Works: Troubleshooting System Errors in Windows 95 or Windows 98 (270883)

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Method 1: Examine the Error Message

The first clue to the cause of the error is in the error message. Note the module name displayed when you click Details. For example: If the module name is a printer driver or a video driver, you may be able to correct the problem by removing and reinstalling the file. If this does not correct the problem, or if you are unsure about the file, continue to method 2.

Method 2: Examine When the Error Occurs

If the error occurs when you are starting or quitting the program, skip to method 3.

If the error occurs when you are working on a document, open a new document. If working in the new document solves the problem, the error may be caused by corruption in the original file. Copy and paste data from the original file to a new file and save the new file with a new name.

If the error still occurs in a new document, continue to method 3.

Method 3: Start in Safe Mode

You can run Windows in Safe Mode to eliminate possible conflicts with video drivers, terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs, and programs that load automatically.

To start Windows 95 or Windows 98 in Safe mode, follow these steps:

1. Restart the computer.
2. When you see the "Starting Windows" message, press CTRL or F8 (depending on your computer manufacturer).
3. Type the number for Safe Mode when the Startup menu appears

If this solves the problem, you have a hardware or software conflict. For additional information about troubleshooting problems when running Windows in safe mode, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 4: Examine StartUp Files

You may have a hardware or software conflict with a program that is started with a shortcut in the Windows StartUp folder. Shortcuts in the StartUp folder are used to start programs automatically when Windows starts. To locate the conflict, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Taskbar & Start Menu.
2. On the Start Menu Programs tab, click Advanced.
3. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
4. In the New Folder box, type Hold.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to Programs.
6. Double-click StartUp.
7. Move the shortcuts from the StartUp folder to the Hold folder.
8. Restart the computer.
9. If the errors persist, go to Method 5.
10. If the errors are gone, move a shortcut from the Hold folder to the StartUp folder, and then restart the computer. Repeat this step until you discover which program is causing the conflict.

Method 5: Examine the Initialization Files

To examine the initialization files for possible hardware or software conflicts, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type sysedit in the Open Box, and click OK.
3. Switch to Autoexec.bat
4. Type rem in front of each line in this file to "remark out" the line of code.
   
   NOTE: When you remark out a line of code, you prevent it from being executed.
5. Switch to Config.sys.
6. Type rem in front of each line in this file.
   
   NOTE: The Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files are not necessary for running Windows. Some sound cards or CD-ROM drives may require a real mode driver that is started by one of these files. If, after you remark out the lines in these files, you no longer have access to your CD-ROM drive or have no sounds in Windows, run Sysedit again and remove "rem" from the appropriate line(s).
7. Switch to Win.ini, and then type a semicolon at the beginning of the load= and run= lines.
8. Switch to System.ini, and then check the [386 Enh] section for any virtual device drivers (*.VxD) that load.
   
   NOTE: To troubleshoot VxD problems, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   140441 Creating a New System.ini File Without Third-Party Drivers

9. Restart the computer.
10. If the errors persist, continue to method 6.

Method 6: Examine the Video Driver

Change the video driver to Standard VGA to check for video driver problems. To change the video driver to VGA, follow the steps: NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

1. Right-click the Windows desktop, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2. On the Settings tab, click Advanced.
3. On the Adapter tab, click Change.
4. Click Show All Devices.
5. From the Manufacturers list click Standard Display Types.
6. Select the Standard Display Adapter (VGA) and click OK.
7. Click Close, and then restart the computer.
8. If this corrects the error, contact the video card manufacturer for updated drivers or trouble shooting information.

Method 7: Check the Hard Disk for Physical Damage

To check the hard disk for damage, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type, scandisk in the Open Box, and then click OK.
3. Click Thorough and then click Start.For additional information about using Scandisk to find and fix disk errors, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   150532 Hard Disk Errors Caused by Damaged Data or Physical Damage

4. Restart the computer.
5. If the errors persist, continue with method 8.

Method 8: Check for Corrupt Works Program Files

Some of the dynamic link library (.dll) files may be damaged or corrupted. To resolve this issue, remove and reinstall Works.

NOTE: If you are using Norton Antivirus, rename the file Officeav.dll to Officeav.ldd before you remove and reinstall Works. After you finish reinstalling Works you can rename the file Office.ldd to Officeav.dll. To rename a file, follow these steps:

1. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the file that you want to rename.
2. On the File menu, click Rename.
3. Type the new name, and then press ENTER.

To remove Works, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Works installation CD.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
4. Select Microsoft Works version, and then click Add/Remove.
5. Follow the instructions to remove Works.

To remove Works, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Works installation CD.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
4. Select Microsoft Works version, and then click Add/Remove.
5. Follow the instructions to remove Works.

After you finish removing Works, reinstall Works. To install Works, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Works installation CD.
2. If Works Setup starts automatically, go to step 4.
3. Click Start, and then click Run.
4. In the Open box, type drive:\setup.exe, where drive is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.
5. Follow the instructions in the Setup wizard to install Works.

If the errors persist, continue to method 9.

Method 9: Check for Registry Corruption

You may need to replace the existing registry (System.dat) with a backup to determine whether the error is caused by a damaged registry.

Windows 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:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
2. 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 receive this error message, proceed to step 3. If you do not receive the error message, then your registry is working as expected, and you can proceed to method 10:
3. Click OK to restart your computer.
4. Press ENTER when the Windows Startup Menu appears.
5. At the command prompt, type scanreg and then press ENTER.
6. In the Check Your Registry dialog box, press ENTER.
   
   The following message will appear:

   Windows found an error in your system files and restored a recent backup of the files to fix the problem.

7. Press ENTER to restart your computer.

For additional information about Registry Checker, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 10: Check for Computer Hardware Damage

If none of the above steps prevent the error from appearing, you may have a problem with your computer hardware, such as a bad memory module, low power supply voltage or an open or short circuit on the computer mother board. To resolve any hardware issues, contact your computer manufacturer for help with troubleshooting.

Error Descriptions

The following is a list of the most common system errors.

Illegal Instruction

You can receive this error when the computer is unable to process an instruction. Typically, a Details button appears with this error message. Clicking the Details button provides more information about what caused the error. For example:

Stack Fault

A Stack Fault can occur when a program prompts you for a memory address that is beyond the capability of the computer to provide.

Invalid Page Fault

An invalid page fault occurs when a paging protection rule is violated so that the retrieved data is invalid.

General Protection Fault

Any condition which is not covered by any of the other processor exceptions will result in a general protection fault. The program has probably been corrupted in memory so the computer immediately shuts the program down.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you have occasional problems when you try to run a Works program, check the system performance of your Windows 95 or Windows 98 installation. This is a good troubleshooting step if you are receiving system error messages, your computer stops responding (hangs), or other unusual problems occur.

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System. On the Performance tab, note the information in the Performance Status area.
   
   
   • Near the bottom of the Performance area, it reads "Your system is configured for optimal performance."
   • Virtual Memory reports 32-Bit.
   • File System reports 32-Bit.
   • CD-ROM drives are reported if they are using real mode MS-DOS drivers. If the CD-ROM drive is reported, it is not using 32-bit protected-mode drivers. If this is the case, you may have problems copying or accessing any files on the Works compact disc.
   • If the hard disk is reported as not using 32-bit protected-mode drivers, it generally indicates a problem. However, this may be typical in some cases, so contact your hardware manufacturer to determine if this is a problem or not.
3. Click Virtual Memory.
4. Make sure Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings (recommended) is selected.
5. On the Hard Disk line (which should be shaded), it reads at least 30MB Free. If it does not, free up more space on the hard disk.