latest Update patch has ENTER key giving error msg

Just checking in.....

Since the problem is still with me, and shows no sign of going away on its own, i wanted to ask if there is any particular e-mail address for me to use to complain to Microsoft.

I admit that writing to Microsoft has always seemed to me to be pretty much the same thing as writing to Santa Claus : not much chance of anyone reading my letter, and even less of ever getting a response.

But this has gone on *way* too long.....and i want to at least *try* to let them know that i am out here, still suffering from their unprovoked error.

Soooo.....any help?


missinglincoln

 

missinglincoln--See third post at the beginning of this thread.

 

Jim (and everyone else);

I might just have the answer to the Outlook Express problem. At least it seems to have worked for me.

(Be sure to read *all* of this post. Some weirdness happened that you need to know about, just in case it happens to anyone else who tries this fix.)

I followed the Microsoft link you posted, and.....after a long period of frustrating dead ends and offers to fix my problem (for more than $50!!!!!), i came across the following newsgroup :

http://support.microsoft.com/newsgr...outlook&SLCID=US&sd=GN&id=fh;en-us;newsgroups


I posted my problem, and i received this response from an Outlook/Outlook Express expert :


Subject: Re: Serious Outlook Express error.

From: "neo [mvp outlook]" <neo@mvps.org> Sent: 3/4/2003 5:24:51 PM

You need to extract the mshtml.dll file out of the ie_s1.CAB file. Hopefully http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318153 will help you accomplish this. (Ignore the file versioning information near the top of the document. It is wrong when pulling the file out of this *.cab file.



Here is what i found when i followed that link :

Method 2

Re-extract Mshtml.dll from the Internet Explorer version 6 cabs. To do so, follow the steps listed for your operating system:

Microsoft Windows 98

Click Start, click Run, type sfc, and then click OK.
Click Extract one file, type ie_1.cab, and then click Start.
In the Restore from field, type c:\windows\windows update setup files.
In the Save as field, type c:\windows\windows update setup files, and then click OK.
When you receive a prompt to back up the file to C:\Windows\Helpdesk\Sfc, click Yes or OK.
If you receive the following prompt, click Yes or OK: The backup folder does not exist. Do you want to create it?

If you receive a dialog box that says: "The file was successfully extracted ", click OK.
Click Start, click Run, type sfc, and then click OK.
Click Extract one file, type mshtml.dll, and then click Start.
In the Restore from field, type c:\windows\windows update setup files.
In the Save as field, type c:\windows\system, and then click OK.
When you receive a prompt to back up the file to C:\Windows\Helpdesk\Sfc, click Yes or OK.
When you receive a dialog box that says: "The file was successfully extracted ", click OK.
Close System File Checker and then restart the computer.



I did all of the above, and it all went according to plan.

*But*.....there was a problem. I couldn't write *any* e-mail with Outlook Express. The problem was that i couldn't get a cursor to appear anywhere in the program. No right click menu. Nothing. The mouse moved as normal, but clicking any of the buttons did nothing. I opened Internet Explorer, and it was the same. I couldn't enter anything from the keyboard, because i couldn't get a cursor.

Uh oh.....

I tried the IE repair tool, but it said that my IE6SP1 could not be repaired.

Uh oh.....

Having nothing else to lose i completely reinstalled IE6SP1, OE6SP1 included.

And.....it seems to have worked!

(Remember : a complete IE reinstall before i did the fix did *not* get rid of the problem.)

I have written and responded to several e-mails since i did the fix.....and i haven't had a single MSHTML.DLL error, where i would have had *several* of them before the fix.

To be honest, i won't fully believe it's fixed until i never see the error again.....but for now i am cautiously optimistic. It's been nearly 24 hours, and things seem to be working the way they did pre-botched-patch.


I hope this is of use to any of you who have suffered through this same problem.

And thank you to everyone who responded, and helped me through this. It is greatly appreciated.




missinglincoln

 

missinglincoln--Good for you for finding this and telling us. Glad your problem seems to be solved. Hope crystalwoman has seen this.
Interesting, however that the MSKB article is dated 6/2002--long before the latest Cumulative Patch.

 

Jim;

Glad to be of help. (Hey, i owe you guys!)

I hope someone has a way to contact crystalwoman, because she is the one that started this search for answers in the first place. And i hope the fix works for her, too.

(Her e-mail thingy is turned off, though.....so i can only hope that she remembers to check back here.)

I've written/replied to lots more e-mail since last night, and OE is still working the way it's supposed to work.

So it looks like this *is* the solution. (At least for me.)


missinglincoln - relieved

 

Arie;

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, i didn't have a choice w.r.t. replacing the mshtml.dll file. It was either do that, or stop using Outlook Express.

How vulnerable would you say i am, now, security-wise?

Should i trust Windows Update enough to install any new security "patches" in future, considering what happened to me last time?

The Outlook mvp guy at the Microsoft newsgroup suggested i manually install the q324929 patch for security reasons.....but when i tried that it told me i need to have IE6SP1 installed. I *do* have IE6SP1 installed - i just REinstalled it the other day - but this patch wouldn't believe that. I checked "About Internet Explorer ".....and, indeed, i have IE6 with SP1 installed.

Any ideas about that?

(Outlook Express still working fine, by the way.)



missinglincoln

 

Well, as long as you guys are around to help me find a fix for their fixes, i should be ok.

(What, me cynical?)


missinglincoln

 

missinglincoln--I am too lazy to read this whole thread again, but if it has not already suggested, you could try some of the sites listed here as a source of a more recent version of mshtml.dll
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=mshtml.dll++download&btnG=Google+Search

And you should scan with your antivirus program anything you download before installing.
My version of mshtml.dll is 6.00.2800.1141. I think that is one of the latest--at least for my PC's configuration.

 

Jim;

Question : do you know if it's possible to find a "self-extracting" (if that's the right term) version of MSHTML.DLL?

The version i was able to find won't install with Windows running.....any my normal reaction to seeing a DOS window is to reboot my computer. (I never learned it, and it frightens me.)

I saw a site that said it would *sell* me a self-extracting version of MSHTML.DLL, but that just isn't going to happen.

Any ideas?


missinglincoln

 

missinglincoln--I am by no means knowledgeable in this area, but "self extracting" rings no bells unless you downloaded the .dll file within a .zip file. Then you would have to extract the actual .dll file (using a program like WinZip) and put it into C:\Windows\System.
If you downloaded a vanilla .dll file you do not have to "install" it, just put it where it should be--which is C:\Windows\System.
If you have in fact downloaded a reasonably recent version of MSHTML.dll and already put it in C:\Windows\System, the only other thing I can think of is that you might have to register it. You do this by Start|Run|type regsvr32 mshtml.dll|click OK.
More info (but perhaps overkill) here
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;249873&
P.S. From where did you download that version of mshtml.dll
that won't work? (Or is that the source you mention above?)

 

Jim;

Sorry for the delay. (Health reasons)

I know absolutely *nothing* about DLL's, any my nature is to fear the unknown.

I downloaded the file (zipped) from a German site. I can't remember the name, though..... (I have not heard anything bad about them, however.)

That version is : 6.00.2800.1141

Do you think i should try to extract it directly to the C:\Windows\System folder?

If i do that, and something goes wrong, is there a way to undo the change? (Would that be as simple as making a copy of the file that is already there?)

(I just checked. The version that is currently in there is : 6.00.2800.1106)

On another - possibly related - point, since i did the fix, i have had more Internet Explorer crashes than usual, and a *lot* of Explorer (as in Windows Explorer) crashes. Do you think this is because of the fix? (I certainly have my suspicions.....)

But Outlook Express is still working like a charm. I haven't had a single problem since the fix. And i don't want to lose that.


missinglincoln

 

missinglincoln-- "We" are getting way out of my league. I was not aware of your problems with IE and Windows Explorer. Are you getting any error messages when they crash? If so, try to post the messages as accurately as possible.
As far as "installing" the later version of mshtml.dll, as mentioned there is nothing to do other than put the new version into the C:\Windows\System folder (unless registering is required). However, you cannot put the new version in the folder if you already have a version of mshtml.dll there. So rename the old version to mshtml.old and then drag and drop the new version into the folder. If you have good results you can leave things as they are, or after several weeks delete the .old file. If you do not like the results remove the new file and rename the .old file back to mshtml.dll.
P.S. The fact that your present version of mshtml.dll is a "little" old suggests you have not been updating your PC using Windows Update recently. There have been several updates in the last two months. One is a fix for not being able to access the web sometimes.

 

Jim;

I'm not even the *batboy* in this league.

I haven't been able to write down the error messages when IE or Explorer crashed. But if/when it happens again i'll see what i can do.

The "installation" of the newer version of MSHTML.DLL seems to have been successful. (One note, though : i couldn't do it unless i was in Safe Mode. But once i figured that out it all went smoothly.)

The registration thingy you mentioned - regsvr32 mshtml.dll - appears to have been successful, too. (I don't know if it was needed.....but the file has been registered, one way or the other.)

I have just restarted, so i don't know what effect - if any - the MSHTML.DLL switch has made. But i'll post back when i know more.

As for Windows Update.....remember that that was the cause of all these problems in the *first* place. The February Cumulative Patch was what fouled up my Outlook Express. I have actually been a regular user of Windows Update for ages.....although i admit i have been a little gun shy since the botched patch. But i used it earlier today for the critical Windows scripting patch.....and so far nothing terrible seems to have happened.

So far.

I *think* my system files are pretty well up to date, now, though.

I'll let you know how this goes.

Thanx for your ongoing assistance!


missinglincoln

 

Quick update:

The switch to the newer version of MSHTML.DLL didn't work. I got the same error i had after the botched February patch. So i'm guessing that the new version - 6.00.2800.1141 - is defective. I've switched back to the one that worked.....and i *hope* things go back to the way they were earlier today.

I'll post again once i know any more.


missinglincoln

 

Hi again:

Sorry i have not been back here until now to see what or if there is a resolve for the OE Enter key error. I note a lot of views on this subject, as well as more replies. I still have to read all the ones since i was here last.

Am i to understand you guys here may have figured out a fix for now?

For the time being, i was just avoided replying to my emails and was only creating new ones. I did not have the time to keep trying to figure it all out.

I never did hear back from any microsoft tech on this either. There still isn't a Patch on Windows Update. I really wish they would update it.
I saw there was a new security vulnerability update which i just installed this a.m. but still nothing for OE Enter key error.

God Bless America, J

 

crystalwoman;

Check my post from March 05. That details the MSHTML.DLL fix that worked for me. Since your problem seemed so similar to mine, i hope this will work for you, too.

You should also read the later posts. I had trouble after trying to upgrade the MSHTML.DLL file to the latest version (or at least the latest version i've seen) last night. But when i went back to the one i was left with after the fix, all was well again. I have sent several e-mails since then, and experienced no problems.

(The version that works is : 6.00.2800.1106)

Except for the brief period yesterday when i reverted to the newer version of that file, i have had *no* Outlook Express errors since i followed that fix. Which means i can actually respond to e-mail without having OE crash every second time i press the Enter key.

I hope that helps.



missinglincoln

 

Hi again 'missinglincoln' ---

Yikes that sounds 'a bit techy' for me right now even though i consider myself an intermediate.

I normally would do such a chore, but for now i will continue bearing with this OE error until a simpler update from Microsoft comes along.

I am glad you were able to accomplish a fix of sorts for yourself and thank you for the suggestion.

I will wait a bit longer and see.

God Bless USA!