interpret.
Important Follow the steps in each of the sections in this
article in the order in which they are presented. Because invalid page
faults are typically caused when two or more programs interact, skipping
steps may increase the time it take to identify the problem.
Determine If the Problem Is Documented
Many Kernel32.dll errors are already documented in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base and have solutions. For more information, query on the following words
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
"invalid page fault" kernel32.dll
Note It may be helpful to add the program name in which the problem occurs at the end of the query to narrow your search.
For more information about related Kernel32.dll error messages, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
162398
First Aid 97 causes invalid page fault
166125 Problems with Millennium and Mystique video cards when you use Office 97 programs
162153 Problems after returning computer from suspended state
Do Not Install Clip Art, Binder and Find Fast
On some systems, cancellation of the installation of Clip Art, Binder, and
Find Fast will resolve this problem during Setup.
These components are installed with a Typical or Custom installation. You
must perform a Custom installation and choose not to install these
components. To do this, follow these steps:
- Quit all programs.
- On the Start menu, click Run.
- Type the following to start Setup:
where Drive is the drive letter that you are
installing from. If you are installing from a CD-ROM drive (typically,
drive D), the command will resemble the following:
- Proceed through Setup as you normally would, but select Custom as the type of installation.
- Click Office Tools, and then click Change Option.
- Clear the Clipart Gallery, Popular Clipart and Find Fast check boxes, and then click OK.
- Clear the Microsoft Binder check box. Click Continue. Proceed
through the rest of Microsoft Office 97 Setup as you normally would.
If the Setup program completes without error, you can install Clipart,
Binder and Find Fast by running Setup in maintenance mode.
Note The availability of these components and the steps to remove these components may vary in the products listed at the beginning of this
article.
Check for a Valid Temporary Folder and Excess Temporary Files
There should be at least 10 megabytes (MB) of free space on the hard disk
drive that contains the temporary folder. To check for a temporary folder
and delete excess files from that folder, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer. Hold down CTRL until the
Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears.
- On the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu menu, type the number for Command prompt only, and press ENTER.
- Type set and press ENTER. Note the
location of the TEMP variable.
- Change to the folder you noted in step 3. For example, if TEMP is set
to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP, type the following line and then press ENTER:
If the folder you noted in step 3 does not exist, create the folder. To
create the folder, type the following command and then press ENTER:
- Delete any temporary files in this folder. Temporary files have a .tmp
file name extension. To delete these files, type the
following line, and then press ENTER:
Note Do not delete these files from within the Windows 98 graphical
user interface (that is, when you are running Windows 98) because
Windows 98 or a Windows program may be using one of these files.
Start Windows in Safe Mode
Windows 98 has a built-in troubleshooting mode called Safe mode. It
bypasses startup files and uses only basic system drivers, including basic
networking. When you start Windows in Safe mode, Windows uses only the
mouse, keyboard, and standard video graphics adapter (VGA) device drivers.
This makes Safe mode useful for isolating and resolving error conditions
that are caused by both real-mode and Windows-based drivers. Windows 98
also has troubleshooting features that may help you identify the problem.
To start Windows 98 in Safe mode and make the additional troubleshooting
features available, follow these steps:
- On the Start menu, click Shut Down. Click Restart, and then click OK.
- Hold down CTRL until the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears.
- On the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu menu, type the number for Safe mode, and then press ENTER.
Windows will start in Safe mode.
- Perform the same operation that caused the error.
When you use Safe mode or when you disable 32-bit protected-mode disk
drivers, Windows 98 does not process protected-mode drivers (the
Autoexec.bat file, and the Config.sys file). Therefore, the CD-ROM drive
is not available. To use Safe mode with CD-ROM drive support, determine
if Windows 98 uses protected-mode drivers for the CD-ROM drive. If
Windows 98 is using protected mode drivers, install the real-mode (MS-
DOS) drivers for the CD-ROM drive on the computer. The real-mode drivers
are usually located on a disk that is shipped with the CD-ROM drive or
with the computer. The drivers are installed in the Autoexec.bat and
Config.sys files.
For more information about how to determine if Windows 98 is using protected-mode drivers, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
151634
Protected-mode CD-ROM drive support in Windows
For more information about how to install real-mode drivers for the CD-ROM, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
167069
Installing real mode CD-ROM drivers for Office installation
Check the Hard Disk for Disk Errors and Fragmentation
Use the ScanDisk program to check the hard disk drive for lost clusters and
other file allocation table (FAT) errors and test the hard disk drive
integrity. You can also use the ScanDisk program to repair any of these
problems. To run ScanDisk, follow these steps:
- On the Start menu, point to Programs.
- Point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click ScanDisk.
- Click the hard disk drive that you want to check for errors, and then
click Start.
Hard disk drives that are very fragmented can affect the performance and
reliability of Microsoft Office programs and other tasks in Windows 98. To
resolve this problem, run Disk Defragmenter to defragment the hard disk
drive. To run Disk Defragmenter, follow these steps:
- On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
- Click the hard disk drive that you want to defragment in the
"Which drive do you want to defragment?" list, and
then click OK.
Disable the CD-ROM Drive Cache
If the error message appears while you are reading from a CD-ROM drive, try
disabling the CD-ROM drive cache. This may make the drive more reliable but
reduce performance. To disable the CD-ROM drive cache, follow these steps:
- Click Start, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
- In Control Panel, double-click the System icon.
- Click the Performance tab and click File System.
- On the CD-ROM tab, click No Read-Ahead in the Optimize access pattern for list.
- Drag the Supplemental Cache Size slider to the left position (the Small setting), and then click OK.
If you are using real-mode CD-ROM drive drivers, the drive may be cached by
the Smartdrv.exe program. If this is the case, the Smartdrv.exe program
needs to be disabled in the Autoexec.bat file. To disable the Smartdrv.exe
program in the Autoexec.bat file, follow these steps:
- Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click
System Information.
- On the Tools menu, click System Configuration Utility.
- Click the Autoexec.bat tab.
- Clear the check box that contains "Smartdrv" and click OK.
- To restart the computer for the change to take effect, click Yes.
Verify That the Compact Disc Is Clean and Unscratched
If the error message appears while you are installing from a compact disc,
verify that the compact disc you are using is clean. You can wipe the
compact disc with a soft, lint-free cloth. Also ensure that there are no
large scratches on the compact disc. If the compact disc is damaged and
unreadable, error messages may appear during installation.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
174713
Troubleshooting installation from compact disc media
Check for a Corrupted Swap File
The Kernel32.dll error may also appear if your Windows swap file is
corrupted. To create a new swap file, restart the computer in MS-DOS mode,
delete the Win386.swp file in the Windows folder, and then restart the
computer. To create a new swap file, follow these steps:
- On the Start menu, click Shut Down.
- In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click
Restart in MS-DOS Mode and then click OK.
- At the MS-DOS prompt, change to the Windows folder by typing the
following command
where drive is the drive letter that contains the Windows
folder. (Typically, drive is C).
Note The swap file exists in the Windows folder if Windows manages
virtual memory settings on your computer. If you chose to manage
virtual memory settings on the computer, the swap file exists at the
root level of the hard disk. To determine whether Windows manages
virtual memory settings, right-click My Computer, click
Properties, click Performance, and then click Virtual
Memory.
- To delete the swap file, type the following:
- After you delete the swap file, restart the computer.
Corrupted Custom Profile
Corrupted custom profiles have also been known to cause Kernel32.dll
errors. Deleting and re-creating the profile can possibly resolve this
problem.
If you are using the Microsoft Office 97 system policy templates that are
included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit, you must use the version
of the System Policy Editor that is included in the Microsoft Office 97
Resource Kit or the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit. Use the Office
97 Templates for Windows 95 for Microsoft Windows 98.
Note You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting executable file
containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Download this file from the
following Microsoft World Wide Web site:
Remove and Reinstall the Program
If the problem occurs after you run the Setup program, some of the dynamic
link library (DLL) files may be damaged or corrupted. To troubleshoot this
problem, completely remove the program.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
133274
Setup "Remove All" doesn't remove all files
After you completely remove the program, reinstall the program.
Check for Software Updates
Outdated and incompatible software may also cause error messages to appear.
Check with the manufacturer of the computer for various software updates,
such as BIOS updates, OEM Windows updates, and hardware driver updates
(such as CD-ROM drive drivers). If you are using third-party partitioning
software (for example, EZDrive, or Ontrack Disk Manager), verify that you
have the most recent versions of these products.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
For information about how to contact your manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
65416 Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K
60781 Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P
60782 Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z
Scan the Computer for Viruses
If a virus is present on your computer and has damaged some files,
Kernel32.dll error messages may appear when you use a program. Scan the
hard disk drive and floppy disks with a virus detector. If the virus
detector finds a virus on your computer, remove the virus before you run
the Office program again. If a virus is found on your Setup disk, you must
obtain a new set of disks.
Note Do not run a virus detector terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program
while you run any of the Microsoft Office programs, including the Setup
program. Run a virus detector before you run the Setup program, and then
disable it.
Check for Registry Corruption
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
When you start Windows 98 in Safe mode, Windows does not read the entire
registry. Therefore, damage to the registry may not be evident when you run
Windows in this mode. It may be necessary to replace the existing registry
(System.dat) with a backup to determine whether the problem is caused by a
damaged registry. Use one of the following methods to troubleshoot a
damaged registry.
Method 1: Use Registry Checker
Windows 98 includes a tool called Registry Checker that can scan your
registry for corruption, and, if necessary, restore a backup of the
registry. Follow these steps to use Registry Checker to scan your
registry:
- Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
Microsoft System Information starts. - On the Tools menu, click Registry Checker.
You may receive the following error message:
Windows encountered an error accessing the system registry.
Windows will restart the computer and repair the system registry
for you.
If you received this error message, proceed to step 3.
If you do not receive the error message, then your registry is OK. - To restart your computer, click OK.
- Press ENTER when the Windows 98 Startup menu appears.
- At the command prompt, type Scanreg and
then press ENTER.
- Press ENTER in the Check Your Registry dialog box. You should receive
the following message:
Windows found an error in your system files and restores a recent
backup of the files to fix the problem.
- Press ENTER to restart your computer.
Windows 98 stores five backups of your registry. If the
registry has been damaged for a long period of time, then you may need
to use "Method 2: Restore the System.1st File" to determine whether or
not your registry is damaged.
For more information about Registry Checker, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
183887
Description of the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe)
183603 How to customize Registry Checker tool settings
184075 Description of Microsoft System Information (Msinfo32.exe) tool
Method 2 - Restore the System.1st File
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To restore your System.1st file, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer. Hold down CTRL until
the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears.
- On the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu menu, select the option for Command prompt only, and then press ENTER.
- To remove the file attributes from the backup of the registry, type
the following command, and then press ENTER:
c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\system.1st
- To remove the file attributes from the current registry, type the
following command, and then press ENTER:
c:\windows\command\attrib -h -s -r c:\windows\system.dat
- To rename the registry, type the following command, and then press
ENTER:
ren c:\windows\system.dat *.dax
- To copy the backup file to the current registry, type the following
command, and then press ENTER:
copy c:\system.1st c:\windows\system.dat
- Restart the computer. If the Windows 95 Startup Menu displays, choose
Safe Mode, or Safe Mode With Network Support if you need network
connectivity.
Note The System.1st file is a backup of the registry that is created
during the final stage of a Microsoft Windows 98 installation. When you
restart your computer, Windows 98 Setup starts at the "Setting up
hardware and finalizing settings" phase of setup.
If replacing the System.dat file with the System.1st file resolves the
issue, the problem may be related to registry damage. Note that you may
have to reinstall programs and device drivers that you installed after
you installed Windows 98 to update the new registry.
If the issue is not resolved, restore the original registry. To do this,
follow these steps:
- Restart your computer.
Hold down CTRL until
the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears. - On the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu menu, select the option for Command prompt only, and then press ENTER.
- Type the following commands:
c:\windows\command\attrib -s -h -r c:\windows\system.dat copy c:\windows\system.dax c:\windows\system.dat
Press Y and then press ENTER when you are asked to overwrite the
existing System.dat file.
- Restart the computer.
Disable DMA for the CD-ROM During Installation
There are unconfirmed reports that disabling Direct Memory Access in
Device Manager for some CD-ROM drives may prevent Kernel32.dll errors.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
190630
Kernel32.dll and other error messages when you install Office 2000 products with Direct Memory Access (DMA) enabled on Windows 95 or Windows 98
Reinstall Windows in a New Folder
Use this method only after you try all of the troubleshooting steps in this
article. If you reinstall Windows in a new folder, you must reinstall all
Windows-based programs under the new Windows 98 installation.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
190040
Installing Win 98 to new folder to t-shoot Office problems
Disable Enhanced BIOS Features
Most computers have several enhanced settings that allow the computer to
fully use the computer hardware. These high-speed settings can cause
the system to become unstable; disabling these features may make the
computer more stable. Contact your computer manufacturer for information
about entering the basic input/output system (BIOS) and changing the BIOS
settings. You can enter the BIOS on most systems immediately after turning
on the power. Usually a keystroke (such as DEL) is required to enter the
BIOS. Below are the common features that can interfere with Microsoft
Office programs:
Memory Shadow RAM
Video Shadow RAM
Internal Cache
External Cache
Built-in Virus Protection
Newer chipsets may have more advanced features (such as memory wait states)
that may cause errors. Most BIOS installation programs have an option to
load the BIOS default settings. This option usually disables all advanced
features.
Warning Incorrectly altering hardware BIOS settings can cause serious
problems that may cause your computer to fail to start or function
properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from the
incorrect setting of hardware BIOS options can be solved. Alter the
hardware BIOS settings at your own risk.
Check Hardware
If you exhaust all other troubleshooting steps and you are still receiving
error messages, it is possible that one or more pieces of your hardware are
incompatible with Windows 98 or are damaged. To identify a problem with
your computer hardware, contact your computer vendor.
Badly seated memory or bad memory has been reported to cause Kernel32.dll
error messages. Switching memory around in the motherboard memory banks has
been known to correct some of these issues.