C++ Runtime Error in Windows ME

[shartken]

Okay, I have been struggling with this error all week.
I have a Windows ME computer that when it starts up I get a C++ Runtime Error in Explorer.exe. I have been dragging it to the side, but when I click okay the explorer program closes and does not start back up. All I see is the desktop wallpaper with no icons. This does not happen in safe mode when it boots up, but when I try running a couple programs, it will occur in Rundll.exe and other programs.
I ran a virus scan, spyware scan, and hijack this. They both found a lot of entries, but the problem still happens.
I ran the system restore of a Gateway CD and it fixed the problem, but deleted all my programs. Some of my programs I can't install and are no longer supported.
I am going try to change the AGP aperture in the bios and see if that works, as well as run updated virus and spyware scans. I am also going to run a program that lists all the processes in ME (the ME task manager sucks).
I checked the explorer.exe file and it looks like it wasn't modified. It's last modified date was 6/8/2000 and it has the same file size as the one of the restore that works right.
If anyone knows how to debug this problem properly, or just repair Windows ME with a Gateway CD without reinstalling my programs, or run a SFC program in ME, or just give me a good next step, I'll appreciate it.

[GaryRouth]

. . . a few questions:

1) How many partitions/drives are in the system?
2) If on a single hard disk system, when you ran the Gateway Restore program, did it completely repartition/reformat/reinstall to factory new conditions? Or a partial restore?
3) Is this computer on a network?
4) Is this computer on a broadband connection?
5) Was the computer disconnected from all networks during the restore?
6) Has it been disconnected ever since?

----------------

Some Restore/Recovery disk sets have several disks. If you have backups of the important personal data, why not use a complete restore (this should rid any infections) - the repartitioning/reformatting/reinstall of WinMe should fix any missing/corrupted file problems due to the malware trouble. Then use the Programs restore disks = usually all the bundled software is included, and should reinstall fine.

You'll need to be unplugged from any networks during the repair. And before reconnecting, you'll need a firewall/antivirus in place, and go straight to Windows Update for the patches [If anyone has the Feb 2004 Windows Security Update CD around, that can save you a lot of online time]. The wild card in any Recovery/Restore set is whether the original hardware has changed much...

I doubt an AGP aperture setting is at fault. You can leave it at it's Bios default setting (usually 64mb). Increasing it tends to hurt more than help - for more info on that, see Adrian's Bios Optimization Guide over at http://www.rojakpot.com

. . . Gary

[P.S. ... of course, scan any backups for malware before putting them back in after the repair ]

[shartken]

I just restored the registry to before this problem happened (from Feb 2004) and it fixed the problem. I looked up some more info on the problem and it said its due to registry corruption, although it did not give the specific keys.
It was a two partition hard drive, but the computer was not hooked up to a network or internet.
As far with the gateway CD, it does not have a repair utility like in a windows XP cd (where you can hit R) and you don't loose all your programs.
I have a ghost hard drive, and I am going through the registry to pinpoint more specifically where it is at. Anyone have any suggestions on a good place to start?

[GaryRouth]

How did you restore the registry after performing a system restore? Did you have a backup on removable media?

I suspect that the malware you had to clean was the cause of the registry corruption. If the restored registry is functioning OK, all you need to do now is make sure it's not infected (run a few scans).

Did you get your old programs loaded back in OK? I can't see any reason you couldn't reinstall them, if you have them on the Gateway disk. If you had older versions of freeware or shareware, and you want to stick with those older versions, there's a website that's been mentioned in the forums that specializes in having older version freeware for download. I don't have the link handy - let me know if you're interested & I'll see if I can find the link.

Sounds like it came out OK - might run a few hardware diagnostics just for peace of mind, if the system's starting to get on in years.
. . . Gary

[regarding where to start in the Registry - hard to say: I'd probably go through the various Startup areas (like the "Run" and "Run Service" in Local Machine & Current User) for a quick glance. I'm not sure if corruption of the sort that would cause the C++ errors would show up in a casual glance at keys and values, but it couldn't hurt to look. . . when faced with C++ errors, I'm usually facing problematic software installs, and either reinstalling, patching, or upgrading solves the error]

[shartken]

I was working on the computer a made a backup of the registry on the local hard drive back in February. I made a Windows 98 startup disk with scanreg on it. I tried both repairs, but it detected no errors so I just restored from the backup. Boy, I sure got lucky on this one!

I have the hard drive image compressed and I need to restore it on another one, but I won't have a chance to look at it until this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes!