IE performed an Illeagal function...Help me!!!!

[jnc007]

I got home from work the other day and rebooted my computer that had been running for 2 days. When it reloaded it made it through the windows screen and got to the blue screen where you hear the music. Just before you start to see everthing enter the screen I got an error message stating "IE has performed and illeagal function " and then stops. I clicked ok and I just saw the blue screen. I hit Ctl+alt+del and saw nothing listed. I reloaded again, the same thing. I shut down for an hour but still the same thing.

I finally decided to reload windows. I got everthing back. However, it didn't pick up my video card, my sound card or anything else additional. So, I started to reload those thing items. 2 programs into it, I get the same error message and I got before.

Then I decided to do the scanreg /restore thing. However at the c: prompt when I typed it in, it acted as if It didn't know what I was talking about. Just got an error message saying I've entered a command it was familliar with.


Does anyone know what the hell is going on?????

[MonkeyBlitch]

what OS are you using?

[jnc007]

win 98

[Cricket]

First thing I'd do is change the IDE cable.

Then go to the hard drive manufacturer's website and download the hard drive diagnostic utility and test your hard drive.

If the problem persists, switch out the RAM.

Visually inspect your motherboard for leaking capacitors.

Cricket

[jnc007]

I just got to work so I havn't had a chance to try this yet, but can we exclude the possiblity that its my hard drive since the one time I did get it going all my data was untouched? Or are we looking for errors in the sectors?

Incidentally, I tried to load windows again last night like I did before and I couldn't get in. I wrote the excact bundle error but I left it at home. I'll check and post it soon.

thanks

[Alfie]

If windows is showing Explorer has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down,thats the desktop.
As stated perform a diagnostic of the hard drive,just to eliminate that as a culprit.
Check the memory as suggested,this will eliminate hardware issues,can you start the computer in safemode?
Have you loaded the Via drivers?

[jnc007]

Alfie, thats probably the strangest thing that I just found last night, I can't go into safe mode. It gets to the winodws blue password screen and then illegal ops right after you close the window.

To clarify, I've never used the password. I actually had it disabled when it was running properly. It only appeared when I reloaded windows when I first started to have problems. This is definitely not the problem.

[swhite]

I used Win Me for a couple of years. I used Win 98 for a while before that. The one thing they both had in common was blue screens and harddrive errors. It happened more than once. It sounds like you could have either a memory or sector error.

Since switching to WinXP, there haven't been any errors in over a year. If your hardware is adequate to support xp, that is what I suggest.

[RayH]

Check the processor, heatsink, and fan. It may be dirty as all. If it's clogged, it can cause all sorts of errors coming from left field.

I'm using an old K6-2 450 MHz. I started getting the errors and checked my heatsink and fan with a Q Tip. Things seemed OK. I kept getting the error, so I removed the fan and heatsink. The fins of the heatsink where I couldn't see it were clogged. The Q Tip was compacting the dust. By the time I was through, I had to change my shirt!

I have to clean it out about every six months or so!

The next possibility is that hardware is going bad. I'd check the RAM.