IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
When you start Microsoft Reader, you may receive the following error message:
The Microsoft Reader is unable to display the End User License Agreement.
The Microsoft Reader will now exit.
-or-
Microsoft Reader may not launch, instead, you may see an hourglass and hear hard drive activity. After a few moments the activity ceases and the hourglass disappears but Microsoft Reader does not start.
RESOLUTION
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may
require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve
problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own
risk.
To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.
Uninstall Microsoft Reader
To uninstall Microsoft Reader:
- Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
- Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
- Double-click Microsoft Reader.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to uninstall Microsoft Reader.
Delete the Microsoft Reader Registry Keys
To delete the Microsoft Reader registry keys:
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Select the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\eBook
- Press the DELETE key.
When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes. - Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\eBook
- Press the DELETE key. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
- Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{3B14 33E1-8355-456F-9FED-CC9DE9FCFE31}
- Press the DELETE key. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
- Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Clean Boot the Computer
To clean boot the computer, use the appropriate method for your version
of Microsoft Windows.
Microsoft Windows 98
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type msconfig,
and then click OK.
- On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and
then click to clear the following check boxes:
- Process Config.sys File
- Process Autoexec.bat File
- Process Winstart.bat File (if available)
- Process Win.ini File
- Load Startup Group Items
- Click OK. When you are prompted to restart the computer,
do so.
For additional information about how to clean boot Windows 98, click the article number below
to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for
Windows 98
NOTE: To restore your original Startup options, click
Normal Startup on the
General tab in System Configuration Utility.
Microsoft Windows 95
- Restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95"
message, press the F8 key, and then select Command Prompt
Only from the Startup menu.
- At the command prompt, type win, and
then press ENTER. Press and hold down the SHIFT key until the
Windows startup sequence is complete.
- Disable any anti-virus or disk tool programs installed on the
computer.
For information about how to disable these programs, see the
printed or online documentation for the program. - Quit all running programs except Explorer and Systray. To do
this, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click the program that you
want to quit, and then click End Task.
If you receive a
message that the program is busy or not responding, click End
Task again.
Repeat this step to quit all programs except
Explorer and Systray.
For additional information about how to clean boot Windows 95, click the article number below
to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
177604 Multimedia: Troubleshooting Using Clean Boot
of Windows 95
NOTE: To restore your original Startup options, restart the
computer normally, and then enable any anti-virus or disk tool programs
installed on the computer. For information about how to enable these
programs, see the printed or online documentation for the program.
Download Microsoft Reader
The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Release Date: Aug-08-2000
For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.
After you download the Microsoft Reader setup, double-click the file to install Microsoft Reader.
Update the ContentDir value in the Registry
In some cases, after you reinstall Microsoft Reader, you may have to modify the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\eBook
If Microsoft Reader does not start after you reinstall it, follow these steps:
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Open the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\eBook
- In the right pane, double-click ContentDir, and then set the value to the My Library folder on your computer. For example, if the My Library folder is located in the My Documents folder on the C: drive, set the path to C:\MyDocuments\MyLibrary\.
- Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Repair Internet Explorer
- Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
- Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
- On the Install/Uninstall tab, double-click Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x and Internet Tools.
- Click Repair Internet Explorer.
- Click OK.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to repair Internet Explorer.