error message

[Rafi6169]

This is a win.98SE

After boot-up the machine comes with the following:

LEXPPS caused an invalid page fault in
module LEXPPS.EXE at 0167:0042509d.
Registers:
EAX=0066ef60 CS=0167 EIP=0042509d EFLGS=00010203
EBX=bff7b9b2 SS=016f ESP=0066ef34 EBP=0066ef6c
ECX=7f8422c1 DS=016f ESI=41717800 FS=3e87
EDX=bffc9490 ES=016f EDI=bff7b98d GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
00 90 00 44 69 73 70 61 74 63 68 4d 65 73 73 61
Stack dump:
7f84129e 00000000 00004000 7f841430 00000000 00000000 0066ef60 0066ef6c 00449086 00000000 0044930c 20202020 7f991026 0044905c 0066efc4 78341f5a

After a few minutes while operational come with this other one:

VSMON caused an invalid page fault in
module RPCRT4.DLL at 0167:7fbb13d8.
Registers:
EAX=00000000 CS=0167 EIP=7fbb13d8 EFLGS=00010246
EBX=7fbd9fe8 SS=016f ESP=02eafdc4 EBP=02eafe40
ECX=82a5a7d0 DS=016f ESI=00000000 FS=507f
EDX=82a5e018 ES=016f EDI=7fbd4400 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
2b 40 fc 50 e8 92 6b fe ff c2 04 00 56 8b f1 e8
Stack dump:
7fba533a 00000000 7fb925c0 02eafe8c 00000000 005f2b44 005f2bb8 46204d41 53454c49 b7bf42d0 414c2045 5a5c5342 41454e4f 4d52414c 00000000 4e45494c

What you guy's think?
Let me know.

[doctorgonzo]

LEXPPS is a file assiociated with a Lexmark printer. VSMON is associated with ZoneAlarm. The problem is probably with one of those two things if they exist on your system.

[Rafi6169]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo LEXPPS is a file assiociated with a Lexmark printer. VSMON is associated with ZoneAlarm. The problem is probably with one of those two things if they exist on your system.

What will you recomend I do?

Re-install the programs?

What do you recomend?

[doctorgonzo]

Uninstall them one at a time if they exist and see if it solves the problem. I'd personally start with the printer software if you have it.

[Rafi6169]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo Uninstall them one at a time if they exist and see if it solves the problem. I'd personally start with the printer software if you have it.

I will do that.

Thanks a bunch

[GaryRouth]

. . . if you still have trouble after uninstalling/re-installing ZoneAlarm & the Lexmark, and if the modules mentioned seem random - make sure to run some diagnostics on your memory (http://www.memtest.org) and hard drive (diagnostics available at the hard-drive manufacturer's website). And if those are O.K. - run full system malware scans from Safe Mode, plus an online double-check with a scanner such as HouseCall (Panda is recommended a lot too). HouseCall is at http://housecall.trendmicro.com --. these scans are just to see if unwanted programs are tripping up your legit ones.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[Rafi6169]

Originally Posted by GaryRouth . . . if you still have trouble after uninstalling/re-installing ZoneAlarm & the Lexmark, and if the modules mentioned seem random - make sure to run some diagnostics on your memory (http://www.memtest.org) and hard drive (diagnostics available at the hard-drive manufacturer's website). And if those are O.K. - run full system malware scans from Safe Mode, plus an online double-check with a scanner such as HouseCall (Panda is recommended a lot too). HouseCall is at http://housecall.trendmicro.com --. these scans are just to see if unwanted programs are tripping up your legit ones. Best of luck . . . Gary

Thank you.

I will do that and let all of you know.

[Thudpucker]

I started on Computers when they were Tube type Calculators.
Now I see Gary's posts and I wonder if I can ever understand what the heck's going on with these things. I dont seem to know the language he's speaking.

I have those invalid page faults with IE, Spool32, and one other program. I just X them out and ignore.
I dont know what it means, other than a lack of memory.
I bought all the memory this PC will handle, still get those Invalid page faults.

This Gateway goes into silent death frequently. Loses the Modem port, the modem (I just bought a new Faxmodem in frustration) and AOL locks up.
The PC is slow because its always doing something else when I need it.

Does anybody have any suggestions of simple fix's that I might get started on?
One small step at a time.

[glc]

You can start with thorough virus, trojan, and spyware scans. You can also uninstall AOL if you are running 8.0 or later, 98 doesn't get along with it that well, load up 7.0 or earlier and revert IE back to 5.0 or 5.5. If you have another choice for Internet access other than AOL that doesn't require proprietary software, you will be better off.

[GaryRouth]

Rafi6169 - apologies for adding onto your thread. Is your box OK now?

Thudpucker - sorry for the techno-speak: it comes from reading too many manuals. [P.S. - usually you'd start a fresh thread of your own with your situation, so that the original member's email box doesn't fill with unrelated notices ... It's a forum thing it takes a little getting used to at first]

That said, my questions are:
1) Is your Gateway still under warranty?
2) Do you have their Recovery Disk set?
3) When you added memory, did you find exact-match modules?
4) What model is your Gateway?
5) How much memory is now installed? (especially curious to know if you've installed more than 512mb = which can lead to some problems with Win98)
6) Does the computer have all it's Security Updates (from Windows Update) up-to-date?
7) Is your antivirus/antispyware/firewall current?

If you'd like to double-check your locally installed antivirus/antispyware scanner, a good online scanner I like to recommend is TrendMicro's HouseCall (it's free). You go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com and run the scan while online. You'll likely need to allow it's ActiveX control to run the scan (safe to do = it's digitally signed).

If your machine is from before 1999, like glc I recommend earlier versions of AOL when necessary: version 5 seems to behave well (it will lack many features of the recent versions, but a stable computer is a pretty good tradeoff).

That should keep you busy!
. . . Gary

[Thudpucker]

My apologies as well.
I hoped to cadge some good info on those page faults from Rafi's post.
I'll observe the Forum protocol with more diligence from now on.
Gary,
I got two books today to learn a little more about keeping the executive clean and clear.
So to answer some of Gary Roths questions
No Warrenty
No Recovery disks (this PC came from a College girl who'd graduated and needed a much bigger one for work)
I added two brand new Mem's. It only had the two slots, so the Modules are the same. I think it's a total of 512M.
I went to Gateway's site, found the correct memory for the box, then went on the Inet and found the Mem out in Cal for a lot less than Gateways price.
So far no errors!
I have security from AOL 9. McAffee stuff and Clamwin. No Firewall.

I did have the latest updates from Microsoft, but the AOL software didn't like it.
I put in "Windows starts here" and "Win 98SE" at the same time and when it was all done, the latest stuff from Microsoft is gone.
So I have to get those downloads all over again. (More than an hours worth)

What model is this gateway? It says "Essential 433C" on the back of the Cabinet.

Do you want to move this to another place in the Forum?
Thud

[GaryRouth]

Thudpucker - Hi again. I couldn't find the manual for your model over at Gateway: it's possible that they list the Essentials series differently (if there's a longer model number on it somewhere, they might use that). It sounds like you're able to get to their support pages for your model though: if so, see if you get the same information about your model from Gateway that I did from Crucial = that your model only supports 256mb maximum system memory. There should be two slots, and the maximum module for each would be a PC-66 128mb module. If you have modules larger than that, it could be part of your problem. You can check for stickers or markings on the modules to identify their capacities (I don't think you can rely on what Windows 98 sees, for example - in your My Computer/Properties list, because such limits are from the chipset/motherboard used).

I'm not sure which disk or procedure you refer to when you mention "Windows Starts Here"? [I'll assume it's a Gateway disk of some kind?]

When you put in the Windows 98 2nd Edition CD, did you reinstall Windows? If you did, did you choose C:\Windows as the folder to install to (or did you use the C:\Windows.000 folder that is sometimes prompted for - you can check for how many Windows folders you have by looking with Windows Explorer). If you reinstalled to a folder other than C:\Windows, there is a thread in Tips & Tricks on how to fix that http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=38140

If it turns out you've had out-of-spec memory modules installed, you might want to then clear the drive & reinstall Windows & reload your programs from scratch. You could have fairly widespread data corruption. If your programs don't seem to be generating errors, but it's mostly operating system errors, another option to try is the one you might have already done: an over-the-top reinstallation http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=70846

Should you ever need to test the memory, you can use memtest86, a free tool provided by the open source community: http://www.memtest.org

To test the hard drive, the hard drive manufacturer's websites have free downloadable disk diagnostics.

Since the Gateway is likely about 5 years old, it won't hurt to make sure the parts are still working OK.
___________________
If it turns out that you've run a reinstall, and no longer are getting the errors, and your memory total is 256mb or less = then you may well have already successfully repaired your computer! And I'll have had a little extra typing practice.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[ps. glc will let us know if a new thread is necessary]