Help with Error Message When Using Internet Explorer and ME

Last Saturday, our Dell, which runs ME, started doing two odd things. Most
importantly, whenever we would try to type a new address in the address field in IE, it would give this error message: "Iexplore has caused an error in
MSHTML.DLL. Iexplore will now close." This message occurred whenever you
tried to change the address field at the top of IE.

I looked at the this website and read the information at
support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;265244&sd=dell. This told
me to download IE 5.5 from one of two microsoft websites. I looked at both,
but couldn't find any version of IE 5.5. However, there was a version of IE
6.0 for ME, so I downloaded that. It did not solve the problem at all. I
looked at my version of MSHTML.DLL and it is listed as version 5.5, which may be part of the problem.

Any help on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

At the same time, one other thing started happening. Normally, to connect
to the internet, we double clik on IE. This opens IE and a dialog box called
"Connect To" that contains the phone number, account name, and password to our ISP. Now, the Connect To box appears as soon as we boot up. I've looked in msconfig and can't find out any command to do this in the start-up tab. Any help in getting rid of this would also be terrific.

Thanks so much.

 

Hello cagmo,

What I would do is restore the system prior to last Saterday if you can and start from there using System Restore, hope you have it enabled.

If the problem shows up again, there is a IE repair option in Add/Remove for IE, I think its a sidebar option. Use Help & Support and search "repair" + "IE" if you can't find it readily, but it's there.

If you need a new copy of 5.5 - http://browsers.evolt.org/?ie/32bit


Now, the Connect To box appears as soon as we boot up. I've looked in msconfig and can't find out any command to do this in the start-up tab.

Go into IE's tool bar > internet options > Connections tab > tick "never dial a connection ".

Regards - Charles

 

Progress report

Charlesvar, thanks so much for your help.

Here's how far I got last night.

System restore is not a good option. The most recent time that I could restore to is December 2001. I will do this if I have to, but I have a lot of stuff that would have to be added back and, frankly, my PC is pretty finicky about new software. I get the error message about being unable to update from %1 to %2, but the microsoft fix (rename wininit.ini doesn't work because I have the search for wininit.ini comes up empty).

Repair on IE did not work. It listed about 10 files, including the dreaded MSHTML.dll that were version 5.5 and needed to be at least version 6.0. I had hoped that IE 6.0 install would update these, so I went back and uninstalled IE 6.0 and then reinstalled it without success. Same problem. I'm thinking that this problem with old versions is at the root of this whole thing.

I did download Mozilla onto the PC and it seems to work fine. However, I'd like to have IE working again.

So as I sit here now, I have IE 5.5 back on my PC, but I still get the dreaded Iexpolore has caused an error in MSHTML.dll message whenever I try to enter a new address in the address field at the top of IE. I'm thinking about using the site you gave me to download IE 5.5 and try that. I'm guessing that I should use IE 5.5 service pack 2?

Any other ideas given the variety of 5.5 files that I have on my PC that don't seem to get updated when I install IE 6.0?

One other thing: on the "connect to" issue, I did as you suggested. This solved the problem of "connect to" coming up on boot up, but then the connect to box didn't come up even when I open the web browser, which it used to do.

By the way, I have run adaware and cwshredder. Adaware found lots of things, but they were mostly cookies and they have been quarantined. Cwshredder found nothing.

Thanks so much.

 

Hi cagmo,

Ok, I went looking for more references on the MSHTML.dll problem:

http://www.colba.net/~hlebo49/ermshtml.htm#ERRMSHTML.DLL This is on IE error messages

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=810887 This in particular is on MSHTML.dll

Have you tried removing MSHTML.dll? Try it in safe mode and then updating to IE6.

This site offers a download of a program called ieradicator http://www.litepc.com/ieradicator.html I also noticed that it won't remove MSHTML.dll leaving it there because of other processes, but worth a shot if all else doesn't work. But, before you do anything with the system, get SR working, it's good insurance.

Quite aside from this problem, you really ought to get System Restore working, that is the only thing that justifies WinME over 98. Shut it down, reboot, and re-enable. If you have any problems with it, let me know.

Regards - Charles

 

Charles,

Thanks so much. Can I bother you with a few questions, which will simply show my ignorance of how to do this stuff?

First, exactly how do I reenable System Restore? It seems to be working, but it just seem to limit the restore points to times when I did certain things to the system (which I haven't done for 3 years, apparently).

Second, I looked through the colba.net link and none of those links gives the exact error message I get. This one does: support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;265244&sd=dell. It says to reinstall IE 5.5.

Third, how to I remove mshtml.dll in safe mode? I've used safe mode before, but I'm sure I know exactly how to do this. Will removing mshtml.dll cause problems? I've looked at the IEradicate product, and it doesn't remove mshtml.dll (as you said) becuase the PC apparently uses mshtml.dll for other things. I assume that this is OK because IE 6.0 will contain version 6.0 of mshtml.dll, but is correct?

Like I said, the IE repair tool was interesting because it listed about 10-12 programs that were running in version 5.5 that needed to be 6.0. Should I think about removing all of them in safe mode before reinstalling 6.0.

Finally, if it works in safe mode, how do I make the change permanent?

Thanks again.

 

One other thing: this site http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318153 does discuss variations between IE versions and MSHTML versions. They do need to be the same. The problem is that the fix is to reinstall IE 6.0 (which doesn't solve my problem) or to extract MSHTML.dll. When I try the second method, my computer cannot find anything named ie_1.cab. I did find something called ieME_1.cab, so I tried that. However, when I get to step 11, the PC tells me that I cannot extract MSHTML.dll. The precise wording of the error message I'm not recalling now, but it is something about how MSHTML is a critical file.

 

Hi cagmo,

I'll address SR here - the other stuff, need time to research and think about them.

The way to shut SR off and empty the current restore points is Control Panel > System > File system and there move the slider to the left - zero. Then reboot and go back in and move the slider back to max, I think 12% of drive space.

Apparently SR does work, you say that it will work under some circumstances, make a manual SR point. Bring up SR and there is an option to create one by the user. To test that follow the instructions below. I wrote that for XP but applies to ME as well:

After re-establishing a SR restore point, a way to test the Restore function:

Take any executable file ( extention .exe) , and burn it out and/or move it to the My Documents folder and delete it from it's original location. SR does not monitor files in My Documents folder regardless of file type.

Then restore to the initial restore point created by the system; the deleted executable should be back in it's original location. Afterwards, you can delete the copy in My Documents.

SR should be on a 10 hour system up time schedule - meaning that it automatically should create restore points every ten hours of system use. It may not be doing that because ME's Task Scheduler is disabled - I think it's called Taskmon? But that should not stop you from making manual restore points, which you should prior to making any changes to the system. So, for example, if you delete MSHTML.dll and cause problems with the system, you would have a way to recover.

Regards - Charles

 

Charles,

System restore is repaired. The problem was the Norton AntiVirus had completely filled the C:\_RESTORE file. Every other setting was right. Tested as you described and it worked.

Still have my problem with IE, of course.

Thanks.

 

Hi Cagmo,

From all I've read, MSHTML.dll is corrupted. I don't have one on XP, so it seems it's a 9X file.

Did find it on my WinME installation disc = 2.6 MB's - should be on yours if you have one. If not, I could send MSHTML.dll to you, just have to tell me where- send me a PM (click on my name), and once you get it, load it and see what happens

One option would be to use ieradicator to clean house once you get the file.

Regards - Charles

EDIT: Forgot to add, no, it is not part of IE6 update, IE6 uses it on 9X systems, one function that I know of is - IE error logging.

 

Enable and Disable System Restore ME

You should be sure to be following the instructions on that webpage for ME, as the first set of instruction are for 98. I think you are getting the error at step 13 in this case.
You could try this to extract the file. Instead of trying to put it into C:\Windows\System, extract it to C:\ .
Then boot your computer with a ME boot floppy, and do these commands at the A:\> prompt. These will rename the current file in the system folder, and then copy the one you want there.
ren c:\windows\system\mshtml.dll mshtml.old
copy c:\mshtml.dll c:\windows\system
Don't have or can't make a boot floppy? Go to Bootdisk, and download the file for ME OEM, double click this file with a floppy in the drive and one will be created for you.