Possible Software Conflict Problem

Thanks, Deloris, for all your help, so far. As I mentioned to you already, I really don't want to download another zip program. I'm trying not to do any more changes to this puter until I get this current problem fixed.

I had another brain storm! I do have TweakUI and saw something in REPAIR. It was REPAIR SYSTEM FILES. Would running this help me in any way with this? I haven't done it yet. I'm always afraid to do anything until I get a few thumbs up from people. Let me know what you think (or, anyone else taking the time to read all this!). I'll wait for an answer before I download those DLLs and check the properties on them.

FYI I am running WIN98 1st Edition. And, like I mentioned before, all of my computer info can't be pulled from the disks. Mine all sit in CABS. Remember now, I have a COMPAQ. NOT everyone's favorite brand! It's been pretty good to me except for an occassional glitch which was easily fixed or tweaked.

Can you give me the hint on how to install the new DLLs if I end up doing that? That way I can play some more before hollering back.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

Panda,

To replace the possibly corrupted DLL's, just open System File Checker.

There you will find where it says "Extract One File From Installation Disk." Put a dot in the round white spot & then click browse & browse to the file (corrupted one) that you want to replace. Highlight it & then click open. It will revert back to the previous window with that file listed in the white bar. Then click Start. The next pop up window will have the file name of that file listed up in the gray part of the window where it says "File Name." Below that will be a "restore from" white text bar. Browse to the folder in which you have stored the downloaded file you want to replace it with. Click on that folder & then click OK. The "Save File In" white text bar will already have it listed where the file you have selected as a replacement will be exported to. Then say OK. SFC will replace the possibly corrupted file with the one in the specified folder. It may ask you if you want to back up the existing one before replacing. I usually say yes. Once it has restored (replaced) the file with the one you have specified, it will tell you it was successful. Repeat the process for each file you want to replace.

Once you've replaced all of the ones you want to replace, run SFC to log the changes you've made. Go into the log & find the last logging event, scroll to the top of that last event & under the asterisks type in a short note to yourself stating the changes & why. Click the X at top right of screen. It will ask if you want to save changes. Say yes. This is so you can refer to the changes later, if necessary & be able to find them easily.

Make sure that "only" the files you want to use as replacements are in a folder together. Don't have more than one version of the same file in that folder of files that you are using as replacements. Be careful in selecting the file to be replaced & the folder from which you want the replacement extracted.

It's really not difficult. You'll get the hang of it after the first time.

If none of this works for you, then I suppose you could try the repair system files in Tweak UI, but I have never used Tweak UI to do that myself. Maybe someone else could answer that for you.

After that, the only other thing I, myself, could suggest, would be a full clean install, as it would seem that by then, you would have tried practically everything there is to try gathering from your previous posts on what you have tried. But maybe someone else could come up with an alternative to a clean install. I don't know.

Good Luck, & please post back with results. Good or bad. Hopefully Good.

 

Buying into this post a bit late and with just a thought. Had a problem years ago with a scanner on a win98 clients machine. Go to Msconfig and check to see if.... "Still Image Mon "(going from memory regarding correct name however this should find it) is set to run on startup.

 

Deloris...

Thanks. I plan on making a folder in My Documents that says DLLs and putting the downloaded ones in there, per your instructions. It looks pretty easy to do. But, lately, easy isn't working for me! I still would like to run the SETUP.EXE if there was a way I could figure out how to give myself more conventional memory without too much hassle. I'll try this first, but something is telling me that it won't work. All I can do is try. I'll run SFC when I'm done and see if it shows corrupted files any more. Once I have replaced the files, can I delete them from the folder I created?

jenae...

It's NEVER too late to jump into a post! I don't have that listed anywhere in msconfig. Guess I don't have it. And, if I did, should it have been checked, or not? And, why would it make a difference? Thanks for jumping in, though.

Beeeeee backkkkkk soooooooon!!! WISH ME LUCK!

 

Panda,

Just remember to have only the ones you are going to use as replacements in the same folder together. If you have more than one version of the "same file name" in the folder, SFC will not know which version you want it to use & might replace with one of them, but it may not be the one you wanted.

Yes, you can delete them out of the folder you created for the DLL's you downloaded. Although, if this works, you might want to keep the replacement ones for future use, just in case this happens again.

 

See me crying? See me throwing COMPUTER off the cliff? See me jumping off cliff after computer?

As you can tell by the beginning of this post, it didn't work. I had to find another site to download those DLLs. The DLL World didn't work right. I downloaded them, but they all came up with 0 kbs. But, I did manage to find them on another site and they were all the same size and versions, except the cryptdlg, which was a slighly older version. I replaced 4 files via the downloads and 2 via my cabs. I thought I would try to see if they were in the cabs and 2 of them were (xenroll and cryptdlg). I updated the log as you suggested. I rebooted and ran SFC again. It came up with a notice about my MSISYS.VXD being updated and did I want to make a notation of that. I don't remember ever doing it, so just told it to make note of the update. The corrupted files didn't show up in the check, so I guess the corrupted ones got replaced ok. I updated the log with notations on what I did and which DLLs I changed. GREAT instructions on how to do it! It was real easy! Thanks! I ran Dr. Watson. No errors in that area. I re-installed the printer driver.

SAME ERROR MESSAGE!!!

Unless someone comes up with another tip or two, I will be missing from the board for a few days, as I will either have tossed this thing off THAT cliff or I will be doing the FULL RESTORE!

Thanks again for all your help. I won't be doing the restore for a few days yet, as I need to be IN THE MOOD (I know...typical woman thing.... ) and it takes me awhile to do that.

Why me??????????????

 

Panda,

I am sorry it didn't work. It was worth a try, though. It was just a suggestion, since you'd already tried so many other things that didn't do the trick. Suggestions don't always work everytime, unfortunately.

I think you really need to take a big deep breath & bite the bullet. It seems it may be the only way to solve the problem. I have in times past, tried every conceivable fix like you have & still no go, and had to finally give up & re-format.

A re-format should do the trick, since nothing else seems to want to work. The big problem with that, is taking days to re-load all the programs one has. I always dread that part. The re-formatting itself isn't so bad, it's the rest you have to do afterwards that's a pain.

Just don't get in a frustrated hurry & forget to save important stuff off onto a CD, like I did one time. Boy, did I regret that!

Good luck & let us know how you're doing with it.

 

That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear!!!! But, it makes sense. I've never had to do a re-format on any of my computers this late in the game, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

I understand what you are saying about making sure I save everything that I want to save. It will probably take me a whole day JUST to see what all I have on my computer so I'll know what to save, what to re-download (newer versions and all that) and what can be trashed. I keep most of my stuff in the My Documents folder and this computer came with a Super Zip Drive, so I can put quite a bit on the disks. I will have a few questions about what to save and where they are, so will probably ask that question in General so as not to clutter this thread up with a new topic.

I whole heartidly thank EVERYONE for their input and help and I don't know if I should drag this thread up with the results, or just make a new one to let you know how it went.

Sighhhhhhhhhhhh. Now it will take me a few days or weeks before I find the time AND gumpshin to do this.

Thanks again........(are you SURE there isn't another fix out there somewhere???????)

 

Panda,

Have you considered that the Printer itself (it's little brain) may have gone bad. Just because it's only four months old, doesn't mean it is working right itself. It may not be a software problem at all.

Find out if you can exchange it for another one like it & if so, I'd do that next & try that. Of course un-install all software for this one & edit the registry, before putting on a new one, even though it may be an identical model.

If this has already been discussed, then disregard. I can't remember what all has been discussed & what hasn't.

 

I see. You don't want to take the time to read the WHOLE post to see what's been done, huh? LOL......Only kidding.

I'm pretty sure it isn't the printer. It works fine as a stand alone. Lexmark Tech worked with me on that and helped me change a setting or two. I can't TAKE IT BACK, as I bought it on QVC and I think I'm past the return time policy. I wonder if Lexmark would send me a new disk. They did send me to a link to download the latest driver, and I still have it, but that didn't work either. I just can't think of anything else to do except FULL RESTORE.

Oh well.....

 

YeeHaw!

Ok. Here is the update on this problem.

After my full restore, the first thing I did was load the printer and try copying from the COPY/SCAN CONTROL PROGRAM. I got the same error message! Boy, was I hot!!!!! I then called Lexmark back and they worked with me on the printer again. After a few tests, THIS TECH PERSON said there was something wrong with the PRINTER and they will send me a new one. Unreal!! I wish they had figured this out BEFORE I had to do the format. Of course, then, my computer was way over due for a clean up. Now I get to deal with all this tweaking getting rid of stuff that I don't want on here.

Just wanted you all to know how it ended up, so you can close this thread now, if you want to.

Thanks again for all your tips and hints. I learned a few things, as usual, and that is good.

HAVE A GREAT 4TH EVERYONE!!!

 

*wince* Wish I had gotten here earlier...

Panda,

Wish I had come on board with this earlier. I would have told you to make the dealer take back the printer and give you a new one before doing he restore.

With all that you did, in the software end of things, there was no way it was a software problem. The error message you were receiving sounds to me like the software was working properly, but it had a problem accessing a memory block from the printer's memory or ROM. My guess? I bet they take the printer back, change the memory in it and replace the ROM, and ship it back out to a store. You'll probably get a brand spankin' new one in exchange, though. While it's unlikely this problem will repeat itself, if it does be sure to post back here. It could be a bad batch of ROM's, in which case you're going to have to escalate this problem beyond the normal tech support levels at lexmark and get them serial numbers of the machine so they can track down other machines that may have the same batches of ROM's in them and they can do a recall on those serial numbers.

Welcome to the world of computers when things go wrong, btw.

 

Yea, Galdor, where the heck were you when I needed you???? LOL. Only kidding! I doubt they would have sent me a new printer if I had just fussed at them. We went back and forth on different fixes and I even asked them for a list of DLLs or a new driver (they sent me to a site to download one), but they wouldn't send them to me. I already told the last tech person I talked to that I was going to send the printer back to them and demand my money back so I could buy another PRODUCT. She then told me to hold while she talked to her 'supervisor' and when she came back, told me that they were sending me a new one! Trust me, I was on my way to making waves for a new one anyway.

Thanks for the tip, though, and I will report back when I get the new printer, whether it works or not! And...IT BETTER! Interesting theory on the ROM. Will keep that in mind.

 

UN...FRIGGIN...REAL!!!

I hope I didn't get in trouble with my subject title, but I am about to BURST!!!!!!!!

My new printer came today. Hooked it up. Ran the test. SAME PROBLEM!!!!!! Called Lexmark. We ran some more tests. We uninstalled it. Reinstalled it. Same mess. Now this guy tells me there is nothing they can do. They say it's a Compaq issue! I write Compaq and explain. (Lexmark says that my TWAIN won't go into win.in like it's supposed to. It doesn't show up in there) Compaq comes back and says....you guessed it.......IT'S A LEXMARK COMPATIBILITY PROBLEM!!!!!! Now I'm STUCK with a printer I can't use!!!!! And, of course, QVC won't take it back because it's past their return time. I am so frustrated and mad!!!! I'm going to take it over to my friends house next week and see if it'll work on his machine. He has a newer computer. XP, if I remember correctly. If it works on his....well.....maybe he will buy it from me. I just don't know what to do any more. I don't even want to mess with it on e-bay. Just not worth the time and postage.

Just thought I would let you all know how disappointing it can be dealing with tech and products. I usually get good results, but this one has me really soured.

Thanks for hanging with me.

Oh....I discussed ROM with the guy, but he just went...uh..uh...uh...ummmmm. Geeeeesh.

 

QVC return...

Panda,

Sorry to here about this, but I had a bad feeling this would happen. As to the guy not having a clue about the ROM, that's to be expected.

Something you should realize (and anyone else dealing with tech support) is that the people who do tech support aren't computer techs. These positions are usually entry level positions and they are given specific check lists to run through to help customers resolve problems. If you ask them to think beyond those checklists, they are clueless. They usually don't have a concept of how computers work, the difference between determining faulty hardware vs. software problems, and how to deal with potential problems beyond their checklist.

I had a video card once that was incompatible with my motherboard. I am no novice to computers (I've been working in the computer industry since 1997 and have been playing with computers since 1990) and I tried everything I could think of to fix the problem before calling tech support. Finally after much hulabaloo, and them running me through countless things I had done already, they determined the card was incompatible with my motherboard (which I had told them was the likelihood at the start) and they gave me an RMA so I could return it and order a different card.

My suggestion to you, Panda, is call who you ordered the printer from and explain everything that's been done. Tell them you want them to take the printer back so that you can order a different make and model that is compatible with your machine. Even though it is passed the return date of the thing, this is extenuating circumstances and it's complete bull that you got stuck with a printer you can't use.

Skip the tech support with these people. Talk to that person's manager. If that person's manager won't help, tell them you want to speak to their manager. Keep going up the chain of command until you get someone who will help you. It's going to be a long road and you'll have to be dilligent, but you shouldn't be stuck with a product you can't use. You may even have to write a letter or two and threaten lawsuit, but in the end, you should encounter someone with the customer service skills that will care enough and value you as a customer enough to refund your money. Oh, and don't let them charge you for shipping the product back, either. It's not your fault that the printer doesn't work with your computer. It's theirs.

Good luck, and keep me posted on how you do with this or even if you bother doing it. I'm curious as to the outcome....

Galdor
aka
Michael Boyer
Technology Support Specialist
City of Westbrook, Maine

 

I already knew this from way back. I don't mind dealing with tech people, as they need to learn from the ground up anyway. And, lots of times you know that when they ask you to hold a minute, they are talking with THEIR supervisor.

I guess you don't remember everything that I've written so far. Heck..I can't remember any of it!!!! I CAN'T contact the people I ordered it from because it came from QVC. I already contacted them and their responsibility was up 30 days after purchase. I am now just dealing with Compaq and Lexmark.

I called them today, again, and asked for their supervisor! I got one! We worked on the phone for over 2 hours trying to get this machine to cooperate. No go. He just can't figure out what the problem could be. He is sending me a whole new printer...in the box...all cables and stuff. The other printer was, just that, the printer. No cables, no cartridges. Nothing. We are going to try this again, but we both don't see any hope. I think, by talking to him, I may get lucky and they will give me my money back. I'm crossing my fingers. I know that Compaq is out of the loop now. I just can't see them helping me upgrade this pc since it's 3 years old and win98 is practically obsolete!

OH! Lexmark had me download new, updated VIA drivers and that didn't help, either.

Also, they sent me a return shipping label for the first printer and will be sending one for this one. I usually ask when doing something like this. I have to give them credit for trying to help me work this out.

I'll keep you all posted as things develope.

Thanks, everyone, for reading this and CROSSING your fingers!

 

I share your pain

Panda,
Thank you so much for your postings which I pulled up on a general search as I have been fighting a similar problem with 2 printers that worked great in all applications except Internet Explorer and Outlook express. I had searched and tried, tried and searched. Pulled hair out. Got disgusted and would leave alone for awhile. Then, with determination try again. I removed printer/s, added printers, updated drivers, etc....Was told I might have to totally remove IE and reinstall. I'm a real estate agent and use the web for all listings and had been reduced to having to select all, copy and paste in word to print and do that on each and every page I had to print.

I followed the thread of your problem/s and offerred solutions and then tried the one from Jerald Koontz posted on 2/22/02.
Alone, at home, I sounded like a raging cajun and had to call my daughter (a fairly accomplished computer fixer-upper) to cheer, holler, scream and shout "SOLVED AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!! "

Little 'ol me treaded into Regedit. I changed the default printer which was only showing default to my HP LaserJet 4L and at the bottom it had Mighty Fax which I deleted as I was not using that program. Closed out. Shut down. Restarted and both my printers now print from the web and email.

Thank you so much Jerald and good luck to you Panda.

Ann T
happiest agent in Atlanta

 

You Go, Girl!

Ann T...

I'm so glad that someone got something good out of this thread. That is the whole purpose of posting back here, even if things didn't work out. You never know when one little tidbit will have fixed someone elses headache! And, BTW, WELCOME TO BEST TECH SUPPORT BOARD IN THE WORLD! You will never go wrong coming here.

As for the latest update on MY problem.....The second printer did NOT work, as I suspected it wouldn't. Still am convinced it's a Compaq issue. The very helpful tech supervisor is sending me a different model printer. The Lexmark x83. He thinks and hopes that maybe this model will work on my computer since we are dealing with a different setup and driver. I'm hoping it works, too, as I would much rather have that model anyway. I have no use for a fax (x83 has fax capabilities via computer modem) and the scanner is a flatbed, not sheet feed, which I also prefer. Now all I need is for ALL of you out there in cyberland to CROSS YOUR FINGERS and say a few computer prayers for me.

I will keep you all posted, as usual. Thanks again for all the support.

 

Our program, which art in memory
Hello be thy name
Thy operating system come
Thy commands be done
At the Printer,
As it is on the screen.
Give us this day our daily data
And forgive us our input/output errors
As we forgive those whose circuits are faulty.
Lead us not into frustration
And deliver us from power surges.
For this is the algorithm,
Application and solution.
Looping forever and ever.

 

AMEN!

Brett....You are so cool! LOVED IT!!! And, thanks.